THAT Corporation Design Note 115

A Fully Adjustable
Compressor / Limiter

The circuits within this application note feature THAT4301 Analog Engine® to provide the essen-
tial elements of voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) and rms-level detector (RMS). Since writing this
note, THAT has introduced several new models of Analog Engines, as well as new VCAs. With minor
modifications, these newer ICs are generally applicable to the designs shown herein, and may offer
advantages in performance, cost, power consumption, etc., depending on the design requirements. As
well, a standalone RMS is available to complement our standalone VCAs. We encourage readers to
consider the following alternatives in addition to the 4301:
• Low supply voltage and power consumption: 4320
• Low cost, supply voltage, and power consumption: 4315
• Low cost and power consumption: 4305
• High-performance (VCA only): 2180-series, 2181-series
• Dual (VCA only): 2162
• RMS (standalone): 2252
For more information about making these substitutions, please contact
THAT Corporation's technical support group at apps_support@thatcorp.com.

45 Sumner St, Milford, MA 01757-1656 USA; www.thatcorp.com; info@thatcorp.com

Copyright © 2002 - 2018 by THAT Corporation; All rights reserved.

Document 600148 Revision 05
 THAT Corporation Design Note 115 A Fully Adjustable
Compressor / Limiter

This design demonstrates a full-blown compressor/limiter with some neat bells and
whistles. With a THAT 4301 at its heart, excellent performance is coupled with reduced parts
count and minimal cost.

A non-linear capacitor circuit is used to provide low distortion for slow moving signals, but
fast action in the presence of rapidly changing signal levels.
D5, when placed inside OA1's feedback loop by SW2A, creates a conventional hard-knee
threshold response. When SW2A is in its other position, D5 is outside the op amp feedback
loop, and an offset generated by D1 is injected into the summing node of OA1 that compen-
sates for the D5's forward drop. The resulting "soft knee" is a consequence of the turn-on
characteristic of the diode.
The network comprising R25, R31, and either R16 or R28 combine with the variable source
impedance of VR7 to yield a 4:1 compression ratio when VR7 is centered.
Two timing modes are available -- auto and manual. In auto mode, the output of VR7 is
connected to R16 via SW3. Attack and release rates are linked, and depend on the design of
the non-linear capacitor circuit (see Design Note DN114 for more design information on the
non-linear capacitor circuit).
In manual mode, variable, independent adjustment of the attack and release dynamics are
achieved by setting SW3 to steer the side-chain signal through the discrete transistor
circuitry on the right side of the accompanying schematic. This circuit consist of a pair of
adjustable current mirrors, a diode bridge to steer either the attack or the release current
onto the storage capacitor C18, a FET to buffer the capacitor's voltage, and a feedback loop to
maintain DC accuracy.
Q1 and Q3 are the mirror for the attack current. Q7 reduces bias current errors. R38,
R73, R71, Q1, Q3, and Q7 give linear pot VR2 a logarithmic characteristic for setting the
attack rate.
The release circuitry is a PNP-based, mirrored version of the attack circuitry.
To make a two-channel stereo compressor, one need only duplicate the circuitry shown and
provide a means to link the two RMS detectors at their CT pins*. Such coupling results in true
power summing and a more euphonic behavior. Note that, when linking detectors in this manner,
means to adjust for the +/-3 dB tolerance on each detectors' 0 dB reference level must be
provided.

*See THAT Design Note 116 for more information about true RMS power summing.

Copyright © 2018 Design Note 115

by THAT Corporation Page 2 of 3
All rights reserved. 45 Sumner St, Milford, MA 01757 USA; www.thatcorp.com Doc. 600148 Rev. 05
 Symmetry
V+ V+
C16
R8 +
R7
300k 5% 22u

All rights reserved.

50k cw

Copyright © 2018
by THAT Corporation
R9 C5
NPO 5% V+
51R 5% ~ 1.5 to 150 ms/dB
V-
47p
15
R6
R74
Master EC+ 14 20k0 510R
11 Release
In C4 SYM Master
+ R5 17 V+ U2A R72
IN OUT - Out VR1
V- 13 OA3 12 Q5 50k
47u 20k0 GND 10 + 2N3906 127K Q4
EC- 9 4301P R30
2N3906 10k0
16 Variable Attack &
Release/Auto R35
V- D6 5k1
R27
C8 R16 1N4148
30k1 Q2 Q9 R37
100n MY 30k1 J113
SW3A 2N3906 18M
R17 cw DPDT2
V+ V+ SW3B
THAT Corporation Design Note 115

5k1 D7 DPDT2
3300ppm Increase 20dB 1N4148 V- 8 3
-78mV/dB D8 1 +
6 R18 2
7 - VR8 Gain 1N4148 U1A 4 -
OA2 8 590k POT D9
+ 1N4148 LM393
U2C -20dB V-
4301P Hard/Soft V+
V- SW2A + R29 R28
C18
C6 U2B SW4B DPDT2 4u7 Q7 R38 10k0 30k1
+ R11 1 4 DPDT2 R135k1 R14
IN OUT 2N3904 1M8
2 RMS 5 3300 ppm 30k1
47u 28k8 IT CT Connection Q3
4301P for Stereo Threshold 2N3904
V+ C17 R34
R12 5k1 Q1
Increase 2N3904

45 Sumner St, Milford, MA 01757 USA; www.thatcorp.com

2M C19 -30dBu
R39 V+ R22 22p R73
VR6 VR2
V- 50k 590k D4 10k
C7 470n 150 R36 10dBu cw 12k7
50n R33 220k Attack R71
V- R32 19 1N4148 D5 51R
C20 2M - 18
30k1 20 OA1
SW2B + R25
2n D2 DPDT2 1N4148 ~ 0.15 to 15 ms/dB
U2D 1k4 V-
D1 4301P
A Fully Adjustable

D3 LED 1N4148
VR7
Compressor / Limiter

LED Compression 10k

V+ cw
Ratio R31
6 8 15k0
- 7 Increase
5 + 4 U3B

Doc. 600148 Rev. 05

V- 5532

Design Note 115

Page 3 of 3