Compressor 'positioning' advice for analogue studio set up

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gentlejohn

gentlejohn

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After much deliberation I have decided to buy a compressor. I say 'much deliberation' because many moons ago I had one but it never got used! It just sat in its box 'cos I didn't no how to use it or the best way(s) to connect it up. This time round I intend to 'confront my compressor fear' (ha! ha! TRUE!!) and give the whole concept more of a chance in the hope of improving my productions.

So my question (although I'm pretty sure they'll be more re: functionality) is: Where to position one?

I've been reading you can use a compressor on pretty much any source but that they're commonly used on: vox; acoustic instruments (such as guitar; double bass; real drums/percussion); bass guitar; etc ... Every time I attempt to use one will I have to put it in-line between my source and the desk? That's a lot of fumbling about patching it in and out as it were. Also, being stereo, once you've captured your source sounds & are happy with your mix, would you then patch one in line over the entire mix as you're bouncing down to your stereo master machine? (NB: I won't be using a computer so I'm talking in the analogue domain here). Sorry if this post doesn't make much sense! I'm just trying to get my head around the practicalities of using such a unit. The way I'm looking at it in theory at least (I'm still waiting for said compressor to arrive - a model no. RNC1773) it looks like I'm going to spend a lot of time moving this thing around to accommodate using it with different sources right? (I record in isolation so everything I do relies upon building tracks up part by part through multi-tracking). Any practical advice as to how to best to get going with one of these units would be much appreciated! Treat me as 'a complete newbie' here when it comes to the whole concept of compression as to date, for some stupid & unexplainable reason, I've just never been able to get my head around it so far! I have no idea why 'cos I'm pretty clued up where other aspects of 'old skool' recording practices are concerned - it's weird! Just some stupid mental block I suppose. What do they say? Give a man a fish, teach a man to fish .....
 
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One of the inconveniences of doing this all analog is that you need as many channels of compressor as you have things you want to compress. When I was still using tape and mixing with an analog board, I had a rack full of compressors and a patch bay with the channel inserts of the board and the ins and outs of the compressors run to it. that way, its only a matter of plugging in a couple patch cables.

With only one stereo compressor, I would normally say compress on the way to tape by using the channel inserts on the mixer. The compressor needs to be after the preamp.

However, since you aren't very comfortable with compression, it might be a better idea to record without it and put the compressor on in playback, bouncing it down to another track. That way, you don't ruin the original track with bad settings.

To make it even more complicated, different compressors are good for different things. A compressor the I love on vocals is a hideous mess if I try to use it across an entire mix. The one you are getting is a decent general purpose compressor that will be good on vocals and instruments, but buss compression won't be its strong suit.
 
Err,
I might be talking complete bllx here so correct me gently please!

OP could get a decent S/H mixer, Soundcraft, A&H (I won't compound the felony with the B word but they are not that bad if you keep levels down!).

Then, the compressor is fed from an FX send and you can just jack in the source(s) you want to treat. Naturally you cannot compress everything at once due to interaction and "pumping" issues.

Also if the RNC has a side chain input you could jack in the mixers EQ and have some fun?

Dave. Kevlar hat on.
 
ecc83 said:
..Then, the compressor is fed from an FX send and you can just jack in the source(s) you want to treat. Naturally you cannot compress everything at once due to interaction and "pumping" issues. .
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You would be setting up a parallel path with the compression that way. Makes sense with effects, not the primary way to go for compression.
 
mixsit said:
You would be setting up a parallel path with the compression that way. Makes sense with effects, not the primary way to go for compression.
Click to expand...

Again, I am treading carefully here! But, if you have pre fader FX send and just use the return signal that is 100% wet?

Or! If you had my ZED10 you could put the comp in the main XLR outs via the inserts.

Dave.
 
Im not exactly sure what the big hassle is with plugging and unplugging a couple insert cables.
 
ecc83 said:
Again, I am treading carefully here! But, if you have pre fader FX send and just use the return signal that is 100% wet?...
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Oh for Shure! I was thinking you might have meant that but maybe just didn't say it.
Now, if one wanted to go that route and print' the effect to a (new) track.. That there does make for a patch' route method for 'one comp needs to service different tracks (one at a time.
 
Use the compressor on the channel or main mix inserts. That's what they're for. You can compress signals on the way to tape or during mixdown, or you can compress the whole mix.

