Compression Dilemma

[danna]

new to this site - i have a question about compression and wasn't sure if i should put it here or somewhere else.

You can use compression to control overall level or to shape a sound. i.e - you can use compression to make all sounds more even, or you can use compression to lower the attack of a sound etc. my question is can you do both?

if i have a sound source that has a quick attack (e.g. - snare), and i want to even up the dynamic level of the track i can perhaps apply compression to it at 10:1 and it'll be level but then the attack of the sound is gone, so then you can adjust the attack to allow the attack of the sound to come through, but then the track isn't going to be level anymore cos the attack is the loudest bit of the sound and will vary dramatically from hit to hit. so how do you retain the attack but even up the level?

does this make sense? am i missing a vital part of understanding compression?

 

[chessrock]

if i have a sound source that has a quick attack (e.g. - snare), and i want to even up the dynamic level of the track i can perhaps apply compression to it at 10:1 and it'll be level but then the attack of the sound is gone, so then you can adjust the attack to allow the attack of the sound to come through, but then the track isn't going to be level anymore cos the attack is the loudest bit of the sound and will vary dramatically from hit to hit. so how do you retain the attack but even up the level?

You're basically refering to a situation where you've got two separate things you need to accomplish. First off, you need to even out the levels of the hits. Then you want to do some dynamics / tone shaping.

What you might consider doing is chaining two compression stages together. The first one in the chain should be set up to even out the levels. Then the second should be set up for dynamics and tone shaping.

For evening out the levels, you might consider something along the lines of a Leveling Amplifier. This might be a little over your head at the moment, but a leveling amplifier is basically something that utilizes both a compressor and an expander simultaneously, and to a certain extent, a hard limiter. The Aphex Compellor is an example of a very popular and transparent "leveler," and it works using the same concept; 1) A compressor with a quick attack / medium-long release to bring very loud sections down, and 2) an expander to bring some of the very quiet sections up.

If you set the threshold of the comp and expander just right, then anything that falls above the expander's threshold and below the compressor's threshold ... should remain in tact / unmolested. It's tricky, but also highly recommended that you become familiar with the concept.

Once the signal is "leveled," moreless ... then you can use another compression stage set up specifically for dynamics shaping ... and if you'd like, yet another "limiter" stage to tame any stray / random peaks. The idea is that once the track is more level, you'll be able to apply dynamics shaping more equitably if that makes sense. Obviously, the ideal is to learn how to play more evenly, but when that isn't possible, then more dramatic / complex steps often need to be taken (up to and including the use of "replacement" and triggers, depending on the situation).

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[danna]

i don't have a limiter, but i do have a 6176 (i.e. - 1176). Is using the 20:1 ratio with a super fast attack and release the same as a limiter? and then after i've done this go back and use the 6176 as a compressor? is that what you're saying?