compression on guitars etc.

[Logicman991]

I'm new in recording, but heres how I've understood compression: A compressor is for turning down the volume when it reaches a certain threshold, and you can set when it will react, how fast it will react and the speed of which it will turn the volume to the normal state.

I think i must have misunderstood something, because I keep reading about people who say they use compression on guitars to make it sound better? What am I missing? I think It's pretty easy to understand that turning the volume down at certain points won't make the sound any better, so it must be something that i don't get.

 

[Washburn100]

In practise, compression can give added sustain so when using distortion, you can get nice long power chords etc.

On acoustic tracks, I find it can give a "silky"feel to tracks.

I would suggest playing with a compressor and guitar. You can get some very interesting sounds/effects.

 

[Bristol Posse]

Also to be considered

Some compressors are very transparent and just effect volume. Some compressors are much less transparent and add euphonic distortion (also known as "Mojo") that colors the sound they are compressing in what many consider, if the compression is dialed in just right, to be a pleasing way.

This could be where the compression makes things sound better comments come from.

 

[Logicman991]

Hmm, ok, but how does it sustain? Can you give an example of how to use compression. Say if i have a clean electric guitar with powerchords that i just strum with a very "basic" rhythm. How would i use the compressor, for example?

EDIT:

Thats the compressor i use, the one i Logic. Now, i really can't see what else you can do with it except fixing the volume. =/

 

[Bristol Posse]

If the initial attack of the power chord is very loud, this limits you in how much you can push the volume of the guitar track,and so the quieter sustained part of the chord gets lost in the mix more quickly because if you turn up the guitar track the attack portion could clip, or at least be way too loud in the mix for example

If you set the compressor to clamp down on the initial attack of the chord being strummed and then allow the compressor to release, and then add some makeup gain, the result is a chord with a longer audible sustain in the mix because the attack portion has been tamed a little allowing the sustain to be brought up a few db

this will only work if the chord is left to ring of course. if you ar hitting a power chord and then immediately muting it with your plam after the attack then there is no sustain to bring out.

 

[Logicman991]

Ok, that definitely makes sense, thanks! The track in my example have powerchords that plays pretty fast, but they all ring untill the next one is played. Btw, is this how people make their songs louder? Cause i've found out that my song is very quiet compared to many professional recordings.

 

[Bristol Posse]

Ok, that definitely makes sense, thanks! The track in my example have powerchords that plays pretty fast, but they all ring untill the next one is played. Btw, is this how people make their songs louder? Cause i've found out that my song is very quiet compared to many professional recordings.

although there is a huge amount more to it than this...in very simple terms Yes compression can help you bring up the overall perceived volume of a song

 

[Logicman991]

Ok, now my next question is; if my goal is to lower the volume on the beginning of a chord, for example, should I use a limiter or compressor, and why would i choose one over the other?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Hmm, ok, but how does it sustain? Can you give an example of how to use compression. Say if i have a clean electric guitar with powerchords that i just strum with a very "basic" rhythm. How would i use the compressor, for example?

EDIT:

Thats the compressor i use, the one i Logic. Now, i really can't see what else you can do with it except fixing the volume. =/

Lack of sustain is just too much change in volume in a given amount of time.

To get more sustain use a low threshold so a large range of volume is affected. Try the ratio on a low or moderate setting. At this point the louder parts of the guitar are lowered, but less so as the guitar note fades.

Next, raise the makeup gain so the loud parts (the chord hits) are back about where they were. The quiet parts (the ringing chord) will be louder than before.

Experiment with all the parameters.

Guitar pedal compressors often work differently. There's usually a fixed threshold that you drive the signal into. That essentially does the threshold and makeup gain in one move.

 

[Seafroggys]

Because of my personal taste, I compress clean electric guitar, but never distorted guitars. I find that the distortion creates enough compression naturally.

 

[Logicman991]

Ok, thanks... makes things clearer. But why is it so bad to have change in volume very fast? Is it just cause it will make your mix very quiet because you are forced to take the volume faders down?

 

[Bristol Posse]

In very, very general terms
A limiter is essentially a fast attack compressor with a compression ratio set to infinity. So that as soon as the sound reached the threshold all signal above the threshold is completely eliminated. This can be useful to get rid of very fast transients but can also be very obvious and not very musical sounding if over done

A compressor allows you to set the ratio so that above the threshold, the volume is reduced by whatever the ratio you set was.
This means that the signal is not just cut off at a fixed point but is more smoothed out but there is some variance between loud and soft. This is generally more natural sounding (at least at lower ratios)

Which you choose is really up to you depending on what you want to achieve and how you want things to sound

experient with some crazy setting to see what compression actualy does and how it sounds and then dial it in for your specific needs

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Ok, now my next question is; if my goal is to lower the volume on the beginning of a chord, for example, should I use a limiter or compressor, and why would i choose one over the other?

A limiter is just a specific kind of compressor, generally fast and high ratio. They're meant to stop sudden peaks from getting through.

You may want more control over the guitar's envelope. Fast attack can suppress the sound of picks clicking across the strings. Using a slower attack lets them through. The ratio and release parameters are helpful in shaping the sustain.

 

[RAMI]

But why is it so bad to have change in volume very fast?

Nobody's saying it's bad. These are just examples of why you MIGHT want to use a compressor, since you asked.

 

[Paulie Jay]

A limiter is just a specific kind of compressor, generally fast and high ratio. They're meant to stop sudden peaks from getting through.

You may want more control over the guitar's envelope. Fat attack can suppress the sound of picks clicking across the strings. Using a slower attack lets them through. The ratio and release parameters are helpful in shaping the sustain.

Could I just ask what you mean by "fat" attack"? Do you mean that the attack setting is very low in miliseconds?

 

[philbagg]

In very, very general terms
A limiter is essentially a fast attack compressor with a compression ratio set to infinity. So that as soon as the sound reached the threshold all signal above the threshold is completely eliminated.

Sorry if I'm being picky here, and I'm not saying you don't know this, but a limiter
won't "completely eliminate" any signal above a threshold. It just prevents
the signals amplitude from increasing above the threshold.

Just to avoid any confusion

 

[witzendoz]

Just to throw another thought into the discussion, compression by its nature also turns up quiet passages in the playing.

I will explain: Say the playing has a whole lot of loud chords and in between the chords there are some individual notes that are not so loud, if you compress the chords you hear the overall volume go down. Now turn up the gain make up (or compressor output) so that the volume is as loud as it was before compression. 2 things have happened, the overall sound has fattened up due to the chords having a uniformed volume and the quiet notes in between (I always refer to this as detail) are easier to hear as they have been lifted out of the chords due to the compressor not compressing the quiet passages of the playing.

You have to experiment with compressor settings to get the sound you want.

Cheers

Alan.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Could I just ask what you mean by "fat" attack"? Do you mean that the attack setting is very low in miliseconds?

Sorry, it's "fast" attack. Typo. Yes, it means shorter time to engage the compression, fewer milliseconds.

 

[Paulie Jay]

Sorry, it's "fast" attack. Typo. Yes, it means shorter time to engage the compression, fewer milliseconds.

Thanks for that! I thought maybe it was some sort of insider lingo that I wasn't up on.

 

[witzendoz]

If you really want a Fat Attack, get one of these (image below).

I have one and they are great, wish I had 3 or 4 of them.

Cheers

Alan.