Hold (Gate Parameter)
Definition
A parameter on a noise gate that defines the minimum time the gate stays open after the signal drops below the threshold, before the release phase begins. Hold prevents the gate from closing prematurely during brief pauses or quiet moments within a sustained sound.
In Simple Terms
How long a noise gate stays open after the sound drops below the threshold. Without enough hold time, the gate cuts off the natural ring or decay of your sound too early, making edits sound choppy and unnatural.
In Practice
A gate on a snare microphone is set with a 50 ms hold time to keep the gate open for the full duration of the snare's decay and reverb tail before closing, preventing an unnatural truncation of the sound.