Multiband Compression

DrunkPete

New member
Hi guys,

I'm new to this site so please forgive me if I've missed any forum rules. Quick question...not so quick answer I'm afraid. How do you use a multiband compressor? I'm a novice-moderate level as far as recording goes. I've recorded and mixed tons of songs. However I'm looking to master some also. My mixes are clean and even. I've left around 3-5db headroom and haven't put any compression on the "final" stereo mix. (there is of course compression on drums, guitars, vox, etc). I've done the entire thing in ProTools, and have tons of plugs. I was planning on mastering the stereo mix in ProTools as well since I have the C4 plug along with the L1 limiter and some decent EQs (Q10, Rennisance sp?).

Now I've searched forever for tips on mastering, but it's always the same answer "step 1 - EQ to add clarity, air, etc - roll off everything below 40Hz, notch out 150HZ, yada yada yada...(fine..no prob), step 2 - "use some multiband compression on your mix" (now i'm stumped...exactly how? I know how to use regular compression...but adding in the extra options eludes me. Is there any literature that anyone knows of to fully explain HOW to use multiband compression?), step 3 -"maximize" your mix. (no prob, i'll use the L1 to bring it up)

I tried using the C4 pre-sets, but it still doesn't sound right...


Also, any other advice on Mastering would be appreciated...
Anyway, thanks in advance for your help!
 
I've only used a multi-band compressor on a full stereo mix, myself. It seems to let you adjust settings for different sound spectrums (?). The one I have used has settings to compress teh highs, mids, and lows, seperately. Not sure how peoper this is, but that's what I have done with it...
Ed
 
imagine a strange world where you take a track, split it into two idenical tracks.

then hi pass one somewhere in the mids, and low pass the other somewhere in the mids. do this in a manner so that when the 2 are combined you can't tell the difference between what you have and what you started with.

compress only the low passed track (in this example)
mix the 2 back together (compressed bottom and uncompressed hi-end)
thats (not really, but it'll get you started) it.

p.s. you probably don't want to try and do what i just described.
trust me.
 
DrunkPete said:
Hi guys,

I'm new to this site so please forgive me if I've missed any forum rules. Quick question...not so quick answer I'm afraid. How do you use a multiband compressor? I'm a novice-moderate level as far as recording goes. I've recorded and mixed tons of songs. However I'm looking to master some also. My mixes are clean and even. I've left around 3-5db headroom and haven't put any compression on the "final" stereo mix. (there is of course compression on drums, guitars, vox, etc). I've done the entire thing in ProTools, and have tons of plugs. I was planning on mastering the stereo mix in ProTools as well since I have the C4 plug along with the L1 limiter and some decent EQs (Q10, Rennisance sp?).

Now I've searched forever for tips on mastering, but it's always the same answer "step 1 - EQ to add clarity, air, etc - roll off everything below 40Hz, notch out 150HZ, yada yada yada...(fine..no prob), step 2 - "use some multiband compression on your mix" (now i'm stumped...exactly how? I know how to use regular compression...but adding in the extra options eludes me. Is there any literature that anyone knows of to fully explain HOW to use multiband compression?), step 3 -"maximize" your mix. (no prob, i'll use the L1 to bring it up)

I tried using the C4 pre-sets, but it still doesn't sound right...


Also, any other advice on Mastering would be appreciated...
Anyway, thanks in advance for your help!

ok, i guess i should read before i post.

a good mix won't need multiband compression.
and advice like notch 150hz should be suspect. yea, maby sometimes, but sometimes not.
 
Compressor and EQ use require you to know where you are and where you need to be. Presets won't take that into account although somtimes they're fun to experiment with.

I sometimes use spectrum stealing as a starting point and especially on individual parts like snares, kicks, toms, etc. It also can aid a mix if you're careful and know it's limitations. You can use spectrum stealing as an aid in analyzing the differences between your EQ levels against other very similar reference material.

Try this for a learning experience:

Download a plugin like Voxengo's CurveEQ, learn to use the Spectrum Matching, create an EQ curve with as few points as possible of your mix against a very similar commercial song... it'll be an eye opener for you and it's fun to do.
 
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I hate to sound like Captain Obvious, but did you read all the information in the manual about this? It goes into this in depth...
 
Sonixx said:
Download a plugin like Voxengo's CurveEQ, learn to use the Spectrum Matching, create an EQ curve with as few points as possible of your mix against a very similar commercial song... it'll be an eye opener for you and it's fun to do..

I just downloaded the demos of CurveEQ and the Soniformer a few days ago, very impressed for such a low price. I'll be buying these myself.
 
ds21 said:
I just downloaded the demos of CurveEQ and the Soniformer a few days ago, very impressed for such a low price. I'll be buying these myself.

Voxengo makes some great plugs, and you can't argue with the price.

As far as the C4, and MBCs in general, you really have to know what you're doing with these, and why your doing it. They are useful tools for correcting specific problems, but are usually thrown on mixes by people who just call up a preset that doesn't fit what the track really needs - usually making things worse. In my opinion, it's a great tool to learn how, and when to use properly, but it's easily the most abused and misused tool out there.

