Compressor Settings on Final Live Mix

[Muddy T-Bone]

I have a live recording of an electric band taken from my Zoom that I'm in process of mixing and cleaning up with REAPER.

There are a few tracks that have some snare hits that exceed 0db by 1-1.5 dB that I would like to use compression to clean up. I need some advise on settings for my compressor.

What are good typical settings used in a final mix prior to rendering?

Threshold-

Pre Comp-

Attack-

Release-

Classic attack or Auto Release better?

Ratio-

Knee Size-

Lowpass-

Hi Pass-

Thanks in advance

 

[RAMI]

It's impossible to give settings, and there really are no "typical" settings.

For example, it's completely impossible to even think of suggesting a threshold level because that's totally dependent on the level of what you're trying to compress. Same thing with attack, release, low pass, high pass, etc....It's all dependent on the song.

Just a suggestion, if the snare is making the mix clip, why not just turn down the whole mix?

 

[Muddy T-Bone]

The snare clipping is infrequent, and generally at the song start.

My thought process was to set the threshold to -6dB and the ratio at 2:1.

I was looking for some good "general" settings info. There must be some type of basis or starting point to work with.

 

[RAMI]

I'm not going to comment on settings because of what I said in my first post.

But, I'll try to offer some advice. What you're sort of doing, in essence, is "mastering" a mix. If that's the case, the mix is way too hot. I would turn down the whole mix a good 6-10db at least, and then try to "master" it with compression and/or limiting. A pre-mastered finished mix should never be anywhere near the neighborhood of 0db.

 

[mixsit]

I'm not going to comment on settings because of what I said in my first post.

But, I'll try to offer some advice. What you're sort of doing, in essence, is "mastering" a mix. If that's the case, the mix is way too hot. I would turn down the whole mix a good 6-10db at least, and then try to "master" it with compression and/or limiting. A pre-mastered finished mix should never be anywhere near the neighborhood of 0db.

I was going to go in with something like 'try hard limiter on those snare peaks, but as far as compression, that's wide open to the styles and sound effect you want..
But first..
?? I understand run nice nominal levels -tracking right on through the mix.
Just kinda wondering though, since we're tagging it as 'a mix, (presumably a final' here) and we'd go there (run comps, limiters on up in levels) for a 'master'- Why not on here?

 

[RAMI]

Sorry Mixsit.

I was going to go in with something like 'try hard limiter on those snare peaks, but as far as compression, that's wide open to the styles and sound effect you want..
But first..
?? I understand run nice nominal levels -tracking right on through the mix.

....you had me........

Just kinda wondering though, since we're tagging it as 'a mix, (presumably a final' here) and we'd go there (run comps, limiters on up in levels) for a 'master'- Why not on here?

.....then you lost me.

I'm not understanding the question at all.

 

[mixsit]

Sorry Mixsit.

....you had me........

.....then you lost me.

I'm not understanding the question at all.

Umm you seemed to be saying 'turn it down (first) because it was hot for a mix'.
(..I was saying it seems to be a 'master he is doing.)

 

[RAMI]

Umm you seemed to be saying 'turn in down (first) because it was hot for a mix'.

Right. So, you're asking why turn it down only to compress/limit it back up? Fair question, if that's what you're asking. Well, for one thing, his snare hits are clipping. That alone would be a good reason to just turn down the mix.

I have to say that I don't have any experience with "mastering" a live mix. Maybe it's normal that the levels would be higher than a studio mix (though I can't imagine why), If that's the case, dis-regard everything I've said and wait for someone like BoulderSoundGuy to set us on the right path.

 

[Massive Master]

I was looking for some good "general" settings info.

*Totally* dependent on what the mix is doing vs. what you want it to do, the levels of the mix, the tempo, how you want the mix to react to compression, how much gain reduction you want, whether you want it to rush or relax back to 0 GR, on and on and on.

There must be some type of basis or starting point to work with.

"Bypass" -- Really though -- You need to learn the tool. You'll *know* the settings you need (although those settings will only apply to that one individual mix) if you know the tool.

 

[jaynm26]

I have a live recording of an electric band taken from my Zoom that I'm in process of mixing and cleaning up with REAPER.

There are a few tracks that have some snare hits that exceed 0db by 1-1.5 dB that I would like to use compression to clean up. I need some advise on settings for my compressor.

What are good typical settings used in a final mix prior to rendering?

Threshold-

Pre Comp-

Attack-

Release-

Classic attack or Auto Release better?

Ratio-

Knee Size-

Lowpass-

Hi Pass-

Thanks in advance

T-Bone took give you a little help. Take your mix mute everything cept the kick. Bring the signal not the fader the signal down to -10 (use a trim or gain plugin) once you do that then adjust your snare in reference to your kick...(yea your essentially reconstructed/rebalancing your mix) (it should be significantly lower since your kick is now at -10). If you Gain Stage correctly in this fashion nothing will clip ever. And dont worry its not to low just cut your monitors up. You mix bus (with all the instruments & vocals going to it) should peak somewhere round -3 (just a guess). If you have a bus comp on your drums re set it so that the new peaks level is attenuated correctly. You will find you dont need a compressor if the gain stage is correct and if you do choose to apply one the effect will "REALLY" bring out the quality in your mix in a whole better way.

