Dynamic Range- Week 4 Assignment

7/23/2019 Dynamic Range- Week 4 Assignment

1/17

S

Dynamic RangeEduardo Alejandro Motta PorrasCoursera - Berklee College of Music

Introduction to Music Production - Week


2/17

Hi! I am Eduardo Motta from Antigua, Guatemala, asmall country in Central America. Im an electrical

engineer and studying music production has alayseen my passion. "his lesson is for ee# $ of

Introduction "o Music %roduction at Coursera.org. I

ill e&plain dynamic range and the many aysproducers manipulate dynamic range.'


3/17

Dynamic Range


4/17

Dynamic Range

Dynamic range is a term used fre"uently in numerous #elds todescri$e t%e ratio $et&een t%e smallest and largest 'ossi$le(alues of a c%angea$le "uantity)

Dynamic range measurements are used in audio e"ui'ment toindicate a com'onent*s ma+imum out'ut signal and to rate asystem*s noise ,oor) As a reference 'oint t%e dynamic range of%uman %earing t%e di.erence $et&een t%e softest sound &e can'ercei(e and t%e loudest is a$out /01 dB)

Com'ressors e+'anders and noise gates are 'rocessing de(icest%at are used in audio to alter t%e dynamic range of a gi(en signal)

2%is is done to ac%ie(e a more consistent sound &%en recording oras a s'ecial e.ect 3$y radically altering t%e dynamics of a soundt%ere$y creating a sound not 'ossi$le from t%e original source4)


5/17

2%e #rst t%ing to look at is &%at dynamic range is) Many di.erent t%ings%a(e dynamic range $ut in t%e conte+t of t%is class &e &ill look at itfrom a music 'roducer*s 'ers'ecti(e) Dynamics are t%e loudness or

softness of sound ty'ically notated in music $y fortissimo and 'ianomarkings) 2%e range of dynamics is from t%e noise ,oor &%ic% is also t%et%res%old of %earing to distortion le(els &%ic% is &%en t%e sound$ecomes distorted)

5et*s look at t%e noise ,oor) At 1 d$ SP5 noise is inaudi$le) A$o(e t%atle(el &e %a(e t%e normal range of %earing u' to around /01 or /1 d$

SP5) 2%is is t%e u''er limit of %earing) Around t%e u''er end sound notonly $ecomes uncomforta$le to t%e %uman ear $ut also undergoesdistortion) Distortion means t%e &a(e s%a'e is altered u''er 'artialsa''ear and t%e tim$re of t%e instrument c%anges) 6or instance anelectric guitar t%at e+%i$its dri(e &ill $ecome $rig%ter edgier and louderat distortion le(els)


6/17

Dynamic Range

Com'arison C%art


7/17

Dynamic E.ects

W%ile &e may &ant to include some as'ects ofdistortion in our 'laying generally &e &ill need toattenuate t%e u''er le(els) And similarly t%e lo&erle(el 7noise7 is generally undesira$le) In order to cutout reduce or am'lify t%e le(els t%e 'roducer %as a

&ide range of tools a(aila$le) 2%ese tools fall underdynamic e.ects) W%ile automation and t%e met%odof riding t%e fader are im'ortant I &ill 'rimarilydiscuss t%e &ay com'uters control dynamic range)


8/17


9/17

Com'ressors and

E+'anders

6irst let us look at com'ressors and e+'anders)Com'ressors 7com'ress7 t%e dynamic rangelo&ering t%e u''er le(els and increasing t%e lo&erle(els) E+'anders do t%e o''osite 7e+'anding7 t%ee.ecti(e dynamic range) 2%e &ay t%ey do t%is is $y

increasing t%e in'ut to out'ut ratio in t%e case ofcom'ressors and decreasing t%is ratio in t%e case ofe+'anders) Also t%e t%res%old or line at &%ic% t%ecom'ressor or e+'ander is set &ill %el' to determine&%at sound is cut out in t%e attack and release)


10/17


11/17


12/17

5imiters

5imiters are like a com'ressor at t%e %ig%est ratio)2%ey 7limit7 sound t%at may $e %armful or damagingto t%e listener) It is useful to t%ink of limiters as ane+treme do&n&ard com'ressor)


13/17


14/17

8ates

6inally gates are useful for eliminating noise in t%e

s'aces $et&een notes) 2%ey 'erform t%is o'eration$y t%e use of ratio t%res%old attack and releasefunctions) 2y'ically you &ould use a lo& attack andrelease for an electric guitar) A lo& attack kee'ssome of t%e transient or dynamic attack) A lo&

release gi(es t%e end of t%e note a clean cuto.) 2%isis $ecause t%e attack and release controls %o& fastt%e 'rocessor o'erates t%e fader) 2%e %ig%er t%eattack 3or release4 t%e more time it takes t%e faderto adjust)


15/17


16/17

A note a$out riding t%e fader and automation) W%ilet%ese are useful met%ods for isolating and adjusting t%ele(els of s'eci#c notes or tracks for many tracks it is notonly easier $ut more useful to use com'ressors

e+'anders gates and limiters) 2%e com'uter takessome of t%e s&eat out of t%e 'roject for you $y using analgorit%m and 'rocessing t%e fades at t%e 'ro'er 'laces)It isn*t magic $ut it %el's t%e 'roducer) By

understanding t%e dynamic range and t%e tools to

mani'ulate it I %o'e you no& %a(e a goodunderstanding of t%is conce't)


17/17

92%ank you for re(ie&ing my %ome&ork for t%is &eek) I %o'eits useful for anyone interested in learning more a$out

dynamic range and t%e may &ays you can mani'ulate it:

If you &ant to learn more a$out dynamic range I

%ig%ly recommend you &atc% t%is t&o (ideos) 2%e#rst one is a $erklee inter(ie& 3min long4) 2%esecond one is a lecture $y t%e AES a$out dynamicrange t%is one is more dense $ut goes really dee' int%e su$ject)

/) %tt's;

Documents

Dynamic Range- Week 4 Assignment