Sound Advice On Compressors Limiters Expanders And Gates Pdf
Sound Advice on Compressors, Limiters, Expanders, & Gates (InstantPro). PDF The 2009-2014 World. Maintaining the compressor analogy for a moment, a gate can be thought of as an expander with an infinitely high ratio in just the same way as a limiter is a compressor with an infinitely high ratio. Note that, while it is traditional to express the expander ratio as '1:integer', it may also be expressed as a 'fraction:1', for example 0.5:1.
Compression is one of the most frequently talked about dynamic processors. But there are many other dynamic processors that deserve attention, as they can be just as effective — if not more effective — than using a compressor.
Here’s 5 alternative dynamic processors and my favorite uses for them.
1. Expanders
Expanders are the opposite of compressors. While a compressor reduces level of a signal above a set threshold, expanders reduce level of signals below a threshold.
Favorite uses: clearing excess room sound out of acoustic instruments; emphasizing the attack on drums, piano, and bass; sharpening synth stabs or pulse leads. Alternatively, super rounding out a drum sound by setting the threshold very very low and the attack time very slow (think about that a while).
2. Gates
Gates are basically extreme expanders. They cut all the sound below the threshold.
In my uses I tend to be looking at either EQ’ing the sidechain or keying the gate to a completely different source.
Favorite uses: creating stutter effects, tightening up drum and synth layers, emphasizing the tone of the attack on percussive elements, controlling reverb tails by keying the reverb to the dry signal.
3. Upward Expanders
An upward expander adds level to a signal that breaches a set threshold.
So rather than making quiet signals quieter like a normal expander, it makes loud signals louder.
For HP products a product number. Wc15 usb pc camera driver download. Examples: LG534UA. Ensure correct spelling and spacing - Examples: 'paper jam'. Use product model name: - Examples: laserjet pro p1102, DeskJet 2130. For Samsung Print products, enter the M/C or Model Code found on the product label.
Favorite uses: adding attack to anything; adding excitement to highly dynamic sources like vocals, piano, acoustic guitar (usually using a slightly slower attack time to prevent the signal from getting “spiky”).
4. Transient Designers
Transient Designers are generally a combination of expanders and compressors that detect and react specifically to very fast parts of the signal.
While I often don’t use transient designers in favor of other dynamic processors there are a few key uses.
Favorite uses: De-Compressing squashed Hip-Hop beats, adding subtle excitement to instruments, defining the attack on a predominantly sustaining sound like horns or strings.
5. Limiters
Limiters are like super compressors. They are meant to function over very fast periods of time and apply super high ratios for gain reduction.
Favorite uses: locking vocals “inside” a record, shaving off excess transients on drums/whatever else, enhancing hand claps and finger snaps, ruining my own mixes by making them excessively loud at the client’s request.
Conclusion
Dynamic processors are ultimately shaping tools.
Thinking of your sound like a sentence that needs editing. Sometimes a sentence has way too many words and really could be paired down in order to make the meaning significantly more clear, less confusing, and fit the flow of the paragraph better. Sometimes sentences need more.
Figure out what your goals are then grab the best tool for the job.
Introducing: The Compression Collection
Want to step up your mixing skills? Do you ever…
- Wonder when to use compression in your mix?
- Or which compressor you should use?
- Get frustrated dialing in the perfect attack and release times?
- Struggle to HEAR the subtle dynamic differences? (And no, I’m not talking about turning up the gain…)
- Wish you could find new, creative ways to use compression with more confidence?
We put together the ULTIMATE compression tutorial for you here.
It’s 46% off right now and we can promise you this:
You’re about to discover a radical new approach to mixing with compression—you’ll never need another tutorial on this topic. In fact, you’ll probably be telling other people they’re doing it wrong!
Free Workshop Video: Low-End Mixing Secrets
Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!
- linkReviews.Mar 2020
Sonnox Oxford Drum Gate
Dynamics Plug-in For DrumsSonnox's innovative dynamics processor offers unprecedented ability to separate wanted from unwanted audio in drum recordings.
- linkTechniquesSep 2018
Production Techniques Using Gates & Expanders
Golden GatesYou can do so much more with noise gates and expanders than nix unwanted noise..
- linkTechniquesApr 2003
Using Your DAW's Gates & Expanders
Software Gating MasterclassFollowing on from our discussion of compression and limiting last month, let's look at how you can use the related processes of gating and expansion within your DAW.
- linkReviewsSep 2002
Alesis CLX440
Compressor/Expander LimiterAlthough it features a familiar analogue-style control interface, the CLX440 has a digital interior that allows it to offer advantages such as a 'Look Ahead' facility more commonly found in plug-in processors.
- linkReviewsSep 2002
Sintefex FX2000 & CX2000
Stereo EQ/Compressor & Compressor/GateWhat if you could access the sound and controllability of a range of the best-known classic analogue compressors and EQs, from a single rackmount box, in the digital domain? Two advanced processors from Sintefex aim to offer just this ability.