Compressors, Limiters etc in Electronica

mollekula

mollekula

New member
Hi guys, i want to ask about compressors and limiters to get an idea. i know its not easy to use them and i need to study some theory, but i want to ask this, in electronic music that uses lots of weird sounds and noises and any other sound, where compressors and limiters should be used? are they necessary to every sound and sample? Low Fr Mid Fr Hi Fr, do they use different compressors? i ask this cos ive heard bass uses a different compressor from that which uses guitar or vocals. also, are compressors used in combination with various FX like flanger, chorus or any other effect? i was installing numerous dynamics plugins yesterday, i was just curious, electronica has countless sounds in one track, glitches, noises, melodies, drones, basslines, drum paths and loops and all the rest, where compressors have to be used? please enlighten me guys, thanx in advance
 
Sorry to diappoint you, but there is no answer to "where compressors have to be used?". You use one if you feel the music needs it and you don't use one if you don't feel it needs it. It's that simple.

Can compressors be used with other effects? Yes.

Should you always use a compressor? No.

Do different instruments use different compressors? They can, but they don't have to. You can use the same compressor with different setting for each instrument....Or, you can NOT use a compressor at all.
 
Thanx for the reply. What is then the use of Equalizer? (apart from creating a specific atmosphere in a sound or sample) is it used for the same purpose as a compressor or limiter? I mean to increase or lower wanted or unwanted frequencies. is it correct to use it combined with a compressor or any other dynamics processor?
 
mollekula said:
Thanx for the reply. What is then the use of Equalizer? (apart from creating a specific atmosphere in a sound or sample) is it used for the same purpose as a compressor or limiter? I mean to increase or lower wanted or unwanted frequencies. is it correct to use it combined with a compressor or any other dynamics processor?
Click to expand...

Well, yes, EQ's are used to increase or lower wanted or un-wanted frequencies. But that has nothing to do with what a compressor does. (I know there are multi-band compressors, but let's learn what a regular compressor does before we get ahead of ourselves).

A compressor is used, more often than not, to level out VOLUMES, not to adjust frequencies.
 
Asking what compressors are for in music is like asking like what the color blue is for in art. It's a creative judgment. There's no simple guide you can follow that works every time. Experiment with various settings until you find what you think works, and post samples for critique. Also, don't just put effects on out of habit. Try to identify specific problems and their solutions.
 
With any synths or drum loops I tend to stay away from compression or eq. I just never hear the need for it. If your using mic'ed instruments along with synths in the mix, then typically the synths are going to have a more well defined shaped raw track.

I have added delay or reverb to synth tracks.
 
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