Having reasonable knowledge on Noise Gates and Expanders goes a long way in making your recordings sound cleaner and more professional, especially when you are recording out of your home studio. 

While recording, noise may arise due to a various number of factors such as the surrounding environment, electronic equipment used etc. Noise can become very problematic if it is cumalated from a number of tracks in your project.  

Noise gates and expanders are tools using which the noise can be isolated and removed to a significant extent if used correctly. Though it may vary, some of the basic controls/knobs you would find within noise gates are Release, Attack, Hold and Ratio. The following article takes you through a basic understanding of these various controls to help you on your way in making your recordings sound the way they should sound - awesome.

http://www.songstuff.com/recording/article/noise_gates_and_expanders/

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