FOR AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

 

SHADOW HILLS MASTERING COMPRESSOR

— Deployment  Operational  Procedures  —  
 

 
 

You  have  been  issued  the  latest  operative  technology,  the  Shadow  Hills  
Mastering  Compressor  Plugin,  developed  by  the  industrial  military  contractor,  
Shadow  Hills  Industries.  You  are  to  decelerate  audio  material,  for  encrypted  
transmission,  to  other  operatives  deployed  in  theater.  This  ground-­‐breaking  
technology  employs  the  Shadow  Hills  electroluminescent  optical  attenuator  and  
discrete  voltage  controlled  amplifier  sections,  for  a  two  stage  deceleration  
process.  Coupled  with  side  chain  filtering  and  a  transformer  switching  matrix,  
the  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  is  the  most  advanced  system  for  limiting  
temporal  and  transient  proportions  ever  issued  to  operatives.

 
 The Mastering   Compressor  

OVERVIEW
The  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  Plugin  is  a  faithful  1:1  model  of  the  corresponding  
hardware  version,  offering  all  its  non-­‐linear  behavior  and  analog  sound  quality  in  the  digital  
domain.  As  is  standard  in  all  equipment  deployed  by  Shadow  Hills,  the  Mastering  Compressor  
boasts  discrete  op-­‐amp  technology,  custom-­‐designed  transformers,  and  a  signal  path  devoid  
of  any  IC's.  The  unit  houses  two  linkable  channels  of  two  separate  compressors,  which  can  be  
operated  independently,  or  in  a  chain.  The  first  compressor  in  the  circuit  is  the  Optical  
Section.  Utilizing  electroluminescent  optical  attenuator,  the  circuit  provides  gain  reduction  
with  a  very  musical  two-­‐stage  recovery.  The  second  compressor  in  the  circuit  is  the  Discrete  
Section,  which  is  powered  by  our  discrete  voltage-­‐controlled  amplifier  in  a  feed-­‐forward  
mode.  By  the  versatility  of  its  features  and  the  precision  of  its  controls,  the  Discrete  Section  
capably  finishes  the  job  started  by  the  Optical  Section.  However,  the  coup  de  grace  lies  in  the  
final  processing  stage  of  the  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor.  Each  channel  is  equipped  
with  three  distinctive  output  transformers,  which  can  be  toggled  via  the  Transformer  Select  
Switch,  effectively  changing  the  frequency  response  and  distortion  characteristics  of  the  
entire  unit.  

HARDWIRE BYPASS
The  operation  of  the  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  is  controlled  by  a  series  of  toggle  
switches.  When  flipped  to  “IN”,  the  “Hardwire  Bypass”  switch  engages  the  line  amp  and  
output  transformer  circuitry.  When  flipped  to  “OUT”,  the  inputs  are  directly  connected  to  the  
outputs  with  no  processing.  The  Optical,  Discrete,  and  Side  Chain  switches  function  in  an  
identical  manner  –  “IN”  engages  the  corresponding  circuit,  and  “OUT”  bypasses  it.  In  order  for  
the  compressors  to  operate,  the  hardwire  bypass  must  be  “IN”,  however  the  hardwire  bypass  
can  be  engaged  with  the  compressors  “OUT”.  This  allows  audio  to  be  colored  by  our  discrete  
op-­‐amp  and  custom  transformer  technology  at  unity  gain,  even  when  no  compression  is  
desired,  turning  the  Mastering  Compressor  into  an  effective  tone  shaping  tool.  
 

STEREO OPERATION
The  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  can  operate  in  Dual  Mono  or  Stereo.  While  in  Dual  
Mono,  each  side  has  independent  operation  and  all  of  the  controls  on  both  sides  are  active.  In  
Stereo,  the  left-­‐hand  controls  operate  all  of  the  Mastering  Compressor’s  features  with  the  
right-­‐hand  controls  not  having  any  effect  and  the  green  light  bulbs  reflecting  the  left-­‐hand  
settings.  The  only  exception  is  the  Meter  Select  Switch,  which  remains  independent  on  both  
channels.  This  facilitates  viewing  a  combination  of  gain  reduction  and  output,  or  the  two  
different  stages  of  compression  simultaneously  while  in  Stereo.    

