Is there a plugin that suppresses the frequency below a threshold?

[Eva Redwood]

Cockos ReaFIR might do what you need.
https://www.reaper.fm/reaplugs/

No it doesn't. I'm using reafir but it's just a noise remover based on a generated noise profile.
The thing is that the noise in my materials is not always there like a backgournd sound, but pops out unexpectedly all over the place in the spectrum.

[Ah_Dziz]

The technique you're asking about/ referencing is "spectral thresholding" also referred to as "spectral Dynamics". It's commonly used for broadband noise reduction and similar processes. It's achieved by using an FFT and attenuating data, bin by bin, that's below a set threshold or (because of the niftyness of spectral domain processing) an array of thresholds that cover the bandwidth of the signal.

There are tons of things that can do this but Melda MSpectraldynamics, Soundhack Spectral Gate/ Commander, and Reaplugs ReaFIR can all do it and do it well for a reasonable price. Depending on your DAW you may have a stock plugin that does this (logic/ reaper/ bitwig (but slightly more complicated). I generally use Spectral Shapers from SH for sound design and MSpectraldynamics for slightly more subtle processing and restoration.the trick as with most dynamic processes, is setting the time parameters and depth so that you achieve your effect with minimal unwanted artifacts.

Good luck
JJ

[signalpath]

https://apulsoft.ch/apqualizr2 filters are based on a unique method to match ideal frequency response curves over the entire frequency spectrum. Spectral tilt and variable-slope low- and highpass filters allow continuous tilt/slope modulation. Applicable filter types have adjustable number of poles/slopes, and can be individually switched to MS processing. Filters have a ++ poles mode, where slopes get steep and full gain change is covered within one semitone.

[Foxedge]

What you're looking for is simply a gate plugin. Gates do the exact opposite of what compressors do, they remove any signals that are below a certain treshold.

I'm mentioning this because nobody in this thread has made that clear yet - this should make researching plugins much much easier

[whyterabbyt]

What you're looking for is simply a gate plugin.

Nope, because they need to gate all the frequencies of the signal that are below the threshold, rather than gate the whole signal, and 'ordinary' gate plugins dont do that.
In other words, all frequencies would be gated equally by an ordinary gate, and they dont want that to happen, they want to preserve frequencies louder than a given level.

Yes, its gating. No, its not simply a gate plugin.

Gates do the exact opposite of what compressors do, they remove any signals that are below a certain treshold.

Sorry, not quite the exact opposite, no.

A noise gate cuts the volume of a signal below a particular volume threshold.
A compressor slows the rate of change in the volume of a signal when the volume exceeds a given threshold.

[FarleyCZ]

It's called spactral gating and MSpectralDynamics can do that.
https://www.meldaproduction.com/mspectraldynamics

Be aware that this is extremely drastic processing, you'll fight with latencies, pre-ringing etc...

[Foxedge]

What you're looking for is simply a gate plugin.

Nope, because they need to gate all the frequencies of the signal that are below the threshold, rather than gate the whole signal, and 'ordinary' gate plugins dont do that.
In other words, all frequencies would be gated equally by an ordinary gate, and they dont want that to happen, they want to preserve frequencies louder than a given level.

Yes, its gating. No, its not simply a gate plugin.

You confuse "simply" with "simple". I didn't suggest to get the worst, most simplistic gate plugin with only one knob that can't even do what gate plugins in the 80s could do.

I said, the umbrella term for the kind of plugin he's searching for is called "gate", which certainly helps with researching.

Sorry, not quite the exact opposite, no.

A noise gate cuts the volume of a signal below a particular volume threshold.
A compressor slows the rate of change in the volume of a signal when the volume exceeds a given threshold.

In 2024 you have the option with either to brickwall (completely cut off) signals or do it gradually.
Modern manufacturers usually combine gates with expanders as essentially one plugin.

https://www.fabfilter.com/products/pro- ... er-plug-in

[whyterabbyt]

You confuse "simply" with "simple".

