Gecko ETERNITY CMP 2408 User manual

GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408
www.geckomusic.net
www.geckomusic.net
OWNER'S MANUAL
OWNER'S MANUAL

GECKO® SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS & SYMBOLS GUIDE
GECKO® SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS & SYMBOLS GUIDE
For your own safety and to avoid invalidation of the warranty, all text marked with these symbols should be
read carefully.
SYMBOLS:
SYMBOLS:
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
•To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not remove covers. No user serviceable parts inside. Please
refer servicing to qualified personnel.
•To reduce the risk of electrical shock or fire, do not expose the equipment to rain or moisture.
•Do not impose unnecessary stress on your equipment (i.e. placing heavy objects on it, overscrewing its
mounting etc).
•Read and keep the instruction manuals in a safe place for future references.
•Do not attempt to clean the equipment with chemical solvents as this may damage the finish. Clean only
with dry cloth.
•Do not block any ventilation openings.
•Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus that
produce heat.
•Do not defeat the purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with
one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide
blade or the grounding prong is provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet,
consult an electrician for the replacement of the obsolete outlet.
•Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
•Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or when it is not in use for a long period of time.
NOTES
NOTES
Contain important information and useful tips on the operation of your equipment.
WARNING
WARNING
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product’s
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.
CAUTIONS
CAUTIONS
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in thee
literature accompanying the appliance. Please read the manual carefully.
H
HEADPHONES EADPHONES SAFETY SAFETY WARNIN WARNING G
Contain important information and use useful tips on headphones outputs and monitoring
levels.
!

•Use only attachments / accessories specified by the manufacturer.
•Always shut down power supply when not in use to save energy and for prolonged lifespan.
•Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing loss. Individuals vary
considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if
exposed to sufficiently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified the permissible noise level exposures shown in the
following chart. According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits could result in
some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is
recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pressure levels
use hearing protectors while the equipment is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or
over the ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent permanent hearing loss if
exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here:
Duration/Day (Hours) dB, Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Descriptions
Below 90dB Safe zone
8.00 90 Hearing damage
6.00 92
4.00 95
3.00 97
2.00 100 Serious hearing damage
1.50 102
1.00 105
0.50 110
0.25 or less 115 Human pain threshold
GECKO MUSIC GROUP
GECKO MUSIC GROUP
71, Ubi Road 1, #05-34, Oxley BizHub, Singapore 408732.
Email: [email protected] • Website: www.geckomusic.net

FOREWORD
FOREWORD
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for purchasing quality products by GECKO MUSIC GROUP. I am indeed very
delighted that we have journeyed this far, setting new standards in the audio and music industry while
touching and changing lives along the way!
At GECKO MUSIC GROUP we focus on developing nothing but the best professional audio equipment and
premium grade musical instruments you ever need! It has been our philosophy all this while that good sound
reproductions can be achieved at a fraction of a premium. Our engineering team is constantly doing research
and development to meet this objective. We thank God that by HIS grace, we have succeeded in developing
the revolutionary C.R.I.S.T.A.L.® Audiophile technology that is changing the way how sound is being
encoded, reproduced and managed!
On behalf of GECKO MUSIC GROUP, I would like to pledge our continuing commitment to uphold our
traditions in serving music and audio communities around the world with more value-added highest possible
quality GECKO® professional audio equipment and premium grade musical instruments!
Once again, thank you very much for your support.
Yours truly,
Daniel Foo
Founder / Chairman
GECKO MUSIC GROUP

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
CONTROL ELEMENTS 2
COMPRESSOR SECTION 3
EXPANDER / GATE SECTION 5
MAKING CONNECTIONS 7
SPECIFICATIONS 8
WARRANTY 9
NOTES: Congratulations on purchasing the GECKO® ETERNITY
CMP 2408 compressor/gate! We recommend that you take a
moment and read through the manual as it provides information that
will assist you in using your unit to its fullest potential.
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© GECKO MUSIC GROUP. All Rights Reserved.

INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 compressor/gate offers two separate and highly flexible compressors,
expanders, gates in a single rack space unit, with a wide range of control and even an “Auto” mode for
automatic “Attack” and “Release” time settings.
The GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 features loads of user-friendly operation to smooth uneven levels, add
sustain to vocals, basses and guitars, fatten up drums or tighten up mixes and masterings.
But there is more. We have added a touch of audiophile processing over its dynamic range with GECKO®
C.R.I.S.T.A.L.® Audiophile PreAmps technology!
The GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 is highly recommended for singers, musicians, and sound engineers.
Here are some examples of common compressor and gating applications:
COMMON COMPRESSOR APPLICATIONS COMMON GATING APPLICATIONS
Fattening a kick drum or snare drum Gating percussive sounds (i.e. kick drum, snare drum)
Adding sustain to guitar or synthesizer string sounds Gating sounds that have longer decay (i.e. cymbal, piano)
Smoothing out a vocal performance Gating hum / buzz from live instruments or recorded tracks
Raising a signal out of a mix Downward expansion to reduce noise under smooth
sounds (i.e. vocals, woodwinds)
Preventing sound system overload
Digital to analog transfers
Refer to the following pages for suggested initial settings. These settings should suffice for fundamental
compressing and gating requirements. However, the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 accomplishes many
more changes to sound quality. We recommend that you begin experimenting with the GECKO® ETERNITY
CMP 2408’s controls, with our suggested settings. Thereafter run them with different settings and experiment
with other combinations of compressor and gating controls. You will be surprised at what you hear. Best of
all, you may create a perfect sound quality for your needs.
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CONTROL ELEMENTS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
FRONT PANEL
1. STEREO COUPLE SWITCH
This switch sets the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 for either stereo or dual mono operation. Press the
STEREO COUPLE switch in for stereo operation where CHANNEL ONE becomes the master controller for
both channels. All of CHANNEL TWO’s controls, switches, and LEDs will be disabled (except for CHANNEL
TWO’s GAIN REDUCTION meter), since CHANNEL TWO is the slave.
With the STEREO COUPLE switch out, the unit functions as two separate mono compressors / gates, each
with its own independent controls.
The STEREO COUPLE switch lights up (amber) when the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 is stereo-
coupled.
2. BYPASS SWITCH
Press this switch in to bypass the front panel controls, effectively canceling the function and processing
effect of the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408’s compression, gating and gain settings. The input signal is still
present at the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408’s output, but is now unaltered by the GECKO® ETERNITY
CMP 2408’s controls. BYPASS is especially useful for making comparisons between processed and
unprocessed signals.
NOTES: In stereo operation (STEREO COUPLE switch pressed in); the CHANNEL
ONE's BYPASS switch controls both channels.
The BYPASS switch lights up (red) when BYPASS mode is active.
3. GAIN REDUCTION (dB) METER
This meter displays the amount of signal attenuated from the input signal by the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP
2408’s compressor or expander/gate. When the compressor and expander/gate are both active, the meter
displays the maximum amount of gain reduction for whichever function is greater - compressor or
expander/gate.
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4. OUTPUT GAIN (dB) CONTROL
This control sets the overall gain of the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408, from -20dB to +20dB. The
OUTPUT GAIN control is especially useful to compensate for the RMS level decrease which results from the
GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408’s dynamic processing effects. After you adjust the GECKO® ETERNITY
CMP 2408’s controls for the desired amount of compression, set the OUTPUT GAIN to add the same
amount of gain that is shown on the GAIN REDUCTION meters. For example, if the average amount of gain
reduction shown on the meters is 10dB, then setting the OUTPUT GAIN control to +10dB will compensate for
the 10dB average level reduction at the output.
NOTES: The GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408's compressor and expander/gate
control settings are interactive and can affect gain, so watch your playback levels.
COMPRESSOR SECTION
COMPRESSOR SECTION
NOTES: Setting the compressor RATIO to 1:1 will turn the compressor off,
regardless of the setting on the compressor THRESHOLD control and
BELOW/OVEREASY/ABOVE LED status. Setting the compressor THRESHOLD
control to +20dB will prevent all but the highest peaks from being compressed.
5. OVEREASY® SWITCH
Depress this switch to select the OverEasy® compression characteristic. The OverEasy® switch lights up
(green) in this mode. The amber THRESHOLD LED turns on when the signal is in the OverEasy® region.
When the switch is out, the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 operates as a hard-knee compressor, and the
amber LED does not light.
6. THRESHOLD CONTROL
Adjust this control to set the threshold of compression from -40dB to +20dB. In hard-knee mode, the
threshold of compression is defined as the point above which the output level no longer changes on a 1:1
basis with changes in the input level.
In OverEasy® mode the threshold of compression is defined as the middle of the OverEasy® threshold
region, that is, “half-way” into compression.
7. THRESHOLD LEDS (BELOW/OVEREASY/ABOVE)
The three THRESHOLD LEDs indicate the relationship of the input signal level to the threshold of
compression. The green LED lights when the signal is BELOW threshold, the red LED lights when the signal
is above the threshold, and the amber LED lights when the OverEasy® switch is depressed and the input
signal is in the OverEasy® range.
The GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408’s OverEasy® compression permits extremely smooth, natural
sounding compression, without artifacts, due to the gradual change of compression around the threshold.
With OverEasy® compression, input signals begin to gradually activate the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP
2408’s internal gain change circuitry as they approach the THRESHOLD reference level.
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© GECKO MUSIC GROUP. All Rights Reserved.

