compressing guitars in the mix

R

ripingitar

New member
seems my guitars sound better in my mix without or with very little compression ? anyone here NOT compressing in the mix ?
 
I don't usually compress guitar, sometimes i may need to when the vocals & guitar are fighting for space. I eq so the vocals & guitar don't occupy the same area in the freq range then have to liven the guitar up with a compressor.

What are you using to compress?
 
Should only use compression if you need it. If your guitars sound better without it, then why use it?

I don't really think specific ratios would help much, seeing as the results are so closely related to the threshold setting. Really its dependant on the source. But I reckon if they sound better without, then why bother. I very rarely compress distorted guitars unless it really needs it.
 
I know some subgenres of modern music are built on the a perceived "appropriate" use (misuse) of compression but that doesn't mean you have to do that.
I've only recently used any compressiona t all & that after reading heaps on the forum. I only use it when I need it - try it & see if it helps a prob. Sometiimes it does, sometimes not. There's a lot of science & then a lot of non science to its use. Play around with settings & types. Begin with a preset & tweak it if it doesn't do for you what you want. & if it still wont - don't use it. Try EQcarving, levels adjustment etc etc.
 
If you're talking distorted or heavy guitars, there's not much dynamic range to them anyway. It's pretty typical to not compress.
 
Yeah that's right don't use compression if you can't be bothered trying to understand what you have done wrong. :rolleyes:

some of the people on these forums are really unbelievable, if you want to use compression & learn how to use it correctly the internet will give you the basic settings for each source to give you an idea from where to start, it's better not using presets when using compression - you always get better results setting up yourself. Don't listen to the people before - a baby could work out "if it sounds better without it don't use it" but is sounds like you haven't been able to get the compressor working in the way you want it to - to make a direct comparison between --> Compression to use or not to use?

http://www.waves.com/content.asp?id=174

sounds like you wanted to learn so don't let these other very opinionated people ruin your enjoyment
 
orson198305 said:
sounds like you wanted to learn so don't let these other very opinionated people ruin your enjoyment
Click to expand...

Thats the thing about music, its all opinion. Some poeple will swear by sticking a compressor on something before actually figuring out whether it needs it, thats fine, but some people don't agree with that. We are all entitled to give our point of view, take it or leave it. Thats 75% of what internet forums are anyway in my experience.

But...as the guy said that he thought his guitars were sounding better without compression, so most of us deduced that it would be better not to use it in that case I guess. In fact the guy actually asked us whether or not we used compression....

I see your point about wanting to learn about how to use stuff, and thats fair enough, but something that probably preceeds knowing how to use something, is knowing where and when to use it. So pretty much I would be enclined to agree with you on most points. But like I said, the guy asked if we did or not, so we answered...
 
orson198305 said:
Yeah that's right don't use compression if you can't be bothered trying to understand what you have done wrong. :rolleyes:

some of the people on these forums are really unbelievable, if you want to use compression & learn how to use it correctly the internet will give you the basic settings for each source to give you an idea from where to start, it's better not using presets when using compression - you always get better results setting up yourself. Don't listen to the people before - a baby could work out "if it sounds better without it don't use it" but is sounds like you haven't been able to get the compressor working in the way you want it to - to make a direct comparison between --> Compression to use or not to use?

http://www.waves.com/content.asp?id=174

sounds like you wanted to learn so don't let these other very opinionated people ruin your enjoyment
Click to expand...

What the hell are you babbling about?

I think you are reading more into the guys question than the rest of us did. In my opinion he seemed to be asking if it was normal to not use compression on guitars. In fact, that is exactly what he asked.
Being that it's very normal to not compress distorted guitars what's wrong with anyone telling him that?
Besides, sometimes the simplest answer is the best. People only dive into reciting all the other mumbo jumbo when they want to look smarter than everybody else. :rolleyes:

And what are you saying about not using presets? First you say you can find base settings on the internet, then you say you should never use presets. What are presets but a decent baseline setting? That's no different. You're either for it or against it, pick one, and stop talking out of your ass. ;)

If you want to get into a discussion about using compression correctly, there are plenty of threads on this board about that. You are not the lone voice of reason.
 
I usually don't compress heavy, distorted guitars...they just don't need it, for me. Acoustic, that's different. Depends on the sound I want.
 
Sometimes you may want to (read almost hard limit) compress heavily eq'd distorto guitars to put them more in your face. Generally this is done in a combination of guitar tarcks eg. one not heavily comp'd and eq'd one way and the other comp'd and eq'd another. But stand alone distorted guitars are already compressed by nature and really don't need additional comp. Unless you want that effect. Peace and happy recording.
 
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