I would really, truly like to understand this plugin. I understand compression basics. I know what ratio, attack, and release are, as well as output gain makeup. I also know what the threshold setting is. What I don't get, and no other plugin I see uses, is the clipping indicators. There's a central red bar, and there are also the small L and R boxes up top. This is where I'm especially hung up. Is this clipping in the true sense of data loss, or is the term clipping used here to mean the level of peaks being attenuated? Is it OK to have the central bar light red at all, but not the L/R boxes?

I'd love to have one of the experts say " turn the Threshold counter-clockwise until... Turn the Gain clockwise until..." I manage to get PGD doing essentially what I want it to, but I'm shooting in the dark with guesswork.

Here from the RealBand User's Guide PDF is a good general explanation, but again I need some coaching with the Threshold setting and Clipping indicators:

Compressor checkbox enables PG Dynamics’ compressor module.
Threshold sets the level where compression begins. Below Threshold, the level is unchanged. Above Threshold, as
the input gets louder, the gain is gradually reduced.
Ratio adjusts how drastically the compressor behaves.
At a 2:1 ratio, an over-threshold input change of 6 dB would yield an output change of 3 dB. An input change of 12 dB
would yield an output change of 6 dB. Modest ratios are appropriate for smoothing a vocal or drum performance.
At a 10:1 ratio, the difference between loud and soft signals is changed more drastically. An input change of 6 dB
would yield an output change of only 0.6 dB. A 12 dB input change would yield an output change of 1.2 dB. At high
ratios, loud and soft input signals arrive at the output at nearly the same level. High ratios are useful for special
effects— add long sustain to clean guitar, or make spoken dialog loud and intelligible on small computer speakers.
Attack is the time required for the compressor to respond to an increase in amplitude.
As a general rule, use fast Attack values to compress individual notes, but use slow Attack values to compress the
overall level of a track.
With fast Attack, each note will be modified, which can keep the notes within a phrase more consistent. This can
tighten up an inconsistent performance, but also could remove the expressiveness from an expert expressive
performance.
With slow Attack, individual notes are not affected very much, but the compressor controls long-term level. Individual
notes can retain their expressive emphasis, but the long-term audio level is controlled.
Release is the time required for the compressor to respond to reductions in amplitude.
Fast Release lets the compressor “spring back” quickly after a loud passage.
Slow Release makes the compressor wait awhile before raising gain after a loud passage.
Use fast Release to compress individual notes. Use slow Release to compress the overall level of a track.
Very fast Attack and Release settings can sometimes cause intermodulation distortion on multi-instrument tracks (or
wide-frequency-range single instruments such as Grand Piano). For instance, on a track containing both kick drum and
hi-hat, the kick drum might audibly pump the hi-hat level.
Rule of thumb: Use moderate Attack and moderate-to-long Release on mixes, but use shorter Attack and Release on
individual instruments.
With Auto Gain enabled, makeup gain is automatically adjusted to match the compressor settings.
As the compressor Ratio and Threshold knobs are adjusted, Auto Gain adjusts the Output Gain knob to set the output
level to an “approximately good level.”
With slow Attack settings, the Auto Gain may be too high, causing the output to exceed 0 dB on fast note attacks. In
this case, disable Auto Gain, and manually adjust the Output Gain knob for the desired output level.
Output Gain applies make-up gain to the audio output, in case the compressor settings make the signal too quiet.

Last edited by Warren Keller; 07/16/18 07:50 AM.
Best, Warren

Warren A. Keller- Woodwindist/Producer
Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion
Tune 9 Music- SESAC