2 bus?

[Massive Master]

And regarding that, would most mastering engineers be cool with me hanging around while it's worked on?

I don't work nearly as many attended sessions as I used to - I'd say that 10 years ago, it was 80/20 attended/non-attended. Now it's probably exactly the opposite.

But I'd shy away from anywhere that wouldn't want you there... I'm not saying to have issues with unattended sessions -- But the places that say that they'll charge you twice as much or what not for attended sessions... That's fishy.

 

[MOFO Pro]

What if it adds a texture to the music that you like? I leave them plenty of room to "do their thing", but a slight buss compressor can do wonderful things. Plus, how many commercial releases are done on an SSL with the SSL buss comp across the 2 buss?

And how many people in this forum are mixing on an SSL??

It's kind of like cleaning the house before the housekeeper shows up, or washing your cloths before sending them to the cleaner...

But seriously,

I understand your point, and it's well taken. If you have a signature sound, from a particular piece, that you want to impart on the entire mix... then yes by all means send it through... I'm really addressing the home recorders who might be considering sending the buss through an RNC or equivilent because they read it here.

I'm surprised Massive hasn't chimed in with some of the horror stories about the squashed 'pre-masters" that he's recieved... Most mastering houses would prefer you skip the compressor on the bus...

 

[NL5]

And how many people in this forum are mixing on an SSL??

It's kind of like cleaning the house before the housekeeper shows up, or washing your cloths before sending them to the cleaner...

But seriously,

I understand your point, and it's well taken. If you have a signature sound, from a particular piece, that you want to impart on the entire mix... then yes by all means send it through... I'm really addressing the home recorders who might be considering sending the buss through an RNC or equivilent because they read it here.

I'm surprised Massive hasn't chimed in with some of the horror stories about the squashed 'pre-masters" that he's recieved... Most mastering houses would prefer you skip the compressor on the bus...

"Home Recording" cover's a WIDE range of people. It is getting very common to see extremely high end gear in home studios. Heck, gearwise, I am somewhat high end, but there are a lot of nicer homestudios out there, and I wouldn't hesitate to strap a comp on the mix buss......

As far as the SSL, my point was really that pro's do it all the time. Want pro results? Learn to do it like the pro's. A mix comp won't ruin a mix - the nut on the controls will.........

 

[MOFO Pro]

A mix comp won't ruin a mix - the nut on the controls will.........

My point exactly...

 

[MOFO Pro]

And I find it slightly ironic to find myself on opposite sides of the compression question on two seperate threads at the same time...

 

[TyphoidHippo]

A mix comp won't ruin a mix - the nut on the controls will.........

That's the DAMN TRUTH!! Pos rep for you, sir!

That's the statement that has been needing to be said on these forums for....well, for fucking forever. Professional audio/mixing engineers and producers DO mix against their favorite compressors. That's the truth. God...what a breath of fresh air to hear the truth spouted on this issue at last...and spouted from somebody with a reputation that is taken seriously. Bless your heart, I wish I had been lucky enough to read what you just said like....8 years ago when I first started messing around with all this stuff. Just don't overdo it (which I, myself, have certainly been known to do from time to time), lol....

/rambling praise

 

[NL5]

That's the DAMN TRUTH!! Pos rep for you, sir!

That's the statement that has been needing to be said on these forums for....well, for fucking forever. Professional audio/mixing engineers and producers DO mix against their favorite compressors. That's the truth. God...what a breath of fresh air to hear the truth spouted on this issue at last...and spouted from somebody with a reputation that is taken seriously. Bless your heart, I wish I had been lucky enough to read what you just said like....8 years ago when I first started messing around with all this stuff. Just don't overdo it (which I, myself, have certainly been known to do from time to time), lol....

/rambling praise

Thank you! I'm no pro though............

 

[pipelineaudio]

That's the statement that has been needing to be said on these forums for....well, for fucking forever. Professional audio/mixing engineers and producers DO mix against their favorite compressors.

Some do, some don't

Most do today, but most mixes today sound like total dogshit

I know correlation does not necessarily equal causation but the insistence to purchase something and stick it on the master bus just because the last guy did is what Im complaining about.

If a compressor is part of your mix's sound, go for it, but in that case you wouldn't be asking

Worry about other stuff first, for a LONG time

There is SO MUCH push for people to show a receipt from Guitar Center as their one and only credential for being an engineer. So much push from the media bullshit and gear pimps.

None of this shit will make a difference on whehter a song hits or not, there are WAY more important things to worry about.

I've got as big of a rack as anyone else, and I have a strong incentive to want people to buy hardware, but I wont be a party to telling people to waste their money on the stuff I sell when room treatment, learning proper mic placement, buyin a baseball bat to force the drummer in time, and a cattle prod to work on the vocalist will do SO MUCH MORE for the song.

 

[TyphoidHippo]

(a bunch of great points with some funny shit at the end, lol)

I was actually gonna comment on your earlier posts in this thread, because I think you are dead on, too. I just saw NL5's and got all excited, lol...

I also share the same "knowledge first, gearslut second" point of view that you have expressed several times in this thread.

 

[NL5]

There is SO MUCH push for people to show a receipt from Guitar Center as their one and only credential for being an engineer

Here is the truth right here. GC has everyone convinced it's just about the gear. Like I said, a comp across the mix buss is pretty standard practice. The only real difference I have seen with pro's is whether they put in on at the beginning, or towards the end of mixing. Do you need one? No. If you have to ask is it probably gonna make things worse? Yes. It would certainly be down the list of things needed to learn if I was instructing someone how to mix. In fact, judging from the amount of people that have a complete lack of understanding of the fundamentals of how a compressor works, and what it does, I would think they would be focusing on that. Once you know that, you wouldn't need to ask if it's OK to put one on the mix buss. A lot of people have the attitude that here are "no rules" to audio production. There are plenty of rules, and if you don't understand them, breaking them will just make your mixes worse.