FabFilter User Forum
Pro C-3 Dry gain knob and mix slider
Hi at FabFilter,
studying carefully the manual of Pro C-3, I failed to understand the difference between the dry gain knob and the mix slider at the bottom. The dry gain knob provides parallel compression. That's clear. But doesn't the mix slider have the same effect, at least when set between 0-100%?
Thanks for your elucidation!
Seb Weiner — Aug 22, 2026
Hi Seb,
The mix slider and the dry and wet levels do something differently.
The mix slider basically scales down the applied compression, same as the mix slider in Pro-Q scales the band processing. It does not blend the dry and wet signals.
Say you have 6dB of gain reduction. When you set the mix slider to 50%, this will actually will be reduced to 3dB, simply by scaling the gain reduction itself.
Using the levels instead can yield similar results, but are a different typology. When you for instance set the dry and wet both to -6dB, you might get a similar amount of gain reduction, but you will get this by combining the dry signal and the 6dB compressed signal together.
The mix slider is located after the dry wet controls, so you can use this to adjust the amount of pumping for instance without adjusting your threshold. It's also a great way to automate compressing coming in our out during sections, as it can be smoother that just a bypass.
Hi Ralph,
thank you for your instructive explanation. This opens up interesting possibilities for the use of Pro C. I need to take some time to think it over...