Dynamic Processing Flashcards

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1
Q

What does a compressor do?

A

Reduces the dynamic range of music

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2
Q

What is the most basic way of compressing a sound?

A

to ‘ride the fader’

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3
Q

On a compressor, what is the threshold?

A

The volume above which a compressor begins to compress

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4
Q

On a compressor, what is the ratio?

A

How much the signal will reduce the signal by once the signal is above the threshold

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5
Q

On a compressor, what does make-up gain do?

A

Compensates for the reduction in volume that occurs as part of the compression process

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6
Q

On a compressor what is the knee?

A

The characteristic bend in the response curve when the signal crosses the threshold

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7
Q

On a compressor, what does a soft knee do?

A

gradually applies the ratio

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8
Q

On a compressor, what does a hard knee do?

A

Applies the ratio instantly when the signal crosses the threshold

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9
Q

On a compressor, what is attack?

A

How quickly the compression is applied once the signal is above the threshold

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10
Q

On a compressor, what is release?

A

How long it takes for the compressor to stop compressing once the signal has fallen below the threshold value

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11
Q

When set too fast, what can release times introduce?

A

‘pumping’ or ‘ducking’ effects

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12
Q

What is sidechain compression?

A

Where a compressor is triggered by the volume of one track, but the compression is applied to another

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13
Q

At what frequencies do sounds like ‘sss’ usually exist?

A

5kHz-10kHz

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14
Q

What does a de-esser do?

A

reduces sibilance

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15
Q

What are limiters?

A

compressors with extreme settings

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16
Q

What will the ratio be as close to as possible on a limiter?

A

infinity to one

17
Q

What are limiters used for?

A

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

18
Q

What does an expander do?

A

reducing the levels of signals that fall below a set threshold

19
Q

What effect does an expander have on the dynamic range of a signal?

A

increases it

20
Q

What are expanders most commonly used as?

A

noise reducers

21
Q

What are noise gates?

A

Extreme expanders

22
Q

What does a noise gate do to a signal that passes below the threshold?

A

Silences it

23
Q

What can noise gates be used to remove?

A

Background noise

24
Q

On a noise gate, what is the threshold?

A

The volume below which a noise gate silences audio

25
Q

On an expander or noise gate, what is the reduction/range?

A

The amount of volume the signal is reduced by

26
Q

What will an expander do to the volume of noise below the threshold?

A

Reduce or completely silence it

27
Q

On a noise gate, what is the attack?

A

The amount of time it takes for the gate to open once the signal goes above the threshold

28
Q

On a noise gate, what is the hold?

A

The amount of time the gate stays open for after the signal drops bellow the threshold level

29
Q

On a noise gate, what is the release?

A

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

30
Q

What does the use of compression and limiting on a whole mix do?

A

Increases the perceived loudness and the average volume of a track

31
Q

What is the ‘loudness wars’?

A

A trend over the past 30 years, particularly in remastered music, to create very loud masters with a very narrow dynamic range

32
Q

What does having a loud track help when using analogue technology like tape and vinyl?

A

Masking the noise inherent in those formats

33
Q

What will engineers often use to ensure consistency between album tracks for EQ and dynamic range?

A

A reference track