Help - Compressors without a Threshold Knob

Hi All,

I have been collecting vintage gear recently and I have now managed to get my hands on a Furman Sound LC-3 Compressor. But unlike my old DBX-160X compressor, this does not have a "Threshold" knob. Instead, there is an Input Level knob, Attack time, Release time, Compression Ration and Output Level knobs.

My knowledge of Compressors have always been revolving about Thresholds. I understand compressors as gears that will let the input gain = output gain until the threshold. Once the threshold is crossed, the compression ratio kicks in.

So how does it work on a compressor without a Threshold knob? What does it do? At what point will it start compressing?

Sorry if its a NOOB question. If it is, its only because I am one.

Thanks in advance.
 
Might be a little too late to answer this old post, but better than never I guess :D

First of all, the "input gain = output gain" is not really correct. A compressor basically reduces the amplitude of a signal when it passes a certain threshold, how much of reduction is determined by the ratio. Reduction of amplitude also means the signal is "softer in volume", thus there is generally make-up gain(output level) to compensate for that.

A compressor like the LC-3 has a fixed threshold, that means instead of adjusting the threshold, you adjust the input level so that it crosses the fixed threshold, thus compressing it.
 
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