quick compressor question

N

Newbie dude

New member
If you record, lets say a guitarist, and he records the track, and it's pretty much perfect. no wrong or missed notes, he sayed on time, good tone, and he had really no dynamic problems. he didnt play one part a whle lot louder than another, is there any use in compressing the track?
 
Compression is used to control dynamics. If there aren't much dynamics in the playing and the levels seem even there's probably no reason to compress it. Unless you're wanting to use compression as more of an effect than something to control dynamics.
 
Newbie dude said:
If you record, lets say a guitarist, and he records the track, and it's pretty much perfect. no wrong or missed notes, he sayed on time, good tone, and he had really no dynamic problems. he didnt play one part a whle lot louder than another, is there any use in compressing the track?
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Based upon your description, I'd say that he'd be better off riding the fader manually or via level automation to bring the quiet part up to the rest.

G.
 
[stealing from the southside glen school of analogies]
I've just made the most delicious crock of chili ever! Should I add more salt?
 
For better or worse I try to avoid using compressors. Sure at time there are lifesavers. I find my compressors all so CPU hungry that I can only use a few at a time. :(
 
pathdoc said:
For better or worse I try to avoid using compressors. Sure at time there are lifesavers. I find my compressors all so CPU hungry that I can only use a few at a time. :(
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that use to be my problem, so i'd only use them on bass guitars and vocals, but now i have a new computer with a duo-core processor, so i can us all of 'em i want. :D
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Based upon your description, I'd say that he'd be better off riding the fader manually or via level automation to bring the quiet part up to the rest.

G.
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I agree with Glen.
 
danny.guitar said:
Compression is used to control dynamics. If there aren't much dynamics in the playing and the levels seem even there's probably no reason to compress it. Unless you're wanting to use compression as more of an effect than something to control dynamics.
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This seems to be a pretty common misconception about compression around these parts. Most people with a lot of experience tend to use compression less and less for dynamic control and more and more for tone shaping. Changing the perceived attack of a track, adding sustain to a track, inverting the dynamics etc... In the studio, dynamic control should start with the musician, and then should be in the hands of the engineer. This is what faders and volume envelopes and automation are for.
 
Newbie dude said:
If you record, lets say a guitarist, and he records the track, and it's pretty much perfect. no wrong or missed notes, he sayed on time, good tone, and he had really no dynamic problems. he didnt play one part a whle lot louder than another, is there any use in compressing the track?
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depends if its death metal or not :D
 
Newbie dude said:
how so? [ the site says I have to make this message at least ten characters, so, umm....fishsticks :) ]
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I was only poking fun.
Most of the death metal now days seems to be smashed to shite and made unbelievably loud! it tends to clip a fair bit too :rolleyes:

That said some bands have quite high production values such a children of bodom which played after nearly anything heavy sounds extreamly quiet (but still fairly brutal)
 
xstatic said:
This seems to be a pretty common misconception about compression around these parts. Most people with a lot of experience tend to use compression less and less for dynamic control and more and more for tone shaping. Changing the perceived attack of a track, adding sustain to a track, inverting the dynamics etc...
Click to expand...

Fully agree. Compression these days should be more about achieving a sound than about managing headroom. Of course there's also the "evening out the dynamics of a bad player" chore, but that's usually handled better by volume curves and automation.
 
I am with xstatic and Robert D on this one. Often times I will compress some synth lines not for dynamic control (wide dynamics are hardly ever an issue, and if they are I take care of them in the MIDI editor rather than at audio level), but for sound shaping and as an effect. To this end, I really like 1176LN and the Native Instruments' Guitar Rig2 compressor.
 
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