Understanding Compression

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Muffin

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I have a general idea as to what compression is and which applications to use it(or atleast I think so). From what I've gathered, compression is used to make a track have an even volume throughout. Quieter parts louder, louder parts quieter(correct me if I'm wrong) in doing so, it reduces dynamic range.

I'm trying to do just that. I have a guitar track with lots of chugs and palm mutes as well as open chords. The chugs obviously are loud and the chords not so much.

I use Cubase LE 4 and am having a hard time understanding how to use the compressor found with the plugin 'VST Dynamics'. When I go to the menu it has the following rotary knobs set as it's default(sorry I don't know how to use screen shots).
Threshold: -20.0
Ratio: 2.00(I thought ratio was presented like '1:5' or something of that configuration)
Make-up: 0.0(has 'auto' option)
Attack: 1.0
Release: 500(also has 'auto' option)

I'm just having a hard time understanding what these numbers really mean and what to tweak and what not to tweak.

Any light shed on the situation is greatly appreciated.
 
Muffin said:
I have a general idea as to what compression is and which applications to use it(or atleast I think so). From what I've gathered, compression is used to make a track have an even volume throughout. Quieter parts louder, louder parts quieter(correct me if I'm wrong) in doing so, it reduces dynamic range.

I'm trying to do just that. I have a guitar track with lots of chugs and palm mutes as well as open chords. The chugs obviously are loud and the chords not so much.

I use Cubase LE 4 and am having a hard time understanding how to use the compressor found with the plugin 'VST Dynamics'. When I go to the menu it has the following rotary knobs set as it's default(sorry I don't know how to use screen shots).
Threshold: -20.0
Ratio: 2.00(I thought ratio was presented like '1:5' or something of that configuration)
Make-up: 0.0(has 'auto' option)
Attack: 1.0
Release: 500(also has 'auto' option)

I'm just having a hard time understanding what these numbers really mean and what to tweak and what not to tweak.

Any light shed on the situation is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Threshold is what level you want the compressor to start being active
Ratio is how much you want to turn it down...something like turn down 2db for every 1db over the threshold...something like that
Make up is how much you want to turn the volume up at the end of the chain
Attack is how fast you want the compressor to start turning down/ clamping
Release is how soon you want the compressor to stop turning down

You can use compression not just as a gain modifier...but as a way to change how the instrument sounds...it's a huge topic and you can find it all over the internet...

My explanation is not even close to in layman's terms though...so good luck...and train your ears so that you can actually hear what you are doing in the first place...for that you need a good room etc etc
 
You guys need to use the search function on this forum,

All you need is in this thread.

Cheers

Alan.
 
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For me, the actual *understanding* of compression came in two distinct stages. The first stage was reading about it obsessively until I had a really good theoretical idea of what it does (and Witendoz's link is certainly a fine place to start). But even more important is being able to hear compression in your and other people's recordings, which is sort of like riding a bicycle - very difficult until you learn how, but practically second nature once you get it. And once you do, you simply keep training your ear and refining your understanding by thinking what each individual aspect of compression can do for you. It doesn't come overnight though; it took me literally years.
 
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Compress the market.com !

I've been recording for years and I still don't fully understand compression. The bit that stumps me is the setting of the threshold. I'm getting a little better with it and when I see the gain reduction lights flashing, I know it's doing it's invisible magic ! (Extreme ratios on a snare yield surprizing results).
I've read so much on compression over the years and will continue to and one day, I won't need to anymore. I hope you get there alot quicker than I've taken.
 
Muffin said:
I have a general idea as to what compression is and which applications to use it(or atleast I think so). From what I've gathered, compression is used to make a track have an even volume throughout. Quieter parts louder, louder parts quieter(correct me if I'm wrong) in doing so, it reduces dynamic range.
Click to expand...
That is what it does, but don't think of it in those terms. Think of it this way:

Compression with a slow attack and long release can make things "thwap".

Compression with a fast attack and fast release can make things "smooth".

Compression somewhere in between with a more natural sound can make things "closer".


