SAE MAGAZINE - SAE Alumni Association - SAE Institute

58 ProdUction & Know How
If you have ever tried to simulate a ducker effect using a compressor’s
side-chain in Pro Tools you have surely noticed that the gain reduction
is different for every change of loudness of the side-chain’s signal. This
tutorial will explain how to have a ducker effect with constant gain
reduction in Pro Tools using Dyn3 EXP/GATE, which has no Ducker
switch.
This problem can be solved using the software’s resources and patches in
a proper way.
This solution provides the result that is very similar to the effect we want,
so that we’ll have a reduction of loudness of music or background sounds
during the spoken parts without drawing boring automations in music’s
volume view.
We will see step by step how to obtain this effect using a signal generator, a
dyn3 compressor and a dyn3 ExP/GATE.
STEP 1:
We will create 2 AUDIO tracks (named VOICE - MUSIC) and one AUx track
(named SIG.GEN). This way, we will put the audio files for voice and music in
the corresponding.
STEP 2:
On the VOICE track we will open a post fader SEND using BUS 1
STEP 3:
On SIG.GEN track we will insert in order:
a)Signal generator (set with a 1kHz frequency sine wave @ -20 dB).
b)Dyn3 Gate/ExP (set with ratio MAx:1 and side chain switched on receiving
BUS1.
The output of the SIG.GEN track will be set to BUS 2.
STEP 4:
On the MUSIC track we will insert a compressor set with threshold at
minimum level and side chain switched on receiving BUS 2. This way, we
will get the signal generated by the AUx track into the side chain of the
MUSIC channel’s compressor.
STEP 5:
Well, now we’ll have to set the gate’s threshold parameter to decide how
the signal coming out from the Signal Generator Plugin will go into the
MUSIC channel compressor’s side chain. In this case we will use a threshold
of -20dB or less (remember that we have set the Signal Generator Plugin
output to -20dB).
STEP 6:
We now have to decide how hard the MUSIC track’s audio attenuation will
be during the spoken parts. For this purpose we will use the MUSIC track
compressor’s ratio. So the higher the ratio is the stronger the attenuation.
The perfect Duck
for Pro Tools
As for the attack and release time, we will set them from the compressor’s
pots by deciding how long it will take the compressor to start and stop
working.
Now we have finished to prepare our set-up and this way when the talent
starts speaking the sound will go at the same time to the monitor output
and to the gate’s side chain that will let pass a constant signal generated
by our oscillator, which will control the music compressor’s side chain with
a loudness level higher than the threshold level. The compressor will then
start to work with a certain attack and certain release time. This effect is
different from the effect we could obtain sending the voice directly into the
compressor’s side chain.
I think this is a good solution that a special person let me learn (thank you
Mitch) and can be helpful if we do not have our favourite plugin bundle on
the Pro Tools workstation we are working with.
Dyn3 Comp/Lim Dyn3 Exp/Gate
Wer schon schon einmal versucht hat, einen Ducker Effekt zu simulieren,
indem er den Side-Chain des Kompressors in Pro Tools benutzt,
hat mit Sicherheit bemerkt, dass die Gain-Reduction von
Lautstärkeveränderungen des Side-Chain-Signals abhängig ist. Dieses
Tutorial erklärt, wie mit dem Pro Tools mit Dyn 3 EXP/GATE Plugin, das
keine Ducking Funktion besitzt, ein Ducking-Effekt mit einer konstanten
Gain-Reduction erzielt werden kann.
Das Problem lässt sich durch den richtigen Einsatz des Routings in Pro
Tools lösen und kommt einem echten Ducking sehr nahe. Das Ziel ist
die Lautstärke der Musik oder der Hintergrund-Sounds während der gesprochen
Teile reduzieren – und zwar ohne langweilige Automationen im
Musik Track einzeichnen zu müssen.
Das Tutorial zeigt Schritt für Schritt, wie dieser Effekt mit Hilfe eines Signal
Generators, einem Dyn3 Compressor und einem Dyn3 ExP/GATE erzielt
werden kann.
STEP 1:
Wir erstellen zwei AUDIO Tracks (mit den Benennungen VOICE and MUSIC)
und einen AUx Track (mit der Bezeichnung SIG.GEN). Über den AUx
Track machen wir die Audio Tracks für Sprache und Musik voneinander
abhängig.