Noise Gate & Downward Expander vs Mid-Side Continuum Usage & Stats
WHAT DOES THIS PLUGIN DO THAT OTHER NOISE GATES DON'T?
Most of the iOS recording apps already come with a built-in noise gate effect. So why do you buy another noise gate? There are 2 main reasons: clearer sound and more natural gate-closing sound.
1 - DOWNWARD EXPANSION SOUNDS MORE NATURAL THAN OPEN & SHUT GATING
The simplest noise gate plugins simply set the volume to zero when the input level drops below a threshold. The abrupt change in volume from that process sounds unnatural and makes it obvious that you are using a noise gate plugin on the signal. Instead of using a gate that fluctuates between two states (open, closed), this plugin uses downward expansion to gently and smoothly reduce the gain as the input drops below the threshold setting.
An example to illustrate this:
With the downward expansion ratio set at 2:1 and the threshold at -10 dB, when the signal drops below the -10 dB threshold level, the plugin doubles its distance from the threshold. So a signal that comes in 2 dB below the threshold goes out 4 dB below; 10 dB below the threshold comes out 20 dB below, and so on. The big advantage to this method is that when the signal is just slightly below the threshold, say 1/2 dB for example, it won't be reduced all the way down to zero volume, so you don't hear an abrupt change as the signal drops below the threshold. Instead it just seems that the quiet sounds are even quieter, and they decay faster than they normally would. This allows you do eliminate a lot of background noise without the listener knowing that you are using a noise gate.
2 - SMOOTHER FILTERING IN THE ENVELOPE FOLLOWER MEANS LESS DISTORTION
The key challenge that all noise gate designs struggle to overcome is how to make sure the gate doesn't flutter open and closed several times at the end of a sound. This is a serious challenge because the input signal is a wave, meaning that it is constantly moving up and down and it crosses above and below the threshold with every up and down motion. How to keep the gate from opening and closing in time with the oscillation of the sound waves? There are many ways to do it, but the basic idea is to slow the gate down somehow, so it can't open and shut too quickly. Of course, slowing the gate down or delaying its closing is not desirable because we need it to close as quickly as possible when the input signal ends and open immediately when it starts up again. Each noise gate plugin handles this problem in a different way, and therefore each one has its own unique sound. To hear how a noise gate performs in this respect, set its release very fast, pluck a low guitar string (or hit a bass note on the piano) and let ring out, listening as the note decays down to the threshold level and the gate starts to activate. If your noise gate allows a fast enough release time, you'll hear a buzzing noise as the gate rapidly flip-flops open and closed for a few moments before settling in the closed position. The audibility of the buzzing sound as the gate closes determines the quality of the plugin. Any gate can avoid buzzing if its release time is set very long, but only the best of them can close down quickly and smoothly without buzzing.
This noise gate plugin has a unique smoothing filter to ensure that the gate makes as little noise as possible when opening and closing, while still being able to open and close very quickly.
3 - SIDECHAIN HIGH-CUT AND LOW-CUT FILTERS ALLOW YOU TO GATE OUT PART OF THE SIGNAL WHILE KEEPING OTHER PARTS
The side chain input is the signal that the plugin follows to measure the input volume. If you have bass drum bleeding into your hi-hat mic, you can gate out the bass by cutting bass frequencies out of the side chain. The result is that the gate only opens when the hi frequencies from the hi-hat are sounding, not when the bass drum is bleeding through.
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Ever wonder what lies between the L/R and M/S representations?
Mid-Side Continuum extends the definition of mid-side encoding to create a smooth, continuous interval allowing in-between values and gradual changes. Channel mode switches can now be turned into faders, opening up new modulation possibilities as well.
The algorithm used by the plugin is a true extension of the mid-side encoder/decoder concept and doesn't involve any cross-fading or other artificial constructs.
The plugin can be used in two ways:
• In standalone mode, as a width-preserving panning effect, or a special modulation effect for spatially balanced sounds
• In paired mode, allowing other effects to operate anywhere between L/R and M/S modes, with modulation options available
FEATURES:
• Provides a new kind of spatial modulation effect for stereo signals
• Can be used as a panner that doesn't squash wide components (existing ambience, reverb, stereo FX), strongly panning narrow parts at the same time
• A great companion for delays or delay-based effects: explore adding space or change the panoramic character without re-configuring delay taps
• Turn any stereo effect or effects chain into a M/S one (or any graduation on the L/R - M/S curve), by sandwiching them between a pair of Mid-Side Continuum instances
• Unlike panning, stereo panning, or binaural panning, Mid-Side Continuum preserves the exact geometry of the stereo field by using a lossless transform
• Higher rates of change can be used to create additional kinds of effects (chorus, warble/flutter), depending on the width characteristics of the original input
• A tempo sync capable LFO is available to add automatic modulation; the LFO phase can be offset to allow precise timing control and alignment
THE PANNER FOR REVERB-RICH SOUNDS:
Panning high-ambience and reverb-rich sounds need no longer result in squashed stereo images. The exact, full width of the stereo field is preserved when using Mid-Side Continuum as a panning tool. Unlike binaural panning, the overall stereo frequency response is kept maximally flat, thanks to the used algorithm's audio engineering-focused feature set. In fact, Mid-Side Continuum's algorithm is a lossless, completely reversible one (based on True Pan's technology).
WRAP ANY EFFECT TO CHANGE / MODULATE THEIR STEREO MODE:
Two Mid-Side Continuum instances can be conveniently linked in a way that the second one cancels out the transformation, restoring the original sound. Once linked, the second plugin will automatically re-align if parameters are changed in the first one, without missing a single sample.
Between these two points, any number of audio effects can be inserted, all of which will receive the transformed signal instead of the original L/R one. This setup can be used in multiple ways: either to just turn any stereo plugin into a M/S one, or to modulate the stereo field of the wet signals (while keeping the dry signal intact) without the need for setting up additional routing, thus keeping tracks neatly self-contained.
VERSATILE EXTENSION TO DELAY-BASED EFFECTS:
• Alter stereo delay patterns or turn a mono multi-tap delay into a stereo one on the fly
• Instead of having to choose from the two, explore any setting between L/R and M/S delay modes to select the best-fitting stereo response
• Remove excessive L/R slappiness without losing any stereo width by spatially equalizing the delay output, filling in directions not populated by L/R taps
• Improve the clarity of the mid channel / mono mix when combining panned delays with shorter notes or more rhythmic passages
• Lessen any "clockwork-like" quality of panned delays that may be experienced with some instruments or passages
• Change or fine-tune delay patterns that emerge in the mono mix when using stereo delays
PLEASE NOTE:
• An Audio Unit v3 compatible host app is required to use this plugin
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Noise Gate & Downward Expander VS. 
Mid-Side ContinuumDecember 19, 2024