I haven't been using compression enough.

  • Thread starter Thread starter HangDawg
  • Start date Start date
HangDawg

HangDawg

bUnGhOlIo
I know I keep hearing everything is over compressed and I've been trying to avoid it but I can't. I've been ending up with compression on most tracks and I've been using multi-band during my "psuedo mastering" as well. I'm not squashing it flat or anything, but if I don't do it the song sounds too wild and untamed. Maybe my understanding of what overcompressed really means but I'm starting to think that most tracks are way too dynamic in nature to play well together without some serious ass whoopin with the ole comp. Any insights?
 
From my experience you should be fine using some compression on most things, as long as you're not OVER compressing everything. My understanding of overcompressing is using too high a ratio, low threshold, etc, to just rob the dynamics completely. What I get into trouble with is when I try to use my compressors too much to actually mix the levels, because I'm too lazy to go and automate everything. That works sometimes, but definitely not in all situations.
 
it's only too much comp if it sounds bad or dosn't achieve what you want.

thare are NO standards

(99/1 at -58 db)
 
I've been finding out that I can compress more than I thought before things start sounding like ass. My mixes are starting to sound a lot more cohesive and controlled.
 
corban said:
What I get into trouble with is when I try to use my compressors too much to actually mix the levels, because I'm too lazy to go and automate everything. That works sometimes, but definitely not in all situations.
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Exactly. Compression shouldn't be used to MIX a song. The players should play and sing with the dynamics required, and the person mixing should get good levels as much as possible before compressing...Then, you add compression as needed...Then again there are no rules so forget everything I just said.
 
HangDawg said:
Maybe my understanding of what overcompressed really means but I'm starting to think that most tracks are way too dynamic in nature to play well together without some serious ass whoopin with the ole comp. Any insights?
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Sounds like the band itself has some performance issues. Yes, I use compression on some or even alot of my tracks depending on the song, but when I record a good band I can certainly make a great sounding mix without any compression at all. Attack this problem at the source. Get your guys to control themselves while they play and have them give you an even performance. If you need compression to mix the tracks, something is wrong at the recording and performance stage.

Compression is to enhance only, not to make it all work in the first place.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
Sounds like the band itself has some performance issues. Yes, I use compression on some or even alot of my tracks depending on the song, but when I record a good band I can certainly make a great sounding mix without any compression at all. Attack this problem at the source. Get your guys to control themselves while they play and have them give you an even performance. If you need compression to mix the tracks, something is wrong at the recording and performance stage.

Compression is to enhance only, not to make it all work in the first place.
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I did a couple mixes of these tracks with nothing but a bit of eq. They sounded pretty good like that, but nothing like they do now. After some healthy squashing, everthing gels better if ya know what I mean. What I'm guessing is, heavier music is compressed pretty hard to get it to sound the way it does. There's just no getting around it. And I don't mean the uber comp/limited shit that pounds the ceiling all the time. Just good heavy metal and rock tunes.
 
well, here's an acid test for you.

Listen to a classic rock station for a bit. Ignoring the genre itself, focus on how these songs were mixed.

IMHO, there is a lot more space and dynamic variation than what you will generally find on the top-whatever stations nowadays.

I don't claim that this is all due to over-compression, but it certainly does play a large part.
 
if you can hear the compression 'pumping' in and out, its too much.
 
fraserhutch said:
well, here's an acid test for you.

Listen to a classic rock station for a bit. Ignoring the genre itself, focus on how these songs were mixed.

IMHO, there is a lot more space and dynamic variation than what you will generally find on the top-whatever stations nowadays.

I don't claim that this is all due to over-compression, but it certainly does play a large part.
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I wouldn't listen to them on a radio station.. They compress their broadcasts pretty heavily. Get the original recordings on cassette or CD. JMHO
 
StarvingEyes said:
if you can hear the compression 'pumping' in and out, its too much.
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Nope, I don't go to that extreme.

As a newbie, I'm just suprised at how much and how often compression is needed to get things to sound like commercial mixes. And again, I'm not talking about the loudness wars and limiting everything to the point of destruction. Just the amount needed to make a hard rock/heavy song sound right.
 
One problem that I came across with lots of compression is that there is very little dynamic change building to the big chorus.

I tried automating the volume of the mix so that it actually does get louder (a good 4-6bd) in the chorus. When you add compression at the final stage it then compresses the chorus more and leaves the rest with more space.


May be a sh*t idea... I like it though! :o
 
i absolutely agree with you HangDawg. i used to be afraid of compression since it was taboo due to the loudness wars. the first time i used it on a master bus for a mixdown was an epiphany. things just sounded fuller. IMHO, i think most people are used to the limited dynamics, for better or worse. so we almost expect it. i also think compression helps make mixes more translatable across systems and environments.

pretty much everything i "master" gets multiband compression on it. if i a/b it and like it, i keep it. it's my guilty pleasure in the studio. of course, i agree that you should really remix if you've got some problems, but hell, i get lazy, and the plug in is right there!

just a/b a lot. if it sounds better, it is better.

-marcus
 
sucram said:
i absolutely agree with you HangDawg. i used to be afraid of compression since it was taboo due to the loudness wars. the first time i used it on a master bus for a mixdown was an epiphany. things just sounded fuller. IMHO, i think most people are used to the limited dynamics, for better or worse. so we almost expect it. i also think compression helps make mixes more translatable across systems and environments.

pretty much everything i "master" gets multiband compression on it. if i a/b it and like it, i keep it. it's my guilty pleasure in the studio. of course, i agree that you should really remix if you've got some problems, but hell, i get lazy, and the plug in is right there!

just a/b a lot. if it sounds better, it is better.

-marcus
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Yes, that's it. I'm not doing this for loundness. It really does make things more distinct. After some judicious MB compression, I start hearing things that were sort of pushed aside by another track. If that makes any damn sense. All I know is I've had a learning experience with regards to compression and it's been a good one. Hoooray for me. :D
 
I use compresion to gel tracks together at the mixing stage. By carefull controlling of the dynamics via compression of each track this makes the stereo mix sound more together. Over compression will kill the initial sound and attack of an instrument rather than the opposite of what can be acheived with compression. I dont usually compress at mastering as i havnt really acheived great results before from that (i thnk i compress too much at mastering and suck the dynamics out of my mixes). I use EQ at mastering to more gel the tracks together.
 
just get an la2a and 1176, then you wont have to worry about "over compressing" :D
 
I don't think compression is that necessary on vocals. Much of the problematic dynamics can be fixed with a volume envelope. So compression on vocals should be more an issue of changing sonic character of the track - and bringing out sibilance.
 
Good call Cloneboy. I love it how comrpession changes the sound of vocals soo much. It can make them sound soo much thicker and fuller and warmer even with just a Waves compressor.
 
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