Amt of GR with 2500

[j-madd]

Hi all,

Just started using my API 2500 last night and am still learning this unit. I ran a couple of premastered tracks through it. I found I liked just a little GR with the light coming on only a little on louder passages. I preferred the old style to the new in all cases and ussually liked the Loud thrust setting as compared to normal.

Is this unit best used judiciously for just a little flattening of the program material?

Justin

[psykostx]

Originally Posted by j-madd

Hi all,

Just started using my API 2500 last night and am still learning this unit. I ran a couple of premastered tracks through it. I found I liked just a little GR with the light coming on only a little on louder passages. I preferred the old style to the new in all cases and ussually liked the Loud thrust setting as compared to normal.

Is this unit best used judiciously for just a little flattening of the program material?

Justin

Since you're talking about my favorite baby of all time...

A) You are using the easiest settings to hear. The 2500 doesn't mind being set by intuition alone (when you hear it its usually too much), and it doesn't like to work hard on your finished tracks (only snare drum thwax ).

B) Remember the thrust control is actually the speed of the "transient slope detector", and seems to work similar to look ahead. So "Loud" just seems to mean "compress fast transients sooner/quicker." That's why theres a little downward slope next to it. It "turns the knob down" faster at the initial onset of the attack. I guess you could say it changes the initial slope of the gain reduction curve?

C) Old vs New - yes I would say old is better for mastering. Actually I still can't hear exactly what this setting does lol. Maybe just "distortion"?

D) I would say that you are on the right track, but don't just assume you have to hear it blatantly. It is easy to color your tracks somewhat badly and thats why I prefer to use this to color my drums, either individually or on the buss, depending. Don't forget that anything but a hair of compression on a 2500 will add some serious low end silk and really pump.

For Mastering:
I usually get it pumping with the threshold down so I can hear all the changes its making, adjusting my knobs and tone controls to taste. I then back it off significantly until its signature disappears ( don't worry if the light is barely flashing ). It is still there, but you won't hear it until a week later when you play the track again, and there it is, adding that thing that it adds, you've heard it before on pretty much every rock album that was recorded in America. Its one of the few boxes the Brits can't top!

[j-madd]

Originally Posted by psykostx

Since you're talking about my favorite baby of all time...

A) You are using the easiest settings to hear. The 2500 doesn't mind being set by intuition alone (when you hear it its usually too much), and it doesn't like to work hard on your finished tracks (only snare drum thwax ).

B) Remember the thrust control is actually the speed of the "transient slope detector", and seems to work similar to look ahead. So "Loud" just seems to mean "compress fast transients sooner/quicker." That's why theres a little downward slope next to it. It "turns the knob down" faster at the initial onset of the attack. I guess you could say it changes the initial slope of the gain reduction curve?

C) Old vs New - yes I would say old is better for mastering. Actually I still can't hear exactly what this setting does lol. Maybe just "distortion"?

D) I would say that you are on the right track, but don't just assume you have to hear it blatantly. It is easy to color your tracks somewhat badly and thats why I prefer to use this to color my drums, either individually or on the buss, depending. Don't forget that anything but a hair of compression on a 2500 will add some serious low end silk and really pump.

For Mastering:
I usually get it pumping with the threshold down so I can hear all the changes its making, adjusting my knobs and tone controls to taste. I then back it off significantly until its signature disappears ( don't worry if the light is barely flashing ). It is still there, but you won't hear it until a week later when you play the track again, and there it is, adding that thing that it adds, you've heard it before on pretty much every rock album that was recorded in America. Its one of the few boxes the Brits can't top!

Thank you so much for the tips!! I will definitely try backing off the threshold a little once I get it sounding the way I want. Once again thanks for your help. I have no one around where I live to talk to about this stuff and any information is truly appreciated.

Justin

[duvalle]

Originally Posted by j-madd

Hi all,

Just started using my API 2500 last night and am still learning this unit.

i am not a ME but imho:
another important thing about the 2500 is to find it's sweetspot.
watch your input and level it so it's not overloading or being to low.
same goes with the output / makeup gain relation.
beside that, i just turn knobs till it sounds nice ... ;-)

[psykostx]

Originally Posted by duvalle

i am not a ME but imho:
another important thing about the 2500 is to find it's sweetspot.
watch your input and level it so it's not overloading or being to low.
same goes with the output / makeup gain relation.
beside that, i just turn knobs till it sounds nice ... ;-)

Good point! Definitely go light on it for mastering and only use it when a little color is required, cuz its hard to stop it from sweetening stuff up.

[Franco]

Have you tried playing with the filters? I almost always have the HP on and then there's also the knee controls. I tend to like getting around -1.5 to -2.0 GR (or see the meters dancing around that range) and then I'll try the different knee settings (and I personally like the "old" tone for most of the stuff I work on, "new" mode is great for a cleaner sound too).

I know everyone's method is different, but I personally don't like more than -2.5db GR for program material, on drum busses, however, that's an entirely different topic (and it goes to show how useful this comp is for various things!)

[piotr]

Originally Posted by psykostx

[...]

B) Remember the thrust control is actually the speed of the "transient slope detector", and seems to work similar to look ahead. So "Loud" just seems to mean "compress fast transients sooner/quicker." That's why theres a little downward slope next to it. It "turns the knob down" faster at the initial onset of the attack. I guess you could say it changes the initial slope of the gain reduction curve?

[...]

Hi,

The THRUST control affects the compressor response in relation to frequencies. LOUD setting does not mean "compress sooner" it means that the low frequencies will not trigger the compressor action. This will compress everything above kick drum or bass line, for example, avoiding the undesirable pumping. Very useful for buss compression.

If you want to alter the "speed" of the response, you adjust ATTACK.
If you want to alter the slope or the reduction curve, you adjust the KNEE.

p.

[cemski]

i use it mostly to tighten up the bass in dance or beat emphasized music. and in opposite to previous posters i use thrust=normal and the "new" mode as it sounds tighter an cleaner to me. i prefer slower attacks to keep the punch and adjust the release to the groove and tempo of the track.
But 50% of my work i hit the bypass as it really can stress the feel of the music. sorry for my bad english...
One thing i dont like: the most important knob, threshold, is way to small

[twwalsh]

i often use this around 2-3 db of GR, but at 1.5:1.