Compressor use

[JDOD]

Right, I'm doing some fairly percussive reggae/funk style guitar in one of my tracks and its not something that I do very often so I'm not going to buy a compressor pedal or anything.

Is there a way of getting my VST compressors into my signal before it hits the DAW. I have various compressors that come with Reaper but I also have a couple of Focusrite compressors.

 

[Robus]

Try the software compressor on your Focusrite if it has one. A compressor pedal wouldn't be a bad thing to have on your board. It's one of those things you discover you needed after you get it.

 

[Greg_L]

Right, I'm doing some fairly percussive reggae/funk style guitar in one of my tracks and its not something that I do very often so I'm not going to buy a compressor pedal or anything.

Is there a way of getting my VST compressors into my signal before it hits the DAW. I have various compressors that come with Reaper but I also have a couple of Focusrite compressors.

I'm just thinking out loud here because I've never tried this but if you can get your latency low enough, maybe you could...

Guitar > interface > VST compressor > line out to amp > mic > different input on interface > track.

Basically you're using the interface and VST as a compressor. I think latency will be the deciding factor if this will work or not.

 

[JDOD]

Interesting idea, will be interesting to try it regardless of whether it works.

Suppose I was just hoping that some VSTs would be able to work in a similar way to amp sims, where they sit between your input into you AI and your DAW. That would be really good.

I have some Focusrite software compressors, (think one of them is called "RED") just don't know if its possible to set them up like this.

 

[Greg_L]

Suppose I was just hoping that some VSTs would be able to work in a similar way to amp sims, where they sit between your input into you AI and your DAW. That would be really good.

You can make them work that way. You can never get them before your input, but you can put a VST into your guitar signal before the amp. But like I said, latency is the bugaboo in this setup. You're gonna need very low latency if you wanna do this live in real time.

 

[JDOD]

You can make them work that way. You can never get them before your input, but you can put a VST into your guitar signal before the amp. But like I said, latency is the bugaboo in this setup. You're gonna need very low latency if you wanna do this live in real time.

Yeah, obviously I'll never get it before the amp unless I can use a set up like you described. I was just hoping to record something in my DAW that was a little less peaky - its pretty easy to get distorted sounds even 'cos they're naturally so compressed anyway.

Just had an idea though - I could try completely maxing out the clean channel of the amp - so its got nothing at all left to give so goes into compression naturally. Dunno if my amp will be capable of this without distorting though.

 

[Greg_L]

No tube amp will do that. Not one that I'm aware of anyway. Natural compression is clipping, which is distortion. If you want a clean tone with the tops chopped off, you need a compressor before the amp or record a clean tone and compress it in the DAW.

A "warmer" mic placement really helps to take the spike out of a clean tone. If you're doing separate clean/dirty tracks, try moving the mic for the clean stuff.

 

[Robus]

If the transients are clipping you input or making it difficult to set your input gain, you will have to deal with it before it hits your interface. By the time it reaches your VST, the damage is done. Same goes for the software compressor. You can try cranking the amp but there will be a tradeoff between compression and clean. Maybe there is a sweet spot. I know you don't want to go that route but the ideal solution is a pedal in front of the amp or a hardware compressor in the mic chain.

 

[Tadpui]

There's also nothing wrong with slapping a compressor on your guitar track in post production, either. As long as you didn't clip anything on the way into the interface, you should be fine controlling the dynamics with a VST compressor on the recorded tracks.

 

[JDOD]

There's also nothing wrong with slapping a compressor on your guitar track in post production, either. As long as you didn't clip anything on the way into the interface, you should be fine controlling the dynamics with a VST compressor on the recorded tracks.

Yeah, it just affects my playing 'cos I'm reacting to what I'm hearing in my headphones so its really affecting the dynamics of what I'm playing. Guess I just have to get on with it!

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Yeah, it just affects my playing 'cos I'm reacting to what I'm hearing in my headphones so its really affecting the dynamics of what I'm playing. Guess I just have to get on with it!

Usually I do the effects in post, but guitar is a special case. If at all possible I like to capture it with effects for this very reason, it affects how you play. And having compression near the start of the chain sounds different from having toward the end of the chain or added later.

 

[Btyre2013]

I think there's a universal audio interface that can do recording on the way in using their plug-in's, luckily for me I use my elysia xpressor 500 for that.

 

[Robus]

I think there's a universal audio interface that can do recording on the way in using their plug-in's, luckily for me I use my elysia xpressor 500 for that.

Btyre, nice. Have you got a rack of 500 series gear? Bouldersoundguy, I'm with you. Guitar FX get tracked. When Butch Vig starts returning my calls and insists on me supplying dry tracks, I'll give him that. But as long as it's me composing, tracking and mixing my own songs, I'll track them the way I know I'm going to want them to sound in the mix.