Behinger signal gating

[JBL 4645]

I’m thinking about possibly adding one of these two models at a later date. Now is it possible for it to gate and hold a sound or the sound below a certain threshold level where it can be held without emitting any sound until it reaches the output threshold level where it will be realised?



http://www.behringer.com/MDX4600/index.cfm?lang=eng



http://www.behringer.com/XR4400/index.cfm?lang=eng

[boputnam]

...is it possible for it to gate and hold (block) a sound below a certain (dB) threshold level ... without emitting any sound ...

Yes, that is the general idea of a gate.

Gates remain closed until the set threshold level is exceeded - then the signal is allowed to pass. Some gates are also "frequency conscious" - a sidechain filter you tune, so these to respond to specific frequency range. Most gates are only triggered by threshold...

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[Mike Caldwell]

Hello
Bo already covered the what a gate does very well but I have to ask why are you considering using one on a home stereo/theater system? If you have unwanted background noise when the system is idle the gate would take care of that but remember adding any active components to a system will decrease the signal to noise of that system. There's a good chance the self noise of the Behringer gate would still be heard even with the gate closed. Depending on the attack, release and attenuation settings of a gate if the wanted audio signal is bouncing around right at the threshold setting of the gate you can get kind of clicking sound in the background of the audio. Better gates are well "better" and don't do this as easy or as noticeable. I use Drawmer and ARX gates in my sound systems and if I set one with a fast attack and super fast release they can sound "mechanical" with a little artifact left in the audio as they close.

As to the Multicom unit you have pictured that can be set to keep levels from exceeding and certain level depending where it's threshold is set at. It also has a basic gate function as well. I believe you are using a DCX unit, in that unit you will have compression and limiting functions. I don't know if there would be a need to have another unit in the signal path. At the most I would set the limiter only to come in before your amps would clip. If are using extremely high powered amps and low power speakers then maybe you would want it to limited sooner for a little speaker protection.

For pure listening I am a believer in the least amount of "stuff" between the music and the speakers. In my live sound production systems I try to hold to that as well, well... as well as can
in a more complex set up.

Mike Caldwell


Mike Caldwell

[JBL 4645]

The feedback from Bo was good enough for me to practice an experiment that I have in mind. The two above processors are very affordable here in the UK, they might as well be selling them off the back of lorry.

I plan to use one on the surrounds or between the fronts and the surrounds, I have a few ideas but unless I have the product in my hands to try out the experiment, to what satisfaction it will bring I have no idea as of this time, only a theory which I think is sound. I’ll see how things go over the months with finances.

[UreiCollector]

Gates are great for live sound applications, but totally un-nessesary in the home theater environment.

If your getting excessive noise from your sytem, a problem needs to be corrected, or a noisy piece(s) of equipment removed. I'm using very sensitive monitors with quality audio gear, and residual noise is never a problem.

New toys are always fun of course, but you could definately spend your money on more beneficial equipment for HT applications.

Best of luck.

[clubman]

Just my .02 Behriger gates/limiters/compressors are junk.

Dont get me wrong behringer makes some afordable stuff that is pretty good but I dont think that the gates are one of them.

I had that same model, top pic, installed in the club and it just stoped working all together. Went with a Aphex to replace it.

[CONVERGENCE]

It depends what you're using it for. If for music from CD There's professional AGC that make the low passages loud . Radio and TV stations have those. But there's even better something invented by an Engineer at
Altec called an automatic Volume Control. It's more precise than gates.

Now again it depends on the applications.The gates found on expensive Mixers are excellent but the Altec invention combines the gate function with the AGC.

.............

[JBL 4645]

It depends what you're using it for. If for music from CD There's professional AGC that make the low passages loud . Radio and TV stations have those. But there's even better something invented by an Engineer at
Altec called an automatic Volume Control. It's more precise than gates.

Now again it depends on the applications.The gates found on expensive Mixers are excellent but the Altec invention combines the gate function with the AGC.

.............

CONVERGENCE

Thank you for bring that to my attention I’ll do some research on it.