Yamaha aw16g Manuale Utente

Appendix

176

■ Gate and Ducking

A gate, or noise gate is an audio switch used to mute sig-
nals below a set threshold level. It can be used to sup-
press 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 speci-
fied threshold. It is used for voice-over applications 
where, for example, level of background music is auto-
matically reduced, allowing an announcer to be heard 
clearly.

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 thresh-
old 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 param-
eter.

Range controls the level to which the gate closes. It can 
be used to reduce the signal level rather than cut it com-
pletely. At a setting of –70 dB, the gate closes completely 
when the input signal falls below the threshold. At a set-
ting 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 sud-
den 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 sig-
nal 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.

Threshold (dB) –54 to 0 (55 points)

–70 to 0 (71 points)

0 to 120 (121 points)

0.02 ms to 2.14 sec (216 points)

6 ms to 46.1 sec (160 points)