User`s guide

User’s Guide
17
Final Mix for Tracktion
Node Editing
Final Mix’s Node Editing is a unique and pow-
erful feature that goes far beyond the usual
concept of assigning a dynamics band’s ratio.
The Contour Edit screen allows you to draw
your own curve between the threshold and the
end point. Up to four nodes can be added to the
curve. This depth of editing is helpful in defi n-
ing detailed nuances in your curve such as hard
knee, soft knee, and expansion.
Nodes can be added to the contour graph by
right-clicking the mouse on the contour graph.
Right-clicking on the graph where there is no
node adds a node, up to a maximum of 4. Right-
clicking on a node removes it. You can also add
or remove nodes by scrolling through the NODE
selector window and toggling the Node Enable
IN button.
Note: The four numbered nodes always
appear in order from left to right. A conse-
quence of this
is that you can't add a node
between, for instance, nodes 1 and 2, even if
they are the only 2 nodes active.
IN and OUT
Nodes on the graph can be adjusted by the
standard click and drag method. You can also
edit the node’s In and Out dB levels in the
small windows at the bottom of the contour edit
screen.
Ratio
The ratio is the change in input level (dB) over
the change in output level, for a selected node.
It is automatically calculated when the node is
moved, and the value can't be directly edited.
The RATIO display corresponds to the dynam-
ics ratio applied in the graph's line segment
segment immediately to the left of the selected
node.
The RATIO window displays both compression
and expansion. When a segment represents ex-
pansion, the ratio is displayed as, for instance,
1:2.5. However, a compression ratio shows as
2.5:1.
Final Mix also implements negative compres-
sion ratios. This is useful mainly for special
effects or repair work. In this case a node ap-
pears lower in the graph than the one to its
immediate left. For negative compression, the
ratio window displays, for instance, –2.5:1.
About Hard Knee and Soft Knee Compression
The last page showed an example of expan-
sion combined with compression to implement
a leveling of the signal. This is where the quiet
sections become louder and louder sections be-
come quieter. Below we see hard and soft knees
drawn in.
Hard Knee curve example
Soft Knee curve example
The terms hard and soft do not refer to sound,
but rather the way that the compressor reacts
to incoming signals. The difference is somewhat
subtle to hear, but is more apparent at higher
compression ratios. A hard knee setting is well
suited to lower ratios. When using higher com-
pression ratios, you may fi nd it a little
better-sounding to draw in a smoother knee
curve. Look at the graphs above. A hard knee
curve is represented as a straight line that con-
nects a point on the threshold to the end point