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PARAMETER SETTING
What is the effect of the different parameters and how to correctly set a gate?
Not all parameters on the dBG-8 are accessible to the user. To be able to fit 8 channels in 1
Rack Unit Height some of them are fixed and can not be altered. We will however describe
them all to give you a better understanding.
Threshold:
This is quiet an easy parameter: when the level of the signal stays under the threshold the
gate is closed and no sound passes. When the level of the signal exceeds the threshold,
the gate opens and sound passes through. So the first parameter to set is the threshold
level. Move the potentiometer while the intended signal is passing through the channel
and make sure the gate opens when it should. Be careful however: sound levels during
rehearsal or sound-check may be different than those during the live act. In general, musi-
cians will play louder during the live performance. Also don't forget that there might be
songs or passages where some of the musicians play subtle and with low levels. The
threshold is the function you will adjust the most during set-up and even live performance.
If the threshold is set too low, it will be like there was no gate at all, if on the other hand the
threshold is set too high, you will cut out certain sounds.
Attack Time:
As already explained, the attack time is the time it takes the gate to open when a sound
exceeds the threshold level. One might think that this should be set to instantaneous but
this might lead to 'clicks'. On the dBG-8 the value is fixed.
This is a rather fast time so that the gates opens up quickly enough not to eat away part
of the sound when the singer starts to sing or when the drummer hits the snare drum. We
recognize different instruments by the spectral content (the balance between the funda-
mental frequency and the level of the different harmonic frequencies) but also (although
often overlooked) by their envelope shape (the attack, decay, sustain and release of the
sound). If the attack time of the gate would be too slow, you would kind of cut off the attack
of the sound and in certain cases make it very confusing for the listener to recognize the
instrument. If you have an editing software, try cutting off the attack of a clean electric
guitar the resemblance with an organ will become obvious.
But why would you need a longer attack time? This is only necessary in very specific appli-
cations and mostly only on program material. If you would have digital silences between
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