Multi-Band Compression Redux

[spantini]

LINKBACK To Original Thread

Kenny's video on How To Glue A Mix added a Multi-Band Compressor just before the end of the FX chain (Limiter was last). Most of what I've read has been negative on the subject of MBCs. I haven't used it in any of my mixes yet. What do y'all think. . . still mostly against the idea?

 

[DM60]

I think they could be great if you are trying to dial in a frequency to compress for various reasons. I have experimented with them, but for the style of music I make and my ignorance of them, I have stayed away from them on my final mixes.

 

[Joseph Hanna]

Multi-Band compression is one of the very most vital tools I have. I haven't done a mix without them for years. I don't know any of my peers in the industry that don't use them frequently as well. Who, and more importantly why, are there mostly negative comments? Scratchin' my head on this one

 

[JamEZmusic]

For organic instruments and bass I would say it was critical unless you can place a mic so far back in a nice dry dead room.

I only use them to compress the low and high end. I've never needed to compress the mids/lowmids. Controlling the low end buildup and the top end harsh stuff is necessary most of the time

 

[markmann]

Multi-Band compression is one of the very most vital tools I have. I haven't done a mix without them for years. I don't know any of my peers in the industry that don't use them frequently as well. Who, and more importantly why, are there mostly negative comments? Scratchin' my head on this one

I think it mostly comes from lack of understanding and the fact that a MBC is more complicated to use than a standard compressor. OK, maybe I'm just talking about myself. In all honesty it took me a good while to get the hang of using a standard compressor and even when I thought I had it down I really didn't. I have used an MBC on stereo drum tracks and on master tracks before but I had to watch a video to navigate my way. I read the original thread and that gave me some good ideas for using an MBC to zero in on one specific frequency which I have never tried.

 

[Joseph Hanna]

I think it mostly comes from lack of understanding and the fact that a MBC is more complicated to use than a standard compressor. OK, maybe I'm just talking about myself. In all honesty it took me a good while to get the hang of using a standard compressor and even when I thought I had it down I really didn't. I have used an MBC on stereo drum tracks and on master tracks before but I had to watch a video to navigate my way. I read the original thread and that gave me some good ideas for using an MBC to zero in on one specific frequency which I have never tried.

Yea Mark, I agree. I'm good with the idea that Multi-band compression might seem to some a tad intimidating, at least at first. What raised my curiosity here was the idea that they (MBC) create mostly negative comments. In truth I dunno any device in audio processing, digital or otherwise, that if used properly, would generate mostly negative comments.

 

[spantini]

I haven't used a single plugin but I think I've used the concept on one track. I duplicated a bass track and put ReaEQ on both. I high passed one at around 80Hz and low passed the other at 80Hz. I added a compressor to the low pass. Same basic effect as a MBC, I reckon.

 

[Joseph Hanna]

I haven't used a single plugin but I think I've used the concept on one track. I duplicated a bass track and put ReaEQ on both. I high passed one at around 80Hz and low passed the other at 80Hz. I added a compressor to the low pass. Same basic effect as a MBC, I reckon.

It is!

 

[markmann]

In the other thread one of the posters mentioned using an MBC as a de-esser. I have used de-esser plugins and/or EQ to tame esses but I would like to explore using an MBC but how does that work? I assume I would create a band for the offending frequency range but what settings would tame them? In general when I use a compressor I'm looking to even out the envelope of a note to hear it better or control dynamic range but not to lower or eliminate it.

 

[Joseph Hanna]

In the other thread one of the posters mentioned using an MBC as a de-esser. I have used de-esser plugins and/or EQ to tame esses but I would like to explore using an MBC but how does that work? I assume I would create a band for the offending frequency range but what settings would tame them? In general when I use a compressor I'm looking to even out the envelope of a note to hear it better or control dynamic range but not to lower or eliminate it.

