Gain Effects in Real Time

Real Time Gain Effects

Amplify. As expected, this can increase (or decrease) the volume of a sample. Increasing the volume may be useful for testing, but as real time effects use up CPU cycles, it is usually better to make a normalized copy of the sample.

Noise Gate. A Noise Gate is a control which opens to let through sound above a certain level. Sounds which are quieter than this level are blocked. It is generally used to cut out quiet noises which are heard when the instruments are not playing, such as background hiss or air conditioner noise. The threshold setting is the level above which sounds are allowed through.

If the low level sounds are cut off immediately the music drops below a certain level, the effect is audible. Adding a delay ("Release Time") allows more of the tail end of the wanted sound to be heard. On the other hand, the gate must always open instantly when the level rises above the threshold, or the beginning of a note would be lost, so there is no attack time setting.

Compressor. A compressor changes the relationship of loud and quiet sounds in a sample. Any sound that is quieter than the Threshold level set by the user will not be affected by the compression. Any sounds above that Threshold are reduced in volume. The ratio between the original and the compressed sound (in dB) is set by the user. There are more than three controls here - the others are reached with the arrow buttons.

This graph shows the effect of varying the Ratio.

This graph shows the effect of varying the Threshold level.

The compression does not start and stop instantaneously. The Attack time setting controls how long it takes for the full compression to build up after the sound level crosses the threshold. This shows an original sample consisting of a quiet sound (below the threshold), followed by a loud sound, and then a return to the quiet sound.

After compression, the first quiet sound is unchanged. The loud sound starts as normal, and then during the Attack period is steadily reduced to its compressed level. When the sound drops back to the quiet level, it is at first still compressed, so the change of volume is still there. Then it returns to normal during the Release period.

It is usual to have an amplifier stage after the compression stage. If we apply this (exaggerated in the diagram) to raise the overall volume, there is now a sharp increase in volume at the beginning of the loud sound. This is why a compressor can make percussion sound more punchy.

Menus Arranging and composition Editing a Sample File Viewing Tempo and Synchronisation Playback Mixing and Effects Recording and Loading Sound Samples Preferences Keyboard Short Cuts ARexx

Back to Main Page


Amplify. As expected, this can increase (or decrease) the volume of a sample. Increasing the volume may be useful for testing, but as real time effects use up CPU cycles, it is usually better to make a normalized copy of the sample.
Noise Gate. A Noise Gate is a control which opens to let through sound above a certain level. Sounds which are quieter than this level are blocked. It is generally used to cut out quiet noises which are heard when the instruments are not playing, such as background hiss or air conditioner noise. The threshold setting is the level above which sounds are allowed through. If the low level sounds are cut off immediately the music drops below a certain level, the effect is audible. Adding a delay ("Release Time") allows more of the tail end of the wanted sound to be heard. On the other hand, the gate must always open instantly when the level rises above the threshold, or the beginning of a note would be lost, so there is no attack time setting.
Compressor. A compressor changes the relationship of loud and quiet sounds in a sample. Any sound that is quieter than the Threshold level set by the user will not be affected by the compression. Any sounds above that Threshold are reduced in volume. The ratio between the original and the compressed sound (in dB) is set by the user. There are more than three controls here - the others are reached with the arrow buttons.
This graph shows the effect of varying the Ratio.
This graph shows the effect of varying the Threshold level.
The compression does not start and stop instantaneously. The Attack time setting controls how long it takes for the full compression to build up after the sound level crosses the threshold. This shows an original sample consisting of a quiet sound (below the threshold), followed by a loud sound, and then a return to the quiet sound.
After compression, the first quiet sound is unchanged. The loud sound starts as normal, and then during the Attack period is steadily reduced to its compressed level. When the sound drops back to the quiet level, it is at first still compressed, so the change of volume is still there. Then it returns to normal during the Release period.
It is usual to have an amplifier stage after the compression stage. If we apply this (exaggerated in the diagram) to raise the overall volume, there is now a sharp increase in volume at the beginning of the loud sound. This is why a compressor can make percussion sound more punchy.