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compression thread
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dj chichke
Chichke
Started Topics :
83
Posts :
705
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:03:32
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acctualy i'm suprised there is no mother of all compression threads.
i still don't have much experience with compressors and i'm sure a lot of people here also.so it would be great to have a list of how do you compress each stuff.
how do you set the parameters for your snare, kick, hats,leads? etc....
another thing about compressors is what do you compress? what do you not compress?
i learned that nowadays people compress almot everything to get bigger sound. but i've read also that Erez eizen said that he don't like compressors and he try to avoid them.
so at my situation when i still don't have much experience at mixing. i'm not sure realy what should i compress and what not.
my logic tells me to compress my snare, some of the hats, and percations, leads, and all synths that are playing main rule in my tracks,pads, and that's it i think.
i think not to compress my kick and bass.
i think good kick don't need compressor, and also bassline. crashes and effects it seems to me also pointless to compress. and some groove pattern it might hurt.
so i think it would be great to share knowladge about compression and correct me if i'm wrong about what to compress and what not. |
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TheOneWhoMakesYouCrazy
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
165
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:34
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there is no list I guess.It is about doing it again and again till you know what you want or doing it less.
And of course only your ears or if it sound for you better or not is the best judge.
I also think good sources like drums or kicks or anything else don't need compressors,often you can destroy sth then better it if it is a great source on its own.
Compressors always make your dynamics less.
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Ascension
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
170
Posts :
3642
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:36
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I'm no pro at any of this, so I'll just share what I've been told by other, more experienced producers. I go by the rule of don't compress something unless you have to or unless the sound will benefit from being compressed (same rule as eqing- try to fix the sound first). You also don't want to always be compressing a sound.
The main goal of compressing, is to reduce the dynamic range of a sound. You're basically squashing a sound to make the quieter parts louder so you don't have a lot of peaks shooting out (this is why you turn the volume down after you compress since it makes the peak volume louder).
You'll probably hear different things from everyone on what to compress. I don't compress any of my percussion, but that's not to say that you can't if it benefits the overall sound of the track. I will send my kick and bass to a bus channel and add a light compression on that if it sounds good. I generally compress sounds to boost their overall presence in the track or to reduce the dynamic range (by dynamic range I mean that I use it on sounds that have high peaks, but most of the time the sound is much quieter than the peak).
Hopefully my ramblings make sense/are helpful. Again, I'm no expert, so I just go on what I've been told/what I've read, and as everyone will tell you, the best thing to do is to trust your ears.
 http://soundcloud.com/ascensionsound
www.chilluminati.org - Midwest based psytrance group |
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*eLliSDee*
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
671
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:37
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all I can tell you is;
you can really enhance the feel of your sound with precise attack & release settings. otherwise you can really fuck up the swing of things too.
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Ascension
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
170
Posts :
3642
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:41
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TheOneWhoMakesYouCrazy
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
165
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 15:47
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what I really like is compressor with rather small ratio on the master.U can go back and play with your attack etc makes fun at many stages.I love to put the transparent sonnox there with its options.
There was a post somewhere by Speakafreaka which is really helpful and the soundonsound article about it.
It is great for the peaks and the overall dynamics. |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 16:44
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depends what sound you want,squashed or not,i use mostly compression on drums these days, to add more body or more snap,on over sounds i use very light compression for psytrance (everyhting have to be clean), 1 to 3 db maybe but it s more for coloring and taming the peak (but i try to keep it transparent, if i bypass i don t hear much it have been compressed ).
often compressors are used to fix problems that could be fixed with no compression
sometimes i use one on the master , it can make mistake more obvious then i remove it |
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Pagan
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
98
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:17
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I was going to say what Ascension said.
I think the only things that need compression are things that might peak...BUT...very very mild use of a compressor can be cool. Doesnt make much discernable difference, but u can still change it around alot.
A good example is putting a multiband compressor on with very mild effects, but if you adjust the L/M/H Freq knobs it changes the sound.
