Remove Silence dialog

When you use the Process > Apply Effect > Remove Silence command, or click the Gate Settings button in the Freeze Options dialog box, the Remove Silence dialog box appears. This command creates absolute silence during silent passages, eliminating extraneous noise.

The Remove Silence dialog box has the following fields:

Preset field (only appears with Process Audio command)

Use this field to choose and enter presets. Click the Save button to save any group of new settings after you enter a name in the Preset field. Click the Delete button to delete any selected group from the Preset field.

Open Level (db)

The value in this field is how loud the sound must get (the loudness threshold) before SONAR stops silencing the sound. The gate “officially” opens when loudness rises above this level, although it can open earlier because of the Attack Time (see Attack Time).

Close Level (db)

The value in this field is how soft the sound must get (the softness threshold) before SONAR starts silencing the sound. The gate "officially" closes when loudness falls below this level, although it can stay open later because of the Release Time (see Release Time).

Attack Time (ms)

The value in this field is the interval of time after the volume reaches the Open Level for the gate to fully open. Opening the gate gradually produces a fade-in effect instead of an instant on-off sound.

Hold Time (ms)

The value in this field is the minimum time for the gate to stay open. Hold Time is useful when you've set high open and close levels—for example, when your source signal is very loud. Noise gates set this way tend to react to repeated percussive passages (such as drum rolls) by repeatedly opening and closing; this can sound unpleasant. By setting a hold time, you can ensure that the gate stays open long enough during percussive passages.

Look Ahead (ms)

The value in this field causes the gate to open slightly before the sound reaches the Open Level so you don’t lose the sound’s attack.

Release Time (ms)

The value in this field is the interval of time after the volume reaches the Close Level before the gate actually closes. This lets the tail end of sounds pass through without being clipped.

Split Clips

Check the Split Clips box to delete the silent sections of audio.

Audition button (only appears with Process Audio command)

Click this button to hear the results of your effect on the first three seconds of the selected audio.

For more information, see:

Removing silence