noise gate plugins for rhythmic/glitching effects

Hi all,

Something I've only done once in Logic but always wanted to explore is the creative use of noise gates. Some industrial style metal uses it (gating the guitar to a kick, for a very precise and surgically chopped rhythm, etc) and electronic and other styles as well.

My approach wants to be more subtle -- I want to have a drone or ambient pad and gate it to a track for some sublet movement. Since I'm already creating the beat in BM3, I thought it would be cool to import the sample and gate it directly in Beatmaker... but I don't see an option for any kind of noise gate fx (maybe some kind of compressor/sidechain thing could be done, but I don't know if BM's comp can do SCing and I barely know Beatmaker's UI as it is! :smile: )

Would be a minor hassle to export the beat into Logic, kind of defeating the purpose of moving the bulk of my sketching/demoing on the iPad... if I have to export into Logic, I might as well just cook up a simple beat on my Mac and do it there.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • edited August 2018

    There is no proper built in noise gate at the moment, but here are 4 things you might like to try to achieve something similar (and two of them are free!):

    1. Use the FAC Envolver plugin to simulate a noise gate
    2. Use Brambos Perforator or Audio Damage Pumphouse to setup a pattern-based noise gate
    3. Use the built-in Dynamics effect plugin in 'Expander' mode and dial in some extreme settings that spread your levels to extreme highs and lows (like the opposite of a compressor)
    4. Try to setup up an extreme sidechain compressor (using the same dynamics plugin as #3 above) that effectively ducks the signal when the kickdrum hits

    Note - I haven't really needed to create any noise gates in my tracks lately, so YMMV with the suggestions above. Hope it helps, still.

  • Just thought I’d add that while I haven’t used the new feature yet, FAC Envolver was updated to add a noise gate effect, literally, so I’d think it’s more than just simulating a noise gate. The built in dynamics in compressor mode with side chain configured will definitely suffice for a sidechain effect, but are you trying to duck out the long sample whenever the short kick cuts in, or the opposite, making it so the long sample is only heard when the kick is triggered?

  • edited August 2018

    Thanks @ronji.

    Yeah, I forgot to mention that in my four examples above, #3 (expander) would have the sound play when the kickdrum hits, whereas #4 (ducking compressor) would have the sound mute when the kickdrum hits.

  • Yeah, and here’s a quick video on how that works with the B3 dynamics plugin

  • Great example vid. Legend!

  • @tk32 said:
    Great example vid. Legend!

    Thanks :joy: I do what I can

  • edited August 2018

    Woha! Notchy display at :55! I missed that! Thanks @ronji

  • @Audiogus said:
    Woha! Notchy display at :55! I missed that! Thanks @ronji

    Yeah that graph view can be real handy to see what's happening when you tweak those knobs =)

    Also sorry that atmo sample is a bit harsh especially on phone speakers. I wanted the effect to be obvious haha

  • @ronji said:

    @Audiogus said:
    Woha! Notchy display at :55! I missed that! Thanks @ronji

    Yeah that graph view can be real handy to see what's happening when you tweak those knobs =)

    Also sorry that atmo sample is a bit harsh especially on phone speakers. I wanted the effect to be obvious haha

    Heh, I actually liked it and it inspired the direction for my morning commute. :)

  • TIL about "expander". Neat! Thanks @tk32 & @ronji for the tips.

  • I’ve gotta thank @tk32 because I’ve actually never used expander this way before testing it out for the demo vid. I’m definitely going to use it this way in a future session!

  • I posted this stuff in the first few weeks of B3 release to show how it can be used to fake tape hiss and tape compression, glad somebody who can actually explain stuff properly put;it out there too:)

  • edited August 2018

    @Audiogus got the idea from @ronji's video, which was inspired by @tk32's tip... which was 'stolen' from a post @5pinlink made back in August 2017.

    Don't you just love how these things go full circle. ;)

    I'm just glad to be one of the small cogs that turns in the wheels of creativity and discovery.

  • Im just glad somebody finally gets it, my original explanation was terrible lol.

  • @5pinlink said:
    I posted this stuff in the first few weeks of B3 release to show how it can be used to fake tape hiss and tape compression, glad somebody who can actually explain stuff properly put;it out there too:)

    link?

  • @huphtur said:

    @5pinlink said:
    I posted this stuff in the first few weeks of B3 release to show how it can be used to fake tape hiss and tape compression, glad somebody who can actually explain stuff properly put;it out there too:)

    link?

    Maybe this one ? https://intua.net/forums/discussion/comment/20099#Comment_20099

  • Yep good spot @sygma
    It isnt explained very wellthough to be honest, I havent watched @ronji video, but i suspect it is vastly superior to my explanation.

  • ...and the idea to use expansion dynamics as a fake noise gate came from this thread (started by @huphtur):
    https://intua.net/forums/discussion/comment/20697

  • Damn, your memory is way better than mine hahaha.

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