raise the level before the compressor

i know for the compressor to trigger the level needs to exceed the defined threshold, so when your mix comes to the compressor i needs to be 'normalized' right, otherwise there will be no effect.. how can i do this on the 5000 without adjusting the level of each pad?
peace

Normally you use the master compressor to even the levels of your mix, so the lower levels aren't supposed to be compressed, they're supposed to be raised (controlled via gain level).
It sounds like you're trying to compress manually before using the compressor, which doesn't make much sense. Just raise the gain or lower the threshold.

If you want to affect only certain sounds, like drums, use the effect on a track or a pad.

Cheers

thanks man, but no not at all. i'm just aksing whether there is a master level when using the internal mixdown to hd. there is a master level for the L/R, but that has no effect when recording internally. i can control the overall level in the master compressor output, but i want to control it before it enters the compressor

Well, isn't the output gain in the compressor there for that exact reason. To compensate for the dynamics you just lost.

there will be no loss of dynamics when the signal comes into the compressor too soft, then it has no effect. so i need input level control on the comp, not output level..

Why don't you lower the threshold? That's what it is for. And don't forget to put the ratio to higher than 1:1 (even though the MPC 5K compressor does action even when ratio stays at 1:1).

If that's not enough, you could put another effect in front of the comp in the chain and only use it's output gain (not the other components of the effect) to raise the signal's level.

I cold've sworn there was a volume fader on the mixer in the mp. Have u tried using that?
I know i've used it a few times on the 2500.

no there isn't..

otobot wrote:Why don't you lower the threshold? That's what it is for. And don't forget to put the ratio to higher than 1:1 (even though the MPC 5K compressor does action even when ratio stays at 1:1).

If that's not enough, you could put another effect in front of the comp in the chain and only use it's output gain (not the other components of the effect) to raise the signal's level.

yeah that's an idea, but takes 1 of my 4 busses away. lowering the threshold is another solution, but it's not a clean approach, setting threshold to -30 or so.. can have quite an impact

andy66 wrote:

otobot wrote:Why don't you lower the threshold? That's what it is for. And don't forget to put the ratio to higher than 1:1 (even though the MPC 5K compressor does action even when ratio stays at 1:1).

If that's not enough, you could put another effect in front of the comp in the chain and only use it's output gain (not the other components of the effect) to raise the signal's level.

yeah that's an idea, but takes 1 of my 4 busses away. lowering the threshold is another solution, but it's not a clean approach, setting threshold to -30 or so.. can have quite an impact

(It takes away 1 of 2 effects slots of your 4 busses.)

I really don't understand why lowering the threshold in your scenario where there are no sudden peaks should be a problem. Lowering the threshold is the most ideal thing you can do.

Think about a scenario where you compress a signal which peaks at 0 dB and you put the compressor's threshold to -15 dB and dial in a makeup gain of 3dB.

You will get the same result, when the same signal peaks at -15 dB, you put the threshold to -30 dB and dial in a makeup gain of 18 dB.

you're about to get me convinced.. i'll mess around with the threshold. thanks man!