Topic: I don't understand Auto Level
I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the Auto Level section of TMFX. I've read the relevant bit of the manual many times and I'm still non the wiser, so I'm hoping someone here can explain this in simple terms.
The manual says:
Max Gain: Defines the maximum amplification of the input signal. Adjustable from 0 dB to 18 dB.
Overhead: To minimize short-time overloads and clipping of the signal peaks Auto Level can be set to operate at a fixed offset to 0 dBFS. Adjustable from 3 dB to 12 dB.
Rise Time. Defines the speed of a level increase after a level reduction. Adjustable from 0.1 s to 9.9 s.
What I'm seeing:
- Max Gain: This appears to be a gain knob because it makes the output signal louder when I turn it up. The gain is applied slowly depending on the Rise Time parameter. The gain indicator next to the level meter, for some reason, doesn't rise at all or rises very little if I set the input signal very low, but as soon as I crank up the input signal level, the gain indicator shoots up and then sticks. Once it rises, the indicator never comes back down when the input signal is turned down, though it does come back down when I turn the Max Gain knob down. Basically, I see some patterns and I can predict what the GUI is and the sound are going to do when I tweak this knob but I can't think of a situation when any of this would be useful.
- The Overhead knob appears to do nothing. No matter what I set it to, it doesn't affect output levels in any way, and the gain indicator doesn't change. I have no idea how this parameter interacts with Max Gain and Rise Time, if at all.
- Rise Time: I understand how this parameter interacts with the Max Gain parameter, but have no idea why or when to use it.
- The gain indicator grows when I turn the Max Gain knob up. Once Max Gain reaches 7.5 dB, the gain indicator has already reached its maximum length and stops growing, but if I keep turning the Max Gain knob I can hear the output signal getting louder even though the gain indicator isn't getting longer, so it appears the gain indicator doesn't represent what I'm hearing.
Any help will be welcome, thanks!
