what's the difference between working with multiband compression and parametric EQ?

[dobro]

In each case, you home in on a frequency or frequency range and cut it.

What's the difference?

[Dave Brown]

Multiband compression is dynamic - it responds to changes in the audio. Parametric EQ is static - no matter how the audio evolves, it always cuts/boosts the same frequencies by the same amount.

Consider a real example - deessing a vocal. You could try using a parametric EQ to cut the sibilant frequencies, but this would probably make for a very dull sounding vocal. You could try "riding the fader" to only cut the EQ during the problem bits, but that's too much like hard work.

Instead, take a multiband compressor, home in on the sibilant frequencies with one of the bands, and set say a -9dB threshold with 2:1 compression. When the vocal is OK (no sibilance) the threshold is not exceeded, and the vocal passes through unmodified. When sibilance happens, the threshold is crossed and the compressor dynamically cuts the volume of the offending frequencies. Effectively, it rides the EQ fader for you.

Same thing applies to, say, limiting a bass line which occasionally peaks in volume in a mix. If you use parametric EQ, you would simply be cutting the bass response of the whole track. Use a multiband compressor instead, and it only cuts the bass volume when the bassist gets too loud.

Multiband compressors have lots of other useful applications, but I think this covers your specific question.

Cheers,
Dave
www.db-audioware.com

[sjjohnston]

The compressor cuts loud stuff more than quiet stuff. If it's quiet enough, it doesn't cut it at all.

Same difference as an ordinary compressor and a volume control.

[pipelineaudio]

hey BIG FAT welcome aboard dave!!! I want to talk to you about your dx sidechains when I can get my brains in order

[sjoko2]

Very good answer Dave, welcome on board

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by dobro
In each case, you home in on a frequency or frequency range and cut it.

What's the difference?

I think Dave answered it, but my thought was that after over 4 thousand posts, you've just now asked this question? Goes to show how much learning can be found within this vast thing we call homerecording


SoMm

[knownuttin]

Dave's been here for months. He just don't talk much. How great is this site, I ask you?

For those that don't know, Dave's the creator of some pretty nice bang for the buck plugins. Check out his site for a full function demo download.
-kent

[Dave Brown]

Dave's been here for months. He just don't talk much

Developers can (quite rightly) get a roasting if we're perceived to be abusing a public forum for the sake of free advertising. So, I only post where I think it's a genuine contribution.

I actually hang around here a lot, it's one of the best forums available. But as there are lots of knowledgeable folks here, I rarely feel the need to speak up.

Dave (always lurking in the shadows)

[dobro]

somm - well, you know, there are always gonna be people who think post count is significant in some ways. As for me, I've seldom fallen prey to that particular fallacy...

Dave - in your example of a bass part that peaked occasionally, I'd just compress the whole track. Why use multiband?

[camn]

Multicomp is to EQ as compression is to a gain fader.

read it again!

think if you wanted compression.. but you only had a fader. THE HORROR!!!

its the same once you learn to use a multicompresssor.

Your bass track, however, may not need Multiband.. it being mostly bass. You could use a regular comp for that.. ...

....but imagine you had an instrument with more range.. or, god forbid, a twotrack mix of a drumkit. If you try to control your bass with a regular comp.. you'll hear the treble parts, or the cymbals, 'pumping'.. as THEIR gain is reduced along with the bass part.. A multiband comp will JUST reduce the bass.. letting the cymbals (or high resonance on a piano or whatever else) ring through unaffected!

LOVE it!!

xoxo

[Meshuggah]

Camn. That's the best explanation I ever saw.

[crosstudio]

because my bag-o-trick knowledge is a little limited, I only use the multi-comp for:

1) midi drum tracks that i record to audio as a 2-track mix rather than recording each percussion separately.

2) full stereo mixes.

I've heard people talk about using it to reduce boominess in vocals and such cause when vocalist get closer to the mic (proximity effect) but I've never done it.

[badgas]

Does this mean I need a multiband compressor or does sonar have one built in?

I know, I'm really dumb.