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Table Of Contents
50 Chapter 4 Dynamics
 Hold knob and field: Sets the amount of time the gate is kept open after the signal
falls below the threshold.
 Release knob and field: Sets the amount of time it takes to fully close the gate after
the signal falls below the threshold.
 Hysteresis slider and field: Sets the difference (in decibels) between the threshold
values that open and close the gate, to prevent it rapidly opening and closing when
the input signal is close to the threshold.
 Lookahead slider and field: Sets how far ahead (in milliseconds) the noise gate
analyzes the signal.
Sidechain Parameters
 Monitor button: Turn on to preview the Sidechain signal, including the effect of the
High and Low Cut filters.
 High Cut slider and field: Sets the upper cutoff frequency for the sidechain signal.
 Low Cut slider and field: Sets the lower cutoff frequency for the sidechain signal.
When no external sidechain is selected, the input signal is used as the sidechain.
Using the Noise Gate
In most situations, setting the Reduction slider to the lowest possible value ensures
that sounds below the Threshold are completely suppressed. Setting it to a higher
value attenuates low-level sounds but still allows them to pass. You can also set
Reduction to a value greater than 0 (zero) to boost the signal by up to 20 dB. This is
useful for ducking effects.
The three rotary knobs for Attack, Hold, and Release modify the dynamic response of
the Noise Gate. If you want the gate to open extremely quickly, say for percussive
signals such as drums, set the Attack knob to a lower value. For other sounds, such as
string pads, where the signal fades in more gradually, set Attack to a higher value for a
smoother effect. Similarly, when you are working with signals that fade out gradually or
which have longer reverb tails, set the Release knob to a higher value so that the signal
fades naturally.
The Hold knob determines the minimum amount of time that the gate stays open. This
avoids abrupt changes (called chattering) caused when the Noise Gate opens and
closes rapidly.