Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro request

[Jyri T.]

I'm using this plug in frequently for making gain envelopes in the reverse mode to treat volume differences on tracks prior to compression. The problem is that it raises the noise floor to the max during the soft passages.

Any chance you could implement a max parameter (do not raise more than X dB) or, better still, a gate-like solution (do not raise the gain if the volume is below X dB) to it???

That would turn Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro into a real killer plug in IMHO.

Of course, an alternative solution would be to make a dedicated plug-in for specifically levelling the volume.

[Blue Cat Audio]

Thank you for your feedback! There is indeed a dedicated plug-in in work that may help you do what you are looking for...

Can you give more details about how you use the plug-in for your process, so that we can understand the exact need? I am not sure that I exactly understand what the source and destination audio signals are in your model.

[Jyri T.]

I use it mostly for vox. I run it in the reverse and 100% on RMS (the time window equalling the 1/8 note of the song) to get an envelope. The following picture presents the setting for a song at 120 BPM (thus 250 ms).



After the envelope is done, I assign it for volume/gain prior to compressing, which you end up needing much less.

[Hayate Yagami]

With in regard to it, Blue Cat's Dynamics seems to be better than Digital Peak Meter Pro.

[Jyri T.]

With in regard to it, Blue Cat's Dynamics seems to be better than Digital Peak Meter Pro.

Well, yes and no. Depends on what you want to do.

AFAIK the DP3 reacts before the RMS level goes up, whereas a compressor starts reacting at that point. Yet if you compress the result, there's little difference.

[Hayate Yagami]

Is the difference this?

A. Audio Input(Peak) --> Peak Gate --> RMS calculation --> RMS compressor --> MIDI Output(RMS gain reduction)

B. Audio Input(Peak) --> RMS calculation --> RMS Gate --> RMS compressor --> MIDI Output(RMS gain reduction)

Blue Cat's Dynamics is B.
Probably, you would like to do A, wouldn't you?

[Blue Cat Audio]

I use it mostly for vox. I run it in the reverse and 100% on RMS (the time window equalling the 1/8 note of the song) to get an envelope. The following picture presents the setting for a song at 120 BPM (thus 250 ms).



After the envelope is done, I assign it for volume/gain prior to compressing, which you end up needing much less.

Thanks for the details. Just one thing: which track do you use as a source signal? Is it the same track?

[Jyri T.]

Thanks for the details. Just one thing: which track do you use as a source signal? Is it the same track?

Yup, the same one.

[Jyri T.]

Thanks for the details. Just one thing: which track do you use as a source signal? Is it the same track?

Sorry, not always.

Sometimes I run everything else through the vox buss in straight mode and use that to raise the vox on loud passages. In those cases I usually use longer RMS windows (i.e. 1/4 note).

[Blue Cat Audio]

Hi,

In fact, there might be a way to do what you are looking for with the existing version.

You seem to be using Sonar, right? If that's the case, you can use this method with groups in order to generate your envelopes. It lets you choose the range, which means that you can define a threshold for your envelope.

As an alternative (and for other hosts), you can also use the MIDI connection method (just use the gain suite plug-ins instead of the chorus as a destination). Then you can use the source and destination range in the settings panel of both plug-ins. And if you still need the automation envelopes you can just record the destination plug-in's parameter, which would have the appropriate range.

It's a bit cumbersome compared to an integrated solution, but it should do the trick while we are working on enhancing the Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro plug-in!