-RD
 
I agree the Voxengo plugins are just excellent. Right now I mainly use Voxengo and PSPAudioWare with a Ultrafunk thrown in occassionally.

I'd like to have the C4 again, but at $400... they've got to be kidding
 
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Robert D said:
As far as the C4, and MBCs in general, you really have to know what you're doing with these, and why your doing it. They are useful tools for correcting specific problems, but are usually thrown on mixes by people who just call up a preset that doesn't fit what the track really needs - usually making things worse.

Fair enough. Now, care to explain how one would go about learning such a tool? Personally, the way I look at MBC are more like dynamic EQs than compressors. Sonically, that seems to make more sense to me. Although, I have yet to find a good reason to use it myself.
 
Forget about multiband compression.

The only one worth slapping on a stereo buss for mastering is soniformer.
The rest fuck with the sound too much and not in a good way.
 
Two things I agree with in one post. (1) I tend to stay far away from maul-the-band compression unless it's absolutely necessary. (2) Voxengo's Soniformer rocks when you need frequency dependent compression that doesn't make the whole mix sound like it's being run through a BBE Sonic Stupidifier.
 
noisewreck said:
Personally, the way I look at MBC are more like dynamic EQs than compressors. Sonically, that seems to make more sense to me.

Excellent! That's a point that was well understood and acted upon by Aleksey over at Voxengo.
So the "when to use one" answer is simply whenever you have a dynamic frequency problem, where using a static EQ will cut the problem frequency or frequencies all the time - when it needs it (good) and when it doesn't need it (bad).

-RD
 
Massive Master said:
Two things I agree with in one post. (1) I tend to stay far away from maul-the-band compression unless it's absolutely necessary. (2) Voxengo's Soniformer rocks when you need frequency dependent compression that doesn't make the whole mix sound like it's being run through a BBE Sonic Stupidifier.

I just downloaded the demo of Soniformer yesterday and played around with it. Do you have any tips for using it? The online help/manual explained the functions pretty well but didn't go into much depth for usage.

Also would you use this instead of or in addition to a low-ratio, slow-attack stereo compressor?
 
Yareek said:
I just downloaded the demo of Soniformer yesterday and played around with it. Do you have any tips for using it? The online help/manual explained the functions pretty well but didn't go into much depth for usage.

Also would you use this instead of or in addition to a low-ratio, slow-attack stereo compressor?

I'm a bit confused by Soniformer, also. Once you decide on which frequencies you want to cut, can you only have one setting for attack, release, etc? Or can you have different settings for each frequency?
I've read through the manual 3 times and still don't quite understand it.
 
Here's that "broken record" mode again...

You use at as the mix asks you to use it. It's basically an "infinitely variable" type of a setup - You can use smooth transitions between attacks and releases, ratios and thresholds - You can essentially draw the curve you want.

Looking at the presets (?!?) vs. what the presets are called, you can get an idea of what they're attempting and how - The active parameter is the one that's selected on the bottom.

Notice how as a general rule, "Lower (frequency) is Slower (attack/release)"

And the GUI is great for picking up problem freq's... If there's an overtone in the guitars or something, using a frequency analysis view will show you where it is (roughly) and just increase the ratio / lower the threshold in that area.

Not that I'd ever suggest using your eyes over your ears, but with that plug, it's hard to avoid a blend of the two...
 
Massive Master said:
Here's that "broken record" mode again...

You use at as the mix asks you to use it. It's basically an "infinitely variable" type of a setup - You can use smooth transitions between attacks and releases, ratios and thresholds - You can essentially draw the curve you want.

Looking at the presets (?!?) vs. what the presets are called, you can get an idea of what they're attempting and how - The active parameter is the one that's selected on the bottom.

Notice how as a general rule, "Lower (frequency) is Slower (attack/release)"

And the GUI is great for picking up problem freq's... If there's an overtone in the guitars or something, using a frequency analysis view will show you where it is (roughly) and just increase the ratio / lower the threshold in that area.

Not that I'd ever suggest using your eyes over your ears, but with that plug, it's hard to avoid a blend of the two...

John,

Why are you in "broken record" mode again? Have the intricacies of Soniformer been discussed ad nauseum? I searched and wasn't able to find answers to my confusion. I'm not asking about how to use it in the mix - I'm asking about the mechanical why's and whatfor's of how it operates. I don't recall the demo having presets, but I could be wrong.
I know how compression works but Mr. Voxengo himself does admit that his approach to compression and GUI can be a little different than others. I'm sure Soniformer is as powerful as you say - it's approach is just confusing me a little.
Btw, thanks for the info you provided.

-Terry
 
Just a bit of underscoring of what John was saying. I wouldn't use an MBC in the chain as a rule of thumb. It's usually used to correct a frequency imbalance during mastering when a remix isn't possible just as you wouldn't always run a mix through a de-esser unless it needed it.

First try to fix any imbalance in the mix. If the bottom end is inconsistent try compressing or EQing the kick, bass, or other instruments in the bottom end at the track level. Likewise any issues elsewhere in the frequency spectrum. Since you're in the position of being able to both mix and master the tracks, this shouldn't be a problem.

Don't subscribe to the hype of software (or hardware) manufacturers that call for using a tool where it isn't needed.
 
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