Okay,
I’ve never heard this expression used with regards to signal processing. What the heck is this compressor type about? Any recommended uses for it relative to the other types?
For that matter, I’m not sure I understand the difference in application between the two Manual types, either.
Anybody? Bueller?
Is this thing on? Mic check…
A quick search on Google (you may have heard of it), brings up this:
Astonishing! I had to use my AOL search engine to search for the word “Google,” and the first dozen results only had to do with protective eyewear, but I found it! I had no idea such a wealth of information was at my fingertips! 
Ok, seriously…no need to patronize. I had already skimmed that article, which seemed at the time and still seems to merely be one person’s (who as far as I know does not represent this company) opinion on how compression in general ought to sound. Not an explanation of what seems to be a proprietary A&H algorithm or where and how to use it. Hence my question here.
I have no idea whether anyone at A&H read that article or whether it has anything to do with this compressor algorithm.
I had heard of the term in the past but wasn’t sure why it was showing up on the console. Nothing more than a particular settings setup. I have not tried it yet or even looked at the settings. Those would tell what it really is.
I was really shocked when I got my GLD’s to see PARALLEL as a part of compressor settings. A old style sort of wet/dry thing. That has been around since the early days of recording. It was sometimes called ‘New York Compression’. Guess it started in studios there. I thought that was cool of A&H to have that. I use it a lot. Especially on vocals.
Ok, seriously…no need to patronize.
You’re right. I apologise.
QU-16 offers a selection of the compression types / algorithms found in our iLive series.
Auto modes automatically adjust the attack and release according to the dynamics of the signal. Punchbag and Slow Opto are modelled over / inspired by two popular analogue units: a modern, transistor-based industry standard and a classic optical-based compressor respectively. The former is often used to add weight to kick drums and bass, the latter is frequently found on vocal chains, but there is no fixed recipe - it is mainly down to mixing style and engineer preference.
For more read up on compressor designs and peak vs. rms sensing you can start from here:
Thank you, Nicola.
Hi Nicola,
Thanks for the breif descriptions of what the punchbag and opto compressors are based on.
Could you add any details as to the attack and release times for these two emulations? Are they programme dependant like the dBx emulations, or fixed settings?
If you can’t provide figures could you confirm whether the attack and release times are based on the vintage hardware on which they are based?
Many thanks
@Nicola A&H
Please cite the page number in the documentation that explains the 4 compression types available.
Thanks.
page 22
@SteffenR
page 22 of what?
I searched the Qu document AP9372 and the only punchbag I found was in the list of features at the end.
I found this explanation online from a magazine article
Their are four different compressor modes built into the compressor module. The first two are manual modes: Manual Peak and Manual RMS. Manual Peak responds to transients which cross the threshold and can be used in a similar fashion to a brickwall limiter when set with a high ratio and fast attack and release settings. Manual RMS responds to the average level and is more useful as a moderate channel compressor. The Manual RMS is the default compressor on each channel.
The remaining two modes have automatic attack and release characteristics. The Auto Slow Opto behaves like an optical compressor, with slow attack and release characteristics and was a favourite of ours on live vocals, enabling us to get a consistent vocal sound from our system. The final mode is the Auto Punchbag which has a faster, VCA-like, auto response – a good starting point with drums for users not overly familiar with attack and release settings who want to avoid the two manual modes.
AP9372-2 page 22
AP9372-10 page 33
@SteffenR
Thank you.
Now to try to find those other versions.
https://www.allen-heath.com/resources/ says ap9372 no results for ap9372
pls tell me I do not have to put in capital letters for the AH site to find a document
AH knowledge base link has 5 articles none of which are ap9372
Drilling down by clicking on Qu32 I finally see a documents tab that took me to a link to dl A9372, which I would hope would be the latest version.
I downloaded from that official Ah link, and got the same manual that I had, which does not have anything about punchbag on any page except the last one which is 92.
I think I saw a __ten version somehwere in my searches but the only AH page that I found which has ap9372 has no dash nor version number and when I dld it I got a duplicate (2nd duplicate in fact!) of previous dls of that manual.
I still would like to see the original link that AH removed explaining their versions of compression by the designer put back on the AH website by AH.
It would be nice if AH put the date of publication and also dates of every revision of their manuals or put a new larger number on their latest and greatest tome so we mere users could keep them straight. It would be even greater if AH had a text list of ALL documents both current and historical with their ID number AND date and WORKING link to them.
@KeithJ A&H
any comments or clues?
PS
Well searching for compressor I find on page 33:
4 Compressor types are available using the dropdown
menu. Two ‘Manual’ types allow user control of
attack and release. Two ‘Auto’ types provide automatic
control of the compressor dynamics.
Experiment with the effect of the compressor settings
on different sounds. Try to use compression only
where it is needed, and avoid compression in stage
monitor speakers.
And to the side there is a picture with punchbag and others.
BUT ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT any of them do.
Just the graf shown earlier to play with it.
The problem is that search does not search pictures.
This is poor documentation as there should be an index and crossreference with all words and concepts so they can be found without having to eyeball manually every page.
Also AH should put the explanation of their compressors written by the AH designer back on their web site.
@ volounteer
Nothing better to do today than re-start a seven year old post!
If your looking for something to do, search “1176 compressor”
that’s kind of what opto and punchbag are going after.
nope
searched AH for punchbag since that is what the dealer left set up on our Qu
did not turn up in a search of the document that I downloaded
found a link to an AH explanation using google
but when I tried to read it the link went 404
THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD HAVE INFO ON EVERYTHING INCLUDING OPTIONS AND IT SHOULD BE INDEXED AND CROSS REFERENCED
SORRY BUT AH DOCUMENTATION IS good for AH engineers to use but poor for normal users
THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD HAVE INFO ON EVERYTHING INCLUDING OPTIONS AND IT SHOULD BE INDEXED AND CROSS REFERENCED SORRY BUT AH DOCUMENTATION IS good for AH engineers to use but poor for normal users
you are a volunteer not a normal user
a normal less experienced user would be fine with the documentation
an index is so 90’s in a searchable document
@mikec
he already knows everything about compression, that’s what he told us many times
@SteffenR
I am a very normal user for the marketplace this device is sold to.
You are a very abnormal user with more experience across their product line than many of their engineers have.
@MikeC and @SteffenR
I know all about normal compression and even parallel NY upwards compression that confused you all.
50 years in the audio game and never heard of punchbag until now.
And googling shows it is very rare as there is very little info about it out there other than its good for drums.