Compression again...

[Rokket]

I have been reading a lot of threads concerning compression, and it prompts me to ask:

What is the proper way to use it?

I caught myself the other day adding it to almost every damn track in the mix, just out of rote...


What should you compress? What should never be compressed? I know some things like bass and drums need a little to give them space in the mix, and everyone around suggests compression on vocals to even out the performance.


How do you masters do it? I am coming primarily from the mix standpoint and not mastering, btw...

 

[LogicDeLuxe]

What is the proper way to use it?

Surely this is one question, everyone will answer differently. It's the way topics about art are.

What should you compress?

Ideally, I let the musicians decide while they play. A bassist or an e-guitarist usually knows what he does, so let him do it. Though if you have enough tracks available, record a dry version along with it, just in case.
When mixing, compression can help fixing things. Or even enhance the dynamics, if tweaked properly. It really can help on drums sometimes.
It can also help when a singer varies the distance to the mic, though it takes some life at the same time, if compressed a lot. At least it helps understanding the lyrics. If the vocal tracks suffer from that, the singer should consider a body mounted mic, though.

What should never be compressed?

Every tracks. The entire sum.
When mastering, you could fix some things with a narrow band compressor/expander carefully adjusted to a troublesome instrument, but applying to the entire spectrum most certainly will compromise the mix. (Not to be confuse with a limiter, which can work quite transparently if not overused).

 

[Rokket]

Every tracks. The entire sum.

Meaning you don't add this as an effect on the master fader, right? I tend to use it on drums (how effectively varies, I'm still learning) and vocals and the bass. I don't use it at all on distorted guitar tracks, and I don't like what it does to acoustic guitar much either. So I guess I am doing it pretty much like everyone else...

Maybe I know more than I think I do, or I have been getting really lucky plugging away at it.

I tend to lean more toward the latter...

 

[Massive Master]

What should you compress?

You compress tracks that have a dynamic range that's too wide for the mix as a whole.

What should never be compressed?

Things that have a dynamic range that fits the mix.

I know that seems overly-simplified, but that's generally how it works.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Probably the most commonly accepted use of compression is to even out the levels on an instrument that is varying too widely in volume to sound right otherwise. Infamous for this is DI'd bass, which tends to vary in volume because a) there is no speaker cabinet to act as a kind of "natural compressor", and b) electric bass' tend to have natural resonances in them that may cause one note or another to sound louder even if the player plays it with the same intensity. It's also pretty big on kick drum, especially if the drummer is not very good and can't kick the rum with the same intensity more than twice in a row.

Rockket, if you have some time on your hands out at sea there, head over to www.independentrecording.net and click on the "Compression Uncompressed" logo for a fairly extensive on-line e-book tutorial on basic compression use.

G.

 

[LogicDeLuxe]

You compress tracks that have a dynamic range that's too wide for the mix as a whole.

Things that have a dynamic range that fits the mix.

I know that seems overly-simplified, but that's generally how it works.

Well said, though. It's so obvious, that I didn't even mentioned it. But it's probably a good thing, you did anyways.

Generally, when I'm mixing, I try to work out the levels and panning, then I do the EQ'ing where necessary to avoid frequency overlaps. And if the recording was well done, I'm usually done. In fact, I did mixes without even touching a compressor, and they worked well, and most important, all the life of the band is preserved that way.
Only if I don't get it working so far, than I start applying compressors.

Another thing to note: Presets are rarely appropriate. I have to tweak the settings different for each recording most of the time.

 

[Rokket]

Thanks, Glen!

Oh, and to Massive Master.


You 3 guys (Logic, you too) have been the most help since I've been on the board! My first couple years here, all I was getting was bad critiques, but no help to fix what was bad.

I've learned more in the last couple months from you guys than I have the last 4 years of plugging at it.

Enough ass kissing. But a hearty thanks!

I'm off to Independent Recording dot net....

 

[Rokket]

Well said, though. It's so obvious, that I didn't even mentioned it. But it's probably a good thing, you did anyways.