Yep Mark, it's not at all uncommon for some to use MBC as a de-esser. You are correct in that you'd first identify the frequency that is the offender. You'd then set 1 of the bands to center on the problematic frequency. You'd need to narrow the band. The threshold would then need to be high. The attack and release would have to be the quickest available and adjust from there if needed. There are some downsides, however, particularly compared to a decent dedicated de-esser. Both of the MBC's I use (Izotope and McDsp) do impart a sonic signature. The McDsp much more so than the Izotope. I like the signatures but that would be inappropriate for a bunch of the dialog I work on daily. Also using a MBC on a vocal/dialog track that had several problematic frequencies would obviously require multiple bands. At that point, it might well be too invasive to the sonic as a whole.

The way most, in my world, de-ess is to use a destructive de-ess plug-in. In my case, Pro Tool's destructive Audio Suite protocol works great. The plug-in first allows one to reverse the sound so all one hears are high frequencies. You sweep the frequency until you clearly hear the offender. Set the de-esser to that frequency. Then reverse the plug-in back to full frequency. From there I zoom in on the problematic "s", highlight them, and destructively apply the de-esser. At that point, the only thing that is affected is the singular problem "s". Also, since it's easy to reset the frequency point I can address any problems at any frequency that is offensive. It's certainly more time-consuming than just running a MBC or de-esser in real-time, but it is surgical, non-invasive, and leaves the vocal/dialog sonically untouched.

 

[markmann]

Yep Mark, it's not at all uncommon for some to use MBC as a de-esser. You are correct in that you'd first identify the frequency that is the offender. You'd then set 1 of the bands to center on the problematic frequency. You'd need to narrow the band. The threshold would then need to be high. The attack and release would have to be the quickest available and adjust from there if needed. There are some downsides, however, particularly compared to a decent dedicated de-esser. Both of the MBC's I use (Izotope and McDsp) do impart a sonic signature. The McDsp much more so than the Izotope. I like the signatures but that would be inappropriate for a bunch of the dialog I work on daily. Also using a MBC on a vocal/dialog track that had several problematic frequencies would obviously require multiple bands. At that point, it might well be too invasive to the sonic as a whole.

The way most, in my world, de-ess is to use a destructive de-ess plug-in. In my case, Pro Tool's destructive Audio Suite protocol works great. The plug-in first allows one to reverse the sound so all one hears are high frequencies. You sweep the frequency until you clearly hear the offender. Set the de-esser to that frequency. Then reverse the plug-in back to full frequency. From there I zoom in on the problematic "s", highlight them, and destructively apply the de-esser. At that point, the only thing that is affected is the singular problem "s". Also, since it's easy to reset the frequency point I can address any problems at any frequency that is offensive. It's certainly more time-consuming than just running a MBC or de-esser in real-time, but it is surgical, non-invasive, and leaves the vocal/dialog sonically untouched.

Thanks for that detailed response. I will try it but sounds like I'll end up sticking to a dedicated de-esser for that task.

 

[Massive Master]

Multi-band (a.k.a. "maul-the-band") compression can be handy occasionally, but it's usually a band-aid for a broken leg. Radio stations, PA systems (any crossover network with compressors is a mult-band compressor and that's exactly how we used to do it back in the day), that sort of thing. My typical though is that if you need one on a source or mix, it's probably because of something that went horribly wrong that should've been corrected at an earlier phase in the process.

All that said - They're handy for de-essing (really, a de-esser is just a single band, tuned compressor) and they are almost singlehandedly the reason that "everything on the radio sounds the same" (but if you play those tracks from the source, they sounds completely different).

A less intrusive, arguably more effective in most cases (IMO/E) would be a dynamic EQ. Similar concept / difference application. TDR's Nova EQ for example (freeware - and absolutely insane) comes to mind. Still handy as a de-esser, great for source use, buss use, even master buss on some material. Corrects the spectral issues without sucking the life out of everything.

Still a (steep) learning curve - but (again, IMO/E) definitely worth the curve.