Hartke TX300 Owner's Manual

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Hartke TX300 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 9 page image

TX300 - 300 Watt Bass Amplifier9About CompressionThe dynamic range of a sound is the difference between its loudest and softestlevels. For example, as you play your bass, you’ll probably find that some notes(such as notes played on the upper frets of the lowest string) are considerablylouder than others. The function of the compression circuitry in the TX300amplifier is to reduce overall dynamic range by automatically reducing the levelof the loudest sounds you play so that they are closer in level to softer ones. Theend result is a smooth, even sound.The front-panel COMPRESSOR control determines the amount of compression (peak signalreduction) by adjusting the threshold. Threshold is the limit above which compression is applied.As you turn the COMPRESSOR control clockwise, the threshold level is lowered. The compressionratio is set to around 1.6:1, which means that any input signal 1.6dB over the threshold level willbe decreased 1dB.The TX300 compression circuit follows the incoming signal, and will adjust the compression ratiodown when you play notes with fast attack to avoid “squashing” your sound. This is useful whenplaying fast staccato passages, as it will cause all the notes to sound at the same level, even if thesignal is above the threshold level.The TX300 provides front-panel compression lights that visually indicate when the audio signalcrosses the threshold level and activates the compressor circuit. When orange, no compressionis being applied. When the indicator light yellows, compression is being applied to the incomingsignal.Compression has three main uses. First, as described above, it “evens” out the notes played byyour bass so that they all are at virtually equal levels. Second, it adds “punch” to a sound. Sinceall levels are nearly the same, you can play with greater force without worrying about the loudestnotes distorting. Finally, it serves to protect your loudspeakers from damage as a result of brief(transient) high output levels, which might otherwise be caused by slapping, finger-popping or otherperformance techniques.Whether or not you need to use compression with your TX300 will be a matter of personal taste andplaying style. Experiment and see if you like the effect. If you usually play at low volume levels,you’ll find that even with the COMPRESSOR knob turned up, the compression circuitry may haveno audible effect. In general, if you don’t need compression, leave it off.

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