Compressors, Why?

H

Hobbiest

New member
I'm new to this stuff and I'm seeing alot about compressors for mic's, why? I have a nano-verb so far. I'm setting up a small studio in my basement just as a hobby and I'm trying to do it as cheap as possible but with good equipment, possible good used stuff.

[This message has been edited by Hobbiest (edited 06-07-2000).]
 
Compressors are used so much on pro recordings that we've become acustomed to hearing things recorded like that. If nothing else it makes your production sound like your favourite bands'. On vocals it can also make up for bad mike technique or inconsistant vocal levels.

I read somewhere that Robert Palmer rarely uses a compressor but gets the same effect by just moving the mike away from his mouth when he gets loud and back again as he sings quiet. I've seen a lot of live jazz singers do this.
 
A comressor if used properly can make an instrument or a voice "come forward" in a mix or seem more in your face. Its because by limiting transiant peaks you can make the average level of a signal louder. More or less. I think.
 
The problem, in my opinion, is that if you limit the transistien peaks, you take away much of the identity of the instrument/voice. I think it may be good as an insurance against clipping as long as it's not messing with the signals if they're below the peak value.

/Ola
 
A compressor is a tool. as is with all tools when you use it, where you use it, how you use it and whether you use it at all depends on the type of program material and the context it's in. It is definatly not a one size fits all kind of a thing. There would be instances where I would never use one and there are times when it's my best friend.
 
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