Multiband transient design

A standard transient shaper is great for adding punch and power to a sound, but it can be a bit of a blunt approach in certain situations. By using a multiband transient shaper instead, we can choose to adjust the attack or decay of specific frequency ranges rather than the entire sound. This can be incredibly useful for all sorts of sound design and mixing tasks.

Imagine a crusty, sampled bass guitar loop as an example: one band, targeted around the bass area, can be used to add attack and sustain to the sub frequencies for a fatter, punchier low-end; this means you can leave the midrange frequency’s background noise, crackle and character completely untouched. If the background noise and body within the bass’s midrange is dynamically overpowering the mix, simply target a band around the offending area, then back the sustain down to free up space without losing any sub-shaking power.

Having this degree of frequency-specific control is not only a winner for cleaning up mucky samples but can also be a power-move for sound design. We can, for example, add serious punch to a drum hit’s fundamental frequency by boosting the low band’s attack, without making the rest of the hit sound honky or ‘woody’ – ideal for chest-walloping kicks and forceful snares.