Compression - same level everytime?

[fireworksgoup]

Compression is something that has confused me, and maybe I'm just stupid but I don't think I'll ever fully understand it.

The guy who was recording my band said he set the kick drums compression with settings that basically "triggered" the bass drum. Making every hit the same level.

How do I set a compressor to do this?

 

[pdadda]

If you want every hit to sound the same (not sure why), then you want heavy compression with fast attack times.

 

[scrubs]

Compression is something that has confused me, and maybe I'm just stupid but I don't think I'll ever fully understand it.

The guy who was recording my band said he set the kick drums compression with settings that basically "triggered" the bass drum. Making every hit the same level.

How do I set a compressor to do this?

It sounds like you and/or your friend are getting terms mixed up. "Compression" can be used to smooth out the hits, so the volume is more consistent, but that's not what triggering means. A "triggered" bass drum would imply that the actual bass drum sound that you are playing is being replaced by a recorded sample of a bass drum. Now, compression could be used to even out the levels so that the trigger hits more consistently (sometimes the triggered sound won't play on soft hits because they don't cross the threshhold for the trigger).

 

[jamking]

Compression is something that has confused me, and maybe I'm just stupid but I don't think I'll ever fully understand it.

The guy who was recording my band said he set the kick drums compression with settings that basically "triggered" the bass drum. Making every hit the same level.

How do I set a compressor to do this?

This is what a limiter does and there is no specific setting, it depends on a number of things. Try the threshold at -15 or so. Set the attack at between 5&10. The release shouldn't be set too high or it will conflict with the next note. Watch your output. If the squash is set too high and you crank the output, your going to get some strange sounds.

Hope this helps but you need a compressor that has a limiter as well.

 

[Joel Hamilton]

I always use a crazy long release time with a super slow attack time on the kick. Fairly low ratio, NOT a limiter at all. The comp I use is vari-mu, so the ratio climbs as the compressor rects more to incoming signal.... anyway:

A compressor will impart its attack time even when the meter doesnt show it, because meter ballistics simply will never show an accurate representation of milliseconds and two different times anyway...

Also: just twist knobs until it sounds right. IGNORE the meters. Really. Ignore them. The meters dont automatically mean anything, especially if you dont know about what the compressor is actually doing. If you cant hear a difference, then keep cranking on knobs until you do! have fun. Come up with settings (they change every song!!!!) that YOU like. Make it your own. There is absolutely no way for me to hear the kick from where I am sitting, so there is no way for me to make a suggestion other than HAVE FUN!!!! Mess with it, it gets easier!

 

[mixsit]

The guy who was recording my band said he set the kick drums compression with settings that basically "triggered" the bass drum. Making every hit the same level.

How do I set a compressor to do this?

By compressing them into submission.
The back side of that is sort of locking you're self out of the option of having any dynamic expression, and some of the original tone/envelope options, if that happens to be an appropriate goal.
Even then there still needs to be some amount of consistency to the way they are being struck or you end up with a good constant view of the tone being all over the map.
Wayne