Another simple question (s?)

[antispatula]

Ok, so I'm new to all this. I've bought an old equilizer unit and a compressor. How do I use these? Let me be more specific: I use an 8 channel mixer, and I've got an 8 track reel to reel.

a) Do I use them while I'm tracking, or while I'm mixing?

b) Is both EQ and compression better used seperately on each channel, or can one of them like compression be used on the entire song? What's the best way to do this.

c) and lastly, how do I set this up? ?>?>?>recorder? Thanks, I REALLY need to figure this out.

Thanks a lot!

[modson]

Well first of all! I AM JEALOUS. I'd love an analogue set up! my limited experience is digital only unfortunately. but I can help on the comp EQ topic hopefully (until someone justly or not tells you im wrong).
You can use either at any point in your project! Though anything you print to tape will stay there - I.e. you cant take it off later! @ the mixing stage though feel free to experiment! any EQ or comp you do whern tracking, i'd recommend only using the most subtle amounts!

Compression (in case you dont know these BASICS) 'squashes' the dynamics of a track (either on 1 instrument, a group, or on the whole mix) basically you set a threshold as to where the comp should kick in, and a ratio as to how much i.e. 3:1 - this means that for every 3dB above the threshold the signal goes it will be reduced to +1dB. the attack tells the compressor when to compress - short attacks can cause some problems if their not right i.e. squashing the begining of a sound and releasing for the tail off.

the knee just means how sharply the comp will be applied at the threshold.
Use makeup gain to move the level of the sound back to the original level (comp has the effect of gain reduction)
Have a play with the settings and listen to what they do.

Hope ive helped (I am only a newbie myself so i cant be held responsible for posting shit!) but if i can help im happy to!

Chris

[antispatula]

hey, thanks for the help. Wait, so it's best to use both while mixing? Am I supposed to compress and use eq on each track individualy? How? They usually always only have 2 channels, and I'll be mixing 8! Maybe it's supposed to be used on the mix as a whole? I don't know!

[LfO]

EQ and compressors are tools with many applicaitons - they aren't "meant" to be used in as narrow a capacity as you have in mind. The basic model for making a recording involves three phases - tracking, mixing, and mastering.

Tracking - Recording the original performances and overdubs - effects are typically used conservatively here - you can always add more compression, eq, etc, later, but you can't take it away. Therefore, the most sensible philosophy at this stage is to only use eq if there's a really offensive component of what you're recording that you absolutely will not want. In digital land, light compression is often used to improve resolution - I don't know how this concept translates to analog-land, but avoiding effects at this stage is the safest route.

Mixing - use levels, panning and effects to get a good balance here. This is where you'll want to apply eq to a) get rid of remaining offensive components and b) make cosmetic changes to tone. Compressors are remarkably versatile, yet challenging to master. Search the forums and the web in general for their many applications - the most basic of which is to bring a track with too great of fluctuation in volume to a more usable, standard range. I must say, I don't envy your analog setup at all (I love my PC-based DAW), and its because of this part of the process. If you want to apply one of these effects to multiple tracks, and you only have one of each, you've got to do it one track at a time, bouncing from your original, through the unit, to a new (unused) track. This limits the number of tracks you have to work with AND is destructive (you introduce a little distortion every time you send it through an effect).

Mastering - once you're happy with your mix, you send it off to get mastered. Or, if you're like a lot of us here, you master it yourself. This is where you apply effects to the final, stereo mix. The primary (though debatably wise) goal of many recordists is to get the volume up to commercial standards using compressors/limiters. Of course, this too is a very deep topic to which many forums, threads and books are dedicated.

[modson]

you can use it on 1 track several or th whole mx if you choose providing that you can set it up to cover more than one channel in real time. in digital systems its muh different, there are EQ and compressors available for each track so you coud have an infinate amount of the two running given sufficient processing power. with analogue though, you may need >1 unit (possibly 1 per track, im not sure) might be worth talking to the analogue fiends - just search analogue Vs Digital in here and you'll soon find them - incredibly elitist lot though - very dispariging of digital.


Sorry i cant be o more help. Im hoping to get a chance learning to use analogue soon. hope you figure it out.

Cheers

Chris

[antispatula]

wait, so there's no way to mix all 8 tracks with one unit? Aw man.