21
Part six - stereo link
Aka
Syncronizing multiple Tweakers
Truth
: Patching a TRS cable from this jack to the same jack on another
Tweaker enables both compressors to respond identically to
incoming signals.
Hype:
I can hear some of you already: “what, you’re gonna tell me
you’ve made the Stereo Linking cooler than other stereo linked
compressors?” Well, yes, that’s exactly what I’m about to do.
Tweakers use a TRS cable for linking; the 3-conductor connection allows
for linking of both the sidechains *and* the rectifiers that feed the
detectors. That’s way more technical than you probably need, so
here’s the translation: linked Tweakers will in effect be seeing the
exact same signal
and
responding to it exactly the same way. As
such, they will track with the same precision and responsiveness
previously found only in true stereo compressors, which have one
detector and one set of controls for both channels. For those who
value precision & stability in their stereo imaging, that’s no small
thing!
Important:
as with any pair of mono compressors, when running two
Linked Tweakers, you must set up
both
sets of controls to mirror one
another, otherwise the compression will be identical but the output
levels may be very different.
One exception to this rule is that you can set the Sidechain Shaper
differently for each unit, so if (e.g.) you've got cinematic bass
explosions on one side of a film mix, you can set that Tweaker to
ignore the subs and let the other unit track the low end. Doing that
would get you perfect bass tracking while the cinematic stuff gets
ignored by both comps. Clearly I’m a nerd, because super-esoteric
techniques like that inspires me, they make me want to crush and
bend sounds not just for the art that results, but for the sheer
enjoyment of the activity itself.
