Introduction to Music Production

Coursera

Week 4- Assignment

“Dynamic processors-threshold, ratio, attack and release”

On this fourth assignment I will try to explain to you the concept behind dynamic processors and also describe threshold, ratio, attack and release

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS

As we start manipulating dynamic range during the post production process we are most likely to do these two things:

Compression: reducing dynamic range (most common) Expansion: emphasizing dynamic range

Main rule: If the sound gets too loud , bring it down, if the sound gets too quiet bring it up.

To accomplish this we use dynamic processors

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS

Dynamic processors are rule- based gain controls, which are divided in two segments:

- Analyze (side chain or key section)- Volume Fader

All dynamic processors what they do is changing volume by analyzing the signal itself and then responding to it.

Dynamic processors are:- Expanders

- Gates

- Compressors

- Limiters

And they are all nonlinear devices

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS PARAMETERS

1)Threshold

2)Ratio

3)Attack

4)Release

These major parameters are the same for all processors but the rules are different, each time.

THRESHOLD AND RATIOThreshold is the level at which the processor starts to function (when the signal is below the threshold nothing happens).

Ratio is the amount of compression once the signal crossed the threshold. Ratio is expressed as INPUT:OUTPUT

Example 1:1 ratio= the dynamic processor does nothing2:1 ratio= processor’s output is half the input above the threshold

The higher the Ratio the more extreme the dynamic processing.

ATTACK AND RELEASEAttack is how fast the ratio moves when signal is above threshold.Release is how fast the ratio moves when signal is below the threshold.

In other words attack and release control how fast the processor reacts.

In a DAW, the lower attack and release are, the faster the volume fader will move.

IN CONCLUSION

It is very important in music production to know and understand how dynamic processors work and how they affect our signal, so that you can also be able to use them musically in your work.

Course forums are a great place to take topics to, so that you can discuss them with your classmates and explain some issues that complicate you.

Do not hesitate to look for outside resources about dynamic processors, so that you can constitute a more complete knowledge about them.

•Thank you very much for attending my presentation!