Nope, because its simply not a simple gate they asked for.

I didn't suggest to get the worst, most simplistic gate plugin with only one knob that can't even do what gate plugins in the 80s could do.

Doesnt matter.

I said, the umbrella term for the kind of plugin he's searching for is called "gate", which certainly helps with researching.

Nope. If all they search for is 'gate' then they'll get a list of a thousand gate devices that cannot do what they are asking for.

There are about two devices with 'gate' in the name that will do what they're asking for, and I already named one of them in this thread a fortnight ago.

If someone searches for gate plugins, they will certainly find tons of plugins that just combine both because today it's essentially one plugin.

That doesnt matter, because you're ignoring the fact that they're after frequency control, not volume control so the tons of plugins they'll find will not be the kind of device the OP is asking for.


The post directly before yours pointed out that what's needed is spectral gating. And 99.9999999% of the tons of plugins you'll find under a search for gates wont do it.

[Foxedge]

You confuse "simply" with "simple".

Nope, because its simply not a simple gate they asked for.

That's exactly what I said.

That doesnt matter, because you're ignoring the fact that they're after frequency control, not volume control so the tons of plugins they'll find will not be the kind of device the OP is asking for.

Frequency control is volume control. What do you believe happens, when you reduce a certain frequency?

And yes, the OP asked for exactly that. She wanted to reduce floor noise without changing anything that's above the treshold, which is essentially what gate/expander plugins are doing.

I don't know what you believe the OP was asking for, but to me it seems some of the recommendations were just overshooting. Anyway, the OP can decide for herself if that was helpful or not, if she still has the desire to research other plugins

[whyterabbyt]

You're still confusing simply with simple.

Please dont presume to pretend you know why I chose the words I did. Because your assumptions are incorrect.

Frequency control is volume control. What do you believe happens, when you reduce a certain frequency?

You're really not getting it. Frequency control as in 'control over the amplitude of specific frequency ranges within a signal' versus volume control as in 'control over the amplitude of the entire signal'

Do you think they're the same thing?

And yes, the OP asked for exactly that. She wanted to reduce floor noise without changing anything that's above the treshold, which is essentially what gate/expander plugins are doing.

Gate/expander plugins operate on the volume of the composite signal, not frequencies.

The sketch shows the entire signal being processed, not a single frequency.

Nope. The sketch is a graph of volume versus frequency, and shows attenuation of some parts of the frequency spectrum versus other parts of the frequency spectrum, dependent on whether or not the amplitude of those frequencies is below a threshold.
The little red arrows in the second diagram are pointing at the attenuated frequencies.

[whyterabbyt]

edited for double post

[whyterabbyt]

edited for double post

[Foxedge]

You're really not getting it. Frequency control as in 'control over the amplitude of specific frequency ranges within a signal' versus volume control as in 'control over the amplitude of the entire signal'

Do you think they're the same thing?

It's both volume control. One is the volume of all frequencies, the other is the volume of some frequencies.

Your assumption that Gate/Expander plugins would work on all frequencies is wrong. The threshold is there for a reason, it excludes certain frequencies which remain untouched.

Gate/expander plugins operate on the volume of the composite signal, not frequencies.

Unless you're changing the frequency spectrum by adding or changing harmonic content, which is specifically what the OP did not want, all changes are merely in the volume of the frequencies.

Nope. The sketch is a graph of volume versus frequency, and shows attenuation of some parts of the frequency spectrum versus other parts of the frequency spectrum, dependent on whether or not the amplitude of those frequencies is below a threshold.
The little red arrows in the second diagram are pointing at the attenuated frequencies.

Yeah, that's exactly what I said and how expanders work. You might notice that this is the very spitting image of the OP's sketch:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUPNwutKLn0

[whyterabbyt]

I was the one who chose the words; you just quoted me and then pretended to know better than I what I meant with them. So don't twist it around now.

Laughable. I used the word 'simply', you whinged about that because you used the word 'simple', now 'simply' is your word and your meaning?
If anyone is twisting things its you.

