Compression before of after recording

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pure.fusion

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Hi all,

I've been recording a clean Strat sound and personally I like the sound when compression is added - quite a bit actually.

Assuming that the quality of equipment that's doing the compressing is equal, is there any difference in using a compressor pedal in your effects chain to applying compression to the track after it's been recorded?

Cheers,
FM
 
I think they are equal - but - people will usually bring up two points:
1) It's better to add effects after
2) Hardware is better than software
This is a subjective opinion to which there are no correct answers....
 
1. When I play in instruments through my pre-amps? They both have good on-board compressors, and so when I track in vocals, I squeeze them a bit, and then use compression and limiting as an effect when mixing.

2. HW is better than SW? I disagree (respectfully) HW compresors "use SW within their guts?" Granted, there are some issues w/tubes etc that color the sound, but that can all be emulated in the box as well.

So I say, squeeze it a little now? And squeeze it again later! :-)

Mama's got a squeeze box, daddy never sleeps at night.
 
FTR, I'm a big fan of adding compression after the fact 90% of the time.

That said - We're talking about a clean electric guitar here... Many amps add a certain amount of compression inherently and in many cases that compression (or a similar compression from pedals and what not) are part of the guitar's core sound and the guitar reacts to it.

Going to extremes, it's not like you can make a clean guitar "sing" (a.k.a. "controlled feedback") a note by adding an amp simulator to it later... It needs to have that gain, overdrive and the resultant compression before the source of the core sound (the speaker).

These things considered, it would probably be prudent to get the guitar to react properly before it comes out of the amp.

On the other hand -- If you're talking about liking the sound of the guitar compressed post-amplification, then by all means, compress during the mix when you can hear it in the context of the mix. But if it's truly part of the tone, compress it before it gets to the amp.
 
I'm normally a big proponent of adding all effects after recording to increase the flexibility.

However, the one exception I make to this is electric guitars. Even in a live performance, all the amp distortion and electronic effects can be treated as part of the overall guitar sound. I wouldn't normally record guitars clean, preferring to mic the cabs and treat that sound like I would any other instrument.

Your situation of normally recording clean and adding effects later is sort of a half way house. For that reason, I'd say that my usual guidelines don't apply and it's whatever sounds best to you. Try it both ways and see which you prefer. You're using compression not just to control levels but to modify the overall sound--so I consider this use as a bit more than in-the-mix effects. The one drawback of adding them before recording is that you can't change them later but, if you know exactly what you want, the choice is yours.
 
But, theoretically speaking there should be no difference in using a compressor before or after assuming that you use the exact same compressor & settings.


Right??
 
dastrick said:
But, theoretically speaking there should be no difference in using a compressor before or after assuming that you use the exact same compressor & settings.


Right??
Click to expand...
Technically, you're 100% right.

The problem is that we usually don't know what those "exact same settings" are until after we record and are in the mixing process.
 
Mmmmm...I don't know about that.

With guitars...
If you use a compressor stomp box, you are usually compressing the clean signal coming off the guitar.
When you compress in the mix...you are compressing the guitar--->amp--->cab--->mic--->preamp combined signal.

I don't think it's going to be the same, because very often the order of devices changes the signal. Not to mention, a typical guitar stomp compressor is not going to be quite the same as a high-end mixing comp (hardware or software).

My own approach with guitars if I'm going to compress the signal, I don't use a stomp, but I'll compress after the preamp on the light/meidum side....and then when I mic, I may again compress, but with a different compressor, on the light/medium side.
 
Yeah, for something like that, sure. I was talking about a straight signal going in, like a vocal.
 
I pretty much always try and get the sound I want from my guitar going in.
I find how I play very much alters depending on what I hear so if I have a completely dry signal I'll play differently and it won't sound the same even if I reamp and record as If I played through the effects

You have to make a decision at some point about how you want the music to sound. If you know you'll be using compression ad other effects to get your sound then I say use them at the point you play them
 
Sorry guys, I just realized that the OP specified recording a clean Strat. I thought it was just a general "should I compress before or after tracking?" question.

In that case, my responses above wouldn't have been so "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" cut and dry.
 
Umm, nobody has brought up the fact that a compression stomp box is something different from compressing in recording. Yeah it basically does the same thing (smash the loud parts so the soft ones can come up). But, a comp pedal is, in a lot of cases, part of the guitarists tone. If that's the case, I'd use the compressor pedal while recording...then add recording compression to the track later if necessary.

I know someone is going to say a compressor in recording is the same thing as a compressor pedal, but I see them as completely different things.
 
aaronmcoleman said:
Umm, nobody has brought up the fact that a compression stomp box is something different from compressing in recording. Yeah it basically does the same thing (smash the loud parts so the soft ones can come up). But, a comp pedal is, in a lot of cases, part of the guitarists tone. If that's the case, I'd use the compressor pedal while recording...then add recording compression to the track later if necessary.

I know someone is going to say a compressor in recording is the same thing as a compressor pedal, but I see them as completely different things.
Click to expand...
You sure you read the whole thread? I skimmed through it myself and missed the point of the original question.
 
aaronmcoleman said:
Umm, nobody has brought up the fact that a compression stomp box is something different from compressing in recording. Yeah it basically does the same thing (smash the loud parts so the soft ones can come up). But, a comp pedal is, in a lot of cases, part of the guitarists tone. If that's the case, I'd use the compressor pedal while recording...then add recording compression to the track later if necessary.

I know someone is going to say a compressor in recording is the same thing as a compressor pedal, but I see them as completely different things.
Click to expand...

Yeah...I was saying the same thing just a few posts back.
See...great minds think alike. ;)
 
pure.fusion said:
Hi all,

I've been recording a clean Strat sound and personally I like the sound when compression is added - quite a bit actually.

Assuming that the quality of equipment that's doing the compressing is equal, is there any difference in using a compressor pedal in your effects chain to applying compression to the track after it's been recorded?

Cheers,
FM
Click to expand...


Ummm......yeah. I think I misunderstood the question, too. I was thinking he was asking about recording a Strat DI into an interface and either recording with a compressor or adding a compressor when mixing.

My bad.


I tend to think that this:

guitar > compression pedal > effects stomp boxes > amp > mic > recorder

will absolutely sound different than this:

guitar > effects stomp boxes > amp > mic > recorder > software/hardware compressor




Now, if the compressor is immediately before the recorder, then there should be no difference in sound if you add the compressor after it's recorded.
 
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