what is "good" compressor pumping? examples?

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JFrankParnell

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sometimes you see, e.g. in compressor settings, or talk about vintage recordings that the compressor is "pumping". Like, sometimes its a good thing? Does anyone have examples of recordings that have intentional pumping? What situations would you want to go for that sound?

thanks,
J
 
I can't think of any. :confused:

In fact, there's a radio station around here that clamps on some pretty heavy comp or limiting (whatever) and damn near every song has that pumping to it.

Irritates the hell outta me to the point I stopped listening to em. Too bad too cuz they have some pretty good jams.
 
Cant think of any good examples but in electronic music "pumping" compression on the bass caused by side chaining the comp to the kick is a desirable effect. Kind of makes the bass pulse to the rhythm of the kick drum.
 
Hell yes. That just falls in like 'Good mic bleed'. When it's intentional. :D
Although the term 'pumping does often imply 'excessive -and repeatedly (vs say real fast hard attack that sucks down but returns in and appropriate manner. like reshaping the sound of a cymbal crash.. Think when you want it animated, or for that effect.
Could be the sound of something fighting to be restrained.
Sometimes on a mix, one thing sort of modulates or controls the whole thing a bit. (More often you wouldn't go for more than a slight bit of movement on a mix though...
 
Pretty much any country song from the last ten years will have some pretty extreme pumping going on. Those guys act like they just discovered compressors and limiters this morning. It's easiest to tell in the slow songs - vocal comes in, everything else goes out, or the other way around - if it's a vocal-heavy mix in the verse (like practically every slow country song is), they'll bring in the big guitars and giganto-enormous 80s-hairband drum sound on the chorus, and the vocal gets markedly quieter until there's a break - meanwhile everything's being smashed together so hard that the whole thing clearly pulsates with every beat (clearly if you're listening for it, that is).

I don't really care for most of it, but I do think modern-country music sounds pretty damn good, pumping and all.
 
Yonce N Mild said:
Cant think of any good examples but in electronic music "pumping" compression on the bass caused by side chaining the comp to the kick is a desirable effect. Kind of makes the bass pulse to the rhythm of the kick drum.
Click to expand...

Reminded me of this, and I love it. About 4:50 = amazing IMO. Sounds like the whole mix is sidechained to the kick, and they did a deadly job of it.

They also use it to cool effect at 1:05. The clap reverb tail is sidechained to the kick.

Pumping at its best :D

[video=youtube;<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/jNniIwphJdM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/jNniIwphJdM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>]video[/video]
 
Philbagg, you're talking about the sustained clap that fades in and out with the kick there?

That's done with compression?

Cool.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Philbagg, you're talking about the sustained clap that fades in and out with the kick there?

That's done with compression?

Cool.
Click to expand...

It's either sidechain compression or ducking with a gate. Either way, it's f**king cool! :D
 
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