Hi everyone, my name is Carlos Chica , I'm from Medellin, Colombia . In this week I want to explain how works the Dynamic Processors.

1. Hi everyone, my name is Carlos Chica , I'm from Medellin, Colombia .
In this week I want to explain how works the Dynamic Processors.
DYNAMIC PROCESSORS
Are post-production effects designed to manipulate the dynamic range of a piece of
audio. That is, they affect how many decibels there are between the quietest and
loudest levels.
Dynamic Processors can either:
1. Reduce dynamic range through COMPRESSION.
2. Increase dynamic range through EXPANSION.
To compress (reduce) the dynamic range of a piece of audio, you can either
increase the levels of the quiet parts to make them louder or decrease the levels of
the loud parts to make them quieter. Compressors and limiters fall under this
category.
While either method can effectively decrease the dynamic range, a compressor or
limiter usually brings down the levels above a certain threshold rather than brings
up the levels of the quiet parts. This is called DOWNWARD COMPRESSION and
is usually what people are referring to when they talk about “compressors.”
To expand the dynamic range of a piece of audio, you can either decrease the
levels of the quiet parts to make them quieter or increase the levels of the loud
parts to make them louder. Expanders and noise gates fall under this category.
Expanders and noise gates usually use the first method: decreasing quiet levels. In
the case of gates, quiet levels (those that fall below the threshold) are in effect
reduced to signal off.
FOUR MAIN PARAMETERS OF A DYNAMIC PROCESSOR
THRESHOLD
RATIO
ATTACK
RELEASE
THRESHOLD
The level where the dynamic processor starts to function.
If audio crosses over this dB value, the other parameters kick into effect.

2. Above this dB value in a compressor/limiter, the sound is processed (below it, the
signal passes through unchanged.)
Below this dB value in an expander/noise gate the sound is processed (above it,
the sound passes through unchanged.)
In other words, a compressor/limiter lowers the volume of a signal when it gets too
loud, and an expander/gate lowers the volume of a signal when it gets too quiet.
RATIO
How much the level is affected once it has crossed the threshold.
Ratio is expressed as INPUT:OUTPUT
1:1 — for a signal level 1dB past the threshold, 1dB will be outputted. In other
words, nothing changes.
2:1 — for a signal level 2 dB past the threshold, 1dB will be outputted. The output
will be half of what goes in.
4:1 — for a signal level 4 dB past the threshold, 1dB will be outputted. The output
will be one quarter of what goes in. In the case of a compressor, this ratio is
considered to be heavy compression.
The higher the ratio, the more extreme the dynamic processing…
10:1 — for a signal level 10 dB past the threshold, 1dB will be outputted. In the
case of expansion, this ratio or higher is considered to be a noise gate. In the case
of compression, this ratio or higher is considered to be a limiter.
30:1 — for a signal level 30 dB past the threshold, 1dB will be outputted. This
essentially stops the sound. In the case of compression, this ratio along with low
attack and release times is considered to be a BRICK WALL LIMITER.
ATTACK
How quickly the volume fader kicks in once the signal has crossed the threshold.
This is expressed in milliseconds [ms]. The lower the rate, the faster the fader will
move.
The attack rate controls how much of the transient will be allowed through
unaffected by the processor. The TRANSIENT is the part of a sound where the
amplitude changes a lot in a small amount of time, for example at the head of a
drum hit.
RELEASE
How quickly the volume fader returns to normal once the signal has crossed back
from the threshold.

3. This is expressed in milliseconds [ms]. The lower the rate, the faster the fader will
move.
The ATTACK and RELEASE values are set according to the type of sound and
the desired impact. If the source swells in, a longer attack and release could be a
good choice. If it the sound itself is “punchy”, a low attack and release could work
well. A shorter attack also gives the sound punchiness, whereas a longer attack
softens the sound.
In compression a fast attack can stop the transient coming through, but it can also
soften the character of the sound somewhat. A longer attack time allows more of
the transient through but means there could be a larger volume peak. On the other
hand, a noise gate is usually set with a low attack so that the transient comes
through, otherwise the sound would swell in.
If the release time is too long, it can result in a “pumping” sound because the
processor hasn’t released before the next input comes in.
There are additional setting available to fine tune how the processor will affect the
sound, but for now these are the basic parameters to consider when setting up the
dynamic processor to control the signal.
REFLECTION
I liked discovering how big the effects of the different parameters are on the sound,
and I am excited to apply this stuff to my own projects once I get a better handle on
the DAW.
I hope what I have written is helpful for you too. I am still at the beginning stages of
learning this stuff so please let me know if I’ve confused anything, or if something
is not clear.