ReaComp Precomp?

[Obitheincredible]

In ReaComp you can set the precomp to read ahead. Does this open the compressors settings by however far you set it or does it just read ahead that far so when the transient or audio come through it know exactly how much to compress? Does that question make sense? Also since we are talking about ReaComp; what exactly does the RMS affect?

[Obitheincredible]

Nothing?

[arbogast]

Precomp compresses earlier. I think of it as negative attack.

RMS is a measurement of average level for positive and negative signals (root mean square, in mathematics, i believe) during a shorter or longer span of time (RMS size).

I'm 99.9% sure that a google search will yield lots of much better explanations.

[Obitheincredible]

I understand it compresses earlier, so if I set up a 50 ms precomp setting does it start compressing 50 ms earlier or does it read ahead 50 ms and opens right before the peaks?

[Wilkesin]

I was under the impression that it just "reads ahead". For the RMS question check out the .pdf manual Stillwell's Bombardier compressor. He explains it there better than I could.

[Dstruct]

Originally Posted by Obitheincredible

I understand it compresses earlier, so if I set up a 50 ms precomp setting does it start compressing 50 ms earlier or does it read ahead 50 ms and opens right before the peaks?

It opens 50 ms before the peak then.

[ugh]

in a DAW the effects can "look ahead" what peak is coming and therefore have the possibility like reacomp to do "precompression", meaning they start using the compression even before the peak would trigger the attack of the compressor.
that is how I understand it, hope I am right with that understanding.
please feel free to correct me if I am mistaken.

[spaz bouviere]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic...vs_RMS_sensing
this is a useful bit of wiccy joy. most helpful.

[Obitheincredible]

Yeah sorry I should have worded it better. I understood it read ahead I just wasn't sure it compressed 50 ms ahead or read ahead and then compressed. From the looks of it, it compresses ahead by however much you set it. Just like stated earlier, negative attack. Thanks for the link!

[Wilkesin]

Hmmh. Anyone care to explain how "negative attack" would be useful? I thought it was just look ahead amount.

[Obitheincredible]

Basically it reads ahead and opens however far ahead you set it. With attack you can leave room AFTER the peak happens to begin compressing. With Precomp it starts compressing however far ahead you set it. Negative attack in that ir compresses BEFORE the peak happens. By however much you set it. Useful if you want to compress the transients and are having a hard time with the comp "biting" or clicking.

[EricM]

"Negative attack" = "precomp" = lookahead.

Sidechain => detection
original signal => delay => compression.

End of story.

[mikehende]

Hey guys. I don't know if this "look ahead" will actually work with the way I use the plugin...
I guess this would only work if there was some recorded audio material already present, that way Reaper could actually "look ahead" to see what volumes are going to come, but since I am playing live music processing everything "on the fly" (in real time), how should Reaper know what will happen please?

[sp3k]

Originally Posted by mikehende

Hey guys. I don't know if this "look ahead" will actually work with the way I use the plugin...
I guess this would only work if there was some recorded audio material already present, that way Reaper could actually "look ahead" to see what volumes are going to come, but since I am playing live music processing everything "on the fly" (in real time), how should Reaper know what will happen please?

You're right. If you put ReaComp with lookahead on your incoming signal, you will not be able to monitor that signal in real time, since it will be delayed by the amount specified in the lookahead.

[mikehende]

Thanks for confirming.

[ashcat_lt]

Originally Posted by EricM

"Negative attack" = "precomp" = lookahead.

Sidechain => detection
original signal => delay => compression.

End of story.

Well, yes, but then too ReaComp reports the delay as latency, and in cases where PDC can work, it gets compensated, which itself means that on playback the source media actually starts playing either earlier than others or from a later start point. Record armed tracks and other live inputs can't be compensated of course. Cockos devs are good, but they haven't actually invented time travel. (yet)

[Nixon]

For further explanation there is this video by Dan Worrall.
https://youtu.be/p7Ol5FPvHfs?t=531

Here the precomp feature gets analyzed and explained but
I recommend watching the whole thing.