And not to mentioned your overall mix will just sound better cause you wont be clipping plugins or pushing them to the max. Each plugin will be working at optimal level and sound quality. The headroom you create by doin will be a whole lot better for your mastering eng. cause that were most mixes are before mastering and most do not have a comp on this cause most mastering eng ask you to take them off anyway

 

[Muddy T-Bone]

T-Bone took give you a little help. Take your mix mute everything cept the kick. Bring the signal not the fader the signal down to -10 (use a trim or gain plugin) once you do that then adjust your snare in reference to your kick...(yea your essentially reconstructed/rebalancing your mix) (it should be significantly lower since your kick is now at -10). If you Gain Stage correctly in this fashion nothing will clip ever. And dont worry its not to low just cut your monitors up. You mix bus (with all the instruments & vocals going to it) should peak somewhere round -3 (just a guess). If you have a bus comp on your drums re set it so that the new peaks level is attenuated correctly. You will find you dont need a compressor if the gain stage is correct and if you do choose to apply one the effect will "REALLY" bring out the quality in your mix in a whole better way.

And not to mentioned your overall mix will just sound better cause you wont be clipping plugins or pushing them to the max. Each plugin will be working at optimal level and sound quality. The headroom you create by doin will be a whole lot better for your mastering eng. cause that were most mixes are before mastering and most do not have a comp on this cause most mastering eng ask you to take them off anyway

Jaynm 26-

That would be a good solution, however the recording was using a Zoom 2 channel recorder, so the 2 channels are all I have to work with. I can't turn any instrument down. Like Rami said I'm mastering more than mixing in this case.

 

[RAMI]

I'm not sure what's going on, and I might have made too many assumptions.

But based on Muddy's OP, I got the impression that he doesn't have access to the individual tracks. I assumed it's a stereo mix of a live band. That's why I suggested treating it like a pre-mastered mix and turning it down and then mastering it.

But Mixsit makes a great point (now that I finally got what he was trying to say through my thick skull). Why not just make this the master? Which makes sense. But then,like I said, turn it down so that the snare isn't clipping.

 

[Muddy T-Bone]

It's impossible to give settings, and there really are no "typical" settings.....

Just a suggestion, if the snare is making the mix clip, why not just turn down the whole mix?

Rami,

Turning down the whole mix is a good and logical suggestion. I tried that.

When I did that a problem occured in rendering to an Audio CD, the overall volume was very low. Almost not accepable.

Keep in mind the ZOOM that I recorded this on has "auto limiting" or whatever they call it. So 99.7% of the tracking is fine, it's just a few snare hits that were faster than the limiter in the Zoom that got thru and are giving me problems.

Having read the replies so far, I think what I should be trying to do is apply a LIMITER to the audio to tame those snare hits, and not try and compress the entire recording.

 

[RAMI]

Rami,

Turning down the whole mix is a good and logical suggestion. I tried that.

When I did that a problem occured in rendering to an Audio CD, the overall volume was very low. Almost not accepable.

Keep in mind the ZOOM that I recorded this on has "auto limiting" or whatever they call it. So 99.7% of the tracking is fine, it's just a few snare hits that were faster than the limiter in the Zoom that got thru and are giving me problems.

Having read the replies so far, I think what I should be trying to do is apply a LIMITER to the audio to tame those snare hits, and not try and compress the entire recording.

In your first post, you said the sanre was onlyclipping by 1-1.5 db over. Was it that much lower when you turned it down just enough for the snare to not clip any more?

If so, then we go full circle again and talk about "mastering". Turn the mix way down and put it through a limiter, set the peak at -.5, and you'll get the volume you want without clipping.

 

[mixsit]

I'm not sure what's going on, and I might have made too many assumptions.

But based on Muddy's OP, I got the impression that he doesn't have access to the individual tracks. I assumed it's a stereo mix of a live band. That's why I suggested treating it like a pre-mastered mix and turning it down and then mastering it.

But Mixsit makes a great point (now that I finally got what he was trying to say through my thick skull). Why not just make this the master? Which makes sense. But then,like I said, turn it down so that the snare isn't clipping.

Hey, just got back to re-read this thing -thinking maybe I was the one that had it wrong -
The 'Zoom' could have meant 'multi-tracks being mixed in Reaper and 'tracks' didn't mean songs!

Ok. Back to 'mastering' two-tracks ('songs.. in Reaper

 

[mixsit]

..Keep in mind the ZOOM that I recorded this on has "auto limiting" or whatever they call it. So 99.7% of the tracking is fine, it's just a few snare hits that were faster than the limiter in the Zoom that got thru and are giving me problems.

Having read the replies so far, I think what I should be trying to do is apply a LIMITER to the audio to tame those snare hits, and not try and compress the entire recording.

Given that, that seems reasonable if it's already been compressed by the recorder.

 

[mixsit]

In your first post, you said the sanre was onlyclipping by 1-1.5 db over. Was it that much lower when you turned it down just enough for the snare to not clip any more?

If so, then we go full circle again and talk about "mastering". Turn the mix way down and put it through a limiter, set the peak at -.5, and you'll get the volume you want without clipping.

Oh my. Ok don't hate me-- Just saw this ( ) ..Why turn it down before going to a limiter designed to handle these peaks?

 

[RAMI]

Oh my. Ok don't hate me-- Just saw this ( ) ..Why turn it down before going to a limiter designed to handle these peaks?

Yeah, I guess he could leave it. I'm just so used to the idea of a pre-mastered mix being way lower than that, that it just doesn't "feel" right.

 

[mixsit]

Yeah, I guess he could leave it. I'm just so used to the idea of a pre-mastered mix being way lower than that, that it just doesn't "feel" right.

I understand. 'Specially if you're in (the more normal) 'this is the final mix but it's going to masted' mode.

Heck, so much of what I do anymore is 'in house I'm just about opposite. I automate the pre-gain on my master bus into the limiter and/or comp on there about by default! to play with the mix density and final levels.

 

[Muddy T-Bone]

Oh my. Ok don't hate me-- Just saw this ( ) ..Why turn it down before going to a limiter designed to handle these peaks?

Yes, that's it, my technology was the wrong app. I need to apply a limiter not a compressor. This should be much easier now.