PoducateMe: Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
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Dynamics Processors
Dynamics processors are a category of DSPs designed to control the dynamic range of
your audio. These DSPs include compressors, limiters, expanders, noise gates and de-
essers. Here are some of the more popular and useful dynamics processor functions:
Compressor
Compression is used to smooth out the highs in your audio. Basically, it reduces the
volume of the loudest parts of your recording, which will then allow you to increase
the overall volume of your podcast without fear of clipping the signal.
Limiter
Limiting an audio signal is a more extreme form of compression. While compression
looks at an audio signal and attenuates spikes in volume down to a set level, a limiter
can be set to keep the volume from exceeding a specified level. Think of it as an
adjustable ceiling for your audio signal.
Expander
Expanders are a useful tool to eliminate background noise such as low-level rumble
from air conditioning units and passing vehicles. When your audio drops below a
predefined level, the expander turns the input volume down even further to cut out
extraneous sounds. The expander may reduce volume during pauses in speech, for
example. When speech resumes, the expander increases volume back to normal
levels.
Noise Gate
Noise Gates are extreme versions of expanders and are also used to eliminate
unwanted background noise from your recordings. Unlike compressors, limiters and
expanders, which smoothly attenuate sound, noise gates more immediately reduce
or cut off the signal completely when it drops below a certain frequency.
De-esser
De-essers are used to compress the signals in sibilant frequencies. Sibilants are
hissing tones in speech that can clip if not properly addressed. These tones typically
occur in consonant speech that includes sounds such as “S,” “Sh” and “Z.”
Hybrid
($109.99) include an expander, gate, compressor, limiter and de-esser all in one tidy
package. This type of hybrid configuration allows for greater convenience and
blending of effects.
Behringer’s MDX2600 Composer Pro XL Processor
