I get more reverb after compression

M

Moon_Raven

New member
Hello!

I am a newbie to recording and am trying to learn some of the basics of mixing. I tried to learn how a compressor works, so I played a few punchy tones on the guitar and recorded them. After using some compression, the biggest difference I hear is that sound gets much more reverby, compared to before using a compressor. Why is it so? Is it because the compressor killed only the loud parts, which is the actual tone, and didn't kill the reverb too because the level of reverb is way below treshold?

Thanks in advance!
 
Depending on your amp setup, your guitar may well already be compressed, so any further compression you apply will affect all of the guitar part (and might explain why you're getting your current effect).

Try using the compressor on a more dynamic instrument (like vocals) or amp settings to better display how the compressor works.
 
Hey, thanks for the quick response!

I did not use any compression on my amp. I turned the reverb off now and experimented a bit with that, but what am I supposed to do when I actually want to record the guitar, and use reverb? Should I add reverb only in my DAW, and use no reverb from my amp?
 
Moon_Raven said:
Hey, thanks for the quick response!

I did not use any compression on my amp. I turned the reverb off now and experimented a bit with that, but what am I supposed to do when I actually want to record the guitar, and use reverb? Should I add reverb only in my DAW, and use no reverb from my amp?
Click to expand...

If you use high gain, then the guitar sound is compressed. I would record dry and add reverb later, but there are no rules and if you want the sound of the reverb from your amp, use it. Just don't add compression that over emphasises it.

---------- Update ----------

It might be best to post the sounds before and after applying the compression so we can give better advice.
 
I'd like to post the sounds, but am unsure on what is the best way to do it. Should I upload them as attachments, so that you must download and hear them? Or maybe upload them to soundcloud, make them private and post links here? Or is some other way preferred?
 
Get up to 10 posts first. Then use soundcloud or whatever. Soundcloud is easiest. In advanced mode you can actually highlight the link and hit the soundcloud button (far right on the bottom row of stuff above your text). Done and done. But you'll need to have 10 posts to post links. Site rules.
 
Ok, I'll try to post them as soundcloud. I know they sound awful, that was intentional so I can try to manipulate the ugly punchyness :D

Here's how the uncompressed track sounds like:



And here's how it sounds after the compression:



The first one sounds much dryer to me, especially if I listen with the headphones on.
 
Moon_Raven said:
Hello!

I am a newbie to recording and am trying to learn some of the basics of mixing. I tried to learn how a compressor works, so I played a few punchy tones on the guitar and recorded them. After using some compression, the biggest difference I hear is that sound gets much more reverby, compared to before using a compressor. Why is it so? Is it because the compressor killed only the loud parts, which is the actual tone, and didn't kill the reverb too because the level of reverb is way below treshold?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Exactly. But I highly recommend you to send the reverb into each own channel so you can only compress the direct signal and reverb signal differently :)
 
So you recommend that I record the signal dry into one channel, let's say channel A. Then I add a new track, let's say B, and send the signal from channel A to channel B, and set the reverb 100% wet so I hear only the reverb in channel B. And then I compress both signals with different settings?
 
You are almost defining parallel compression. Parallel channels with the same information summed on a bus so you can mix the amount of EQ/Comp/Effect without having to commit to anything permanent...But you still have a fader (the bus) that gives you control over the overall mix of that (those) channel(s).

---------- Update ----------

Corn Fusion ain't it! :D
 
Greg_L said:
Why do you even want to do all this compression?
Click to expand...

I am trying to compress some audio to get a grasp on how does it work and how does it sound like :)


BroKen_H said:
You are almost defining parallel compression. Parallel channels with the same information summed on a bus so you can mix the amount of EQ/Comp/Effect without having to commit to anything permanent...But you still have a fader (the bus) that gives you control over the overall mix of that (those) channel(s).

---------- Update ----------

Corn Fusion ain't it! :D
Click to expand...

I am not sure I fully understand. So if I have 10 tracks, I send all ten of them to same track to which I apply the compression? Or I have ten additional separate tracks so I can apply compression differently for each channel?
 
Hold up with the parallel compression talk for a second

I assume you are using an amp with built in reverb. If that is the case and you want to use that reverb, you will probably need to back off on the reverb or give up on the compression

The other way to do it was described before, where you record dry, the set up an aux send to a reverb set at 100% wetand mix the reverb with the track. You would of course only compress the guitar

parallel compression is where you take two identical tracks, guitar in this instance, and compress the crap out of one of them and leave the other alone, then mix the two together. But that is really beyond what you are trying to accomplish.

You would be much better off trying to compress something that needs compression, if you are trying to get a handle on what it does and how it works. Guitar amps compress the signal on their own, so the signal is already compressed and you won't get a good sense of what a compressor does.
 
Thanks a lot! You made everything much more clear to me.

In music that I am trying to create, I play the guitar, the bass, and would like to add some drum grooves and some synth effects. Is any of those better for learning compression?
 
Moon_Raven said:
Thanks a lot! You made everything much more clear to me.

In music that I am trying to create, I play the guitar, the bass, and would like to add some drum grooves and some synth effects. Is any of those better for learning compression?
Click to expand...

Anything with a lot of natural dynamics is a good starting point for playing with compression. Bass, clean guitar, vocals, piano, drums. They can all benefit or get destroyed by compression. That's up to you.

Overdriven guitars, as mentioned, are already flat-lined inside the amp, sim, or whatever you're using. Record a track of overdriven guitars. Look at the waveform. It's a flat line. Very few peaks and valleys. It's already flattened out. So for dynamic control purposes, compressing a crunched up guitar tracks is pretty much useless. And for sonic reasons, well, you've already heard what it can do. Compression can make it even more lifeless and bring out things you may not want.
 
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