anybody read mixing with your mind?

[BRIEFCASEMANX]

How is it?

I've heard he has a unique method for how to set a compressor. How does he do it?

Also, I heard he hints at some "secret to a hit song mix" or something like that. What kind of clues does he give?

[tkingen]

Originally Posted by BRIEFCASEMANX

How is it?

I've heard he has a unique method for how to set a compressor. How does he do it?

Also, I heard he hints at some "secret to a hit song mix" or something like that. What kind of clues does he give?

I have the book and it surely opened some doors for me. Stav's method for using compression is the best and it's the best explanation of compression that I've found. I'd love to share his ideas but he has asked his customers not to and I honor his request.
He covers most of the usual topics found in "how to" recording books but overall I like his methods best. There are a couple of chapters that tend toward the mystical, but that's common to an artistic mind. His explanation of compression alone was worth the price of the book. Really... I'd like to emphasize that last sentence.
If you find the book pricey - put it on your Christmas list or something. You'll read it many times over.

[RawDepth]

Compression is no mystery. Just learn how to work the damn thing. That is probably the trouble most newbies have.

I don't think there is "one" magical setting that works for everything either. Things like attack, release, knee, and ratio settings should differ for different sources. That's why they put all those knobs on there for ya.

RD

[HangDawg]

Originally Posted by tkingen

I have the book and it surely opened some doors for me. Stav's method for using compression is the best and it's the best explanation of compression that I've found. I'd love to share his ideas but he has asked his customers not to and I honor his request.
He covers most of the usual topics found in "how to" recording books but overall I like his methods best. There are a couple of chapters that tend toward the mystical, but that's common to an artistic mind. His explanation of compression alone was worth the price of the book. Really... I'd like to emphasize that last sentence.
If you find the book pricey - put it on your Christmas list or something. You'll read it many times over.

What kind of a jackass would tell people not to share information. My guess is he's a money grubbing fuckwit.

[timboZ]

Originally Posted by tkingen

. I'd love to share his ideas but he has asked his customers not to and I honor his request..

Thats the kind of crap that makes me want to find it on the internet and download it.

[pathdoc]

I just ordered a copy. Thanks for the headsup. Education isn't cheap but its worth every penny.

[tkingen]

Well, I'm not going to spend my time defending him.I think his method of handling compression is unique and it works for me. It is a different way of approaching the subject and it has nothing to do with a magical "one size fits all" setting.

I've not yet heard a complaint from anyone who ever bought his book... and I'm sure anybody can get similar results with their own methods. It's all fun.

[cello_pudding]

knowing what each setting does, and hearing what each setting does is different. from a quick google search and a 10 second read...this is what i got...


"work from the extremes backwards

ie: start with attack and release at the shortest settings, the ratio at the highest and the threshold low (you might need to adjust the makeup gain at this stage)

it'll sound very ugly at first, but as you increase the attack and the release, you will hear exactly what those parameters are doing

then decrease the ratio until the sound is the right size

raise the threshold until it sounds right (reduce the makeup gain)"

if you do this on the tracks you want to compress, you'll find out what the different knees, attacks, releases, and ratios really do and sound like for different instruments. it will eventually let you know what the track needs. it just takes a consistent method and a little practice.

[ecktronic]

Originally Posted by RawDepth

I don't think there is "one" magical setting that works for everything either. Things like attack, release, knee, and ratio settings should differ for different sources. That's why they put all those knobs on there for ya.

RD

Of course.
Goes without thinking let alone speaking.

[RightOnMusic]

hey ecktronic, i think i had you try a mix of my friend's read of "the lorax" set to music...

[BRIEFCASEMANX]

Originally Posted by RawDepth

Compression is no mystery. Just learn how to work the damn thing. That is probably the trouble most newbies have.

I don't think there is "one" magical setting that works for everything either. Things like attack, release, knee, and ratio settings should differ for different sources. That's why they put all those knobs on there for ya.

RD

I was just interested in his method of how he gets to the various settings for any particular track. Not presets. If it is the quote from cello pudding, than I already do exactly that.

I always had trouble hear exactly what twisting the knobs was doing, especially when hearing the track with the entire mix playing, it was too hard to hear how it was interacting with the other elements in the track, so I started doing extreme settings so I could hear better what the compressor was actually doing and how it would change how the rest of the mix around it felt.

I was wondering if that book had another unique way for me to try.

Also, i'm going to buy the book eventually. Just don't have money right now. Wish I would have heard about it before I bought other 15 or so recording/mixing/mastering books/dvd's that I have. Mainly wanted to try it out on this band I'm recording right now. I won't have money to buy the book until after this project is done and the band pays me though!

[Greg_L]

Originally Posted by cello_pudding

knowing what each setting does, and hearing what each setting does is different. from a quick google search and a 10 second read...this is what i got...


