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electroman
New member
can someone explain the diff between a gate and an expander?
im a little confused.
thank you
im a little confused.
thank you
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
Typically, a gate slams shut once the audio goes below a certain level.
An expander will adjust the volume lower - Say -6dB if you want - just to lower breathing sounds or room sound or what not. Or, you could smack it all the way down and consider it a gate.
Generally speaking, it's much more "natural" sounding that a gate. Ever heard a recording where the toms JUMP out because of the gates opening? An expander will allow *some* of the ambient noise to come through - again, keeping it more "natural" sounding.
An expander will adjust the volume lower - Say -6dB if you want - just to lower breathing sounds or room sound or what not. Or, you could smack it all the way down and consider it a gate.
Generally speaking, it's much more "natural" sounding that a gate. Ever heard a recording where the toms JUMP out because of the gates opening? An expander will allow *some* of the ambient noise to come through - again, keeping it more "natural" sounding.
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electroman
New member
Thank you massive thats just the answer i needed. 
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SuperSkyrocket
New member
Actually ...
A gate only affects signals below the threshold. The signals can be muted, faded in, faded out, etc.
You can set the range control on a gate (if yours has one) to allow some signal before the threshold. For example, you could allow all signals -12dB and less through all the time.
An expander affects signals both above and below the threshold. In addition to acting as a gate below the threshold, the expander can "ratio down" the allowed minimum signal. For example, you could set the ratio to 1:4 so that for every 1dB below the threshold, a signal is attenuated 4dB. Just like a compressor but below the threshold (and backwards).
The expander will also "ratio up" the gain on signals above the threshold. Just the opposite of a compressor.
So a gate is a "downward-only" expander with a fixed high ratio.
electroman said:
A gate only affects signals below the threshold. The signals can be muted, faded in, faded out, etc.
You can set the range control on a gate (if yours has one) to allow some signal before the threshold. For example, you could allow all signals -12dB and less through all the time.
An expander affects signals both above and below the threshold. In addition to acting as a gate below the threshold, the expander can "ratio down" the allowed minimum signal. For example, you could set the ratio to 1:4 so that for every 1dB below the threshold, a signal is attenuated 4dB. Just like a compressor but below the threshold (and backwards).
The expander will also "ratio up" the gain on signals above the threshold. Just the opposite of a compressor.
So a gate is a "downward-only" expander with a fixed high ratio.