 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

METERING AND THE MAGIC EYE

The  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  is  equipped  with  two  VU  meters  for  proper  visual  
analysis  of  audio  processing.  Each  VU  meter  has  the  capability  of  displaying  optical  gain  
reduction,  discrete  gain  reduction,  and  output  level,  as  determined  by  the  position  of  the  
“Meter  Select”  switch.  When  used  on  mono  signals,  the  two  VU  meters  can  be  used  to  display  
the  gain  reduction  of  both  compressors  simultaneously.  The  same  goes  for  linked  Stereo  
mode.  It  is  only  in  Dual  Mono  mode  that  the  VU  meters  show  gain  reduction  independently  for  
both  channels.  The  internal  reference  level  corresponding  to  0  VU  can  be  set  in  the  “About”  
dialog,  which  is  brought  up  by  clicking  on  any  of  the  two  meters.  

The  green,  glowing  Magic  Eye  tube  at  the  bottom  of  the  unit  is  the  final  component  in  the  
metering  system.  When  both  VU  Meters  are  in  “Output”  mode,  the  Magic  Eye  displays  a  mono  
signal  in  its  top  quadrant.  
 

TRANSFORMER SWITCHING MATRIX

You  have  remarkable  control  over  the  tone  and  vibe  of  your  music  thanks  to  three  switchable  
output  transformers.  This  matrix  switches  the  selected  transformers  in  and  out  of  the  circuit.  
The  various  material  compositions,  size  and  methods  of  winding  impart  different  frequency  
and  distortion  characteristics  as  well  as  the  transient  limiting  caused  by  the  magnetics.  The  
ability  to  switch  between  the  different  transformer  selections,  equates  to  being  able  to  switch  
in  the  final  gain  stages  from  different  vintage  consoles  and  providing  remarkable  flexibility.  

Besides  its  obvious  use  on  the  stereo  master  buss  and  stereo  subgroups,  we  highly  
recommend  to  use  the  mono  version  of  the  Mastering  Compressor  Plugin  on  individual  tracks,  
adding  coloration  to  vocals,  electric  bass  or  guitar.  

 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

TRANSFORMER CHOICES

TOP  POSITION  –  NICKEL  

The  cleanest  position  with  the  least  distortion.  This  position  has  a  subtle  accentuation  of  
ultra-­‐high  frequencies.  

MIDDLE  POSITION  –  IRON  

This  position  has  an  additional  Class-­‐A  amplifier  section  adding  even-­‐ordered  harmonic  
distortion,  resulting  in  a  very  musical  upper  low  frequency  boost.  

BOTTOM  POSITION  –  STEEL  

The  most  distorted  selection  with  an  extremely  tight  boost  in  the  low  frequencies.  
 

Mastering  the  Transformer  Switching  Matrix  involves  a  certain  learning  curve  and  the  sonic  
differences  between  the  three  transformers  can  be  more  or  less  obvious  depending  on  the  
audio  signal  running  through.  In  general,  differences  are  most  easily  heard  on  “busy”  mixes  
with  rich  low  end  and  sizzling  high  frequencies  –  like  a  real  drum  kit  with  open  hi  hats  or  
dance  mixes.  Listening  through  a  big  speaker  system  will  also  help  to  get  a  feel  for  each  
transformer  as  they  primarily  affect  the  very  low  end  of  the  frequency  spectrum.  
 
 

SIDE CHAIN FILTER

The  Side  Chain  Filter  switch  engages  a  high-­‐pass  filter  on  the  side  chains  of  both  the  optical  
and  discrete  compressors.  No  signal  below  90Hz  will  affect  the  amount  of  compression  
applied.  Thus  the  Side  Chain  Filter  can  help  to  reduce  unwanted  “pumping”  artifacts,  as  the  
compressors  will  react  less  to  low  frequency  content  such  as  bass  drum  hits.  

