Compression advice.
- Thread starter frosty55
- Start date
I always used to hate this answer until I found out it was true. Compressors are not a "set it and forget it" effect, and there are no basic settings. the basic setting is what sounds good to your ear for what you are working on. Each application will have different needs and if you are setting your compressors and never changing them again, then you are not using them right.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
If you don't hear something specific you feel you need to address you have no basis for setting a compressor and no good reason for using one. Use your ears and your judgment. Listen for anything that varies too much from loud to soft compared to the other stuff in the mix, then so what is needed to get that particular element to blend with the others. A preset will be about as likely as a random setting to sound good so you just have to do it yourself.
Once you learn how to hear the effects of a compressor you could come back with more specific questions about how to treat specific dynamics issues.
Once you learn how to hear the effects of a compressor you could come back with more specific questions about how to treat specific dynamics issues.
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
I'd very highly suggest just leaving them out of the chain.
aaronmcoleman
The truth is out there!
Especially for drums I wouldn't compress until mixing.
When mixing, I always compress the snare with a medium attack (allows the crack through), and a medium release to hold on through the whole hit.
Kick I do similarly, but more moderate attack and release.
You're gonna have to experiment but I'd say leave them out of the recording chain and save it for mixing.
When mixing, I always compress the snare with a medium attack (allows the crack through), and a medium release to hold on through the whole hit.
Kick I do similarly, but more moderate attack and release.
You're gonna have to experiment but I'd say leave them out of the recording chain and save it for mixing.
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
You didn't exactly make that part clear originally... The vast majority of recordists here (I'd actually assume 99% or better) are multi-tracking to digital - Not submixing to analog.
Farview
Well-known member
The problem with internet advice on something like this is that there are too many variables. Some genres will let you compress the crap out of the snare with a quick attack and release, while that would sound completely out of place in other forms of music. The type of snare will affect how it needs to be compressed, as will the way the drummer is hitting it and tuning it.
For the most part, I almost never compress anything to reel in the dynamic range, I compress to get the sound of compression.
What I would do if I were you would be to record the drums on as many tracks as you have mics. Then, bounce those tracks down with the compressors to two open tracks. That way, you can experiment with the compressors and get the sound you want without having to deal with the performance at the same time. This will be especially useful if you don't have a separate control room from the drum room, which will make it hard to listen to the compressors as he is playing the drums.
For the most part, I almost never compress anything to reel in the dynamic range, I compress to get the sound of compression.
What I would do if I were you would be to record the drums on as many tracks as you have mics. Then, bounce those tracks down with the compressors to two open tracks. That way, you can experiment with the compressors and get the sound you want without having to deal with the performance at the same time. This will be especially useful if you don't have a separate control room from the drum room, which will make it hard to listen to the compressors as he is playing the drums.
So... it's not the full band live to two track, so.. that means you are going to mix..?
Details Since you've asked what to do with the comps I'd assume this is venturing into fairly new territory then. Some of your options would be use a comp on the snare, maybe kick, and expect to do a lot of trial and error zeroing in on something that's both usable- and an improvement to the kit mix.
The problem there is it means doing a lot of run-throughs with your band (or at least the rhythm section) to find and learn. That could be an extremely good exercise, or in reality a lot to add on to a given situation.
Another placement option would be on the stereo drum mix done after. Here you might be experimenting with some very low ratio (1.5-2:1 for example) and play with attack times in the 5—20 ms range and watch how variations in there tame or glue the kit a bit.
The kick and snare will likely drive the comp and small changes in attack speed will have large impacts on how hard it grabs, how much it kills their impact.
There is also the option to use one set to do a hard limit' effect- which can be quite a different sound than the gentle tucking in' above.
Since I'm this deep.. Might as well add in something quite universal regarding release in the typical 'low ratio compression scenario. Once having settled on a working front half of the setup you'll find in general a fast release is a more forward sound, slower 'pulls it back. Part of that is slow = lower volume (more time in reduction), but it's there as differences in the aggressive' effect for lack of better words. 'Quite fast can be similar to the limiting' effect..
And release can (and ought ?) to be quite song (tempo, mood) specific as well.
Last edited:
I agree - trust your ears. Sometimes the sound source needs no processing. Sometimes you may want a really tight kick sound or an in your face snare - and some compression may be needed - other times you may want a loose sounds so you don't want to compress.
In addition, each compressor has it's own personality so a 3 to 1 ratio on compressor A will not produce the same processed effect as the same ratio on compresser B
Do some reading to understand the various parameters that compressors impact (attack, release, etc.) then experiment and trust your ears. Start will very light compression (2 to 1) and slowly increase while listening to the changes. Experiment with the attack time, etc.
I found the learning how to use compression effectively was one of the most difficult learning curves as I tried to learn how to engineer - but also one of the most important skills to have.
In addition, each compressor has it's own personality so a 3 to 1 ratio on compressor A will not produce the same processed effect as the same ratio on compresser B
Do some reading to understand the various parameters that compressors impact (attack, release, etc.) then experiment and trust your ears. Start will very light compression (2 to 1) and slowly increase while listening to the changes. Experiment with the attack time, etc.
I found the learning how to use compression effectively was one of the most difficult learning curves as I tried to learn how to engineer - but also one of the most important skills to have.
Thanks for that. I havent got unlinited time to keep going through take after take for the balance of the kit, as we are hiring the room for something like four hours. So really just a guideline for settings on the compressors would be what I am after.
We are taping the live demo to a Teac reel to reel eight track, with the drums assigned to two tracks. Think I am ok with panning and Eq of the kit but arent sure about the compressing of kick and snare. Our drummer tends to play quite hard since its heavy rock we do.
We are taping the live demo to a Teac reel to reel eight track, with the drums assigned to two tracks. Think I am ok with panning and Eq of the kit but arent sure about the compressing of kick and snare. Our drummer tends to play quite hard since its heavy rock we do.
aaronmcoleman
The truth is out there!
If you are dead set on compressing on the way in (which I would not do, especially given your time constraints), you can set up whatever mics you have and practice to get some settings you think will work, and cut down on your time the day of the recording.
fenderdude
New member
Hi All,
I have a Behringer 2442fx mixer and a Behringer mutlicom4600 compressor/limiter as well. I want to use it as a limiter and am not so concerned with the compression. I am concerned about high peaks and the ability to control them. Specifically, I want to limit the drums (kick snare) the bass and one vocalist with bad mic skills.
Here is the question, is it better to plug these in to the insert channels on each individual channel OR would it be better to run it into the main ins on the board and would that provide protection to the whole mix for any transient peaks?
Thanks in advance!
I have a Behringer 2442fx mixer and a Behringer mutlicom4600 compressor/limiter as well. I want to use it as a limiter and am not so concerned with the compression. I am concerned about high peaks and the ability to control them. Specifically, I want to limit the drums (kick snare) the bass and one vocalist with bad mic skills.
Here is the question, is it better to plug these in to the insert channels on each individual channel OR would it be better to run it into the main ins on the board and would that provide protection to the whole mix for any transient peaks?
Thanks in advance!
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
For recording you probably should skip dynamics processing at the front end. For a live this would be an okay setup.
That would be the normal way to compress the inputs.
Maybe by "main ins" you mean "main insert" rather than "main inputs". You could compress the whole mix, but the compressor/limiter will react to whatever has the highest peaks which tends to "duck" the less dynamic parts of the mix. Maybe some gentle mix bus compression is okay once you get the individual channels handled. If you want to use limiters to protect PA speakers then they would go in series right before the amp.