Personally though about the only thing that I always compress(and compress hard) is the bass. Always side chained to the kick although i try not to use that pumping effect, i just like the attack time  |
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Ascension
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
170
Posts :
3642
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:30
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Quote:
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On 2009-12-18 16:44, PoM wrote:
depends what sound you want,squashed or not,i use mostly compression on drums these days, to add more body or more snap,on over sounds i use very light compression for psytrance (everyhting have to be clean), 1 to 3 db maybe but it s more for coloring and taming the peak (but i try to keep it transparent, if i bypass i don t hear much it have been compressed ).
often compressors are used to fix problems that could be fixed with no compression
sometimes i use one on the master , it can make mistake more obvious then i remove it
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I've had more success getting better sounding percussion by using a transient shaper. I also only use samples for percussion, so there's other ways to not have to do that if you make ur own.
http://soundcloud.com/ascensionsound
www.chilluminati.org - Midwest based psytrance group |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:35
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i was saying i compress drums but i use dry sample, in sample librairie it s already compressed to death usually.
also on the compressor on the master, usually the more it enhance the sound the more the mix is crap, if it s a transparent comp, everyhting it enhance can be fixed in the mix with no compression usually ( the more the balance is crap the more it ll glue the sound for example ) |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:37
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Quote:
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On 2009-12-18 17:30, Ascension wrote:
Quote:
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On 2009-12-18 16:44, PoM wrote:
depends what sound you want,squashed or not,i use mostly compression on drums these days, to add more body or more snap,on over sounds i use very light compression for psytrance (everyhting have to be clean), 1 to 3 db maybe but it s more for coloring and taming the peak (but i try to keep it transparent, if i bypass i don t hear much it have been compressed ).
often compressors are used to fix problems that could be fixed with no compression
sometimes i use one on the master , it can make mistake more obvious then i remove it
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I've had more success getting better sounding percussion by using a transient shaper. I also only use samples for percussion, so there's other ways to not have to do that if you make ur own.
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i don t have much experience with these tools, have to experiments |
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Pagan
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
98
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:38
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Thats a very good point PoM, most samples are pre-compressed, so all the effects you'd get from compressing them are already there so further compressing isnt needed.
All boils down to what sample exactly that you use. |
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dj chichke
Chichke
Started Topics :
83
Posts :
705
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 17:54
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Quote:
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On 2009-12-18 17:35, PoM wrote:
also on the compressor on the master, usually the more it enhance the sound the more the mix is crap, if it s a transparent comp, everyhting it enhance can be fixed in the mix with no compression usually ( the more the balance is crap the more it ll glue the sound for example )
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about that. i was just seeing now the movie of andi vax about mixing. he using the loudness maximizer in izotop ozone to hear if he have problems in the mix. so i copied the exact parameters he set there and checked it on my track. and it enhance some things too much and somethings are less heard with it. so i understand it meens my mix is not good enough? how do i fix it after i hear it with the maximizer?
if yoy have this movie he talks about it after 34 minutes.it's hard to me to undersatnd sometimes what he saying so maybe i missunderstood some of the things he said.
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 18:03
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it dont mean your mix not good enought, but maybe try to set the volumes of your track so it sound good with the limiter and then remove it and see if it s better than before ,it can help to see some mistake , like with a compressor ,but maybe not exaclty the same imo, the limiter i use it more to see loudness potential of the track and to adjust the mix so it can go loud cleaner, with the compressor i hear easy if some tracks are too quiet ,too loud...what the comp make sound better ,i adjust it in the mix so the comp don t compensate much then i remove it |
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TheOneWhoMakesYouCrazy
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
165
Posted : Dec 18, 2009 18:14
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I don't enhance the sound .Not really. Around 1 db make up and the peaks in order is absolutely ok to me.The dynamics come out later better than all what I tried before.
Comp on master is a great technique. |
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