Differences between mixing-mastering compression

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John Sim

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Does someone know the difference between the mixing comp. and the compression doing at mastering session??
How can I exploit each one and when?

Thanx in advance...
 
the mixing compression is applied to individual tracks or subgroups of tracks. the mastering compression is applied to the entire mix.

the other main difference is that a mastering studio is likely to have far more expensive compressors than the average home studio!
 
littledog said:
the mixing compression is applied to individual tracks or subgroups of tracks. the mastering compression is applied to the entire mix.

the other main difference is that a mastering studio is likely to have far more expensive compressors than the average home studio!
Click to expand...

some mixers do add 2 bus compression to there final stereo track
 
littledog said:
the mixing compression is applied to individual tracks or subgroups of tracks. the mastering compression is applied to the entire mix.

the other main difference is that a mastering studio is likely to have far more expensive compressors than the average home studio!
Click to expand...

would a [world class] mixing studio more likely have far more expensive compressors than the average home mastering studio?:D

[world class] mixing engineers strap compressors over mixes all the time...even before mastering...eh?
 
You'll not in any way be able to get the compression sound of an individually proper compressed (e.g. vocal) track by using a mix compression. Never, impossible. All tracks together will be dynamically influenced which will have BIG impact on the way tracks act together.

Single track compression will reduce the dynamics of that single track. Soyour tracks might be easier to mix or sound bad (ymmv). Mix compression will reduce the dynamics of the whole mix. So if your loudest track (e.g. vocal) is silent, the rest will fade up and be louder... So you might think of a mix compression and track compression working somehow 'opposite'. The track compression reduces the dynamic change of a track. Mix compression may add additional dynamic to a track in ordr to have the sum dynamic reduced...

aXel
 
mixmkr said:
would a [world class] mixing studio more likely have far more expensive compressors than the average home mastering studio?:D

[world class] mixing engineers strap compressors over mixes all the time...even before mastering...eh?
Click to expand...

"home mastering studio" is an oxymoron. unless you have one hell of a home...

yes, mixing engineers put compression on their entire mixes, essentially making some of the mastering choices at the mix stage, but they also put them on individual tracks, which you cannot do when mastering. And mastering engineers hate mixers who compress the whole mix unless they really know what they are doing, since it limits the options of the mastering engineer. I think the operative words might be "[world class]". So if you don't fit that description, (and especially if you have cheap-ass compressors or plug-ins) leave it off...
 
volltreffer said:
You'll not in any way be able to get the compression sound of an individually proper compressed (e.g. vocal) track by using a mix compression. Never, impossible. All tracks together will be dynamically influenced which will have BIG impact on the way tracks act together.

Single track compression will reduce the dynamics of that single track. Soyour tracks might be easier to mix or sound bad (ymmv). Mix compression will reduce the dynamics of the whole mix. So if your loudest track (e.g. vocal) is silent, the rest will fade up and be louder... So you might think of a mix compression and track compression working somehow 'opposite'. The track compression reduces the dynamic change of a track. Mix compression may add additional dynamic to a track in ordr to have the sum dynamic reduced...

aXel
Click to expand...

You completely lost me...:confused:
 
littledog said:
"home mastering studio" is an oxymoron. unless you have one hell of a home...

yes, mixing engineers.....etc, etc...
Click to expand...


I was yanking your chain, ole dog of small proportions!!!

see da smiley face on the [orginal] post?:D
 
yeah, i completely overlooked the obvious contradiction: no world class mixing studio would send their product to be mastered in a "home mastering" studio.
 
littledog said:
yeah, i completely overlooked the obvious contradiction: no world class mixing studio would send their product to be mastered in a "home mastering" studio.
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Heh heh...on a serious note.
I used to think the same thing. But I recently found out that there ar equite a few world class Mastering houses that are in the homes of the Mastering Engineer. Bob Katz for one, operates out of his home and does quite well. Roger Nicols if I remember correctly also has his mastering set-up at home.
The reason for these guys doing this has to do with logistics and overhead and also alleviates some of the stresses of having to deal with too many levels of managment. Alot of the Mastering Engineers fight to get the equipment they need in the environment they need to do their jobs better. Bob Ludwig critized his old employer for not allowing him the means to do his job better. Now if I could convince my wife that I need a bigger console and more tracks.

SoMm
 
@SoMm:

You might ask Bob Katz how to... Perhaps he has some 'the secret guide to convincing your wife.pdf"... :D


@littledog:

The thing I wanted to point out that any MIX compression may add some unwanted dynamic to certain tracks. That's just the pumping or breathing on a mix compression. Or just imagine the effect of having a vocal track's verb tail raising its volume with release time constant... It would work the same with ducking the verb with the vocal as sidechain... So you can in fact ADD dynamics... I'm quite sure that most of you will immediately know what I mean,but the original question was just in the direction of pointing out the difference... Hope I could explain myself better this way (or maybe someone else might jump in...)

aXel
 
Well, that explains my confusion: it would never occur to me to call butchering my compression settings so as to introduce pumping and breathing as "increasing dynamic range.". it is usually referred to as "undesireable artifacts", and in the situation you describe, it is caused by someone not knowing how to properly adjust the parameters, such as release time.

what bob katz does is NOT home mastering, even if his mastering studio shares the same address as his home.
 
I simply have worsened what I meant...

I would not call pumping and breathing a desirable artifact in mix compression (or lets say in most cases not - kinda depends on whether it was done accidentally or willingly...), but it explains some stuff.

Imagine two tracks:

Track A: a synth pad with absolutely no dynamics

Track B: a vocal track

You blend both and compress them in the mix. The effect will be a changing volume of the (formerly constant) track A...

So you could see this as a kind of ADDING dynamics... You'll surely agree that the sound is completely different than compressing tracks A and B or track B alone and then mixing... Well maybe it's a too academic sight... But that's what I meant...

aXel

The simpler you think is often a gift of god... (???)
 
littledog said:
what bob katz does is NOT home mastering, even if his mastering studio shares the same address as his home.
Click to expand...

huh?

oh...
"in[da]house mastering" scuze me!!;)
 
I like to compress the final stereo mix to give it more of a live saturated sound and get the volume up. I don't do much track compression on anything but vocals, and that's more or less out of neccessity.

Of course, I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just trying to get "that" sound.
 
i don't use compression much....

I listen when i do compress and it takes some life out of the tracks. If you use compression, use it very lightly.
What I do on some tracks, is look at my track on the computer and where I see me going into the red too much, I simply turn down the volume a couple db and hit my automated snapshot button (i work with Sonar) and it lowers the db of that peak and then i go back up to normal volume level, so really, all i want is to limit my peaks. Working this way with the track, it sounds more live and alive, instead of compressing and taking life out of the track. Let the mastering engineer of reputation do that on the mastering. So if compressing, use it very lightly.
Correct me if I'm wrong...........thanx
 
Compression can be a life-sucker, but it can also make your tracks slamming. Just depends what sound you are going for and how well you know how to use your compressor.
 
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