Yamaha AW16G Owner's Manual - Page 176

Appendix ■ Gate and Ducking Output Level dB +20 +10 0 Threshold = -10dB -10 -20 -30 Range = -30dB -40 -50 -60 -70 Range = -70dB dB -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10 +20 Input Level dB Output Level +20 +10 0 -10 Threshold = -20dB -20 -30 -40 -50 -60 Range = -30dB -70 dB -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10 +20 Input Level A gate, or noise gate is an audio switch used to mute signals below a set threshold level. It can be used to suppress background noise and hiss from valve (tube) amps, effects pedals, and microphones. Ducking is used to automatically reduce the levels of one signal when the level of a source signal exceeds a specified threshold. It is used for voice-over applications where, for example, level of background music is automatically reduced, allowing an announcer to be heard clearly. Gate (GAT) and Ducking (DUK) parameters: Parameter Value Threshold (dB) -54 to 0 (55 points) Range (dB) -70 to 0 (71 points) Attack (ms) 0 to 120 (121 points) Hold (ms) 0.02 ms to 2.14 sec (216 points) Decay (ms) 6 ms to 46.1 sec (160 points) Threshold sets the level at which the gate closes, cutting off the signal. Signals above the threshold level pass through unaffected. Signals at or below the threshold cause the gate to close. For ducking, trigger signal levels at and above the threshold level activate ducking, and the signal level is reduced to a level set by the Range parameter. The trigger signal is determined using the KEY IN parameter. Range controls the level to which the gate closes. It can be used to reduce the signal level rather than cut it completely. At a setting of -70 dB, the gate closes completely when the input signal falls below the threshold. At a setting of -30 dB, the gate only closes so far allowing an attenuated signal through. At a setting of 0 dB, the gate has no effect. When signals are gated abruptly, the sudden cutoff can sound odd. For ducking, a setting of -70 dB causes the signal to be virtually cutoff. At a setting of -30 dB the signal is ducked by 30 dB. At a setting of 0 dB, the duck has no effect. Attack determines how fast the gate opens when the signal exceeds the threshold level. Slow attack times can be used to remove the initial transient edge of percussive sounds. Too slow an attack time makes some signals sound backwards. For ducking, this controls how soon the signal is ducked once the duck has been triggered. With a fast attack time, the signal is ducked almost immediately. With a slow attack time, ducking fades the signal. Too fast an attack time may sound abrupt. Hold sets how long the gate stays open or the ducking remains active once the trigger signal has fallen below the threshold level. Decay controls how fast the gate closes once the hold time has expired. A longer decay time produces a more natural gating effect, allowing the natural decay of an instrument to pass through. For ducking, this determines how soon the ducker returns to its normal gain after the hold time has expired. 176