From the course: Digital Audio Foundations

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Attack and release in dynamic processors

Attack and release in dynamic processors

From the course: Digital Audio Foundations

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Attack and release in dynamic processors

- The important aspect of dynamic processing we haven't yet talked about is time. Dynamic processors don't operate instantly. If they did, they would distort the waveform's shape instead of responding intelligently to volume changes. In order to sound natural, dynamic processors have parameters to adjust their reaction times. These are the attack and release parameters. We'll define attack and release in terms of a compressor, then show how they work on the other dynamic processors. On a compressor, the attack time sets how quickly the sound is turned down once it exceeds the threshold. And the release time sets how quickly the compressor lets go and brings the volume back to normal when the input signal falls below the threshold. Attack times are often very quick. Because the beginning of a sound is usually sudden. So, attack times are generally measured in milliseconds, or even microseconds. Release times tend to be longer. Because sounds often fade away more slowly. So, release…

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