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VP-8IP / Sep 2013
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P R O C E S S M O D E S
Attack Time Screen
Clicking on the
Attack
tab opens up the attack adjustment screen where blue dots
(yellow/orange when selected) set the attack time of each of the eight limiter bands.
The attack time of a limiter is a measure of how fast it responds to an audio peak
when it exceeds the limiter threshold. Shorter attack times cause the limiter to respond
to audio peaks quicker, affording more accurate peak control, but excessively short
attack times, while creating “perfect” peak control, can literally suck the life out of
musical material.
At the other extreme, excessively long attack times can allow audio peaks to escape
the limiters largely unmanaged, leaving them to be controlled solely by the final look
ahead output limiter.
The attack times for each band are adjustable from 0.1 milliseconds
(100 microseconds) to 100 milliseconds. As explained above, faster attack times exert
more control over audio peaks, while slower attack times allow peaks to escape the
limiter section with less control.
Attack times are generally adjusted to taste, keeping in mind that the slower the
attack time the more work the final limiter must do. Conversely, the faster the attack
time the fewer short term dynamics the program material will have.
Generally, lower frequencies require slower attack times and higher frequencies
require faster attack times for a given amount of control.
The attack times of each band may be individually or collectively modified using
the GUI operating instructions provided earlier (Chapter 4, page 4-15).
MP3/ACC
>48
k
Multiband Limiter Attack Screen
