how do you master a track?

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I will say that a 2 ms attack and 50 ms release on a mastering compressor will REALLY compress the mix a little noticeably...... I never go below 40 ms attack when I run a compressor on the 2-track, and 400 ms is about baseline for me.
 
Lopp said:

Keep in mind that I think littledog means decreasing the attack rate to let more transients through. By having a slower attack, you let more transients through.
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I'm assuming it's some sort of semantic problem here. On the compressors that I know, smaller attack time numbers are a counter-clockwise turn of the knob, and means that less of the transients will get through because the compressor clamps down more quickly. 2ms would mean that only the first 2ms of the signal would get through uncompressed.

By increasing the attack time number (to say 10 or 20ms) (usually turning the knob clockwise) much more of the transient gets through before the compressor kicks in, which gives the musical result of more punch or life to the mix. The drawback to longer attack numbers, of course, is less control of potential clipping or distortion.

Lopp is the first one I've met around here who apparently uses attack rate instead as an inverse function of attack time. Anyone else do it that way?
 
littledog said:
I'm assuming it's some sort of semantic problem here.
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Exactly, but no problem at all. Just reiterating what you said. ;)

Lopp is the first one I've met around here who apparently uses attack rate instead as an inverse function of attack time. Anyone else do it that way?
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Maybe it's my engineer side. In fact, I can remember what my compressor knobs look like right now without looking at them or thinking for a bit. Especially because my compression is done more by ear because it's relative to the source material.

In particular, when I want to increase transients, I don't want the compressor to act as quickly. Thus, I want to slow down the compressor. Therefore decreasing the rate at which it acts.

Eh. Semantics.
 
Ok, looked at a few compressors because I was curious

Avalon uses "fast" and "slow." Thus, you have to decrease (slow down) the attack (but turn it clockwise) to let more transients through.

Drawmer doesn't use indicators.

Funny, I use a RNC, which indicates attack as a function of time. Thus, you have to increase the time to let more transients through.

Alesis uses attack time.

Pendulum Audio uses attack time.

Most other compressors use attack time. Us rate thinkers are a rare breed. :p
 
I usually find that the best way to master is to take your mix, run it really hot through the best hi-fi system in your house, and mic the hi-fi speaker with a sm-57 slightly off axis and 2 inches back with the mic output running straight to CDR. Works wonders for me. :) *




*note: don't do any of this.
 
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