average comp settings for playing live

D

Dockcurrie

New member
If you're playing live and you've got a comp as one of the effects run through the mixer (either an aux send/return or an insert, still fuzzy on the difference), it would occur to me that you would need to pick homogenous settings for all the things you'd want compressed (ie. bass drum, snare, cymbals, ect.)

If you want a big full punchy sound from a well mic'ed well tuned kit, what kind of settings would you put the compressor to in order to accomodate all the things it gets applied to?
 
Your right. There are probably too many diverging needs for one do-it-all setting. Like picking up everything for a four-course meal and sticking it in a pot. That's not big and punchy it's mush.
Compression (generally) needs to address a specific goal, or problem. You could get lucky and just go for the sound of it.

(either an aux send/return or an insert, still fuzzy on the difference)
Click to expand...
One is 'series -all of the signal, the other is parallel -both signals.
 
thanks, that helps muchly. good analogy btw.

so then what must you do when playing live in order to correctly compress each drum/cymbal.

money is an issue but I love sound to death and if theres a way to do it right I'll save up and do it.
 
kick drum compression is very different from snare drum compression. and both of those are very different from overhead compression. i would get something like a dbx 1046 (a quad comp/limiter, very popular in live racks), patch it into the inserts on your kick, snare, and drum bus and call it a day.

an aux send (and return) takes the signal, usually post eq and post fader (some boards have options to make it pre fader/pre eq), and sends that channel out.....and then back in, usually on its own fader or knob. this is usually used for reverb, delay, etc--like fx channels in a DAW.

inserts allow you to "insert" something (like a compressor) into the signal path. usually the insert point is immediately following the preamp and before the EQ or fader. this allows you to compress before you EQ.


cheers,
wade
 
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