Noise gates and expanders

Ever start mixing drums, and the bleed from other mics makes it nearly impossible to get the sound you want? It can feel like no matter what you do, the track just won't clean up. That's where noise gates and expanders come in handy to help tame the bleed, giving you back control and making your drums sound tighter and more focused.

In this Puremix tutorial, Award-winning engineer Fab Dupont dives into the world of noise gates and expanders, two essential tools for controlling dynamics and shaping sound in a mix. Using drum tracks, Fab demonstrates how gates and expanders reduce unwanted noise and emphasize key elements of a performance. With clear, practical examples, he explains the key differences between expanders and gates and their similarities, akin to how compressors and limiters relate.

You will learn with Fab Dupont:

How to effectively use noise gates and expanders to isolate drums and remove bleed
Key controls like threshold, ratio, attack, and release and how they affect the gate or expander's behavior
How to creatively shape sounds using advanced tools like upward expanders and sidechain processing
Comparing different plugins, including Avid's default gate and SSL's X-Gate, showcasing how they handle gating and expansion with unique features like dual thresholds and peak detection