I would find having just two channels of compression frustrating. I want to be able to compress whatever needs compressing, which is likely to be more than two channels. You can compress during tracking, but then you're stuck with the effect whether it fits or not. Compressing a whole mix sounds different than compressing the individual elements.
 
Phew! Lots of food for thought there (much of it over my head at this stage I have to admit eg: 'side-chaining' whatever that is) but I shall now go read up on the technical stuff you mention here that I don't yet understand. Incidentally I had been thinking about getting a patchbay but again, having never used one, I need to understnad the concept of using one and how it might work in my project studio plan before I go shelling out (v. limited funds!) Anyway, thanks a lot for your input to date folks - much appreciated! OK, off to do some more research - I'll get there ... eventually!!!
 
gentlejohn said:
Phew! Lots of food for thought there (much of it over my head at this stage I have to admit eg: 'side-chaining' whatever that is) but I shall now go read up on the technical stuff you mention here that I don't yet understand. Incidentally I had been thinking about getting a patchbay but again, having never used one, I need to understnad the concept of using one and how it might work in my project studio plan before I go shelling out (v. limited funds!) Anyway, thanks a lot for your input to date folks - much appreciated! OK, off to do some more research - I'll get there ... eventually!!!
Click to expand...

Aha! I am firmer ground with the technicasl!

The Side chain is that part of a compressors circuitry that produces the control voltage which in turn changes the gain. Normally it is fed a "flat" signal and therefore compression is done at the same level regardless of frequency.
If however you feed the side chain with say a bass boosted signal, more effect will occur at low frequencies whilst the rest of the frequency range is left largely unchanged. This could be useful say in "squashing" an over prominent kick drum.

Then a side chain could be fed with a signal totally unrelated to the main signal. When the SD control is a voice the process is called "ducking".

Dave.
 
Patchbays are fairly cheap. I would recommend getting one and you can search the web for tutorials on how to use them. I have 4 compressors right now in my set up using a Tascam 388. I only really use two of them and they aren't top of the line. I do what you are planning on doing, multitracking by yourself. I have my compressors all patched in a patchbay with other effects too. For example,when I record a drum track,I only use a 2 mic set up. 1 overhead and one in the bass drum. I'll record these to 2 separate tracks with no compression. After they are on tape,I'll patch in an FMR RNLA to the over head mic track using that tracks send and receive that is also patched into the patchbay(saves from reaching around the back).Then I'll patch a dbx 163x compressor into the bass drum channel. Then I'll play the tape back making adjustments to the comps until I get a nice punchy sound.Then I'll bounce those two compressed tracks down to one. So in the end,I'll have those two compressed drum tracks onto one track.Now those compressors are freed up for other things.You just gotta experiment with the comps to find a sound you like.The two comps I use for drums have the settings set the same most of the time.So I all I do is patch in and Im good to go. You just gotta muck about with them for a while...experiment.
 
You can also just skip the compressor for now, and get the other aspects of your recording SOP under command.

Yeah, for analog mixing, you need more than one comp (I've got about 18 channels of comps, since I mix OTB)...but I don't always use them all, and sometimes maybe only on a few tracks.
Until you have a feel for what the comp is doing and/or can do.....don't try to apply it just to have it in the signal chain.

One of the better ways of getting familiar with a comp is to run some drums through it, since they have fast attack and release times, compared to trying a comp on a synth track or something more "flowing".
Run the drums through the comp starting with minimal settings, and then start experimenting, and simply use the Bypass button so you can hear before and after.
Read up on the different options your comp offers, and then put them through their paces.

Mind you, sometimes the best use of a comp is a subtle thing, and until you train your ears, it won't sound like anything is happening, so you get tempted to crank the knobs, which then gets you into more extreme comp behavior, and then all of a sudden it sounds bad to you....so you have to spend the time to train your ears for comps, probably more than any other process/FX...IMO.

Patchbays...just a place to interconnect your gear. There are outputs and inputs, same as your gear....you simply assign each piece of gear to it's dedicated I/O on the patchbay, and then you use the patch cables to interconnect.
If you have only a handful of pieces....you don't need a patchbay. If you have a couple of racks full of gear, you really do.
 
I have a compressor that goes from 1 to 10. I set the knob at 3 and it's effective but subtle.
 
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