Finally! The solution to compressor fatigue is here! Stop worrying about how to correctly set compressor parameters to make everything work as it should, and focus on what truly matters: your work. Rane has created a brand new compressor using high-quality log RMS detectors and Voltage Controlled Amplifiers (VCA). The DC 22 combines quality compression and gating functionality with unprecedented ease of use. Let's start with what a compressor actually does. Regardless of how you set it, its function is automatic volume control. It's like having a virtual hand ready to lower the volume when it's too loud and raise it back up when the audio material gets quieter. This "hand" is fast, precise, but only changes the volume level. When the signal reaches the set threshold value, the compressor starts reducing the signal by the amount set by the Ratio control. The DC 22, like most compressors, works by reducing loud passages but not amplifying quiet ones. However, by maintaining a constant maximum volume, you can set the entire system to a higher volume, effectively highlighting the quiet passages. But there's more than just a compressor at work here. The adjustable Gate is essentially like a reverse compressor, making quiet passages even quieter. This is very useful for reducing background noise. The reduction ratio is fixed at 2:1. So when the signal falls below the threshold setting, the Gate indicator lights up, and the output level is reduced by 2dB for every 1dB below the gate threshold level. If you are using the DC 22 for stereo signals with both left and right channels connected, activate the LINK switch. In this mode, all values for both channels are controlled by the controls of channel 1, ensuring perfect synchronization. When LINK is turned off, the channels are completely independent. The DC 22 offers performance and simplicity previously unseen in this price range (until now). It provides simplified controls for easy adjustment without compromising on the quality of the resulting sound.