Dynamic Range

Eduardo Alejandro Motta Porras

Coursera - Berklee College of Music
Introduction to Music Production - Week 4

Hi! I am Eduardo Motta from Antigua, Guatemala, a

small country in Central America. Im an electrical
engineer and studying music production has always
been my passion. This lesson is for week 4 of
Introduction To Music Production at Coursera.org. I
will explain dynamic range and the many ways
producers manipulate dynamic range.

Dynamic Range

Dynamic Range
Dynamic range is a term used frequently in numerous fields to
describe the ratio between the smallest and largest possible
values of a changeable quantity.
Dynamic range measurements are used in audio equipment to
indicate a component's maximum output signal and to rate a
system's noise floor. As a reference point, the dynamic range of
human hearing, the difference between the softest sound we can
perceive and the loudest, is about 120 dB.
Compressors, expanders, and noise gates are processing devices
that are used in audio to alter the dynamic range of a given signal.
This is done to achieve a more consistent sound when recording or
as a special effect (by radically altering the dynamics of a sound,
thereby creating a sound not possible from the original source).

The first thing to look at is what dynamic range is. Many different things
have dynamic range, but in the context of this class, we will look at it
from a music producer's perspective. Dynamics are the loudness or
softness of sound, typically notated in music by fortissimo and piano
markings. The range of dynamics is from the noise floor which is also the
threshold of hearing to distortion levels which is when the sound
becomes distorted.
Let's look at the noise floor. At 0 db SPL, noise is inaudible. Above that
level, we have the normal range of hearing, up to around 120 or 140 db
SPL. This is the upper limit of hearing. Around the upper end, sound not
only becomes uncomfortable to the human ear, but also undergoes
distortion. Distortion means the wave shape is altered, upper partials
appear, and the timbre of the instrument changes. For instance, an
electric guitar that exhibits drive will become brighter, edgier and louder
at distortion levels.

Dynamic Range
Comparison Chart

Dynamic Effects

While we may want to include some aspects of

distortion in our playing, generally, we will need to
attenuate the upper levels. And similarly, the lower
level "noise" is generally undesirable. In order to cut
out, reduce, or amplify the levels, the producer has a
wide range of tools available. These tools fall under
dynamic effects. While automation and the method
of riding the fader are important, I will primarily
discuss the way computers control dynamic range.

Compressors and
Expanders
First, let us look at compressors and expanders.
Compressors "compress" the dynamic range,
lowering the upper levels and increasing the lower
levels. Expanders do the opposite, "expanding" the
effective dynamic range. The way they do this is by
increasing the input to output ratio in the case of
compressors and decreasing this ratio in the case of
expanders. Also, the threshold or line at which the
compressor or expander is set will help to determine
what sound is cut out in the attack and release.

Limiters

Limiters are like a compressor at the highest ratio.

They "limit" sound that may be harmful or damaging
to the listener. It is useful to think of limiters as an
extreme downward compressor.

Gates
Finally, gates are useful for eliminating noise in the
spaces between notes. They perform this operation
by the use of ratio, threshold, attack and release
functions. Typically, you would use a low attack and
release for an electric guitar. A low attack keeps
some of the transient, or dynamic attack. A low
release gives the end of the note a clean cutoff. This
is because the attack and release controls how fast
the processor operates the fader. The higher the
attack (or release), the more time it takes the fader
to adjust.

A note about riding the fader and automation. While

these are useful methods for isolating and adjusting the
levels of specific notes or tracks, for many tracks it is not
only easier but more useful to use compressors,
expanders, gates, and limiters. The computer takes
some of the sweat out of the project for you by using an
algorithm and processing the fades at the proper places.
It isn't magic, but it helps the producer. By
understanding the dynamic range and the tools to
manipulate it, I hopeyou now have a good
understanding of this concept.

Thank you for reviewing my homework for this week. I hope

its useful for anyone interested in learning more about
dynamic range and the may ways you can manipulate it

If you want to learn more about dynamic range I

highly recommend you watch this two videos. The
first one is a berklee interview (4min long). The
second one is a lecture by the AES about dynamic
range, this one is more dense but goes really deep in
the subject.
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qk_O7q0Lk
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruSjIWuHFF0