Wave Arts MultiDynamics 7 Multiband Dynamics Processor Plug-In

Combining the techniques of equalization and dynamics processing for the best of both worlds, the MultiDynamics 7 plug-in from Wave Arts provides six independent bands of dynamics processing, each equipped with bypass, solo, and mute controls. Perfect for mastering, mixing, sound design, and noise reduction applications, MultiDynamics provides comprehensive control over your track's dynamics.

The in-depth UI visualizes dynamics processing on a real-time spectrum display with a customizable appearance, and supports multiple metering methods such as peak, RMS, and K-system. You can toggle between Clean or Vintage compression modes to alter the color of the compression, and each band sports a full-featured compressor and expander/gate. With external side-chain and output peak limiter support, you have a full suite of dynamics processing tools to sculpt the perfect tracks. And if you hit a brick wall trying to find the right levels, the new Learn function automatically sets your threshold levels per band based on the peaks for fast, stress-free processing. This plug-in is available in AU, VST2, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows computers.

New with Version 7

• All-new interface with dark theme
• Now supports external side-chain input
• New Learn feature automatically sets band thresholds to detected peak or RMS levels
• A peak limiter has been added to the output processing
• Input meters and an input gain control have been added
• User selectable display ranges for dynamics gain and input levels
• New metering section with options for peak, peak and RMS, RMS, and K-system meters
• Real-time spectrum display with many options

General Highlights

• Up to six independent bands
• Proprietary crossover filter network eliminates amplitude distortion between bands
• 6, 18, and 30 dB/oct crossover slopes
• Full-featured compressor or expander/gate per band
• Clean and Vintage compression modes
• Supports external side-chain input and side-chain EQ filter
• Adjustable knee and lookahead
• Zero-latency operation when lookahead is off
• Latency compensation
• Per-band bypass, solo, and mute controls
• Comprehensive visualization of input levels and dynamics EQ response

Side-Chain Function

Each dynamics band can be driven from the input signal or an external side-chain input. You can also specify wide-band or band-filtered signal, or select either the input or external signal filtered by a separate side-chain EQ. Hence you can drive one frequency band based on the signal from another frequency band.

Frequency-Dependent Dynamics

A simple application of multiband dynamics is to apply compression or expansion to a specific frequency range. For example, you may want to compress the vocals in a mix without affecting the low frequencies (such as the bass or kick drum) or high frequencies (like snare or cymbals). This is easily done by creating a midrange band to cover the vocal range and setting it to compress.

Level-Dependent EQ

You can also think of multiband dynamics as providing EQ, which is dependent on the level of the input sound. For example, you might want to brighten the sound of a high hat, but only when the drums are played softly.

This can be accomplished by setting up a high-frequency band that increases gain when the input is below threshold. This is more powerful than using a shelving EQ, which will change the tonal balance at all levels equally.

Noise Reduction

Another powerful use of MultiDynamics 7 is noise reduction. This is accomplished using multiple gating bands, where the thresholds are set just above the ambient noise level. MultiDynamics 7 excels at denoising and doesn't suffer from artifacts typical of FFT-based denoisers.

Ducking

You can use MultiDynamics 7 to duck music behind narration, so the foreground dialog stays intelligible when mixed with the background music. Using a multiband processor allows the music to be ducked only in frequency ranges where there is dialog energy, which makes for a more transparent effect.