Fabfilter Pro-G is a gate/expander that tackles vocal recording issues, whether you are reducing noise on your vocal or gating a guitar, Pro-G is the boss man!
What I find interesting in this plugin is the flexible routing, you can choose from mono, stereo, or even mid/side processing, among others, let’s get to know some of its features…
Dynamic controls
The dynamic controls are located in the top left corner of the interface, and this features Threshold, ratio, and range, it is important you have a proper understanding of these knobs as they determine the dynamic behavior and the amount of expansion.
The way a noise gate works is similar to a compressor in that it is used to control the loudest and the quietest part of an audio signal, but specifically, a noise gate reduces audio signals that are below a certain threshold, so, when the signals are above a threshold, it let the signal pass-through (opens the gate). on the other hand, if the signals fall below the threshold, no signal is allowed to pass (closed the gate) or the signal is attenuated with respect to the settings dialed.
To get started with these controls, you first need to find a good setting in which you want the gate to open, this is controlled by the threshold, the lower the threshold, the earlier the gate/expander will open. Utilize the display, and metering to set the right level, or better still trust your ears.
Other controls are the Ratio, which is for setting the amount of expansion when the signal level drops below the threshold and the Range for specifying the maximum expansion range of Pro-G, say, you want a subtle removal of unwanted background noise.
Time controls
These controls are located at the right of the interface, and they control the speed and feel of the current chosen gate/expander style. What I find interesting in this section is how you can choose between various gate/expander styles, all tailored and fine-tuned for various purposes, for example, you can use the Vocal style retaining the natural feel of the vocal, and the Ducking style for sidechaining, and or automatically leveling of an audio track, it’s super interesting.
Also, you’ll find the Attack, Release, Hold, Knee, and Lookahead for advance tweaking, if you are used to a compressor, these controls shouldn’t be new to you, they perform the same functionalities.
Metering For The Fancy Guys
It features metering for clear feedback on the current gate/expander settings, helping you to get a clearer picture of what’s going on.
This is located in the midsection, and features a real-time level display for the output level (light blue) versus the input level (dark blue), this displays when the gate/expander is open or closed, and how it is reacting to the incoming audio signal.
If you look clearly, you’ll see a transfer curve, this visualizes the effect of the Threshold, Ratio, Range, and Knee settings. Lastly, the level meter which is directly next to the level display shows the output level versus the input level as well, this makes it easy to interpret the current gating/expansion process.
► Key Features
- Six meticulously tuned expander/gate algorithms, including upward expansion and ducking
- Program-dependent attack and release curves
- Low CPU usage
- Adjustable range, hold time, and knee settings
- Optional look-ahead time up to 10 ms
- Precise and helpful metering, including a real-time level display
- An expert mode that offers highly customizable side-chain options
- Mono, stereo, or mid/side processing
- Up to four times linear-phase oversampling
- Zero-latency operation mode
- MIDI triggering: open the gate/expander with your MIDI keyboard
- External side chain option
- Separate dry/wet level settings
- Easy to set up for common gating/expansion scenarios with the included factory presets
- GPU-powered graphics acceleration
- Double-click the text entry of parameter values
- Stereo and mono plug-ins are available
- Supports common Pro Tools hardware control surfaces
- MIDI Learn
- Undo/redo and A/B comparison
- Smart Parameter Interpolation
- Extensive help file with interactive help hints
► System Requirements:
Windows:
- 32-bit: Windows 8, 7, Vista, or XP
- 64-bit: Windows 8, 7 or Vista(x64)
- VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools
Mac OS X:
- 32-bit: OS X 10.5 or higher
- 64-bit: OS X 10.6 or higher
- AU or VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools
- Intel processor
Plug-In Formats:
- All FabFilter plug-ins are available in VST, VST3, Audio Units, AAX Native, and AudioSuite formats (all both 64-bit and 32-bit), as well as RTAS (32-bit only)