Question re: compression & drums

[jbgoode]

I'm working on mixing down my drum traks and playing around with the built-in compression on my Fostex VF-16 deck.

I've got (4) traks - 2 o/h, 1 snare, 1 kick.

When I turned on the built-in compression it made things sound better but also seemed to wash in and out. Sort of a surging in the sound dependent on level.

I'm looking for advice in general. Should I be doing this on all (4) tracks or just part of it ? The built-in compressor has only a few variables - threshold, ratio, attack & gain and I don't really understand which I should be messing with.

Thanks for any help - JB

 

[dr.colossus]

perhaps your attack is too slow, your ratio too high and the gain too high aswell....

theoretically the effects of compression should be subtle... you shouldn't really be able to here your compressor working

try these setting as a guide line on the bass drum and snare

ratio 3:1 or 4:1
attack very fast (about .1msec)
and set the threshold so there is about 4-6db gain reduction

i've found you don't want too much compression on over heads... probably reduce the ratio to about 2:1

then go from there... tweak, tweak, tweak!

now, i'm no expert on compression, but this is gennerally what works for me..... you pretty much know you've got it sounding good when you say "this damn compressor isn't doing anything!" and then you bypass it and your dynamics go all over the place

 

[Tim Brown]

I'm working on mixing down my drum traks and playing around with the built-in compression on my Fostex VF-16 deck.

I've got (4) traks - 2 o/h, 1 snare, 1 kick.

When I turned on the built-in compression it made things sound better but also seemed to wash in and out. Sort of a surging in the sound dependent on level.

I'm looking for advice in general. Should I be doing this on all (4) tracks or just part of it ? The built-in compressor has only a few variables - threshold, ratio, attack & gain and I don't really understand which I should be messing with.

Thanks for any help - JB

Ratio of about 2:1 to 4:1.
Threshold....you're going to have to play around with a bit to see what works for you.

A lot of times, when you first play around with a compressor, you'll tend to squash the hell out of everything (High Ratio...say 6:1-10:1) and what happens is you wind up squeezing the life out of the drums.
Drums and Bass guiatr are two of the most dynamic Instruments around, and I think that Compression is most critical on them.

Generally, I just use the compressor to bat down the peaks a little.
I've also gotten to the point where I don't EQ as much as I used to...
Everyone has certain sounds that they are after....and the key is learning how to get them. One person's "perfect mix", man sound lik crap to the next guy....it's kind of subjective.

For example...I'm sick of that "clicky" kick drum sound...and I used it for years.


Tim

 

[GrooveBassman]

Praise the down with the clicky bass drum remark. But when that's what the customer wants it's what the get.