Generally, when I'm mixing, I try to work out the levels and panning, then I do the EQ'ing where necessary to avoid frequency overlaps. And if the recording was well done, I'm usually done. In fact, I did mixes without even touching a compressor, and they worked well, and most important, all the life of the band is preserved that way.
Only if I don't get it working so far, than I start applying compressors.

Another thing to note: Presets are rarely appropriate. I have to tweak the settings different for each recording most of the time.

I follow what you are saying. As I said, I've been adding a compressor to the signal chain out of habit.

I am going to take a hard look at what I've been doing.

 

[Rokket]

Probably the most commonly accepted use of compression is to even out the levels on an instrument that is varying too widely in volume to sound right otherwise. Infamous for this is DI'd bass, which tends to vary in volume because a) there is no speaker cabinet to act as a kind of "natural compressor", and b) electric bass' tend to have natural resonances in them that may cause one note or another to sound louder even if the player plays it with the same intensity. It's also pretty big on kick drum, especially if the drummer is not very good and can't kick the rum with the same intensity more than twice in a row.

Rockket, if you have some time on your hands out at sea there, head over to www.independentrecording.net and click on the "Compression Uncompressed" logo for a fairly extensive on-line e-book tutorial on basic compression use.

G.

Dude, you look almost exactly like I pictured you.


And that's a compliment, so don't neg rep me!

 

[Rokket]

Dude, you look almost exactly like I pictured you.


And that's a compliment, so don't neg rep me!

By the way, that web page is now in my favorites!

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Dude, you look almost exactly like I pictured you.

Ah, that's only because you already saw my picture on the wall down at the post office. That's cheating .

Thanks for the faves designation. More new content coming after the holidays.

G.

 

[gecko zzed]

I have been reading a lot of threads concerning compression, and it prompts me to ask:

What is the proper way to use it?

I caught myself the other day adding it to almost every damn track in the mix, just out of rote...


What should you compress? What should never be compressed? I know some things like bass and drums need a little to give them space in the mix, and everyone around suggests compression on vocals to even out the performance.


How do you masters do it? I am coming primarily from the mix standpoint and not mastering, btw...

My general rule of thumb is to make as little use of effects (compression, eq etc.) as possible . . . so I do the reverse . . . catching myself not adding to almost every damn track in the mix!

I listen to the mix as recorded first, and if things sit together well, I leave well enough alone. But if something bounces around too much (e.g. bass or vocals), I then make necessary adjustments. However I am not averse to using effects for special effects (as opposed to 'repairing' things).

 

[LogicDeLuxe]

I listen to the mix as recorded first, and if things sit together well, I leave well enough alone. But if something bounces around too much (e.g. bass or vocals), I then make necessary adjustments. However I am not averse to using effects for special effects (as opposed to 'repairing' things).

Much like I do it. To conclude this in another actually pretty obvious sentence:
If it's not broken, don't fix it!

 

[Rokket]

Much like I do it. To conclude this in another actually pretty obvious sentence:
If it's not broken, don't fix it!

Around here, the saying tends to be : "If it isn't broken, fix it until it is..."

 

[Rokket]

My general rule of thumb is to make as little use of effects (compression, eq etc.) as possible . . . so I do the reverse . . . catching myself not adding to almost every damn track in the mix!

I listen to the mix as recorded first, and if things sit together well, I leave well enough alone. But if something bounces around too much (e.g. bass or vocals), I then make necessary adjustments. However I am not averse to using effects for special effects (as opposed to 'repairing' things).

I found that a lot of my stuff sounds pretty good after just some fader adjustments. About all I need is a bit of reverb here and there. But something always tells me I should be 'tweaking' this and that. The next thing you know, my DAW or my laptop is skipping and hickuping because I overdid it...

 

[LogicDeLuxe]

"If it isn't broken, fix it until it is..."

I thought, this is the remastering motto of the big labels. Especially when it goes to compression.

About all I need is a bit of reverb here and there. But something always tells me I should be 'tweaking' this and that.

