| Author
|
Compression again......sorry
|
Adharaguy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
37
Posts :
138
Posted : May 27, 2008 19:36:02
|
Hello there. Can anyone explain me when, why and were we have to use compression. The first object (i thing) is to give more "power" in a sound without gain dbs wrigth???So making this the lower level ups and the high level down make it more flat and more high. But who do you see when the compression is good (in power not in value like ratio or attack...), because whe can put the sound higher and higher and whe just stop when he sounds like crap. So wen you stop compression, when we see is good enouf.???
Thanks....
ps... If anyone have or now some tutorials and stuf like that please tell me... I just want to learn  |
|
|
vegetal
Vegetal/Peacespect
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
1055
Posted : May 27, 2008 20:29
|
|
Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
779
Posted : May 27, 2008 20:39
|
|
Tomos
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
84
Posts :
981
Posted : May 27, 2008 20:59
|
You can also use it on a group of sounds (lots of individual drums hits for example) to stop the dynamics being too wild and keep them all on the same level.
|
|
|
|
Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
Posts :
5306
Posted : May 28, 2008 04:10
|
usualy i dont use compressors unless there is obvious too much peaks or if i realy have to make it more loud with RMS power.. exept that not much at all
but i use fruity sampler for drums it can twist wav file very similar to compressor
some examples for that
have short snappy snare on sampler channel
turn on 'normalize' (check volume output)
raise the 'in' knob slowly
can u feel the power of the snare now its like double volume but realy same peak just diffrent rms
or lets try another thing (u have to turn on in options the 'legacy' something
Fx1 to the left give immidiate snappy transient designed specialy for kicks and snares
also turn it to the right if its too snappy usualy get rid of annoying clicks in the begining of the kick
also avoid overlapping can help ditch the compressors
as well side chain like this
peak controler > kick volume > send midi (volume knob to the left by taste) > linked to bass volume)
is great way to avoid compressor and get almost same result
now if you do want to use them anyhow
why and were we have to use compression. The first object (i thing) is to give more "power" in a sound without gain dbs wrigth?
not for me
i use it more when the sound is on good volume for the ear but too high peaks for my sound vision for electronic dance music or for the 'books' (clip)
thats why i like zero attack compressors , even 5ms attack usualy allready not help to reduce the peaks
more about compressors... i like minimal limiting sometimes better..
hmmm
yeah u can also get the punchy sound with it better like have 10ms attack on the kick and maybe 50ms realese it should get you towords cleaner and more punchy kick (fx 1 on FL)
but from seeing the kick spectrum i can say remove some 300hz-600hz is about same result , since the kick is fast sweep from hi to low and the mid freqs comes after about 10ms therfor u still have the high punch then compress when its on the mid area and the realese keeps the last subs under some control as well
groups compression i like better , this realy shape the track sound quality
lets say your main leads are -16db the lowest and -12 the louder , i would reccomend to group them and compress with tresh of -10 rate of 2 , so when 2 leads play together they wont peak on -2db db , but only -5db , and no artificial effects happens with good compressor
|
|
|
|
shachar
Basic
Started Topics :
13
Posts :
402
Posted : May 30, 2008 13:42
|
compress till the red blink & than lower abit...
imagine you have synth line with filter on top.
the filter start to sweep and cut the line so the line is sometime higher and sometime lower because of the filter.
when you add compressor it raise up the levels so you get straight, clean , commercial like sound.
|
|
|
|
Kitnam
Mantik
Started Topics :
110
Posts :
1151
Posted : May 30, 2008 18:35
|
Quote:
|
The first object (i thing) is to give more "power" in a sound without gain dbs wrigth???So making this the lower level ups and the high level down make it more flat and more high.
|
|
no this is not exactly true. a compressor decreases the level of a signal everytime this level raises over a defined level of dB.
it doesnt make things louder first. it is reducing.
imagine a liveconcert with a crazy singer. and behind the mixer is the engineer. everytime the singer is screaming loudly like crazy into the mic the engineer gets panik and reduces the singer-channel on his mixer until the singer sings normal again.
the engineer is your compressor. attack is how fast he gets panik and reduces the fade of the singerchannelvolume. release is how long it takes to move it back (not exactly but this works as the first picture) and threshold is the level of dB the engineer starts to get panik. the ratio is how much he is pulling down the fader (amount of panik!)
this is all a comp is doing. not more at first.
so you only need to understand that compression is always about REDUCING. question is how much, and how fast, layed back / too late.
why is this reducing better for making things up in the mix?
imagine a van. and you want to go on a journey. you put all your stuff into the van, but the van has not enough room within. so you compress all your things to make them fitting into the room. making it all a bit less in the "volume". same is with the mix. to make things more clearer and give more room, you reduce the levels so everything is finding its place. but what you not reduce with a compressor are the tranisents, lead to its all compressed, and more clear but not less louder. why?
because of the transients. remember the attacktime and the panic engineer. it takes some time for him to reduce the fader. so the first few seconds of sound are NOT REDUCED. this first few seconds of a sound are called transients.
the human ear identifies sounds through transients. so your whole mix can sound louder because you reduced physically the levels but left the things the human ear needs which leads to - more loundess. because after you have compressed. your mix has more room ( the van) and you can pull up the faders, because the important transients are still there.
this is why a comp usually got a MAKEUP fader.
understand that concept and you will know the answer of your question.
this only 50% how a comp can be used. but this is one of the most important ones.
|
|
|
|
Adharaguy
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
37
Posts :
138
Posted : May 31, 2008 19:29
|
|
Thanks guys, now i can see the all picture. Good explain Kitnam.... |
|
|
|
Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
779
Posted : Jun 1, 2008 23:15
|
A general question for people - I know what I do, but I'm curious as to what other people think.
When you grab the compressor, where are you more likely to head first:
a) The Clean Compressors such as Waves C1.
b) The Character Compressors such as URS 1970 Compressor.
Not, oh this comp for this, and this comp for this... which is your default, 'favourite' style of compression... which style do you find yourself heading for most frequently.
I really am fairly certain there is no right or wrong here... just preference.
 .
http://www.soundcloud.com/speakafreaka |
|
|
|
Alex Roudos
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
411
Posted : Jun 1, 2008 23:56
|
Quote:
|
I really am fairly certain there is no right or wrong here... just preference.
|
|
You are correct, and i would add besides preference the certain need according to what is being compressed.
Generally, for ITB generated stuff i always use the UAD comps i have(Fairchild, VCA VU) as i want any kind of "warmth" they can emulate. But when it comes to recording voices, instruments etc. depends on the source. If it's "dirty" or "Lo-Fi"(intentionally) sounding then i go for transparent comps.
A friend told me once that the biggest mistake we make is that we believe we live, when in reality we are sleeping in the waiting room of life. |
|
|
|
Medea
Aedem/Medea
Started Topics :
127
Posts :
1132
Posted : Jun 2, 2008 00:28
|
I prefer to tweak the "warmth" at the synth stage + EQ, and almost never use compressors on individual tracks, in most cases i just don't hear the need to use them.
There are some exclusions though - i often use sidechain compression for bass (ReaComp), and sometimes play with PSP Vintage Warmer for processing snare drums (it can really blow them up ).
If the single or group track generates high random peaks for some reason, i just cut them away using limiter (Spectraphy LE) at the level i need. If this is a group track, inverting phase of one of the tracks can solve the peak problem sometimes, so no limiter needed.
http://soundcloud.com/aedem |
|
|
|
