Dynamic Processing Flashcards
What does a compressor do?
Reduces the dynamic range of music
What is the most basic way of compressing a sound?
to ‘ride the fader’
On a compressor, what is the threshold?
The volume above which a compressor begins to compress
On a compressor, what is the ratio?
How much the signal will reduce the signal by once the signal is above the threshold
On a compressor, what does make-up gain do?
Compensates for the reduction in volume that occurs as part of the compression process
On a compressor what is the knee?
The characteristic bend in the response curve when the signal crosses the threshold
On a compressor, what does a soft knee do?
gradually applies the ratio
On a compressor, what does a hard knee do?
Applies the ratio instantly when the signal crosses the threshold
On a compressor, what is attack?
How quickly the compression is applied once the signal is above the threshold
On a compressor, what is release?
How long it takes for the compressor to stop compressing once the signal has fallen below the threshold value
When set too fast, what can release times introduce?
‘pumping’ or ‘ducking’ effects
What is sidechain compression?
Where a compressor is triggered by the volume of one track, but the compression is applied to another
At what frequencies do sounds like ‘sss’ usually exist?
5kHz-10kHz
What does a de-esser do?
reduces sibilance
What are limiters?
compressors with extreme settings
What will the ratio be as close to as possible on a limiter?
infinity to one
What are limiters used for?
preventing signals from increasing beyond a certain level to avoid damaging equipment or increasing beyond an acceptable limit, controlling the peaks a compressor might have missed
What does an expander do?
reducing the levels of signals that fall below a set threshold
What effect does an expander have on the dynamic range of a signal?
increases it
What are expanders most commonly used as?
noise reducers
What are noise gates?
Extreme expanders
What does a noise gate do to a signal that passes below the threshold?
Silences it
What can noise gates be used to remove?
Background noise
On a noise gate, what is the threshold?
The volume below which a noise gate silences audio
On an expander or noise gate, what is the reduction/range?
The amount of volume the signal is reduced by
What will an expander do to the volume of noise below the threshold?
Reduce or completely silence it
On a noise gate, what is the attack?
The amount of time it takes for the gate to open once the signal goes above the threshold
On a noise gate, what is the hold?
The amount of time the gate stays open for after the signal drops bellow the threshold level
On a noise gate, what is the release?
The amount of time it takes for the gate to close once the signal has dropped below the threshold level and the hold time has passed
What does the use of compression and limiting on a whole mix do?
Increases the perceived loudness and the average volume of a track
What is the ‘loudness wars’?
A trend over the past 30 years, particularly in remastered music, to create very loud masters with a very narrow dynamic range
What does having a loud track help when using analogue technology like tape and vinyl?
Masking the noise inherent in those formats
What will engineers often use to ensure consistency between album tracks for EQ and dynamic range?
A reference track
