79
A
TTACK
Attack
(like Release) is labeled in milliseconds. The setting represents the amount of time it takes for the
gain to change by a specified amount. It would not be grossly incorrect to think of this setting as changing
the slope of a graph depicting how aggressively the compressor pursues the target value (defined by
applying the
Ratio
setting to the amount the signal surpasses the
Threshold
). Shorter values are more
aggressive, while longer values are more subtle (and tend to be less noticeable to the audience).
R
ELEASE
Release
is similar to
Attack
in many ways, but refers instead to the speed with which the compression
effect is removed as a source signal falls back on its own so that it no longer exceeds the
Threshold
.
G
AIN
Naturally, compression impacts the overall output level of the source or output. The
Gain
control allows
you to compensate, bringing the post-compressor/limiter signal back to a comfortable nominal range.
Hint: Different circumstances call for different Attack and Release strategies. For example, much less
aggressive settings could work nicely for vocals, but fail badly when applied to a snare drum. Many
websites provide suggestions on establishing the best compressor/limiter settings for different
environments.
Noise Gate
The
Audio Mixer’s
advanced options panel also include a configurable
Noise Gate
for each audio source,
as well as all outputs. This lets you ensure that unwanted low-level sounds are prevented from
inadvertently intruding into the mix.
13.8.4 Automation
An input
Automation
feature is also hosted in the
Processing
tab.
Follow Program Video
FIGURE 82
Enabling
Follow
Program
Video
options for an audio source directs it to track switcher operations affecting
the related video source. Audio for sources with
Follow
Program video
enabled in the
Audio Configuration
panel is automatically removed from mixed outputs until one or more specified video sources are actually
displayed on
Program Output
.
Hint: When the corresponding video source is not displayed on output, the audio source’s VU meter
level is displayed as a grayscale.
