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Dynamic Range: Music Production - Assignment 4

This document discusses dynamic range in music production and the tools used to manipulate it, including compressors, limiters, expanders, and noise gates. It describes the basic parameters of these dynamic range processors, including threshold, attack time, release time, and ratio. It explains how compression can be applied during mixing or mastering, noting that compressing during mixing directly affects the compressor's action and the relationship between mix elements, while compression during mastering affects the entire stereo mix as it goes to the master tape. The document concludes by reflecting that compression helps raise a mix's overall level but too much can make it sound unnatural, and that sound engineers debate its proper use but agree the goal is a sound the producer likes that

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Sophia Navarro
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99 views

Dynamic Range: Music Production - Assignment 4

This document discusses dynamic range in music production and the tools used to manipulate it, including compressors, limiters, expanders, and noise gates. It describes the basic parameters of these dynamic range processors, including threshold, attack time, release time, and ratio. It explains how compression can be applied during mixing or mastering, noting that compressing during mixing directly affects the compressor's action and the relationship between mix elements, while compression during mastering affects the entire stereo mix as it goes to the master tape. The document concludes by reflecting that compression helps raise a mix's overall level but too much can make it sound unnatural, and that sound engineers debate its proper use but agree the goal is a sound the producer likes that

Uploaded by

Sophia Navarro
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MUSIC PRODUCTION ASSIGNMENT 4

DYNAMIC RANGE
INTRODUCTION

My name is Glen, from Adelaide, Australia. Exploring and researching the topic of
Dynamic Range manipulation during the Music Production process has been
interesting - particularly because the tools available provide an infinite number of
possibilities, so an understanding of the fundamentals is essential before making
decisions about the application of the effects.



DYNAMIC RANGE in music production describes the range from the softest
sound to the loudest sound, measured in decibels of sound pressure level (abbreviated as
dBSPL). The threshold of hearing is arbitrarily nominated to be 0 dBSPL and the
loudest is around 120dBSPL.
Compressors, limiters, expanders, and noise gates are processing devices that are used
in audio to alter the dynamic range of a given signal. This is done to achieve a more
consistent sound when recording or as a special effect (by radically altering the
dynamics of a sound, thereby creating a sound not possible from the original source).
The analysis of the dynamic range is done using waveforms that have amplitude shown
against time.

THE DYNAMIC RANGE PROCESSORS


1. COMPRESSORS
Compressors are used to attenuate signals above of a certain dynamic threshold.
Among many applications they can even out the level fluctuations of a vocal or
bass track, or reshape dynamic envelopes of instruments. They can be triggered
by sources other than the target track by using the side-chain input. For example,
you could use a voiceover track to trigger the compressor on a background
music track so that the music is attenuated when the voiceover is heard.

2. LIMITERS
Limiters are a type of variable-gain compressor, in which the gain of an
amplifier is changed very quickly to prevent the signal from going over a certain
amplitude it can be thought of as a very quick acting downward compressor.

3. EXPANDERS
Expanders increase the difference in loudness between quieter and louder
sections of audio making quiet sounds quieter and loud sounds louder by turning
down the volume when the signal level falls below the threshold and turning the
volume back up when the signal level goes above the threshold.
4. NOISE GATES
Noise Gates are used to attenuate signals that fall below a certain dynamic
threshold. Gates do not eliminate the noise. They just hide it by attenuating it
when it is most obvious (during pauses), and let it through when it is mixed with
the signal.

THE DYNAMIC RANGE PROCESSOR PARAMETERS


The Dynamic Processors listed above all have the same basic parameters that are
selected to manipulate the sound signals.
1. THRESHOLD
Threshold is the level of the incoming signal at which the compressor amplifier
changes from a unity gain amplifier (input = output) into a compressor reducing
gain. The compressor has no effect on the signal below the threshold level
setting. Once threshold is reached, the compressor starts altering the gain
according to the amount the signal exceeds threshold and according to the ratio
control setting. Threshold level could be thought of as the "sensitivity" of the
compressor.
DOWNWARD COMPRESSION

UPWARD COMPRESSION

THE KNEE This is the exact moment the compressor starts gain alteration.
a. Hard Knee compression describes this moment as sudden and certain.
b. Soft Knee or smooth knee compression is a less obtrusive change from
simple amplifier to compressor. Soft knee widens or broadens the range of
threshold values necessary for the onset of compression.

2. ATTACK TIME
Attack time refers to the time it takes the compressor to start compressing after
threshold has been reached. Typical attack times range from less than 1
millisecond at the fastest to more than 100 milliseconds at the slowest. Attack
time settings affect the sound quality in terms of overall perceived brightness or
high-frequency content. Since transient information at the front or attack portion
conveys brightness character, especially with percussive sounds, immediately
reducing it with the compressor will dull the sound. Selecting a slower attack
time will allow the transient portion of the sound to pass through before the
compressor starts clamping. However, if the attack time is too slow, ineffective
and tardy compressor action may result.

3. RELEASE TIME
Release Time (or Recovery Time) is the time the compressor takes to return to
unity gain after the input signal has fallen below threshold. This is the opposite

to Attack Time. Typical release times go from as fast as 20 milliseconds to over


5 seconds. Super fast release times, along with a fast attack time setting, will
distort low-frequency sounds. Over-long release time settings are another form
of distortion.
4. RATIO
Ratio is a way to express the degree to which the compressor is reducing
dynamic range. Ratio indicates the difference between the signal increase
coming into the compressor and the increase at the output level. A ratio of 10:1
would mean that it would take an increase of 10 dB coming into the compressor
to cause the output to only increase 1 dB. Ratio is a constant value, as it doesn't
matter how much compression is taking place; the ratio of the input change to
output change is always the same.
Compressors and limiters are really separated only by a loose definition.
Generally, compressors have compression ratios up to between 8:1 to 10:1,
while limiters generally have ratios higher than 10:1.

APPLYING DYNAMIC RANGE COMPRESSION EFFECTS


Compression can be applied to the entire stereo mix as it is going to the master tape, but
can also be applied during mastering, but there is a difference. If the compression is
ahead of the master tape recorder (DAW), then there are mixing many sources (tracks),
each with its individual dynamic content. Making changes to the whole mix (especially
big gain changes) directly affects the compressor's action and that affects the
relationship of all the other mix elements.

REFLECTION
When used sparingly compression helps to bring up the overall level of the mix to
compete with noise in the listening environment. However, if too much compression is
applied the final mix may sound very unnatural. While researching this topic I was
surprised to find so much debate about the use and abuse of applying Dynamic Effects
to sound production. Sound Engineers and Mixing Engineers all seem to have an
opinion! The one point of agreement seems to be learn to recognize the effects of
compression (both the pitfalls and advantages) and always use your own ears to go for
sounds that you like and that improve the sound of the music.
Thanks for reading this assignment.

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