Built-in Effects Part 2
Noise Gate
The first effect in the 2nd part of our built-in effects tutorial is the “Noise Gate”. The “Noise Gate” effect allows the main signal to pass through only when it is above a set threshold: the gate is ‘open’. Furthermore, if the signal falls below the threshold, no signal is allowed to pass (or the signal is substantially attenuated): the gate is ‘closed’. This effect offers a variety of parameters to control which we will cover below.
- Link Channels: When enabled, the unit will affect the sum of the left and right channels. While disabled, the unit will affect the left and right channels independently.
- Side Chain: Select a side chain input. You can select the source of the side chain input to be before the Fx (Pre-FX), after the FX but before the final gain stage (Post-FX) or at the final gain stage (Post-Mix)
- Look Ahead: Determines how advanced the unit`s analysis is compared to the input. This will allow you to use shorter attack and longer release times without obstructing the signal.
- Threshold: Determines the highest input level that will be gated. The gate won’t affect input above the threshold
- Attack: Determines how quickly the gate opens.
- Release: Determines how quickly the gate closes
- Gain: Determines the amount of post-effect gain applied in dB
Limiter
The next effect in line is the “Limiter”. A limiter is a circuit that allows signals below a specified input power or level to pass unaffected while attenuating (lowering) the peaks of stronger signals that exceed this threshold. Moreover, limiting is a type of dynamic range compression. Since the “Limiter” possesses the same controls as above mentioned “Noise Gate” effect, we won`t cover its parameters again.
Compressor/Expander
Moving forward, we have a “Compressor/Expander” effect. The compressor reduces the dynamic range of your recording by bringing down the level of the loudest parts. Consequently, the loud and quiet parts are now closer together in volume and the natural volume variations are less obvious. Much like previous two effects, it possesses similar parameters with the exception of two which we will cover below.
- Expander Mode: When enabled, a unit becomes an expander- allowing you to increase the dynamic range by attenuating the signal below the threshold rather than above.
- Ratio: Determines how many times quieter the compressor level is than the input level. For example, the ratio that has the amount of 2.00 means that the compressed signal will be half the level of the input, before the post-effect gain.
Reverb
SoundBridge DAW: offers a versatile “Reverb” effect as well. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing a large number of reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is absorbed by the surfaces of objects in the space – which could include furniture, people, and air. Below we will cover all parameters of the “Reverb” effect.
- Quality: Determines the fidelity of the output by changing the processing algorithm.
- Freeze – Sustains the output signal level until disabled
- Reverb Time: Determines the time it takes the affected signal to decay
- Steepness: Determines the abruptness of the decay
- Diffusion: Determines the clarity of reverberant sound.
- Bass Boost: Determines the amount of gain of the low-shelf.
- High Cut: Determines the cutoff frequency of the high-cut filter
- High Cut Amount: Determines the amount of attenuation applied to the signal above the cutoff
- Early Reflections: Determines the amount of gain applied to the early reflections
- ER/LR Balance: Determines the mix of early and late reflections
- Late Reflections: Determines the amount of gain applied to the late reflections
- Pre Delay: Determines the time between the dry signal and its first reflection
- Liveness: Determines the liveness of the reverberation tail
- Wet: Determines the amount of affected signal in the output
Filter Unit
The “Filter Unit” effect is one more of the effects that SoundBridge: DAW has to offer. A filter effect is a frequency dependent amplifier circuit, working in the audio frequency range, 0 Hz to beyond 20 kHz. Therefore, filters can amplify (boost), pass or attenuate (cut) some frequency ranges. There are a number of parameters which the “Filter Unit” possesses, so we will cover them below.
- Filter Type: Determines the type of filter that is implemented. You can choose between 4 different filter types (Low-Pass, High-Pass, Band-Pass, and Notch)
- Frequency: Determines the cutoff frequency or low and high-pass filters or the center frequency of the bandpass and notch.
- Q: Determines the amount in which the cutoff frequency or the center frequency is emphasized.
EQ
The last effect that we are going to talk about is the “EQ”. The Soundbridge`s EQ effect has built-in analyzer exactly like separate analyzer plugin which we covered in the 1st part of this tutorial. Besides that, it offers more parameters to control which we will cover below.
- FFT On/Off: Turns the FFT analyzer on or off
- Filter On/Off: turn the low shelf, peak filters and high shelf filter on or off
- Frequency: Sets the center frequency of the filter
- Gain: Adjusts the amplitude gain of the filter
- Q: Adjusts the bandwidth of the filter
