post compression techniques

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tone_aot

tone_aot

Owner of ToneJonez.com
Whasup folks. What are some techniques that yall use to compress beats and also what settings do yall use when yall compress overall mixes(beat and vocals)? I'm just trying to see if i can learn some new stuff to try out. When i do a whole mix, i usually throw a limiter over everything but i leave the threshold at zero so that nothing clips. I don't really compress the overall mix but it sounds like other folks do. One more thing and i'll shut up :) ! It seems when i listen to professional albums, the sssss's always sound smooth but not sibilant. Doesn't sound like they jack up the high end or else the rest of the vocals would sound piercing to the ears. It's like the sssss's are programmed to stick out smoothly just when they say ssss. I know a lot of times i'll be riding down the road and somebody will be bumpin there system and all i can really hear is the bass and the sss's! How and the heck do they do that? Is it all in how you rap or is there a hardware method?
 
not set in stone but my last project i compressed the final mix @

threshold
-5.5
ratio 1.7:1
attack
30ms
release
200ms (i think)
 
Ok, if you are putting a limiter on the mix to keep it from clipping, you are mixing too loud. Turn all your tracks down by at least 12db.

This sort of thing ussually happens as a result of recording all of your sounds too loud. (let me guess, you set the levels as hot as possible without clipping)

When you record at the proper levels and mix at the proper levels, the compression and limiting in mastering sounds much better and more natural. Don't try to get the final volume in the mix, that is what mastering is for.

The ssss thing is done with a de-esser.
 
Not to say this is teh only way to try stuff, but if you want things to gel together some, try a multiband compressor on the entire mix....start with minimal compression on all bands, and slowly lower teh threshold...just to see if it tightens things up. I find that sometimes, I have things recorded pretty good....for me at least...and the dynamics can jump out a bit on an entire mix. (I am far from a proffesional, so my mixing is very amateurish..) Squash just the tip of the dynamics, without smashing the entire tune. Sometimes, I get things to sit better this way. You can add slightly more compression to the certain bands that are standing out, and less compression if they already sound good together.

Just a thought to try out.
 
Thanks for the info guys! Hey fairview, i usually mix with my tracks at low volumes and then i jack the overall volume up with the waves L2 but is it better to just leave the mix at like -6b, render, and then maximize the volume with an audio editing program? I used to do that with adobe audition but i can't really hear the difference between the two methods. I start doing it again though. I used to do that before i know as much info as i know now. Thanks!
 
The trick is to record your tracks at a lower volume. Once you take away the headroom on the input, you have already spoiled the sound.

The answer to your question is yes. However, mastering should be a completely separate process. You need to wait a day, listen to the mix, figure out what it needs, then give it what it needs.

Don't be fooled by the 'louder is better' thing. When listening to the mix, turn up your speakers. When adding limiting to gain volume, turn the speakers down. Keep monitoring everything at the same volume.
 
OH ok! I used to try to get the hottest level to tape when i had a outboard compressor, but when i started recording without it, i usually record keeping the peaks around -6db. It's hard to really KEEP them at that, but i don't have any problems with clipping. Only way it could clip is if someone yelled into the mic, and if they did i would clip them! :)
 
Sup tone,

The question you had about that "ssss" noise being smooth is because they use a de-esser to clean that up.

hope i helped

q
 
I need to learn the right settings or something. When i use the desser it sounds horrible. It sounds like all the highs are cut when the ssss's are played back. Guess i need to fool with the threshold. Thanks peeps!
 
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