They do not get fully processed by the RATIO, ATTACK and RELEASE controls until they have passed
somewhat above the THRESHOLD reference level. As the signal level passes the THRESHOLD level,
processing increases until it is fully processed to the extent determined by the controls settings
In hard-knee mode, the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 can provide abrupt compression effects as well as
hard-limiting applications. Note that when in hard-knee mode the amber LED will not light as the input signal
passes across the threshold. The signal is either being compressed (over threshold) or it is not being
compressed (under threshold).
NOTES: Even though no input signal is being applied, it is normal for the LEDs to
flicker when the power is applied or removed.
8. RATIO CONTROL
Adjust this control to set the amount of compression applied to the input signal. Clockwise rotation of this
control increases the compression ratio from 1:1 (no compression) up to ∞:1 (where the compressor can be
considered to be a peak limiter, especially with faster ATTACK settings).
When an input is above the THRESHOLD setting reference level, the RATIO setting determines the number
of decibels by which the input signal must increase in level to produce a 1dB increase in the signal level at
the output. A setting of 2:1 indicates an input/output ratio wherein a 2dB increase in signal (above threshold)
will produce a 1dB increase in output signal. A setting of ∞:1 indicates that an infinite increase in input level
would be required to raise the output level by 1dB.
9. ATTACK CONTROL
The ATTACK control sets the amount of time it takes the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 to begin
compressing a signal once the detector has sensed a signal above threshold. The ATTACK range is from
FAST (for a tighter and more noticeable compression effect with very little overshoot) to SLOW (for more
delayed, gradual compression). A very fast ATTACK setting will cause the GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408
to act like a peak limiter even though RMS detection circuitry is used. Slower ATTACK settings cause the
GECKO® ETERNITY CMP 2408 to act like an RMS or averaging-detecting compressor / limiter.
10. RELEASE CONTROL
The RELEASE control sets how fast the compression circuit returns the input to its original level. The
RELEASE rate is from FAST (where compression follows the envelope of the program material very tightly)
to SLOW (for very smooth compression).
There is no absolute right way to set the ATTACK and RELEASE controls. However, in general, you will want
them set slow enough to avoid “pumping” or “breathing” sounds caused when background sounds are
audibly modulated by the dominant signal energy, yet the release must be fast enough to avoid suppression
of the desired signal after the sudden transient or loud note has decayed.
NOTES: ATTACK and RELEASE controls operate together and in conjunction with
the RATIO control. Changing one control may necessitate adjusting another setting.
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© GECKO MUSIC GROUP. All Rights Reserved.

11. AUTO SWITCH
This switch overrides both the ATTACK and RELEASE controls and enables preset program-dependent
attack and release times. These times are delivered from the input signal and continuously change to match
its dynamics. The AUTO switch lights up (green) in this mode.
EXPANDER/GATE SECTION
EXPANDER/GATE SECTION
12. THRESHOLD CONTROL
Adjusting this control sets the level at which the gate will open and allow the signal at the input to pass
through to the output. Turning the knob fully counter clockwise (to OFF) allows the gate to pass all signals
unattenuated, effectively bypassing the gate. Turning the knob fully clockwise causes the gate to attenuate
input signals below +15dBu. The depth of attenuation depends on the setting of the expander / gate RATIO
control.
13. THRESHOLD LEDS (BELOW/ABOVE)
The two LEDs indicate the relationship of the input signal level to the threshold setting. The red LED lights up
when the signal is BELOW threshold, the green LED lights up when signal is ABOVE threshold.
14. RATIO CONTROL
This control sets the amount of attenuation applied to the input signal once it is below the threshold, from
gentle downward expansion (appropriate for mixed program, vocals, etc.), to a hard gating effect (which can
be useful for percussion). Fairly low RATIO (and higher expander / gate THRESHOLD) settings work best for
downward expansion, whereas higher RATIO settings (clockwise towards MAX) work best for gating. If a
setting produces undesirable pumping, readjust the expander / gate RATIO or THRESHOLD setting.
NOTES: The attack and release rate of the expander / gate are program-dependent
- very fast for transient material (i.e. percussion) and slower for material with slow
attack (i.e. vocals). Fast gating sustained low frequency signals can result in
“chattering”. To eliminate any “chattering”, simply adjust the RATIO control. The
proper THRESHOLD setting will also minimize false triggering and “chattering”.
REAR PANEL
15. INPUTS (CHANNEL ONE AND CHANNEL TWO)
Use ¼” TS unbalanced, ¼” TRS balanced, or balanced XLR (male) connectors to connect these inputs to
your source. The INPUTS accept either balanced or unbalanced signals. Input impedance is > 40kΩ.
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