Reach for your compressor when you hear an acoustic guitar and think "I could drive a truck through the openings in that sound field!"

Reach for your compressor when you hear a bass guitar and the low-end growl seems too "far away" from the high-end pluck.

Reach for your compressor when the singer needs to be the tiniest bit smoother.


Don't reach for your compressor because of general volume problems...even though instinct says that is exactly what a compressor is for.

I have a guitar track with lots of chugs and palm mutes as well as open chords. The chugs obviously are loud and the chords not so much.
Click to expand...
That shouldn't be a compressor issue. More than anything, that is a guitar playing issue. The guy playing has to lay it down the way it needs to be. If it is too late to do that, ride the track fader with your finger. Bring it down when it needs to come down, bring it up when it needs to come up. Or automate the fader.

In general, volume changes are the business of faders.

I use Cubase LE 4 and am having a hard time understanding how to use the compressor found with the plugin 'VST Dynamics'. When I go to the menu it has the following rotary knobs set as it's default(sorry I don't know how to use screen shots).


Threshold: -20.0
Click to expand...
Think of this as how "confined" the sound is. Thresholds closer to 0 sound much more open. Lower thresholds sound more and more like a fat guy is sitting on the music.
Ratio: 2.00(I thought ratio was presented like '1:5' or something of that configuration)
Click to expand...
If there is just a single number, it is referring to the one to the right of the ":". The 1 on the left of the ":" is just understood in that case.

Ratio is the intensity of the "confinement". Like, how fat is the fat guy sitting on the music? 1:8 is a very, very fat guy that your music can't get out from under. 1:1.5 is like a normal sized guy. Some of the sound can escape from under him.

The threshold and the ratio are very closely correlated. One greatly affects the other.
Make-up: 0.0(has 'auto' option)
Click to expand...
This is just the volume. It does not change the character of the sound at all. Do not use "auto". Instead, find a setting so the sound is the exact same volume weather the compressor is on or off. This will give you an honest judgment of the quality of your compression settings.
Attack: 1.0
Click to expand...
Attack is how smooth or punchy the sound is. A really low number is smooth. A number right past the threshold of the transient is punchy. Transients usually pass by 10 or 20 milliseconds.
Release: 500(also has 'auto' option)
Click to expand...
Release really affects the color of the sound. Shorter releases sound more natural. But set your release too short and it could distort, especially on bass. Longer releases bring out the color of the compressor.
 
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Thank-you Chibi Nappa. Your detailed response wasn't just informative, but very entertaining, haha. I like the fat guy examples.

Great, great info here. You've definitely helped me understand compression as well as when to use it.
 
Muffin said:
Thank-you Chibi Nappa. Your detailed response wasn't just informative, but very entertaining, haha. I like the fat guy examples.

Great, great info here. You've definitely helped me understand compression as well as when to use it.
Click to expand...

Yes!!! exactly, sometimes people just need a visual explanation to help see through the technical jargon of page after page of the novel that is masquerading as an owners manual. :cool:
 
grimtraveller said:
I've been recording for years and I still don't fully understand compression. The bit that stumps me is the setting of the threshold.
Click to expand...
That took me the longest, too, but basically, you always have to look at the threshold with one eye on the gain reduction meter - that's in case you're dealing with sustained sounds, with drum hits and the like it's just your ears and nothing else. So if you're working on vocals, let's say, then you might use the threshold to prevent compressor compressing the quiet parts. Because if you want to make stuff more even in volume, you obviously don't want to make the quiet ones more quiet as well, and I find that compressors work better if you give them less of a bandwidth to work with, even if you then have to crank the ratio up slightly. That's how it works with soft-knee compressors at least, I haven't had experience with hard-knee ones, maybe there setting the threshold is more constraining with those.
 
I made a flash video about compression for the members over at my forum. It describes how to set all of those things. You can even download the tracks used in the video and follow along click-for-click if you want.

Click Here.

I tried to K.I.S.S. for beginners. Hope it helps.

Enjoy!
 
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