AutoGate, Limiter?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Newbie dude
  • Start date Start date
N

Newbie dude

New member
What do they do? Are they the same thing basically as a compressor?
 
A gate allows signals above a certain threshold to go through, while completely blocking anything below the threshold. There are several uses for it. For example when recording a particularly noisy source, it's good to put a gate to block out the noise when the instrument isn't playing. Another reason is to control bleed (for example when micing drums).

A limiter is basically an compressor with an infinite ratio. It's used to prevent peaks passing a certain set point, usually as a final step in mastering where by controlling the peaks, it allows you to raise the average volume of the mix.
 
A gate allows a signal that is above a selected threshold to pass, while everything under that threshold is muted. It is used to eliminate noise from the track.

A limiter is like a compressor, just uses very high compression ratios (usually 10:1 and up).
 
Back
Top