MIXING & EFFECTS

Emphasizer

Emphasizer Emphasizer implements the core single-band, multi-stage Emphasis' architecture in a more focused package. Emphasizer has a first clean limiting stage, and a second saturating stage, which can be changed to hard or soft clipping. The way the two stages cooperate allows for different degrees of shaping and loudness enhancement while retaining a transparent output.

Related plugins are Emphasis (on which Emphaszer is based), Soundgoodizer, Maximus, Fruity Limiter and Fruity Compressor.

Visualizations & Controls

  • Gain Reduction - Gain Reduction relative to the input caused by the Emphasizer effect. If Gain Reduction is not active, Emphasizer is idle and the input signal is not being limited or emphasized and is simply passed through the plugin with a 2 ms delay.
  • Peak Meters - (L/R) - Output peak levels. Dark gray shows peak levels and light gray RMS (an averaged level).
  • LUFS-Integrated(Loudness Unit Full Scale) - It provides the loudness measure averaged over the entire signal length being analyzed. Reset on double-click of the meter. Disable via the cogwheel menu to save CPU when not needed. For a detailed explanation of LUFS see Emphasis' LUFS Measures section. TIP: (Double-Click) the LUFS meter to reset it after playback is stopped.

Using Emphasizer

This procedure is a guide to maximizing loudness transparently ...

  1. Set Emphasis to 0 and enable Level Matching. Increase the Input Gain until the GR meter starts to activate to around -6 dB. If the GR meter is being driven too hard, you can decrease the Input Gain, or input to the plugin if that is already at the minimum. Around 6 dB of GR is considered heavy by most mastering engineers, though higher values can still sound good. If GR exceeds 10 dB, reduce the Input Gain or the plugin input level. You may also need to revisit your insert track mixer levels.
  2. Gradually raise the Emphasis control while A/B testing with the Bypass switch. Stop increasing once you hear artifacts, then back off slightly. NOTE: Lower values retain the source dynamics with minimal added distortion, higher values will limit the input peaks more aggressively, shaping the signal adding loudness but may also introduce distortion.
  3. Disable Level Matching to hear the final result. Level Matching's role is to allow you to hear changes in timbre and distortion independent of loudness increases, which can be deceiving. Louder normally sounds better, at least for a while.

TIPS: You can leave Emphasizer on the last FX lot of the Master Mixer Track with the Gain set to 0 dB to prevent accidental clipping. In mastering, transparency does not always mean clean peak limiting. Clipping can sometimes sound more transparent or 'better', depending on the material. Always let your ears be your guide.

Controls

  • Input Gain - Input level in decibels. Input levels will have a significant impact on the processing of the effect. If there is no activity on the Gain Reduction meter, turn up the Gain.
  • Emphasis - This is a compound parameter that controls how the first and second stages operate. Lower values retain more of the source dynamics while subtly shaping louder peaks. Higher values increase both loudness and the extent of shaping through clipping. Note: The quality of the shaping also depends on the Soft clipping setting. TIP: When Emphasis is set to 0 - the clipping stage is bypassed and the limiter acts as a 'safety stage'. When set to the maximum it behaves like a 'clipper'.
  • Output gain - A unidirectional gain control that only reduces level. At 0 dB the signal is unchanged turning the control counter-clockwise applies attenuation down to complete silence.
  • Clipping Hard - When selected (Hard is lit), Hard Clipping is applied. When deselected Soft Clipping is applied. Clipping relates to the transparency of the emphasis limiting stage, functioning similarly to the knee parameter in a compressor. When selected the second stage is a hard-clipper. When deselected, the second stage is a soft-clipper with a fairly high activation threshold, meaning that it is transparent for almost all of the levels before hitting 0dB. A hard-clipper can be useful to make transients as impactual as possible. On the other hand, a soft clipper can reduce some of the saturation harshness.
  • Level Matching - Applies the inverse of the Input gain to the Output, preserving equivalent perceived loudness between Input and Output signals. This avoids the louder sounds better trap - can you handle the truth?
  • Bypass - Seamless bypass switch for A/B testing of the effected and original signal. This is most useful when combined with the Level Matching switch.

Plugin Credits

Code: Dario Sanfilippo: DSP algorithm and audio programming.

GUI: Miroslav Krajcovic (implementation and design) & Nenad Milosevic (design concepts).