Selig Leveler vs normal compression

[TritoneAddiction]

I'm thinking about buying Selig Leveler during this May Madness Sale. I've watched the videos for it and it seems like a nice useful device.

Question to you who already own it and use it. When do you prefer to use normal compression vs the leveler?

Looking at it quickly it would seem like you could get a similar effect with normal compression and then just turning up the volume on the channel.
But that's probably not the case. Please enlighten me.

[normen]

Normal compression *always* changes the attack of the material, leveler can leave it completely untouched if you put the threshold a bit below the peaks. Its very useful if you want to keep the attack intact, if you mainly want to work on the low level parts of the material or if you simply want a different character of compression.

I like to use it to make percussion more dense without changing the character too much, to level out speech or vocal tracks before compressing them, to do expansion instead of gating and much more.

[Zac]

Leveler is my favourite RE for many reasons but mainly because it's the only device in Reason that can do this and because it can make things sound much fuller without it being obviously compressed.

As for usage, everyone will have their own preferences but for me I like to use it on material that I want to sound more consistent dynamically - smoother and where I may be struggling to hear the quieter parts in detail without compression.

I quite often use it in conjunction with downward compression, especially on vocals. I'll have the vocal going into RE-2A to tame the peaks and then I'll set Leveler so it brings up the quiet parts enough that they sound more even but still with dynamics.

I think it's great on Pads - it can be great on anything with phaser and chorus as it'll bring up those quiet bits that can get too quiet when using a lot of modulation.

It's great on guitar, especially picked chords. I've used it on most things including drums with great results so long as you don't go crazy. I've even tried it on the Master Bus giving 1-2dB of gain and it's been fine. It's a great RE and a steal at the sale price.

But don't trust me, we're all different, try it.

[Gorgon]

Sounds like a good time to add this to the arsenal.

[selig]

Normal compression *always* changes the attack of the material, leveler can leave it completely untouched if you put the threshold a bit below the peaks. Its very useful if you want to keep the attack intact, if you mainly want to work on the low level parts of the material or if you simply want a different character of compression.

I like to use it to make percussion more dense without changing the character too much, to level out speech or vocal tracks before compressing them, to do expansion instead of gating and much more.

Normen nailed it - the short version is the attack is where a downwards compressor does the MOST work (and so is most sonically "obvious"), and an upwards compressor does the LEAST work (if any) on the attacks. This is one reason the Leveler can be used so transparently. Leveler also has a "zero attack" design, which no downwards compressor has that I'm aware of.

Another difference is that its ridiculously easy to keep the peak level the same before/after processing, making it easy to raise the low level signals like a downwards compressor while ensuring the Blend (dry/wet) control retains the same peak level across it's entire range. To that end, moving the blend control changes ONLY the level of the softer signals, not the peaks.

Overall: Leveler was designed to raise mid-level signals without affecting high level and low level signals.

As for me, I use the Leveler when I want to increase overall loudness, and a downwards compressor when I want to add attack/punch/aggression etc. FWIW, I still LOVE downwards compressors - they ARE totally different beasts IMO.

[TritoneAddiction]

Thanks for all your answers. I just tried it on a song (on the master bus) I'm currently working on and like you guys said it didn't affect the attack of the loudest peaks, the kicks and snares in this case.
I'll try it out some more. Even if the concept is pretty simple it still takes some time to really "get" a new device. It's one thing to understand it theoretically, but another to learn how an effect really sounds.

So far I like it so I'll probably end up buying it

[selig]

Thanks for all your answers. I just tried it on a song (on the master bus) I'm currently working on and like you guys said it didn't affect the attack of the loudest peaks, the kicks and snares in this case.
I'll try it out some more. Even if the concept is pretty simple it still takes some time to really "get" a new device. It's one thing to understand it theoretically, but another to learn how an effect really sounds.

So far I like it so I'll probably end up buying it

In my experience, learning to accurately hear the results of different compression types was one of the most difficult parts of learning audio engineering, time wise.

One approach I found useful was to really exaggerate the effects of the device I was using, then dial it back once I understood exactly how it was affecting the audio signal. For a typical downwards compressor this meant using the highest ratio possible, the the lowest threshold possible to get the maximum effect (and hear what the attack/release times were doing so I could set them accordingly). Then I reduced the threshold until the gain reduction was only happening where I wanted it, then reduced the ratio (like a dry/wet blend control in many ways) until the effect was as subtle as I was wanting.

With the Leveler, try working with Blend at 100% as you set the "Curve" control so you can really hear how far down into the signal it is "reaching" (and lifting). You can then tweak your Recovery time to help conceal the overall effect, adjusting it until it sounds most natural. Finally, reduce the Blend control to a more natural amount and you're done.

If you have further questions once you start messing with the trial, don't hesitate to ask!

[guitfnky]

The answer for dummies like me: Use a 'normal' compressor if you want to add color/character to a track | Use Leveler if you want to retain the color/character of the track.

I don't use Leveler often, but when I need it, it's an amazing tool.

[tibah]

Just bought it for various reasons. One, it does something different compared to the compressors I own already (obviously), but I had my eyes on it for a while now. I guess the main reason for me was that it ain't about the transients with this kind of compression. Same reason I still use the Scream4 tape compression. To be perfectly honest, sometimes I have a very hard time with downwards compressors that have your basic settings of ratio, threshold, attack, release. It either sounds odd or overdone. I never get the time values right or I THINK I don't get it right, so I prefer "easier" comps, like Pulverizer, the Scream4 tape compression or now, Leveler.

