elementary Compression Q.

[stalemayte]

While mixing down, is it common practice to run the entire mix through a compression box?

[ mix ] ---- [ compressor ] ------ [mixdown device ]


is it also common practice to have include a reverb effect over the entire mix?

[ mix ] ---- [ compressor ] --[ reverb ] ---- [mixdown device ]

thanks.

 

[TuoKaerf]

If I am not going to master a mix or have it sent out, I will occasionally run my mix through a stereo limiter. I run it through to bring it a bit down and to add a bit of gain, while trying to avoid smashing the shit out of my dynamics. The golden rule is that if it dosen't sound good when you are ready to bounce, go back and fix what sounds bad instead of trying to do it to everything.

As for reverb, do it when mixing. You can get yourself the wonderful "I'm in the bathroom taking a piss at a show" sound if you add verb to everything.

If your mix already has a lot of "space" in it, don't add much reverb. The best instruments to add a bit of reverb to are usually snare/overheads/vox/and so on. Tweek the controls until the verb time flows with the song, and think less is better.

 

[stalemayte]

sorry

I 'm not sure what it means to add the reverb 'when mixing'

 

[TuoKaerf]

When you are mixing all of your tracks down into a 2 track stereo recording.

Mixing=Setting volume levels, adding processing/effects (such as compression, EQ, reverb), and panning on a track to track basis. After you have everything sounding the way you want it to, you can then bounce your mix (if you are using software) or send it out to a 2 track machine.

 

[stalemayte]

thanks for clarifying. its something I was never quite sure about.


thanks tuo!