There's nothing wrong in trying, as long as you carefully compare the before and after and decide if it really helped. If you're not sure, just don't.

The next thing you know, my DAW or my laptop is skipping and hickuping because I overdid it...

Besides investing in a better CPU, there should be the option to prerender some effects. This would slow down the software during loading a session and whenever you change a parameter to such an effect, but it makes you able to still play it.

Another thing I sometimes do to save CPU resources and also hard disk accesses, I mix all the drums first with all the effects they might need and save a mixdown of it. Than I start a new session where I just load this mixdown and add the remaining tracks to it.

And yet another way to save CPU resources is to define some buses and route a subset of tracks to it sharing effects. Usually it isn't necessary to add a similar effect to a lot of tracks.

 

[jaybriggs84]

When I first starting mixing I over did it too when it came to compression, I hadn't developed the ear for it so I was squashing things cause I wanted to hear the compression. I used it as an effect more than a tool to tame dynamics. After a decent set of monitors I realized the damage I was doing and learned how to utilize it correctly.

 

[Rokket]

Another thing I sometimes do to save CPU resources and also hard disk accesses, I mix all the drums first with all the effects they might need and save a mixdown of it. Than I start a new session where I just load this mixdown and add the remaining tracks to it.

And yet another way to save CPU resources is to define some buses and route a subset of tracks to it sharing effects. Usually it isn't necessary to add a similar effect to a lot of tracks.

I've tried this with vocals once. Turns out that I didn't take in the other track freq's in account, and I had to scrap it because I couldn't make it fit...

I have done thing like a reverb buss. I do that if I want the instruments and such to sound like they are coming from the same space. Problem with that was how if effects the kick drum and cymbols.

I need some serious board time with a good set of monitors. My current setup is only making things worse.

I have the room, I just need to get it all together. Luckily, I have a month of vacation coming up. Family time first, then I play...

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

The next thing you know, my DAW or my laptop is skipping and hickuping because I overdid it.

Id recommend getting into the habit of locking or freezing your tracks during mixing (which it's called depends upon your brand of DAW software), and just unlocking or unfreezing only those couple of tracks you're specifically working on at any given time.

"Locking" or "freezing" a track causes the software to temporarily render a copy of the locked/frozen track including all real-time effects you have applied. You are not committing to anything you have done; anytime you want you can unlock the track and undo, edit or otherwise modify anything you may have done to the track previously. But by locking/freezing tracks to temporarily pre-render them, you are freeing up the CPU of having to run the effects in real-time every time you hit the play button. You still hear them, you're just not using using the CPU to render them on the fly every time.

It's fast and easy, and it's a nice way of ensuring that you don't accidentally modify the wrong track. There's not one of us who hasn't accidentally edited the wrong track in the middle of a long list of tracks at least once. Well, if the track is locked, you can't edit it until you unlock it again. So having only those tracks you're currently working on unlocked helps guard against such mistakes.

G.

 

[Rokket]

Id recommend getting into the habit of locking or freezing your tracks during mixing (which it's called depends upon your brand of DAW software), and just unlocking or unfreezing only those couple of tracks you're specifically working on at any given time.

"Locking" or "freezing" a track causes the software to temporarily render a copy of the locked/frozen track including all real-time effects you have applied. You are not committing to anything you have done; anytime you want you can unlock the track and undo, edit or otherwise modify anything you may have done to the track previously. But by locking/freezing tracks to temporarily pre-render them, you are freeing up the CPU of having to run the effects in real-time every time you hit the play button. You still hear them, you're just not using using the CPU to render them on the fly every time.

It's fast and easy, and it's a nice way of ensuring that you don't accidentally modify the wrong track. There's not one of us who hasn't accidentally edited the wrong track in the middle of a long list of tracks at least once. Well, if the track is locked, you can't edit it until you unlock it again. So having only those tracks you're currently working on unlocked helps guard against such mistakes.

G.

That sounds like solid advice, Glen. I'll have to see if Reaper has that feature. I've never looked because I didn't even know you could do that!