[Gorgon]

Bought it. Can't wait to see what it does. Or hear, rather.

[Sinistereo]

Selig, aren't we due for about ten more rack extensions from you?

[guitfnky]

Just bought it for various reasons. One, it does something different compared to the compressors I own already (obviously), but I had my eyes on it for a while now. I guess the main reason for me was that it ain't about the transients with this kind of compression. Same reason I still use the Scream4 tape compression. To be perfectly honest, sometimes I have a very hard time with downwards compressors that have your basic settings of ratio, threshold, attack, release. It either sounds odd or overdone. I never get the time values right or I THINK I don't get it right, so I prefer "easier" comps, like Pulverizer, the Scream4 tape compression or now, Leveler.

do you have the Cakewalk RE-2A? that's an amazing compressor that's super simple, and really difficult to make sound bad. I'm in the same boat as you with compression; my brain gets in the way, because of the options, so even if it sounds good, I still worry it must sound wrong.

[tibah]

Just bought it for various reasons. One, it does something different compared to the compressors I own already (obviously), but I had my eyes on it for a while now. I guess the main reason for me was that it ain't about the transients with this kind of compression. Same reason I still use the Scream4 tape compression. To be perfectly honest, sometimes I have a very hard time with downwards compressors that have your basic settings of ratio, threshold, attack, release. It either sounds odd or overdone. I never get the time values right or I THINK I don't get it right, so I prefer "easier" comps, like Pulverizer, the Scream4 tape compression or now, Leveler.

do you have the Cakewalk RE-2A? that's an amazing compressor that's super simple, and really difficult to make sound bad. I'm in the same boat as you with compression; my brain gets in the way, because of the options, so even if it sounds good, I still worry it must sound wrong.

Not yet, but I used some LA-2A emulations in the passed, so I know the design is simple.

[joeyluck]

I use both the Selig Leveler and RE-2A on vocals. Sometimes one suits a vocal better than the other. Sometimes using them both gives a great result. It's just one of those things I find where I just have to audition different things on the channel and in different orders and see (or hear rather) what the results are. Which is easy enough to do.

Nothing else like the Selig Leveler. It's something everyone should have in their toolbox.

[xxASMxx]

I use both the Selig Leveler and RE-2A on vocals. Sometimes one suits a vocal better than the other. Sometimes using them both gives a great result. It's just one of those things I find where I just have to audition different things on the channel and in different orders and see (or hear rather) what the results are. Which is easy enough to do.

Nothing else like the Selig Leveler. It's something everyone should have in their toolbox.

Totally agree with the two statements above.

I purchased Leveler yesterday and have been messing with it for most of the day today, a definite must have for all Reason users. At first I would have said it's a utilitarian piece only but it can be very creative as well. As mentioned above it will not serve all purposes BUT it is most certainly a swiss army knife for many practical applications in my opinion.

I wish I would have purchased it sooner.

[TritoneAddiction]

I just tried Leveler again this morning. It's really cool as a creative effect too. If you have a synth sound with lots of reverb on it, you can easily raise the volume of the reverb tale. And everytime a new note is triggered the reverb is ducking. Kind of like how The Echo has the ducking option, but here it is with the reverb instead. Really cool. Also adding distortion at the end of the chain really made things brutal sounding

I'm buying this thing. Thanks Selig for making a really cool product. Easily worth the money.

[Gulale]

You can get similar result with Re-2A but Selig leveller is cheaper so If i were you I would go that way.

[Lov2sing]

In my experience, learning to accurately hear the results of different compression types was one of the most difficult parts of learning audio engineering, time wise.


[/quote]

My question is; what compressor does what really good? I already own your Leveler, and the FET by Softtube, and FXpansion Bus Comp and ChanComp, however if you were to rate Compressors which one would you choose beside your own to do what? Beside the Stock compressor we have 20 others in RE's. With all those I am starting to wonder which one do I need, opposed to which one I should have.

[JNeffLind]

Great on vocals. At least for my voice it is.

[JNeffLind]

My question is; what compressor does what really good? I already own your Leveler, and the FET by Softtube, and FXpansion Bus Comp and ChanComp, however if you were to rate Compressors which one would you choose beside your own to do what? Beside the Stock compressor we have 20 others in RE's. With all those I am starting to wonder which one do I need, opposed to which one I should have.

FET is supposed to be good for drums. RE-2A for vocals. Don't know any others with specific strengths. I never really got into compressor collecting, in part because I only use it as a utility for volume as opposed to a sound design tool/effect and even that is rare. I also have a hard time telling much difference between different compressors, maybe because I don't much like what any of them do to my sound. In terms of the utility of controlling volume, I'm more inclined to do that by hand, automating faders or atering note velocities, etc. The Leveler is the exception though. It seems completely transparent, and like I said in a previous comment, it's always on my vocals. That and a bit of verb and I'm set. Just my two cents.

[normen]

Compressors are like microphones, theres one that fits a certain source perfectly and often times its not the one you'd expect.

That said, with the RE-2A, FET and the SSL compressor you're covering most bases pretty well. The Teletronix (opto compressor) is great for bass and vocals and anything where you want "round" compression with a bit of character, the 1176 (FET compressor) is great for things where you want "splat" and add a bit of distortion, the SSL (VCA compressor) is great for "least intrusion" compression where you mainly just want to get the dynamics under control.