ANATOMY OF

A NOISE GATE

GATE DUCKER OPEN CLOSE

Threshold Reduction Attack Hold Release Sidechain None

-15 dB -25 dB 3 ms 130 ms 40 ms

Monitor OFF

High Cutoff 20000 Hz

-100 0 -100 0 0 100 0 1k 0 10k

Hysteresis -6 dB Lookahead 5 ms Low Cutoff 20 Hz

THE BASICS

THRESHOLD
If the incoming audio signal is louder than this dB level, the gate stays open. If it falls below
this level, the volume is reduced.

REDUCTION
The amount of volume the audio signal is reduced by if it falls below the threshold.

ATTACK
Sets the time it takes to fully open the gate after the audio signal goes above the threshold.

HOLD
Determines the minimum amount of time that the gate stays open before releasing. This
prevents “chattering,” or the unnatural sound of the gate rapidly opening and closing.

RELEASE
Sets how slowly the volume is lowered after the audio signal falls below the threshold again.
 ANATOMY OF
A NOISE GATE

EVERYTHING ELSE

HYSTERESIS
Turns the threshold into a range instead of a single number. If an audio signal goes above
the threshold level, the gate opens. The gate only closes if it goes below the range set by
the hysteresis.
Example: Let’s set the threshold to -15dB and the hysteresis to -5dB. The gate will now open
when the audio signal gets louder than -15dB, but will only close when it falls below -20dB.
This also helps prevent “chattering”.

SIDECHAIN
Allows you to link the gate to another audio source, closing the gate only when the newly
sidechained instrument goes below the threshold.

FILTERS
Filters the incoming audio signal to solo out the frequency area that you want to register
the gate. These filters don’t affect the tone of the instrument, they only affect how
accurate the gate is.
Often used on drum recordings where other drums in different parts of the frequency spectrum
are accidentally triggering the gate to open. For example, for a snare recording you might set
your low filter at 100Hz to ignore the kick and your high filter at 300Hz to ignore the cymbals.
If the gate is using a sidechain, then the sidechained audio is filtered instead.

MONITOR
Allows you to hear what the filters are doing to the incoming audio signal so that you can
fine tune them. Make sure to turn this off once you’ve finished.

GATE/DUCKER
Selecting “Gate” will lower the volume when the audio is quieter than the threshold.
Selecting “Ducker” will lower the volume when the audio is louder than the threshold.
Ducking is most useful when using a sidechain. For example, a common technique is to
sidechain the vocal to the guitar, so that the guitar drops in volume when the vocal comes in.

LOOKAHEAD
Controls how far ahead the gate analyzes the incoming signal.
A large lookahead will make the gate more accurate, but it will also increase the CPU load on
your computer.

OPEN/CLOSE
Shows whether the gate is currently open or closed.
 HOW TO USE
A NOISE GATE

STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4:

Lower the Lower the Adjust the Adjust the hold
reduction level. threshold. attack time. and release time.
Set it to the Set it where only If it’s percussion, Make it long
lowest possible the desired use a very fast enough for the
setting. sound is opening attack. desired sound to
the gate. If it’s a slower pass through
instrument (like naturally, but
strings or a pad), short enough that
use a slow attack. the unwanted
noise is cut off.

Threshold Reduction Attack Hold Release Sidechain None

-15 dB -25 dB 3 ms 130 ms 40 ms

Monitor OFF

-100 0 -100 0 0 100 0 1k 0 10k High Cutoff 400 Hz

Hysteresis -6 dB Lookahead 5 ms Low Cutoff 100 Hz

STEP 5: STEP 6: STEP 7: STEP 8:

(optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)
Adjust the Adjust the Adjust the Increase the
hysteresis. filters. lookahead. reduction level.
Start at -6dB’s Turn on the Usually a few A small amount
and move it Monitor button milliseconds of the original
around until the first. Use the is fine. level should be
gate sounds more filters to focus in let through. This
natural (while not on the desired will help the gate
letting any sound. Then sound more
unwanted noise turn the monitor natural.
pass through). button off.
 HOW TO DUCK A MIX
WITH A NOISE GATE

WANT YOUR VOCALS TO SIT BETTER IN YOUR MIX?

TRY DUCKING YOUR BAND WHENEVER THE VOCALIST IS SINGING.

STEP 1:
Route the band and the vocals to their own aux tracks. Make sure to route both aux
tracks to the mix bus. If you have any background vocals, those should be routed with
the main vocals.

STEP 2:
Place a noise gate on the band aux track. Sidechain the vocals to it. *

No Input No Input No Input No Input No Input Bus 1 Bus 2 St Out

Gate

Bus 1 Bus 1 Bus 1 Bus 2 Bus 2 St Out St Out

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50
60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60

Drums Guitar Bass Vocals BGVs BAND VOCALS MIX BUS

*original
Sometimes this technique causes latency problems in your DAW. If you notice this, create a send on your
vocal track. Set that send’s output to “No Output.” Then use that send as the sidechain for the noise gate.
That should fix your latency issues.
 HOW TO DUCK A MIX
WITH A NOISE GATE

STEP 3: STEP 4: STEP 5: STEP 6:

Select “ducker” Set the Lower the Adjust the
on the gate. reduction level threshold. attack time.
to -10dB. Set it where Use a medium to
only the vocals slow attack time
are opening to keep it
the gate. sounding natural.

GATE DUCKER OPEN CLOSE

Threshold Reduction Attack Hold Release Sidechain Vocals

-15 dB -1 dB 7 ms 100 ms 150 ms

Monitor OFF

High Cutoff 20000 Hz

-100 0 -100 0 0 100 0 1k 0 10k

Hysteresis -6 dB Lookahead 5 ms Low Cutoff 20 Hz

STEP 7: STEP 8: STEP 9: STEP 10:

Adjust the hold Adjust the (optional) Decrease the
and release time. hysteresis to reduction level.
Make it long Adjust the
prevent You only want to
enough for the lookahead.
“chattering.” turn the band
band to be turned Usually a few
Start at -6dB and down 1-2dB’s.
down while the milliseconds
vocalist is singing, move it around This technique
is fine.
but short enough until the gate needs to be
for the gate to not sounds more subtle, not
be obvious to the natural and less obvious.
listener. obvious.

PRO TIP: If you are using any effects on sends, route the band effects and the vocal effects to their own aux tracks.
Then copy the noise gate from the band aux track onto the band effects aux track. This will make sure that any
parallel compressions, distortions, or delays are also turned down when the vocalist is singing!