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Topic: Ducking / Soft Knee |
Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 11 Jun 2006 3:52 pm |
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What do these terms mean? I've seen them used in f/x instruction manuals.
Lee, from South Texas |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 11 Jun 2006 3:55 pm
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from the net:
SOFT KNEE
Soft Knee compressors work differently......they apply compression gradually as the signal approaches the threshold level.....
As the input signal gets within about 10db of the threshold level, the Soft Knee compressor starts to gently apply compression, but with a very low Ratio, which increases proportionately as the Input level gets nearer to the Threshold setting..... so that by the time the Input level actually reaches the Threshold level, the compressor is applying its gain reduction at the full level as set by the Ratio Control.......
Soft Knee compressors are thus more subtle, as they don't wait, & then suddenly apply the full level of compression at the Threshold breach point.....because they apply the compression gradually, they are more subtle in use, and thus more suitable for compressing whole mixes, or gentler sounds that hover around the threshold point.
Some units such as the Alesis compressor, allow you to switch between a Hard & Soft Knee function......
AUDIO "DUCKING"
Ok....This is a cool one for all you Pirate radio owners or Bedroom DJ's.......You know when your listening to the radio, and the music's pumpin' away....Then the DJ says something over the music,and as soon as he does, the backing drops in volume a little to make way for the voice......Then when they stop chatting, the music just comes up again to it's normal level.......Well this is known as ducking....and it works like this.....
As I mentioned in the Compressor section, the unit listens to the incoming signal through a "Sidechain" curcuit......The Sidechain gives instructions to the actual compressor by the settings you make in the front panel controls......as soon as the Sidechain hears the signal go over the Threshold level, it tells the Amplifier (VCA) at the input to turn down the level.......
OK......lets suppose that the music backing is coming through the compressor, but.....the DJ's voice is being fed into the Sidechain........Ah...yes indeed, as soon as the compressor "hears" the DJ's/presenters voice, it turns down the incoming signal.......which is the music backing.......Here's how:
YOUR COMPRESSOR MUST HAVE SIDE-CHAIN SOCKETS ON THE BACK PANEL.....
The side chain socket allows an alternative input signal to overide the main input signal for controling the compressor...NOT....as the signal to be processed.
OK......first with a mono music signal......
* Bring the backing music into the Main Input....
* Bring a send from the DJ's voice into the Side-chain Socket......
* Set the compressor to fast attack, short/auto release, & ratio about 3 or 4 to 1...in soft knee mode (if you have option)...
* Set the music running, and get the DJ to chat...repeating phrases of a few seconds, & leaving spaces of a few seconds...
* Adjust the compression ratio...until you get a low music level you like that lets the DJ be easily heard when he speaks....
* Adjust the attack & release, so as the music reduces fast enuff, & returns to level at a speed you like (usually quite fast)...
* Run some tests with the DJ chatting fast & furious...leaving quick gaps here & there.....tweak the settings until it sounds just right...
* Run your set !!.......
For a stereo backing signal, just do as above, but put the music thru the Left & Right channels of the compressor, and set it to "Stereo Link" mode....Then adjust the settings on the control side.......Check out which side takes control in Stereo mode, & patch the DJ's voice in to that sides Side-chain input.
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Dean Parks
From:
Sherman Oaks, California, USA
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Posted 11 Jun 2006 4:05 pm
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Some delay units have "ducking", which lowers the delay level when you are playing, and then raises it back to normal when you're not (or as your sustain dies away). Usually there is a continuous controller which can set how sensitive the ducking circuit is.
TC Electronics was first to offer this, as I recall. Vox has this parameter on its Tonelab series modelling preamp/fx unit. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 11 Jun 2006 4:17 pm
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| I've seen reference to ducking reverb and ducking chorus in the instructions to a Lexicon unit. How would that work? |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 12 Jun 2006 7:32 am
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| When you have a longer delay (or verb) it tends to clutter up the notes when you are playing, especially a lot of notes. By ducking down the repeats, you sound cleaner, but when you leave some space betwwen the notes, the effect will pop out nicely, just like explained above with the voice popping out over the music. The TC 2290 was the first I ever saw with this (and still use in the studio). The Line6 Delay Modeller has this also, which I use live... Nice effect. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 12 Jun 2006 2:44 pm
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My old Lexicon MPX-100 offers a ducking reverb. I'll have to try it out. That sounds like a very useful effect.
Lee |
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