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MRAT 6050 - Recording Seminar > Dynamic Processors > Flashcards

Dynamic Processors Flashcards

1
Q

What are 3 technical reasons to control dynamic range?

A
  • meeting the technical limitations of recording/broadcast media
  • safety compression
  • noise reduction
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2
Q

What are 6 sonic reasons to control dynamic range?

A
  • increased perceived loudness
  • greater detail of low level signals
  • increased sustain/length in string instruments and drums
  • shaping/reshaping amplitude envelope
  • increased intelligibility
  • performance smoothing
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3
Q

What are 3 macro ways dynamic range is controlled over time?

A

musical phrases and mixes

  • gain riding
  • console/DAW automation
  • program bus and stem compression
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4
Q

What are some ways the amplitude envelope is controlled over time?

A

individual notes

  • gain riding
  • console/DAW automation
  • compressor/limiter
  • gate/expander
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5
Q

What are some micro ways dynamic range is controlled over time?

A

individual waveform

  • compressor/limiter
  • gate/expander
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6
Q

What are seven types of dynamic processors?

A
  • compressor
  • limiter
  • expander
  • gate
  • de-esser
  • stressor
  • ducker
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7
Q

What does a compressor do?

A

reduces dynamic range

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8
Q

What does a limiter do?

A

prevents dynamic range from going beyond a certain amplitude

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9
Q

What does an expander do?

A

increases dynamic range

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10
Q

What does a gate do?

A

allows signals of only a sufficient gain to pass

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11
Q

What does a de-esser do?

A

reduces dynamic range of a particular range of frequencies (sibilants)

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12
Q

What does a stressor do?

A

expands the dynamic range of a particular range of frequencies

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13
Q

What does a ducker do?

A

reduces dynamic range when another event (another track) occurs

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14
Q

What is crest factor, and what is the equation for it?

A

relationship between peak and rms levels crest factor=peak/rms

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15
Q

What are peaks and what are their time scales?

A

transients/attacks

-very short time scale (micro to milliseconds)

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16
Q

What is RMS and what is its time scale?

A

root mean squared

  • average level, more or less
  • longer time scales (milliseconds to seconds)
  • perceived as loudness
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17
Q

What is transfer function?

A

input:output ratio

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18
Q

What is a true compressor (3 parts)?

A
  • linear gain device with variety of ratios
  • gain before threshold is applied to all input levels below 0dB
  • attenuation applied to all input levels above 0dB
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19
Q

What is a downward compressor?

A

signals below threshold pass at unity gain (1:1 ratio)

20
Q

What is threshold?

A

the point at which a dynamic processor begins to act

  • in downward compressor/limiter, gain reduction is applied to signals that rise above threshold
  • in downward expander, gain reduction is applied to signals that fall below threshold
21
Q

What is knee?

A

transition into gain reduction

  • soft knee is smooth transition
  • hard knee is sudden transition
22
Q

What is the difference between fixed and variable threshold?

A
  • fixed threshold: adjust gain before threshold
  • variable threshold: adjust gain after threshold
23
Q

What is ratio?

A

amount of gain reduction in compressor/limiter or expander/gate; expressed as input:output ratio

-ratio of 2:1 will yield an output of 1dB for every 2dB of input

24
Q

What is gain range?

A

sets amount of gain reduction when the gate is closed

25
Q

What is attack?

A

time it takes for compression to take effect (63% of intended gain reduction)

26
Q

What is release?

A

time it takes for compression to end once signal falls below threshold (90% of gain recovery)

27
Q

What is slope?

A

dB/millisecond

28
Q

What is time hysteresis?

A

offset between attack and release

29
Q

What type of attack and release times are determined by the crest factor of an input signal?

A

program dependent/automatic

30
Q

What are the 7 possible parameters for a compressor?

A
  • input
  • ratio
  • threshold
  • attack
  • release
  • output/makeup gain
  • meter display (input, output, gain reduction)
31
Q

What is a limiter?

A

compressor with ratio of 10:1 or higher

32
Q

What makes gain reduction increase perceived loudness?

A
  • gain reduction increases headroom
  • increased headroom allows makeup gain to be used to raise overall level
  • increase in overall gain (RMS) increases perceived loudness of signal
33
Q

What are the two types of expanders, and which one is more common?

A
  • upward
  • downward
  • most common is downward
34
Q

What is range in expanders?

A

maximum amount of attenuation

35
Q

What is a gate?

A

expander with infinite range (full attenuation)

  • signals below threshold are eliminated by full attenuation
  • many equipped with key input and filter set in sidechain
36
Q

In a gate, what is threshold hysteresis?

A

lower mute threshold than unmute threshold

37
Q

How does a feed-forward dynamic processor work?

A
  • audio is split after input and sent to gain reduction device and detector circuit
  • detector circuit reacts to input signal and applies gain reduction as signal rises above threshold
38
Q

How does a feed-back dynamic processor work?

A
  • audio split after gain reduction device and to detector circuit
  • detector reacts to output signal and applies gain reduction as signal rises above threshold
39
Q

What is a detection circuit and what are the two types?

A

device that determines when and how much gain reduction will take place

  • RMS: average (compressors)
  • peak: responds to peak amplitude (limiters, gates)
40
Q

What is the sidechain/detection path?

A

signal path that feeds detection circuitry

41
Q

What are 4 examples of frequency dependent sidechain processing?

A
  • de-essing
  • stressing
  • gating
  • sidechain high-pass filter
42
Q

What are 3 characteristics of a multiband compressor?

A
  • crossover is used to divide audio input into two or more bands
  • each band is compressed separately
  • compressed signal is recombined before output
43
Q

Where are 4 places that multiband compressors usually used?

A
  • broadcasting
  • mastering
  • program bus compression
  • parallel compression
44
Q

What is important to remember in stereo compression?

A

identical parameters must be set to avoid moving stereo image

45
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

-adding a compressed signal to an uncompressed signal in a mix

46
Q

What does an upward expander do?

A

increase gain of signals above threshold

47
Q

What does a downward expander do?

A

compress signals below threshold

MRAT 6050 - Recording Seminar (7 decks)

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