IRC expander of the Denoiser | Behringer SNR2000 specs

DENOISER SNR2000

Fig. 2.3: The function of an expander

2.4The IRC expander of the DENOISER

The response characteristics of conventional expanders tend to cut the signal abruptly and the result is generally unacceptable, since the effect is clearly audible. “Inaudible” expansion, however, requires a gentle “Soft Knee” characteristic due to a continuous transition of the straight lines at the threshold.

A newly developed IRC (Interactive Ratio Control) expander has been integrated into the DENOISER. The ratio curve characteristic automatically adapts itself, dependent on the program material.

With low ratios and a slight expansion, the transition is “gentle”, whereas higher ratios and increasing expansion will result in “harder” transitions within the curve.

The IRC expander is therefore equipped with a soft, interactive non-linear ratio curve which is best suited to the human hearing. Critical signals around the threshold level are processed with low expansion ratio settings, whereas low signals will be subjected to an increasingly higher ratio which will result in greater attenuation.

Fig. 2.4: IRC curve characteristic of the expander

The result is an expander which can be adjusted without the risk of alienating the overall sound. Furthermore, the expander is more tolerant towards those usable signals which appear slightly above the noise floor.

2. OPERATION