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Aura8ip / Jan 2012
A u r a 8 i p P r o G U I
Again, the ears are always the best judge of the correct settings to use. The best
advice that we, as processing experts, can offer an end user about audio processing
is this:
Regardless of what the controls and the meters might say,
if it sounds right, then it IS right!
Stop adjusting!
Gate Offset
The Gate Offset applies a Gate Threshold offset to each band – an offset
of whatever the master Gate Thresh is as applied in the first column.
The purpose of the Gate Offset controls is to allow the pre-
cise gating thresholds for each band to be different from the mas-
ter setting by a specified amount. The amount of available offset is
+/-6dB. The best way to explain how the Gate Offset controls work is by
example:
Suppose the master Gate Threshold is set to -48dB and everything seems
fine except that sometimes Band 3 seems to be gating too late. This can be
remedied by adjusting the Band 3 Gate Offset to a setting that is “higher”
than 0dB, such as +3dB, which would then set the Band 3 Gate Threshold
to -45dB (-48dB plus 3dB = -45dB). This adjustment will have raised the
effective Gate Threshold for Band 3, making its gate operate sooner.
At first glance the Gate Offset controls may not seem to have much range,
but remember that -6dB is half and +6dB is twice whatever the 0dB gating
level is.
Processing Band L+R and L-R Outputs (L+R Out, L-R Out)
Each processing band has a pair of output level controls (L+R Out, L-R Out) that
serve as mix controls allowing the processing’s output spectral mix to be adjusted to
taste. Both pairs of Output controls have a +/-6dB range. The L-R Output controls,
because they are a special case, are also equipped with a MONO position (to be
covered shortly).
The L+R and L-R Output controls feed the input to the follow-
ing multiband limiter (if enabled) so some care must be taken in
adjusting the mix controls in order to feed the multiband limiter
an appropriate signal. We recommend staying within a +/-3dB
range when setting the L+R Output mix controls.
As mentioned previously the L-R Output controls are a special case. The Au-
ra8ip AGC/Compressors operate in the sum and difference domain (L+R/L-R).
What this means is that the mono part of the signal (L+R) and the stereo parts of the
signal (L-R) are processed independently. Doing it this way permits useful audio
enhancements that cannot be accomplished in processors that operate strictly in the
Left/Right domain, as most do.
