Gate

Overview

Use the Gate module to to eliminate or attenuate unwanted signal content when the input signal falls below a given threshold level.

Module Interface

Neutron 3 Gate module controls and features are outlined in the table below.

Label	Section	Controls and Features
	Meters and Displays	Waveform Displays, Gain Reduction Trace
	Module Header	Multiband Crossover Spectrum View, Detection Filter View, Learn, Reset, LFE
	Interactive Controls	Open Threshold, Close Threshold
	HUD Controls	Ratio, Attack, Hold, Release, Gain Reduction Meter
	Advanced Panel	Sidechain

---

Meters and Displays

The meters illustrate how the Gate is responding to and processing the input signal. The meters included are outlined in the image and table below.

Label	Section
	Waveform Displays
	Gain Reduction Trace

Waveform Displays

• Scrolling waveform: displays the amplitude of the input and output signals over time. The meter scrolls from right to left, with the most recent information on the right.
  • Input signal waveform: dark grey waveform displayed behind the output signal waveform.
  • Output signal waveform: light grey waveform displayed in front of the input signal waveform. When the signal is gated, you can monitor the difference in the gain reduction applied to the output signal versus the input signal.

Gain Reduction Trace

Draws a line that represents the gain reduction applied to the selected band over time. Use the Gain Reduction Trace to monitor and to set the response times (attack and release) and gain reduction envelope applied over time.

---

Module Header

The controls in the module header affect the entire Gate module.

Label	Section
	Multiband Crossover View
	Detection Filter View
	Learn
	Reset

Multiband Crossover Spectrum View

Access the Multiband Crossover view and controls. See the Multiband Crossover View section in the General Controls chapter.

Detection Filter View

Access the Detection Filter view and controls. For more information, see the Detection Filter View below for information on each view.

Learn

Enable to allow Neutron to search for natural crossover cutoff points for multiband processing using a few criteria, including identifying minima in the frequency spectrum of the incoming audio. When it has determined and set the ideal values for the crossover cutoffs, it will turn itself off automatically. You can also manually disable learning when it is active by clicking the Learn button again.

Reset

Returns all controls in the Gate module to their factory default values. If you wish to return to settings you were using before clicking the Reset button, you can use the Undo History window to revert to the settings before the Reset event.

LFE

Appears when in surround sound configuration in a Neutron 3 Advanced mothership. Enabled by default to include LFE in processing. Disable the LFE button to exclude low frequencies when passing audio through the Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel with the relative latency compensation. See the LFE section for more information.

---

Controls

You can control gating by setting the Open Threshold and Close Threshold. Click and drag the Threshold handles and place them where you want to apply gating.

Open Threshold

Sets the level above which the gate will open, allowing the signal to pass through. When the input signal falls ABOVE the Open threshold level, attenuation will stop.

Close Threshold

Set below the Open threshold level at which the gate will close. This is also called hysteresis. When the input signal falls BELOW the Close threshold, it will be attenuated.

Adjusting Close Threshold

Moving the Close threshold either UP or DOWN will affect your gating. By setting Close threshold lower than Open threshold, more of the decay will pass without affecting the trigger threshold.

HUD Controls

The HUD for the Gate Module includes:

• Ratio
• Attack
• Hold
• Release
• Gain Reduction Meter

Ratio

Determines the amount of gain reduction applied to signals that fall below the Threshold.

Attack

Determines the amount of time (in milliseconds) it takes for the gate to transition from closed to open when a signal exceeds the Open threshold.

Hold

Sets the amount of time (in seconds) the gate will stay fully open after a signal falls below the threshold. The hold length will vary when the release period begins.

Release

Determines the amount of time (in milliseconds) it takes to transition from open to closed when a signal falls below the Close threshold.

Gain Reduction Meter

Displays the current average amount of gain reduction in decibels (dB) applied to the signal.

---

Advanced Controls

The Sidechain controls for the currently selected band are located in the Advanced panel of the HUD. To access the Advanced Panel, click the arrow button on the right hand side of the band HUD.

Sidechain

Allows you to trigger the amount of gain reduction in the Gate from a signal other than the input to the Gate. The signal is routed into the detection circuit of the Gate. You can choose either an internal or external input signal to trigger the Gate band’s dynamic behavior. By sidechaining, you can dynamically link elements of a mix to provide an adaptive balance between tracks.

Enabled Sidechain

When you enable Sidechain, you have the option to sidechain with an internal band or an external band. The sidechain dropdown menu will display active internal bands and active external instances categorized under internal or external as described in the list below.

• INTERNAL (INT.):
  • Choose from any band currently placed in the Gate module.
  • Using an internal sidechain input allows you to trigger gain reduction in the selected band from the amount of energy in a different band. For example, you can accentuate perceived low end energy by reducing high end any time the lowest band exceeds a defined threshold.
  • Internal Full allows you to trigger gain reduction taking the sonic information from all active bands.
• EXTERNAL (EXT.):
  • Choose from any audio from another track or bus.
  • Using an external sidechain input will help balance a signal with other tracks.
  • The external audio source can also be filtered through any of the bands in the Gate module by choosing any of the External bands (for example, Ext. Band 1).