Noise Reduction
Version 1.0.0
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
Welcome
Thank you for downloading this fine plug-in. Noise Reduction is a VST
plugin containing a spectral noise gate optimized build to remove unwanted
noise.
In order to get the most out of the Noise Reduction plugin, please spend
a few moments reading this brief manual.
License
The pre-compiled Noise Reduction has a very simple license:
1. Noise Reduction is freeware. This means that you are free to
distribute it, give it to friends, or otherwise share it around. However,
only the entire unaltered archive, including this document, may be re-
distributed.
2. Copyright of the code and the finished plug-in remain the property of
the Delphi ASIO & VST Project and namely Christian-W. Budde.
3. This plug-in is provided at no cost; therefore the author Christian-W.
Budde assume no responsibility for any negative effects that may
occur to the end user or the equipment used to run the plug-in.
4. Magazine editors are welcome to include the plug-in on cover mount
discs or similar media; however, I request that am informed about it
via e-mail. A few copies of the publication are always appreciated, but
not expected.
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
User Interface
The user interface shows all adjustable parameters and a readout for the
characteristic curve. There are no meters available to maintain the lowest
possible CPU usage without wasting too much CPU cycles. Either a
dedicated analyse plugin or the build in meters can be used for this task.
Here is a commented screenshot:
Threshold Offset Ratio Soft Knee Attack Time
(0 dB - 15 dB) (1 : 1..100) (0 dB – 10 dB) (10 µs - 1 s)
Release Time
(50 µs - 5 s)
Window Function
Rectangle, Triangle, FFT Size Capture Noise Profile
Hanning, Hamming, (128..8192) (using RMS based average)
Blackman, Welch, ...
The dials can be adjusted by clicking and dragging up and down on a dial.
To reset the dials to their defaults hold the [Ctrl] key while clicking on the
dial. Holding the [Shift] key enters the fine tune mode.
Below any dial a read out shows the exact value of a parameter.
The switches can be toggled by simply clicking the LED or the text.
NOTE: When the plugin is capturing the noise profile the noise reduction
takes place immediately. Some seconds should be satisfying.
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
The parameters
This plugin features seven adjustable parameters. The five dials control the
gate and the two select boxes control the frequency domain processing.
Gate Parameters
The five gate parameters control several instances (one per FFT band) at
once.
Threshold Offset
The threshold for each gate is tweaked automatically by noise profile
capture algorithm. However, the threshold should typically be raised a bit in
order to filter out the noise effectively.
In future revisions the capture algorithm might be improved so that less
tweaking is necessary. Until then an amount of 8 dB gave good results.
Ratio
The ratio determines the input/output ratio for signals above the threshold.
In this plugin the ratio can be adjusted between 1:1 to 1:100. For example, if
a value in a band is 1 dB below the threshold it will be attenuated even
further to 6 dB in case of a 6:1 ratio setting.
Soft Knee
Around the threshold it is sometimes desired to have a slow transition
towards the selected ratio. In case of a value above 0 dB the ratio slowly
increases if the level increases.
The soft knee parameter in dB is the margin below the given threshold. This
usually results in a lower level compared to a rather hard knee. This holds
especially if the input signal is around the threshold. Keep this in mind
when comparing hard vs. soft knee.
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
Attack Time
The attack time controls the duration until the compressor reaches 50% of
the level determined by the ratio. Internally it is implemented as a simple
envelope follower based on a first order filter with a very low frequency
(tuned by the attack time). Compared to other manufacturers this time may
differ, so take care while comparing this compressor with other
compressors.
Release Time
The release time controls the duration until the compressor recovers if the
input falls below the threshold. It is implemented identical to the attack
stage (see above).
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
Feedback / Bug Reports
I am always eager to hear feedback or have bugs reported. The easiest
way is to send me a mail to:
[email protected]Furthermore feel free to download the source code, that can be found in the
Delphi ASIO & VST Project at sourceforge.net.
Version History
1.0.0 First release!
Credits
• Programming: Christian W. Budde
• Additional Framework Programming: Tobias Fleischer, Maik Menz
• Special Thanks: Swen Müller, Duncan Parsons, Laurent de Soras
• Documentation based on a template by Greg Pettit
VST name and technology © Steinberg GmbH
The VST logo is a trademark of Steinberg GmbH
©2007-2009 Delphi ASIO & VST Project (contributed by Christian-W. Budde)
