The separate dynamics functions have their own control sets that are available at any time by operating the appropriate ACCESS button for that section. Operating the IN button for any section will force the controls for that section to the foreground of the GUI for convenience. The IN buttons can be used to toggle the contributions from each section on and off, for comparison purposes. Button illumination displays indicate which sections are in and which control set is being accessed.
Control setting parameters are permanently available during operation, and specific values can be typed into the parameter windows at any time. Where functions apply to the overall dynamics rather than single sections, their parameters and buttons are visible permanently. A live graphic display of the overall level transfer function is permanently displayed in the lower right for reference, and all setting parameter values are visible for any section that is being accessed.
The Dynamics section comprises of four separate applications: Compressor, Limiter, Gate and Expander. Although these applications contain several different control types that have common functions, the operation, ranges and laws of these controls have been optimised carefully for maximum flexibility within the intended specific use of that section.
The very wide control ranges offered within the applications are accommodated in the user interface by employing specific control laws that encourage experimentation over a very wide parameter set, without the loss of finer control sensitivity and detail.
Careful consideration has also been given to the dynamic behaviour of the time constants, as this factor is largely responsible for the sonic character of any dynamics application.
In order to make best use of this application, it is necessary to acquire a basic understanding of dynamics processing in general, and the particular architecture of the Oxford Dynamics plug-in. The following sections address these issues. There are two basic types of dynamics architecture in common use; these are often termed as feed-forward and feedback types.
The feedback type uses its own output to compute required gain reduction:. This method had an advantage in early analogue compressors because the complex and largely unpredictable laws of early gain reduction elements could be somewhat decoupled from the total level transfer characteristic of the application because the design made use of level feedback. With the introduction of better solid state VCAs and accurate logarithmic sidechain processes, this method has largely been abandoned in favour of the feed forward model since it has a much greater degree of control parameter separation and intrinsic accuracy.
For high-quality and versatile detection and processing, all time constants are automatically adjusted based on characteristics of the input signal. Because of this, the timing profile parameters are shown as a percentage of the available range. While the Attack, Hold and Release controls perform similar functions for both the Transient and Sustain sections, their behaviour in use is quite different. These differences are outlined in the following sections.
The Scope display in the centre panel of the plug-in helps to visualize the sensitivity and shape of the gain envelopes which are applied to the signal. This can be used to smooth the leading edge of the transient envelope over time. Slower attack times allow some of the initial edge of the detected transient event to pass through the plug-in unchanged.
Slower Attack times also decrease how sensitive the transient detection is to small, fast transient events. However, the Sensitivity control will be more effective! This delays the onset of the release portion of the envelope, and is very powerful for shaping the sound of processed transients.
For example, when boosting, increasing the hold time a little can give the impression of more low frequency 'punch' without overly lengthening each transient event. Another useful application of Transient Hold arises when processing plucked or strummed acoustic instruments; with some performances there may be multiple transient events very close together.
When processed separately these can begin to sound unnatural due to multiple fast excursions in the gain envelope. Increasing the Hold control will effectively group adjacent events together, which can provide more pleasing results. This smooths the release portion of the transient envelope over time, resulting in longer transient events with a smooth decay. Try reducing Transients by 3 to 6 dBs with a slow Release time for a level-independent compressor-like effect which will leave sustained signal components untouched!
This Sensitivity control adjusts how sensitive the gain section is to small transient events in the gain envelope. As Sensitivity is increased, more transient events are detected. If the Transient processing ever sounds like it is 'distorting' or 'fluttering', try reducing the Sensitivity control. In conjunction with the Sustain Attack control, this allows you to shift the focus of the Sustain envelope later in time, so that only the 'decay' portion of the signal is processed. As in the Transient section, this smooths the leading edge of the Sustain envelope over time.
However, this is much more useful here! As Attack time is increased, the Sustain section takes longer to reach the target set by the main Sustain Level control. Adjusting the Sustain Attack can also help when adjusting the speed of the Sustain envelope to match the speed of a musical performance. If the Sustain processing ever sounds like it is 'distorting' or 'fluttering', try increasing the Attack control.
This sets the speed with which the Sustain envelope returns to 0 dB in response to a detected transient event. However, this control can be used as an alternative way of enhancing or reducing Transient events. For example when reducing Sustain, increasing the Release time will soften the leading edge of each detected transient, without using the Transient section's processing.
When increasing Sustain, increasing the Release time will allow the beginning of transient events to be boosted as the envelope releases back towards 0 dBFS. So, the Release control can be used to adjust how 'punchy' the Sustain processing sounds. This can be useful when the Transient section is already being used for another effect, perhaps focussed on a different frequency range. See Envelope Scope. See Spectral Shaping. Frozen scope display.
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