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Chapter 4 Dynamic 45
Silver Gate
The Silver Gate is a cut-down version of the Noise Gate. It is limited to Threshold,
Lookahead, Attack, Hold, and Release controls.
Enveloper
The Enveloper is an unusual tool that lets you shape transients—the attack and release
phases of signals. No other type of dynamic effect (such as a compressor or expander)
can achieve similar results—and these results can be quite impressive indeed.
The most important Enveloper controls are the two Gain sliders that govern Attack (left)
and Release (right). In the center position, the signal remains unprocessed. If you turn
the gain up, the attack or release phase is emphasized. If you turn it down, the
corresponding phase is attenuated. As an example, boosting the attack lends a drum
sound more snap, or amplifies the sound of a guitar string being plucked or picked.
When you cut the attack, percussive signals fade in more softly. You can also mute the
attack, making it virtually inaudible. This facilitates a range of interesting manipulations.
Another handy application for this plug-in is maintaining friendships—it allows you to
mask the poor timing of accompanying instruments, rather than tell your pals that they
“groove like a bunch of accountants at the office Christmas party”.