It's both volume control. One is the volume of all frequencies, the other is the volume of some frequencies.

Yes, that's what I said, congrats on finally catching up. Dynamics processors apply volume control over the signal; all frequencies. That's not what is wanted here.

Your assumption that Gate/Expander plugins would work on all frequencies is wrong. The threshold is there for a reason, it excludes certain frequencies which remain untouched.

Absolute nonsense. They work on the signal amplitude. The threshold is versus the amplitude of the entire signal.

Unless you're changing the frequency spectrum by adding or changing harmonic content, which is specifically what the OP did not want, all changes are merely in the volume of the frequencies.

You're still completely ignoring the difference between controlling the amplitude of frequencies individually and separately from each other versus only controlling the volume of the entire signal.

Yeah, that's exactly what I said and how expanders work. You might notice that this is the very spitting image of the OP's sketch:

Nope. The horizontal axis on that diagram is not labelled, and I dont believe for a seconbd that its frequency. Its almost certainly time.

When you see these kinds of diagrams, it typically shows a signal, not the spectrum of the signal.

Nothing in tose diagrams or videos supports your theory that this shows the same thing as the OP did. And if you actually watch their compressor video, with the exact same style of diagram, and they explicitly say that the compressor is operating on the volume of the signal.
They use the term 'signal' again and again.
That's the entire composite signal; dynamics processors are gain/attenuator stages affecting the amplitude of the entire signal, so all frequency ranges are attenuated by the exact same amount.
Its the same for their explanation of an expander. Its affecting the amplitude of the entire signal.

If you dont get that, you dont understand dynamics processing at all.

No single-band expander or compressor could, for example expand or compress the 200-300Hz range, the 700-1000Hz range and the 2000-3000Hz range simultaneously while also passing all other frequency ranges with their original amplitudes. Any amplitude change will affect the entire signal, and all frequencies equally.

[Foxedge]

It's both volume control. One is the volume of all frequencies, the other is the volume of some frequencies.

Yes, that's what I said, congrats on finally catching up.

No, it's not what you said. You claimed the OP wanted "frequency and not volume control"

That doesnt matter, because you're ignoring the fact that they're after frequency control, not volume control

But I'm glad you agree with me now on both being volume control.

Dynamics processors apply volume control over the signal; all frequencies. That's not what is wanted here.

The term "dynamic" has nothing to do with something being applied onto all frequencies . Dynamic EQ's for instance work on very specific frequencies, not on the entire signal. Dynamic only means that something responds dynamically to input.

You're still completely ignoring the difference between controlling the amplitude of frequencies individually and separately from each other versus only controlling the volume of the entire signal.

I'm not ignoring it, as this wasn't part of your opening statement where you came up with that "frequency control is not volume control" equation, which I had to decrypt until just now.

And the fact that you're throwing around definitions that don't mean what you think they mean, such as dynamic processing didn't help much with understanding your point either.

But after reading your follow-up text about single- and multi-band processing, I finally understand what you were trying to get at. If you had used the correct terms from the beginning, it would have saved us a lot of time.

This brings us back to my first and second post:

I said earlier, that today's gate/expander plugins come with tons of features and could do the job as well, you objected that 99,99999% of gate plugins couldn't do it.

Fabfilter Pro-G (the first plugin I threw in earlier) has a filter band that you can adjust, so that it works only on specific areas of the frequency spectrum. You could use it only from 0-500Hz. Then load another instance, use it only from 1k-1,5k Hz and so on.

Multiband Gate comes with 3 frequency bands built in: https://aixdsp.com/multiband-gate/

Waves C1 also allows for that.

And that was after just 2 minutes of searching for gate plugins.

So yes, you can definitely find gate/expander plugins that allow control over frequency ranges, and knowing what these plugins are called certainly helps with searching for them.

I'm out now, as I don't want us to derail the thread with further discussions about terminologies, I hope the OP and other silent readers can have a positive takeaway from these suggestions.

Have a nice weekend (everyone)