using compression

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kc0jsj

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Hey all,

I am slightly new to recording and have some qt's about using compression. First off, my budget is low so does anyone have any favorite vst compressors that are free or cheap? Second, when I'm using compression, should I compress individual tracks? Or should I mix the tracks down and compress them together? Or both? I have been able to get pretty good sound quality with instrumental stuff but would like to be able to record vocals better.

I am open to ANY tips on mixing, recording, compressing or what have you. I don't know what I don't know so tip away!

God Bless!

Michael
 
Most everything I've read recommends using only light compression on vocal tracks...ratio 2:1 - 4:1 with up to 6dB gain reduction(2-3dB seems to be norm). You can experiment with different attack and release settings. I don't usually like short attacks...less than 25ms doesn't sound natural to me. The Stillwell Rocket comp and Major Tom are two free/shareware ones a lot of people recommend. There's also one called Classic Compressor...don't remember who makes it. I usually use the compressor that comes with Acid, my DAW.
 
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Your question about good but cheap vst plugin comps. I've heard people say good things about blockfish, I have never used it, I'm pretty sure it's free, so give it a try. I can vouch for the stillwell stuff though. The Rocket compressor, at $50, is a lot less than Waves, URS, and UAD stuff, but it's just as good if not better. It's a great compressor, the only downside to it is that the slowest attack is 2 ms.
 
There is a significant difference in compressing individual tracks, versus bussed aggregations or entire mixes.

Those differences are qualitative and there's no right or wrong way to apply compression. As always, experiment and learn the difference so you can decide when to use each approach.
 
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