Learned a great tip on compression

[Middleman]

I was reading the Mastering Engineers Handbook tonight and picked up a really good tip for buss compression. This is generally used at the mastering step but can also be put on the 2 buss for mixing to give you that radio sound.

Set the ratio really light, like 1.1:1, 15 ms Attack, 300 Release. Now take the threshold way down and you get this very warm, non pumping sound somewhere around -24 to -35 if you have that range.

Really gives you the sound of the compressor without hammering the signal too much.

Of course the threshold will depend on your track volume but play with it. Enjoy.

 

[mixsit]

Low ratio can be a very cool effect. 1.1 is getting down there. It's still compressing?
With fast-ish releases, you can get a bit of a brightening effect bringing up backgrounds. Slow seems to tend to be softer-warmer. Time domain as a tone control.
Wayne

 

[Middleman]

Yeah, that's exactly what I've found. The longer release warms it up and shorter gets cleaner. Very cool thing. It also reveals the sonic character of your plug-in or external too. Helped me reference my 4 compressors and tell what their basic sound is which is helpful for the mix.

I was suprised that two different plug ins could sound so different using the same compressor settings, just like hardware.

 

[dobro]

Okay, I tried it, and it works. I'm working on a song with a load of backing vocals, and using the technique you described, it made them clearer. But I had to use a way differerent threshold than the one you mentioned: I used -10 dB - anything lower than that and things got less clear. Oh yeah - I used 1.2:1 as well.

The common ground: very small ratio, very fast attack, very fast release.

I'm really pleased with this. But why does it work? What's this technique actually doing and how does it clarify the sound?

 

[TexRoadkill]

It's like 'premastering' while mixing. Using 2buss compression is one of the big trends right now. There may be some advantages because you can mix with the compression and know exactly how it will turn out. You are also reducing the possibilities for dynamic processing during mastering.

 

[dobro]

Well, you know, maybe I thought I tried but didn't actually, if you know what I mean. I mean, I have no idea what '2buss' means. What I did was put ten vocal tracks on the same buss and compressed the lot of them with the settings I described. It had the effect Middleman describes.

 

[fenix]

This is typically how tom lord-alge compresses vocals. He'll set the ratio extremely low on chained compressors and sometimes the thresholds add up as much as -40 db.

 

[Middleman]

I'm not suprised you needed a different threshold. This is dependent on the volume of the tracks hitting the compressor so it will vary from track to track. A loud track will require less reduction of threshold than a quieter one.

What your getting with this method is the sound of the compressor circuitry, in the case of plug-ins circuitry emulation, without the heavy reduction that higher ratios provide. It reveals the basic sound of the compressor when it is not really compressing that much. So, like mics, compressors have different sound colors, to borrow from Mr. Gearst.

2 buss is the main stereo final summing output from a mixer, where all the sounds from your tracks, aux buss and submixes come together.

The 2 buss compression is exactly what TexRoadkill says. A way of emulating mastering to hear what the final results will be.

One of the issues I still have not resolved is after I have this great mix. Should I eliminate the buss compression burn the result and master. Or, should I turn the buss compression off just prior to finishing the mix and then remix again to fatten it back up prior to sending off to be mastered. After you use buss compression and remove it, the mix always sounds a little thin and I am not sure how close to absolute perfection I need to be.

Hope that was clear. Any thoughts?

 

[TexRoadkill]

One of the issues I still have not resolved is after I have this great mix. Should I eliminate the buss compression burn the result and master. Or, should I turn the buss compression off just prior to finishing the mix and then remix again to fatten it back up prior to sending off to be mastered. After you use buss compression and remove it, the mix always sounds a little thin and I am not sure how close to absolute perfection I need to be.

Hope that was clear. Any thoughts?

Just print both and let the mastering engineer decide which one to use.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Well, you know, maybe I thought I tried but didn't actually, if you know what I mean. I mean, I have no idea what '2buss' means. What I did was put ten vocal tracks on the same buss and compressed the lot of them with the settings I described. It had the effect Middleman describes.

That is just buss compression. Like MM said 2buss usually refers to the master buss. I usually do buss compression over individual channel compression because I like the way it sounds and you can get more out of a limited analog mixdown setup. I'll often use buss compression for the drum or vocal submix. It's also a cool way to get a couple of rhythm guitar tracks to sit nicely in the mix.

 

[mixsit]

Okay, I tried it, and it works. I'm working on a song with a load of backing vocals, and using the technique you described, it made them clearer. The common ground: very small ratio, very fast attack, very fast release...

I'm really pleased with this. But why does it work? What's this technique actually doing and how does it clarify the sound?

Like you found, the technique can be used (or the effect can be heard) on a sub-mix, full mix, and often individual tracks.
I think (yea, sure ) what is generally going on is that unlike heavier compression and slower release, the background information that might be hidden right after a peak is alowed to be heard. At moderate amounts of compression or low-ish ratios, we seem to have this option to play with the release times and to some degree control the the tone a bit. I've found it works on vocals for example. Slower pulls more back (longer) seems warmer' , faster gets it up and brighter.
But then there's attack to factor too- with out some transient in there it might be dull either way, yea?

Middleman mentioned the 2-bus vs mastering. I like to mix, try the 2 track comp or M/B (yea I like the UltraFunk too but wha-do-i-know), take it off, mix some more, back and forth. At some point it's going to get it, might as well check your backgrounds as you go right?

Wayne

 

[dobro]

Really useful - thanks, you guys.

I don't mixer mix, I mouse mix, and I use software instead of hardware - that's why I don't understand half of what you're saying, but this technique is very useful. I tried this with the compressor built into Cool Edit. I'll try it again with my Ultrafunk compressor. A different algorithm means a different sound, probably.

 

[dobro]

Really useful - thanks, you guys.

I don't mixer mix, I mouse mix, and I use software instead of hardware - that's why I don't understand half of what you're saying, but this technique is very useful. I tried this with the compressor built into Cool Edit. I'll try it again with my Ultrafunk compressor. A different algorithm means a different sound, probably.

 

[Middleman]

Dobro, I'd like to hear your thoughts after that experiment to know if there is a radical difference.

 

[dobro]

Hi again - okay, another weekend and some free time to run that experiment - I tried the same tune only this time with my Ultrafunk compressor. Keep in mind that I don't have great ears, but it sounds *slightly* different to me.

Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that I'm not imagining it. But that could still be explained by the fact that, although I used the same settings in the new compressor, they might not be translating exactly the same as the previous compressor.

Anyway, I've got a question about this technique. I usually use compression in the mix to tame peaks so that I have more control over the level of each track in the mix. Can I do that AS WELL AS this funky new technique? No, right? Won't the more muscular compression setting on each individual track blow the hell out of any subsequent (and gentler compression setting) applied as a bus?

 

[mixsit]

...Anyway, I've got a question about this technique. I usually use compression in the mix to tame peaks so that I have more control over the level of each track in the mix. Can I do that AS WELL AS this funky new technique? No, right? Won't the more muscular compression setting on each individual track blow the hell out of any subsequent (and gentler compression setting) applied as a bus?

FWIW, I do both. At least part of the time I add compression on the main as well asthe tracks. But these are 'home grown' projects so I'm also trying to get pretty close to the final, or it's not even going to mastering.
But layored compression? Hell yes. If it works, why not?

Wayne

 

[Middleman]

Yeah I do both too.