Dynamic Processors

erban-Ionu Georgescu

Introduction - what, why, when?

An audio dynamic processor is a tool that outputs a signal, with the level of the output based on the
level of the input.
The need to alter a signals dynamic range (that is, the range from its lowest to its highest value) is not
uncommon.
Perhaps it is wished to avoid a high level that might cause clipping or overpower a mix. Maybe we
desire to control the volume of a singers recorded parts so that his whispering is closer in loudness to
his shouting. Other times we may want to simply avoid all background noise coming from a guitar
amp.
Dynamic processors address all those issues and more. Their use is commonplace in live sound
reinforcement and multitrack recording.

Dynamic processor types

Compressors: reduce dynamic range by making the loud sounds quieter

Expanders: increase dynamic range by making the loud sounds louder or

the quiet sounds quieter

Limiters: an extreme form of compression, used for setting a limit that

they make the signal never cross

(Noise) Gates: silence all signal information below a chosen threshold

Principles
The signal entering a compressor is split, one copy sent to a variable-gain
amplifier and the other to a side-chain where a circuit controlled by the signal
level applies the required gain to an amplifier stage.
This design, known as a "feed-forward" type,
is used today in most compressors.
Earlier designs were based on a "feedback"
layout where the signal feeding the control
circuit was taken after the amplifier.

Controls
Most dynamic processors share 4 controls:
Threshold
Ratio
Attack
Release

Threshold
is the level at which the dynamic processor starts to
function
it sets the volume level where the dynamic processor
recognizes the signal
once the signal passes that level, the other settings of
the dynamic processor will determine what happens to
the signal

Ratio
determines how much a signal is altered by the dynamic
processor
is expressed as Input:Output, where Input is the
amount of the signal that passes the threshold and
Output is the amount of the signal that will be output by
the dynamic processor

Attack
controls the amount of time that it takes for a dynamic
compressor to act once the signal passes the threshold
a fast attack time will reduce transients, possibly
causing important sound information to be eliminated
a slow attack time might allow unwanted sound
information to pass through

Release
sets the amount of time it takes for the dynamic
compressor to stop acting on the signal once it falls
below the threshold
as with attack, a proper release time depends very
much on the type of signal being processed

Summary
Dynamic processors are some of the most essential,
powerful and important tools of an audio engineer, both in
live situations and in the studio.
Proper understanding of the mechanics of dynamic
processors is the key to a healthy relationship between
them and an audio engineer.

Thank you!
:)