 
 

 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

OPTICAL SECTION
The  Optical  Section  is  the  first  gain  reduction  circuit  in  the  Mastering  Compressor.  The  
compressor  is  characterized  by  its  very  musical  compression  circuit  featuring  a  slow  attack  
and  a  two-­‐stage  release.  The  initial  eighty  percent  of  compression  is  released  very  quickly,  
whilst  the  remaining  twenty  percent  takes  over  a  second  to  recover,  varying  slightly  with  the  
amount  of  attenuation  applied.  Modeling  the  Optical  Section  with  its  unique  electro-­‐
luminescent  optical  attenuator  was  certainly  the  biggest  challenge  during  the  production  of  
the  Mastering  Compressor  Plugin.  

OPTICAL  GAIN  
This  control  provides  post-­‐compression  make-­‐up  gain  or  attenuation  using  a  
24-­‐position  rotary  switch.  The  gain  control  provides  greater  accuracy  around  unity  gain,  
which  occurs  roughly  at  position  “7”,  and  offers  coarser  adjustment  towards  more  
extreme  settings.  

OPTICAL  THRESHOLD  
This  control  determines  at  what  input  level  compression  begins  to  occur.  The  compressor  
operates  with  a  fixed  ratio  of  2:1,  so  compression  is  achieved  by  lowering  the  threshold  into  a  
range  in  which  it  begins  to  attenuate.  Minimum  compression  occurs  at  “1”  and  maximum  
compression  occurs  at  “24”.  

 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

DISCRETE SECTION
The  Discrete  Section  is  the  final  gain  reduction  circuit  in  the  Mastering  Compressor.  It  
achieves  compression  by  means  of  our  custom,  discrete  voltage-­‐controlled  amplifier.  Due  to  
the  breadth  of  the  controls,  the  discrete  compressor  is  extremely  versatile  and  can  be  
configured  to  attain  a  variety  of  sounds.  

DISCRETE  GAIN  
This  control  provides  post-­‐compression  make-­‐up  gain  or  attenuation  using  a  
24-­‐position  rotary  switch.  The  gain  control  provides  greater  accuracy  around  unity  gain,  
which  occurs  roughly  at  position  “7”,  and  offers  coarser  adjustment  towards  more  
extreme  settings.  

DISCRETE  THRESHOLD  
This  control  determines  at  what  input  level  compression  begins  to  occur.  Minimum  
compression  occurs  at  “1”  and  maximum  compression  occurs  at  “24”.  

DISCRETE  RATIO  
This  control  determines  the  amount  of  compression  achieved  when  the  input  signal  reaches  
the  threshold.  A  ratio  of  “1.2”  means  that  for  every  1.2  dB  of  input  over  the  threshold,  1  dB  
will  be  outputted.  At  “2”,  1  dB  will  be  outputted  for  every  2  dB  of  input  over  the  threshold,  etc.  
When  the  dial  is  set  to  “Flood”,  a  ratio  of  20:1  occurs.  

DISCRETE  ATTACK  
This  control  determines  how  quickly  the  compressor  engages  attenuation  once  the  threshold  
has  been  reached.  Each  setting  is  in  milliseconds.  

DISCRETE  RECOVER  
This  control  determines  how  quickly  the  compressor  disengages  attenuation  once  the  
threshold  has  no  longer  been  reached.  Each  setting  is  in  seconds.  At  “Dual”  the  compressor  
mimics  the  two-­‐stage  recovery  of  the  optical  section.  
 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

IN USE
In  the  vocal  chain,  on  the  master  fader  or  the  drum  buss,  the  S.H.M.C’s  two-­‐stage  compression  
and  transformer  matrix  will  impart  its  unique  sound  quality  and  character  upon  your  best  
work  to  take  you  to  new  levels  of  creativity.  Sometimes  there  is  no  finer  chain  for  female  
vocals  than  the  optical  cell  with  medium  compression,  side  chain  filter  out  and  nickel  
transformer  selection  from  the  output  matrix.  The  optical  will  soothe  as  it  adjusts  sultry  
voices  as  only  this  combination  can  deliver.  The  nickel  transformer  adds  that  ultra  high  
frequency  70’s  hi-­‐fi  sheen  like  a  subtle  air  band.    

