Compressor

A compressor is a piece of audio equipment designed to 'compress' the dynamic range of an audio signal. When combined with an expander (some compressors have one built in) the audio can be kept at a constant(ish) level without the operator needing to do anything

Compressors at YSTV

There are a couple of different types of compressors in YSTV. Most are operated by dials on the front and may (or may not) include the following:

• Expander/Gate - if the input is below the threshold level, the output is either silenced (Gate) or increased (Expander)
• Compressor - the part that the whole unit takes it's name from. If the input is above the threshold level, the output is reduced by a certain amount, defined by the ratio.
• Limiter - if the input is above the threshold level, the output is reduced to the threshold
• Channel couple - useful if you're compressing a stereo pair of channels. Anything that happens to one channel also happens to the other.

MDX 2100

The Behringer MDX 2100 is a two-channel compressor/expander/gate/limiter - as in it has all of this built into one unit. Useful for compressing the main outputs from the desk.

MDX 2200

Also a Behringer and mostly the same as the MDX 2100.

MDX 4400

Functionally similar to the MDX 4600.

MDX 4600

We have two of these Behringer banks. This one contains four compressor channels, which can be coupled in two pairs. Less options than the MDX 2100/2200, so more useful for individual microphones.