11—Input and Track Channel Tools

158 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

What’s an Expander?

The DYN screen expander is a downward-type expander that exaggerates the
differences between a signal’s loudest parts and its softest parts—it widens, or
“expands,” the signal’s dynamic range. You can use an expander to make unwanted
background noise quieter. An expander can also make a signal’s original dynamic
changes more exciting by making them more pronounced.
The expander works by bringing down the level of any signal that falls below the
threshold level setting, making the signal even quieter. The ratio setting determines
how much gain reduction will be applied. The speed at which expansion begins is set
by the attack time, and the release time sets how long expansion lasts before the
signal’s allowed to rise back up to its un-processed level.

What’s an Expander+Compressor?

An expander+compressor—or “compander”—reduces the gain of signal levels that are
both lower

and

higher than the threshold level. This has the effect of bringing out signal
levels at or near the threshold level while reducing the gain of everything else.
When a signal falls below the threshold setting, the expander+compressor lowers its
signal, just like an expander. Like a compressor, it also reduces the level of a signal that
exceeds the threshold setting. This has the effect of tapering off the signal’s level as it
gets further away above and below the threshold level. The ratio setting sets how
extreme this tapering will be. The attack settings determines how quickly it will occur,
and the release setting for how long.

1. Dynamics Sw

The Dynamics switch—also visible on the CH EDIT VIEW screen—turns the channel’s
dynamics processor on or off.

2. DYN Type

Select the desired type of dynamics processor by setting the DYN Type switch. Choose:
COMPRESSOR • EXPANDER • EXP+COMP (expander/compressor).

3. Ratio

The ratio setting determines the strength of the dynamics processing to be
applied to signals as they cross the threshold level (Page 159).
An expander can be handy when it’s used as a gating mechanism that makes unwanted
background noise quieter than it is in the original signal.
Use an expander+compressor when you want to lower the level of background noise
that’s nearly as loud as the part of the signal you want to keep. Set Threshold so that the
desired portion of the signal is accentuated. Use a slow Attack setting for subtlety.
An expander+compressor requires a lot of processing power—if you use one on a track
channel, all input channel dynamics processors are de-activated. If you use one on an
input channel, all track channel dynamics processors are de-activated.
For a: The Ratio parameter sets how much gain reduction will be applied when:
compressor the signal’s level exceeds the threshold level setting.
expander the signal’s level falls below the threshold level setting.
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