Mastering  is  the  most  subtle  use  of  the  Mastering  Compressor.  Dial  in  one  dB  of  optical  gain  
reduction  and  two  dB  of  discrete  gain  reduction.  Select  a  ratio  of  1.2:1,  an  attack  time  of  thirty  
milliseconds  and  a  recover  time  of  .1  seconds.  Set  the  side  chain  filter  to  “In”  and  select  the  
transformer  matrix  to  taste.  

Another  application  of  the  Mastering  compressor  is  to  bypass  the  optical  and  discrete  cell  and  
to  pass  the  signal  through  the  transformer  matrix  only,  for  the  color  it  imparts.  If  you  record  
dry  electric  bass  or  guitars  through  a  DI  box  for  re-­‐amping  or  use  of  amp  simulation  software,  
try  the  transformer  matrix  as  the  last  part  of  your  signal  chain  before  going  into  the  amp.  

The  Mastering  Compressor’s  flexibility  and  precision  of  controls  will  enable  you  to  apply  any  
type  of  compression  you  can  imagine,  on  purpose,  every  time.  
 

EVADING ENEMY CAPTURE

Should  the  probability  of  its  capture  be  greater  than  not,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  operative  so  
issued  to  destroy  the  Shadow  Hills  Mastering  Compressor  to  keep  the  technologies  contained  
therein  from  falling  into  the  wrong  hands  and  thus  forfeiting  our  advantage  to  the  enemy.  The  
following  instructions  are  offered  for  the  proper  destruction  and  disposal  of  the  Shadow  Hills  
Mastering  Compressor,  should  it  become  your  duty.  

First,  use  a  torque  screwdriver  to  remove  the  nine  6/32  screws  from  the  top  cover.  Inside,  
along  the  bottom  of  the  unit,  are  the  two  main  audio  boards.  On  each  of  the  audio  boards  are  
the  Shadow  Hills  Operational  Amplifiers.  There  are  six  total.  These  op-­‐amps  attach  to  the  
audio  boards  by  six  pins.  Pull  each  op-­‐amp  out  vertically  -­‐  they  are  friction-­‐locked,  so  no  
desoldering  is  required.  Once  removed,  break  off  each  of  the  six  pins  and  crush  the  op-­‐amp  
circuit  board  with  the  heel  of  your  boot.  If  time  permits,  incinerate  all  pieces  after  crushing,  
and  then  bury  or  scatter  the  ashen  remains.  Remove  the  eight  screws  securing  each  audio  
board  to  the  chassis  with  a  Philips  screwdriver  and  pull  the  boards  out.  Cut  all  wires  several  
times,  in  a  random  fashion,  so  that  the  former  lengths  can  not  be  determined.  

 
 
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 The Mastering   Compressor  

 
The  transformers  connected  to  the  audio  boards  and  chassis  must  be  shot  through  their  cores,  
and  the  windings  unraveled,  their  lamination  separated,  bent,  and  scattered  some  distance  
away.  The  audio  boards  should  be  crushed  under  heel,  then  folded  or  ripped,  and  then  
incinerated  according  to  the  previously  described  method.  The  8/32  screws  that  attach  the  
front  panel  chassis  should  be  removed.  The  tube  and  meter  glass  should  be  smashed  and  the  
meter  pointers  broken  off.  The  panel  should  be  bent  or  folded,  and  then  placed  inside  the  
chassis  and  either  buried  at  least  six  feet  deep,  or  exploded  by  a  grenade  or  other  means.  

 
 
Your  cooperation  is  greatly  appreciated.  

 
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