About PhaseLock
When several microphones record the same source, the sound reaches each microphone at a different time and angle. The waveforms do not line up when the tracks are combined. Some frequencies reinforce each other while others cancel, changing the weight, punch, and clarity of the recording.
PhaseLock analyzes related tracks against a reference and applies three kinds of correction:
- Polarity correction turns an inverted waveform the right way up.
- Phase Coherence reduces frequency-dependent phase differences without moving the transient.
- Time Alignment moves a track earlier or later when you choose to align its arrival time.
Phase Coherence and Time Alignment are separate controls. You can improve the phase relationship between microphones while keeping their original arrival times, or use both together.
Who PhaseLock is for
PhaseLock is built for anyone working with several microphones on one performance:
- Drummers mixing close, overhead, and room microphones
- Musicians recording a guitar or bass cabinet with more than one mic
- Recording engineers working on drums, ensembles, and multi-mic instruments
- Mixers balancing close and distant microphones
- Dialogue editors working with boom, lavalier, plant, and camera microphones
You do not need to read a coherence graph to get a useful result. Start with Analyze, listen with Phase Coherence on, and add Time Alignment only where it helps.
Using PhaseLock in your DAW
Insert PhaseLock on the related tracks, analyze a section of playback, and hear the correction inside the mix. The plugin analyzes a fixed passage and corrects the signal in real time.
What PhaseLock changes
PhaseLock changes the audio passing through each plugin instance. It does not edit the audio files in the DAW or change track level.