Expander

Quote from Per

Would be really nice to have for when you want to create a more dynamic sound (for those that don't know an expander is the opposite of a compressor, it takes an input and amplifies it as it gets louder).

Actually with the new ducking parameters I think this is already possible, try the studio EQ with level +6 and duck -2 (I'm just guessing these values, adjust to taste) and see if it does the job.

Yes, negative ducking values in a way inverse the applied effect. Should work.

Imagine an Expander that acts behind the amp but listenes before the amp (sidechain). Would be wonderful for crunch sounds. We could then have the sound-dynamics of an amp at the sweet spot PLUS the volume-dynamics of a clean amp. And I don't mean two amps in parallel or adding a bit of the direct signal in the amp mix parameter. No, the volume-dynamics would really apply directly to the saturated, louder part of the same crunch amp.

the Profiler is already a highly dynamic processor, I don't think any 'help' from an additional expander is needed since you can:
- use the ducker as described
- use the definiton, power sagging and pick parameters to shape the dynamic response in many ways

by the way, a crunch sound with the dynamics of a clean sound would mean, you'd have to turn down volume to avoid clipping, which would result in a loss of perceived loudness while reading the same peak levels.

to get a signal like this to play nice in a mix you'll, probably have to compress/limit it in the DAW anyway

Quote from DonPetersen

the Profiler is already a highly dynamic processor, I don't think any 'help' from an additional expander is needed since you can:
- use the ducker as described
- use the definiton, power sagging and pick parameters to shape the dynamic response in many ways

by the way, a crunch sound with the dynamics of a clean sound would mean, you'd have to turn down volume to avoid clipping, which would result in a loss of perceived loudness while reading the same peak levels.

to get a signal like this to play nice in a mix you'll, probably have to compress/limit it in the DAW anyway

I am only dreaming - never had the chance to try it out. But I am dreaming about volume-dynamics, not sound-dynamics. In terms of volume the KPA reacts quite just like any good tube amp: as soon as some saturation comes in, the (output) volume does not increase a lot more.

Havn't dealt with the ducking. Yes, this might go a bit in that direction.

Quote from fretboardminer

I am only dreaming - never had the chance to try it out.

that's what I thought. sounded like a mind game to me the thing is, that not every scenario that is conceivable is practically/musically useful. And the Profiler already has numerous parameters with a very musical range to achieve the effect you might be after.

Quote from fretboardminer

But I am dreaming about volume-dynamics, not sound-dynamics.

I know: Higher peaks at the transients will force you to turn down volume, which will result in a lesser perceived loudness. The lower power of the decay part of the signal might even change your perception frequency wise.

Great ideeas. Today I,m will trying them....

Quote from DonPetersen

I know: Higher peaks at the transients will force you to turn down volume, which will result in a lesser perceived loudness. The lower power of the decay part of the signal might even change your perception frequency wise.

No, I am not thinking about higher peaks at the transients. The expander should work with a longer release time in order to affect all the attac and even those parts of the release signal that are in the fortissimo range. By volume-dynamics I mean the pick-controlled modulation of the real, final volume output. A crunch sound in a tube amp set to it's sweet spot will colour the sound of pick attacks that are stronger than mezzoforte with a more and more stronger distortion. We all love that don't we? But at the same time the sound won't get any louder beyond mezzoforte, it will only get more distorted. Some of us love that, me I don't. I would love to recover the dynamical fortissimo range that is lost in the saturation zone of a tube amp.

Quote from DonPetersen

that's what I thought. sounded like a mind game to me the thing is, that not every scenario that is conceivable is practically/musically useful.

How do I know that it would be good for my music? Easy: I just grab my acoustic guitar or set up a clean sound on the electric and see how it gorgeous and dynamic it reacts in a group. But I love that crunchy overdrive sound on the electric guitar. A crunch sound with the volume-dynamics of a clean sound would be really Zukunftsmusik! Certainly not useful for every style of music but IMHO a high-profile instrument like the KPA should not limit itself only to certain, popular styles.

Quote

the Profiler is already a highly dynamic processor, I don't think any 'help' from an additional expander is needed since you can:
- use the ducker as described
- use the definiton, power sagging and pick parameters to shape the dynamic response in many ways

by the way, a crunch sound with the dynamics of a clean sound would mean, you'd have to turn down volume to avoid clipping, which would result in a loss of perceived loudness while reading the same peak levels.
to get a signal like this to play nice in a mix you'll, probably have to compress/limit it in the DAW anyway

Ducking, definition, power sagging and pick parameter are great tools to influence the sound-dynamics. Especially the power sagging!!! Yesterday I found out that I can use a ducking on a wide mid-scooped EQ to compensate for those Fletcher-Munson effects a bit: make a pianissimo sound brighter and heavier and the fortissimo sound midrangier.

But none of the above is good for affecting volume-dynamics. A ducker might do it, if it would side-chain to the input of the KPA. So why not do all the ducking parameters sidechain to the input? Or at least swichable?

Quote from Per

For me definition merely changes the distortion characteristic, power sagging adds in compression (the opposite direction I want to go in), and pick is very unnatural sounding and too even for me in most cases (it seems to compress all transients to be the same level and then the control raises or lowers it relative rather than varying based on attack).

Power sagging is great for sound-dynamicy but, useless for volume-dynamics. The pick parameter is good for highgain sounds to restore a clearly audible attack noise but IMHO it is of no use for crunch sounds. I don't touch it.

Yes. I think too that in a high-grade music it,s all about the dynamics, because this can be the best transmitting mode of Your feeling to Your listeners.
I like very-very much this thread and I,m waiting to go in the studio to try all them.
Thanks guys!!!

The new ducking parameter is amazing! For example: I always feel that the reverb is too much on loud sounds and too few on pianissimos. So in a studio I always add compression to the reverb channel. Now I can add a slight bit of ducking to the reverb in the Kemp and it's done!

I hope I will find some time today to check out Deny's idea. If the ducking works in a studio EQ after the amp for correcting the Fletcher-Munson thing, so why shouldn't it even be possible to let it add some dB to the fortissimos? Just dreaming ...

IT WORKZ!!!

Well, the Volume parameter sadly seems to be behind the ducking. So a simple expander is not really possible. But on the EQ I can do what normally all sound engineers want to avoid in EQs: boost it all. Bass up, middle up (a bit more for the Fletcher-Munson thing) and treble up. And then the ducking to -3 and it gives a nice new impetus to the fortissimos!

That Kemp thing scares me more and more!