I do a lot of acoustic drum recording and mixing. For the toms, I typically use the DMG Track Gate. It works pretty well but I'd like to get it a bit better. What I want is a 2 band gate that has a lookahead function. It also needs to have a range and ratio parameters for both the highs and the lows. I want the release to be different for the highs and lows for a more natural sound. The idea is to gate (actually, just reduce) the high frequencies sooner than the lows, so the drum can ring out a bit more without cymbal wash bleeding into it.
I tried:
1) AIX multiband gate - too twiddly. I tried a demo for 30 minutes and could not get anything better than I got with DMG. It actually sounded worse.
2) BOZ Gatey Watey - it's not really muti-band. Setting it for low pass mode does a nice job of gating the highs, but the lows don't gate at all (so I have a non-stop rumble from the live drums)
3) Nuendo mult-band expander - just couldn't get this to do what I wanted
In he past, I have edited every hit and cut out all the noise. That is time-consuming but does not always give the best results in some situations. I have not tried Tominator because it has no demo. Sonnox drum Gate looks interesting but massively expensive.
Any other recommendations?
Recommend: two band gate plugin with look-ahead?
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- KVRist
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
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- KVRAF
- 2720 posts since 2 Jul, 2010
You might get a nice result following the Gatey Watey with another gate, keyed by the original input on a sidechain? The combination should give a musical "low pass gate" effect.
For a straight-up 2-band gate I'd consider using TRIAD. It'll probably be added to PA's sale in the next few days... The noise gate module has a full set of envelope controls including lookahead.
For a straight-up 2-band gate I'd consider using TRIAD. It'll probably be added to PA's sale in the next few days... The noise gate module has a full set of envelope controls including lookahead.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
Thanks for the suggestion on TRIAD. That may do what I need. I'll download the demo and check it out.
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Guillaume Piolat Guillaume Piolat https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=366815 - KVRist
- 308 posts since 21 Sep, 2015 from Grenoble
(auto-promo)
Renegate has a LP VCA mode, in which to apply gain reduction a closing (6db/oct) lowpass filter is used. This way you can stay full-band.
Renegate has a LP VCA mode, in which to apply gain reduction a closing (6db/oct) lowpass filter is used. This way you can stay full-band.
Checkout our plug-ins here.
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- KVRAF
- 6786 posts since 17 Dec, 2009
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BaronWaterpark BaronWaterpark https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=449622
- KVRist
- 38 posts since 13 Oct, 2019
I use Gatey Watey for the cymbal bleed, and ReaGate (you can download it for free even if you're not using REAPER) as a general gate afterwards, I've never got cleaner toms.
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- KVRian
- 837 posts since 1 Sep, 2007
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
Cymbal killer looks great. Unfortunately, it looks like it is Mac only.
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- KVRist
- 247 posts since 1 Oct, 2015
I have it installed here on Windows 10, VST3 version.trmupstage wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:50 am Cymbal killer looks great. Unfortunately, it looks like it is Mac only.
Info in the web: "Cymbal Killer (Win & macOS AU/VST3)". Click on the link above.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
Ha! You're right. On my phone screen, it was so small that I misread it. Thanks!L-EctroBit wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:38 pmI have it installed here on Windows 10, VST3 version.trmupstage wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:50 am Cymbal killer looks great. Unfortunately, it looks like it is Mac only.
Info in the web: "Cymbal Killer (Win & macOS AU/VST3)". Click on the link above.
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Scarlet Pumpernickel Scarlet Pumpernickel https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=402106 - KVRist
- 266 posts since 30 Jul, 2017
There's also Sonnox Drum Gate.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
That's the one I'm trying not to buy..$$$ But, it appears to do exactly what I need. I wonder how the CPU hit is for Drum Gate. I downloaded the demo and will give it a shot. Drum Gate and Cymbal Killer look closest to what I want. Thank you all for the suggestions.
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- KVRAF
- 2069 posts since 8 Feb, 2013 from Switzerland
+1
Accusonus Drumatom is an all-in-one drum bleed (whole kit) control system which works like magic. Bought it during 50% sale for $150. Yes steep, but absolutely worth IMO.
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- KVRist
- 470 posts since 2 May, 2015
Not Multiband but still effective:
Wilkinson Audio debleeder
https://wilkinsonaudio.com/products/debleeder
Wilkinson Audio debleeder
https://wilkinsonaudio.com/products/debleeder
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 464 posts since 25 Sep, 2002 from Chicago
Tested Drum Gate and Cymbal Killer after a session yesterday. Both do something good. If you want something good and quick, Cymbal Killer does a nice job but there is still some other elements might trigger the gate but much quieter. In a mix, I found it to work perfectly fine. Much better than a single gate. Drum Gate is a whole different kind of thing. Once I got it setup, it was pretty amazing how it can center on just the one drums and filter everything else out. Having the midi function, to use as a trigger for a sample, is pretty cool in some cases. Cymbal Killer is the best gate I've found that doesn't cost over $200+ USD. I still might get Drum Gate once the trial expires. It may be useful for a lot of other things as well.