Prepping the vocals is a time-consuming process for most engineers, with leveling words and phrases, dealing with sibilance, and editing breathes and noise taking more time than anyone would like. I know some A-list engineers that used to spend as much as 8 hours on this process, but that may be all in the past thanks to Noiseworks DynAssist, a processor that uses AI to streamline the vocal prep process.
DynAssist is designed to automate key vocal processing tasks, including Automatic Gain Leveling, AI-Powered Gate Control to intelligently reduce background noise in pauses without cutting off speech, Breath and Sibilance Detection, and even an Instrument Mode to optimize dynamics for instruments such as drums and bass.
Not only that, it’s ARA (Audio Random Access) integration allows it to process a clip or file off-line without having to play it back. Plus, it has minimal CPU load with 0.0 ms latency, ensuring that your workflow is not disrupted by playback delays at any time.
The Processing
The plugin has four sections: Ride, Vox-Gate, Breath, and Sibilance. Ride adjusts the loudness to the LUFS Target Loudness, making it easier to get a vocal balance, while its AI-powered Vox-Gate section can remove pauses and silence in a way that eliminates the need to set an additional threshold, preventing the accidental cutting off of the first or last syllable (which is a a common issue with most gates).
The AI-powered breath detection allows you to either control or eliminate breathes without the need for manual editing. In the interface waveform, breaths are highlighted in a darker grey, making it easier for you to review the clip without having to listen to the entire file. Likewise, sibilance is also highlighted in a lighter grey.
DynAssist is available in two versions; a free ARA-enabled Pro Tools-only version, and a version with full parameter control that works with any DAW and any plugin format, which is priced at $149. Yes, there’s a trail version.
You can find out more by clicking here, or watch the video below for more details.
