My metal mix sounds like mud always, Now I'm addicted to using multiband compression

[RAMI]

Do you think I should try parallel compression for the drums?

The answer to that can never be "No". You should ALWAYS try EVERYTHING. Whether you like it or not is totally up to you. That's the great thing about what most of us do here. It's a hobby we love, and we're not paying for studio time. So how can it hurt to try anything.

Having said that, parallel compression on drums is used often with great success.

 

[Farview]

Have you just tried normal compression on the drum buss? You seem to be starting with the most exotic thing and working your way backwards. It might be easier to start with no compression, then try normal compression if that doesn't work.

Parallel compression is good if you want the squish effect of a compressor set on stun, but without loosing the natural transients. If that isn't what you are going for, it isn't the right method for you.

 

[frank_1]

I have "regular" compression on the kick, snare and toms. Itske it more punchy and in your face but the multi just expands and tightens the low end. I would like to achieve that without using it because I keep hearing that the "pros" hardly ever use it but I on the other hand, rely on it.

 

[Farview]

I have "regular" compression on the kick, snare and toms. Itske it more punchy and in your face but the multi just expands and tightens the low end. I would like to achieve that without using it because I keep hearing that the "pros" hardly ever use it but I on the other hand, rely on it.

Send the drums to a buss and put a normal compressor on the buss. Keep the compressors on the individual tracks as well.

On the individual tracks, do you have the compression first, or the EQ. On drums, I almost always EQ before I compress. That helps focus the tone you are looking for. Gates could also help if, for example, the kick were a little too flabby.

 

[Greykitkat36]

I have "regular" compression on the kick, snare and toms. Itske it more punchy and in your face but the multi just expands and tightens the low end. I would like to achieve that without using it because I keep hearing that the "pros" hardly ever use it but I on the other hand, rely on it.

"I hear pros hardly ever use it"---This is just not the truth. I know many who are professional who will use multibands from time to time. They do exactly what you say--they clean up the mud and make everything tighter and punchier (IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THEM). That being said, if you really don't know WHY you're using it, then you probably shouldn't be. I use them in mastering to catch peaks after EQ, especially if I just boosted the mix. Use your ears as the judge. The settings are CRUCIAL to making them work correctly, and that comes down to hours of working with it.

For starters, for light compression as in acoustic work or indie rock etc...stick to low ratios and high attack/release settings.

For metal like you're using, the attack and release are usually lower settings to get more "punch". Even for metal though, never use higher ratios than 4:1 for multiband, you'll kill your song. If you keep all bands the same ratio, that helps keep it more natural sounding and also if you don't compress the low and upper mids as much as the low and high, that will help too. But like I said, it's all an ear and experience thing.

 

[David Cooke]

"I hear pros hardly ever use it"---This is just not the truth. I know many who are professional who will use multibands from time to time. They do exactly what you say--they clean up the mud and make everything tighter and punchier (IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THEM). That being said, if you really don't know WHY you're using it, then you probably shouldn't be. I use them in mastering to catch peaks after EQ, especially if I just boosted the mix. Use your ears as the judge. The settings are CRUCIAL to making them work correctly, and that comes down to hours of working with it.

For starters, for light compression as in acoustic work or indie rock etc...stick to low ratios and high attack/release settings.

For metal like you're using, the attack and release are usually lower settings to get more "punch". Even for metal though, never use higher ratios than 4:1 for multiband, you'll kill your song. If you keep all bands the same ratio, that helps keep it more natural sounding and also if you don't compress the low and upper mids as much as the low and high, that will help too. But like I said, it's all an ear and experience thing.

+1 what a mixing/tracking/mastering engineer does is so irrelevant. People who say they don't "compress" drums are using colored pres that already compress em. People who say "they didn't use any eq " are full of crap; everything you do is eq (moving a mic/selecting a mic) and a tracking engineer that says they "never put duct tape on heads" probably haven't worked with 5 year old shot to death heads and a terrible drummer. And my fav is the "we don't use triggers".. Doesn't mean the mix guy doesn't...



I agree with using mbc to control over tones. Take a snare that is ringing at 250hz go up an octave and I'll bet u got
Resonance at 500hz too. When you do a notch at 250 it can certainly mess up the perception of that 500hz's dynamic. That's one instance I can think to use one.


I'm not trying to advocate using one and the truth is most of these tools are abused (reverb to compensate bad rooms, eq to fix bad miking etc.). But my point is YOU are the only one who knows what your stuff sounds like before you hit record no one else can tell you what sounds like the real deal. If it sounds good it is good. I don't care if you run the entire mix through a boss ds1 the end justifies the means everytime. Don't stress out over your tools man!

I would agree though that it is usually best to fix problems as early as possible. Mbc is in my experience usually a last resort.

 

[Mo Facta]

Sounds like you have a bad case of the "slamitis". Don't worry, there are support groups. Progressively decrease your intake of multiband compression and eventually you'll kick the habit.

Cheers