Processor Types 169

THRESHOLD—This determines the level at which the gate closes, cutting off the sig- nal. Signals above the threshold level pass through unaffected. Signals at or below the threshold, however, cause the gate to close. The trigger signal is sourced using the KEY IN parameter.

RANGE—This determines the level to which the gate closes. Think of it as a brick holding a garden gate open so that a certain amount of signal always flows through. For a setting of –70 dB, the gate closes completely when the input signal falls below the threshold. For a setting of –30 dB, however, the gate half closes. For a setting of 0 dB, the gate has no effect. When signals are gated abruptly, the sudden disappearance can sometimes sound odd. This parameter causes the gate to reduce the signal level rather than cut it completely.

HOLD—This determines how long the gate stays open once the trigger signal has fallen below the threshold level.

ATTACK—This determines how fast the gate opens when the signal exceeds the threshold level. Slow attack times can be used to remove the initial transient edge of percussive sounds. Too slow an attack time makes some sounds appear backwards.

DECAY—This determines how fast the gate closes once the hold time has expired. A longer decay time produces a more natural gating effect, allowing the natural decay of an instrument to pass through. With a maximum decay time of between 42 and 63 sec- onds, you could even use this for fade-outs.

DUCKING

Ducking is commonly used for voice-over

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

applications in which the background music

 

+20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

level is reduced automatically when an

 

+10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

announcer speaks. Ducking is achieved by

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

triggering a compressor with a different

(dB)

–10

 

Threshold = –20dB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sound source. For example, a ducker is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level

–20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

patched into the background music channel,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Output

–30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the KEY IN signal is sourced from the

–40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

announcer’s microphone channel. When the

 

–50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

announcer’s microphone level exceeds the

 

–60

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Range = –30dB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

specified threshold, the background music

 

–70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

level is reduced automatically, allowing the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–70

–60

–50

–40

–30

–20

–10

0

+10

+20

 

announcer to be heard clearly. The same

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Input Level (dB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

technique can also be used for vocals in a mix.

For example, ducking backing sounds such as rhythm guitar and synth pad during vocal phrases allows the vocals to be heard more clearly. This can also be used to bring solo instruments up in a mix.

Parameter

Range

 

 

THRESHOLD

–54 dB to 0 dB (55 steps)

 

 

RANGE

–70 dB to 0 dB (71 steps)

 

 

HOLD

0.02 ms–1.96 s (fs = 48 kHz)

0.02 ms–2.13 s (fs = 44.1 kHz)

 

 

 

ATTACK

0–120 ms (1 ms steps)

 

 

DECAY

5 ms–42.3 s (fs = 48 kHz)

6 ms–46 s (fs = 44.1 kHz)

 

 

 

THRESHOLD—This determines the level of trigger signal (KEY IN) required to activate ducking. Trigger signal levels below the threshold do not activate ducking. Trigger signals at and above the threshold level, however, activate ducking, and the signal level

01V—Owner’s Manual