Is U-He Presswerk transparent compressor? how can it be as transparent as possible?

[Lbdunequest]

I cannot understand how i can be even more specific. I want a compressor to compress, not add distortion/saturation or some coloration (EQ) like some analog style compressors do. Is that clear enough?

You already got your answer, but you seem to have blown by it. All compressors will color the sound if you use enough compression with short attacks and long releases. Think about it. Most sounds will have an envelope of volume and tone. If you use something to compress the volume of that sound, you will also change how the sound evolves over time, thus changing the “color” of the sound.

Distortion and saturation are another issue, but Presswerk only has that if you specifically use it.

Here is the thing, some compressors has a very audible increase in certain frequency range, weather it may be high frequencies or low or mid. As Example IK 2A has audible increase in High frequency shifting whole balance on a sound as a whole like adding EQ. This is the coloration i mean. Not the envelope/frequency x time.

[Lbdunequest]

I have been using Presswerk of many years actually, but i always felt it is less transparent then the other compressors. So figured to seek the answer is it possible to have it transparent and as transparent as possible. Maybe from U-he creators answer would be more direct ?

Sascha is the creator of Presswerk.

Yeah, but what does he know?

Alright

the answer was too complicated for my brain. Im a simple user who just want to know is it transparent or not and if transparent what settings to dial

[zerocrossing]

I have been using Presswerk of many years actually, but i always felt it is less transparent then the other compressors. So figured to seek the answer is it possible to have it transparent and as transparent as possible. Maybe from U-he creators answer would be more direct ?

Sascha is the creator of Presswerk.

Yeah, but what does he know?

Alright

the answer was too complicated for my brain. Im a simple user who just want to know is it transparent or not and if transparent what settings to dial

The problem isn’t your brain as much as it’s your idea that there are transparent settings. There are no “transparent” settings on something like Presswerk. In a compressor, it’s all program dependent. What you are looking for is tutorials on how to use compression. I’m on my phone right now, but there are some good ones on YouTube.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Here is the thing, some compressors has a very audible increase in certain frequency range, weather it may be high frequencies or low or mid. As Example IK 2A has audible increase in High frequency shifting whole balance on a sound as a whole like adding EQ. This is the coloration i mean. Not the envelope/frequency x time.

Just having read though, that wasn't clear from your first posts. Now that you're getting into specific measurable things like "how do I keep the flattest frequency response", people can better assist you.

My own personal take, and Sasha will probably come in and explain all the reasons I'm wrong [and that's ok, I'm always learning]: Presswork isn't my first choice if I want completely flat, predictable, non-saturated compression. But if you look in the "Presets>2-Track Mixdown" folder you'll find some starting points that do a pretty job of doing just that. They even have the word Transparent in the preset name. So it's certainly possible. But I've got other tools I reach for first when I want transparent compression; like FirComp2 from JonVAudio. I think you'd like that one too. But you can definitely get Presswerk pretty clean. Explore the presets, read the manual, try to understand why/how they're accomplishing transparency, and why other presets are introducing more color.

[sascha]

Something worth keeping in mind is that dynamics manipulation is always a nonlinear process. Which means - even if you don't add distortion on purpose - there will be distortion induced by the process as a function of envelope (intermodulation distortion). Many compressors are insanely fast (on attack or release or both) so that the audio gets highly deformed, which creates distortion artifacts. Presswerk uses a multistage envelope (kind of a waterfall staging) which is most active with higher 'adaptive' release settings. Playing with envelope timing is always the ticket to minimizing distortion (mostly at the cost of slow regulation), and this adaptive process aids in keeping this balanced by having the processor constantly monitoring your signal. Main focus when developing Presswerk was to make it always behave nicely even when kicked really hard.
Having said that, I'd suggest to always check envelope timings and intermodulation artifacts when judging a compressor or limiter in terms of signal purity.

[Lbdunequest]

Thank you