Sonitus:fx Gate

The typical use for a gate is to reduce noise. It works by muting (“gating”) the audio output when the input drops below the level set by a threshold control. If you set the threshold just above any background hiss, then the gate closes when only hiss is present but opens up when there’s an input signal that’s above the level of the hiss. However, gates can also produce special effects. If you have a signal with a long decay, setting the threshold fairly high can cut off the decay and create a more percussive sound.

The Sonitus:fx Gate (see Figure 21.3) is more sophisticated than the average gate; for more information, click on the Help button.