"work from the extremes backwards

ie: start with attack and release at the shortest settings, the ratio at the highest and the threshold low (you might need to adjust the makeup gain at this stage)

it'll sound very ugly at first, but as you increase the attack and the release, you will hear exactly what those parameters are doing

then decrease the ratio until the sound is the right size

raise the threshold until it sounds right (reduce the makeup gain)"

if you do this on the tracks you want to compress, you'll find out what the different knees, attacks, releases, and ratios really do and sound like for different instruments. it will eventually let you know what the track needs. it just takes a consistent method and a little practice.

Yeah thats what I always do, and I don't know jack shit. I just turn knobs and push buttons until it sounds good.

[ecktronic]

Originally Posted by RightOnMusic

hey ecktronic, i think i had you try a mix of my friend's read of "the lorax" set to music...

Yes thats right.
That was a very fun song to mix. Such a big piece but never got boring.
How did you find the mix?

It was a while ago and I have got soo much better at mixing since.

[RightOnMusic]

i ended up mixing it myself. in fact it's one of those projects that's been ALMOST finished for like 9 months, haha.

http://64.32.225.169/Cobb_Jim/The_Lorax_09-13-06.mp3

let me also mention that i scored the read, the reading was done first. not reading to music. the other way around. REALLY fun project.

[ecktronic]

Originally Posted by RightOnMusic

i ended up mixing it myself. in fact it's one of those projects that's been ALMOST finished for like 9 months, haha.

http://64.32.225.169/Cobb_Jim/The_Lorax_09-13-06.mp3

let me also mention that i scored the read, the reading was done first. not reading to music. the other way around. REALLY fun project.

My mix must have been bad then!

Eck

[PhiloBeddoe]

I think learning compressors just requires a lot of practice. Having a fixed formulaic method for setting up a compressor every time is not necessary. Once you know the sounds you are looking for, you will have an idea of where to start and then tweak in small increments until you get what you want.

On some sources a slow release is the extreme setting rather than a fast one so the method kind of breaks down at the first step IMO. I do agree that if you are not hearing what a compressor is doing it can help to move some parameters to the extreme and work back to what sounds good. Then again, setting them at zero and working up can work fine too.

I'll withold further comment on the sillyness of keeping things a 'secret'.

Once you learn what the parameters do then you have to think about what you want to do with the sound. Do you want it to be punchy or smooth? Do you want to hear the pumping? Also, all compressors impart a character on the sound. Setting up two different models of compressors with the exact same settings will yield different results.

[Chris Jahn]

Ive only been at this for about 6 months, but i have found that all the books ive read did almost nothing compared to just twisting knobs!!! Once i had a fundemental understanding of what compression does (which i kinda had before i ever used one) i just aplied it in every extreme left to right untill i HEARD what it did to everyting, every instrument, and thats how i learned MY settings!!!!

And im sure those seting will change over the years, or even in the next few months because ill learn something else about a sound, instrument, or effect that will dramatically change my aproach to compression.

[RAMI]

Your settings should change every song. Not neccassarilly, but it shouldn't be about having your settings for each instrument. It should be about using, or not using, compression on each instrument to suit each song.

[Ironklad Audio]

....so people are paying some "genius" to write a book stating that you should turn all the settings up to hear what they do, then slowly turn them down until they sound right?

i need to get into publishing.

[BRIEFCASEMANX]

so no one other than secret tkingen has read this book?

[TragikRemix]

Originally Posted by RawDepth

Compression is no mystery. Just learn how to work the damn thing. That is probably the trouble most newbies have.

RD

yup. i think people should start with glen's "Compression Uncompressed" or whatever its called. awesome tutorial, taught me how to use a compressor better than anything else. plus, that's free

[BRIEFCASEMANX]

I know how a compressor works. I understand what all the knobs do. I just heard he has a "unique" way of setting a compressor that I would like to try out. I was looking for a unique way of doing something I already "know" how to do.

[RightOnMusic]

Originally Posted by ecktronic

My mix must have been bad then!

Eck

you sayin my mix ain't good?

[fishkarma]

Originally Posted by RightOnMusic

you sayin my mix ain't good?

sounds good to me
nice track!

[zed32]

Originally Posted by cello_pudding

knowing what each setting does, and hearing what each setting does is different. from a quick google search and a 10 second read...this is what i got...


"work from the extremes backwards

ie: start with attack and release at the shortest settings, the ratio at the highest and the threshold low (you might need to adjust the makeup gain at this stage)

it'll sound very ugly at first, but as you increase the attack and the release, you will hear exactly what those parameters are doing

then decrease the ratio until the sound is the right size

raise the threshold until it sounds right (reduce the makeup gain)"

if you do this on the tracks you want to compress, you'll find out what the different knees, attacks, releases, and ratios really do and sound like for different instruments. it will eventually let you know what the track needs. it just takes a consistent method and a little practice.

yeah i've always worked from the extremes backwards on any effects i'm using. it was always the easiest way for me to hear how something really works, whether it be a compressor, or reverb or whatever.