eeldip
New member
you know i started writting something, but then i found this:
"Basically you'll need your compressor for reducing dynamics. When a singer sings softly, he/she needs to be turned up to be heard. When that singer belts out a loud note at the end of a soft phrase, that loud note needs to be kept under control so as not to distort or become too loud in the mix. When a bass guitar is played with the fingertips, it has a soft sound, when that bass line has a pop or slap added to it, it's gonna come out much louder than the rest of the notes. The compressor brings up the soft stuff and brings down the loud stuff.
The threshold knob lets the compressor know when a signal is loud enough to need compression. You can set it so that only the peaks cross the threshold and get compressed (limiting) or you can set it so almost anything played gets compressed.
The ratio knob tells the compressor how much the volume of the signal will be squeezed; a ratio of 1:1 is, of course, no dynamic reduction. A ratio of 10:1 will make any signal above the threshold level sound almost the same volume. High ratios are generally used for limiting peaks. Lower ratios like 3:1 to 6:1 are more common for compression on dynamic signals that need to be smoothed out like vocals, bass, wind instruments, etc.
The attack time knob is used to tell the compressor how long after it hears a signal it should respond. With a slow attack time, it will allow the thump of a bass guitar to get through without losing all of its punchiness.
The release time knob tells the compressor how fast to return to normal after a signal has triggered it into compression. If the release time is too fast it will be riding the decay of the signal too closely, giving a pumping or breathing sound. If it is too slow it can make signals played after the initial trigger sound too quiet since the compressor is still reducing the level.
Basically you don't need a manual. You need to sit down and play with the thing. Use a microphone and wear headphones and just talk and turn the knobs. Also play guitar through one and it will teach you how to use it. Every situation needs to be tweeked precisely to get the right sound. Be careful not to overcompress because you can literally squeeze the life out of an instrument. You need to just tame it enough so you can keep the signal heard and balanced in the mix in a natural sounding way. With compressors, nothing will help you as much as experimentation and careful listening.
Good Luck, Wilhelm Reich"
"Basically you'll need your compressor for reducing dynamics. When a singer sings softly, he/she needs to be turned up to be heard. When that singer belts out a loud note at the end of a soft phrase, that loud note needs to be kept under control so as not to distort or become too loud in the mix. When a bass guitar is played with the fingertips, it has a soft sound, when that bass line has a pop or slap added to it, it's gonna come out much louder than the rest of the notes. The compressor brings up the soft stuff and brings down the loud stuff.
The threshold knob lets the compressor know when a signal is loud enough to need compression. You can set it so that only the peaks cross the threshold and get compressed (limiting) or you can set it so almost anything played gets compressed.
The ratio knob tells the compressor how much the volume of the signal will be squeezed; a ratio of 1:1 is, of course, no dynamic reduction. A ratio of 10:1 will make any signal above the threshold level sound almost the same volume. High ratios are generally used for limiting peaks. Lower ratios like 3:1 to 6:1 are more common for compression on dynamic signals that need to be smoothed out like vocals, bass, wind instruments, etc.
The attack time knob is used to tell the compressor how long after it hears a signal it should respond. With a slow attack time, it will allow the thump of a bass guitar to get through without losing all of its punchiness.
The release time knob tells the compressor how fast to return to normal after a signal has triggered it into compression. If the release time is too fast it will be riding the decay of the signal too closely, giving a pumping or breathing sound. If it is too slow it can make signals played after the initial trigger sound too quiet since the compressor is still reducing the level.
Basically you don't need a manual. You need to sit down and play with the thing. Use a microphone and wear headphones and just talk and turn the knobs. Also play guitar through one and it will teach you how to use it. Every situation needs to be tweeked precisely to get the right sound. Be careful not to overcompress because you can literally squeeze the life out of an instrument. You need to just tame it enough so you can keep the signal heard and balanced in the mix in a natural sounding way. With compressors, nothing will help you as much as experimentation and careful listening.
Good Luck, Wilhelm Reich"
