request for compressor/expander/limiter macro

how cool would it be to have a bRilliant compressor/expander/limiter at the end of an ensemble chain, right before output? something that would maximize the volume without redlining. martijn zwartjes' flatblaster does the trick nicely, but it's big and ungainly.

so i'm hoping one of you low-level reaktor geNies can build us such a macro ... and with the following (tricky) addition: automatic attack/delay times. in other words, the box sets its attack/delay times on the fly depending on the incoming signal. one of the problems with existing reaktor compressors/limiters (the ones i know, anyway) is that one attack/delay setting works well for one kind of sound, another for another, etc. if the input has different types of sound, the results are less than delightful.

so who's up to the challenge:

a compact, low-cpu-devouring, effective compressor/expander/limiter macro with dynamic attack/delay setting, stereo in, stereo out

?

thanks in advance for your service to zee community,

rachMiel

 

ooo, good idea! i can almost see it now... = )
>>><<< P R O G R A M C H I L D >>><<<A U T O C O M >>><<<

 

yes, programchild was one of the people i was thinking of also ...

but, very important:

the macro must be compact, automatic (including attack/delay), and low on cpu usage. programchild's beasts tend to be massive.

rick

 

hmmmmmmmmmmm?

so where are all you master reaktor engineers when we need you:

compact, low-cpu, high-excellence compressor/expander/limiter macro with auto attack/decay settings (and optional espresso maker)

?

rachMiel

 

proggi autocom

...and you expect it for free?



well, I am still researching, finding a way to maximize that
can be compared to L2 without crossing fingers...

it is really not easy and still might take me some time
because i never studied anything, actually I´m a rocker...


yours
programchild@sugar-bytes.de

 

Re: hmmmmmmmmmmm?

hello rick,

the limiter part is not that difficult, but the combination
of compressor/expander/limiter is quite complicated, especially
when you want it to work automatically, not to mention the
needed look-ahead-feature. thats really a difficult task.

best wishes

ingo

 

> ...and you expect it for free?

oh how quickly they forget their noncommercial upbringing. ;-)

> the limiter part is not that difficult, but the combination
of compressor/expander/limiter is quite complicated, especially
when you want it to work automatically, not to mention the
needed look-ahead-feature. thats really a difficult task.

i know. and if i were up to it, i'd do it myself. but i don't have the patience (or dsp knowledge) to code professional-strength dynamics processors. that's why i'm asking for help.

rick

 

Re: Re: hmmmmmmmmmmm?

Do you have an example of a piece of hardware or software that automatically sets the attack and decay? I'm not familiar with anything like that.

 

Re: Re: Re: hmmmmmmmmmmm?

hello john,

imho it is not a good idea to have completely automatic
attack/decay on such a processor. you really need at least
a fast and a slow response curve to choose from. maybe decay
can be ommited in a brickwall limiter, but not attack.
also you need a threshold level control to determine the
amount of limiting.

also in a expander you really need at least adjustable
threshold and ratio.

a compressor should also have some controls to be really useful:
input level, ratio, gain makeup, attack/decay or at least
a slow/fast response time switch.

a nice compressor/expander/gate is the dbx1066.
a compressor with a minimum of controls is the
aphex easyrider compressor. i use both regularly
in the studio. maybe you will find some infos about
them when you google a bit.

the state of the art limiter in software is the
waves ultramaximizer l2.

maybe i can come around with a design during the next days.
we'll see if i can find the time.

best wishes

ingo

 

Why waste CPU on this? This is something that is *much* better suited to a dedicated hardware processor. Save your CPU for signalmangling insanity... after all, you won't likely want to have elements in Reaktor controlling anything in this mastering processor.

There are plenty of good hardware processors like this out there... the TCelectronics finalizer express is good, cheap, and easy to use... it has a look ahead feature too, but it looks *3ms* ahead, which is probably a bit much... adding to whatever latency you've already got on your computer.