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compression tips?
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Psylopath
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
13
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87
Posted : Apr 26, 2006 15:43
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hi guys, i'd like to know more about compression, maybe some of you can give me some tips (links, tutorials, ...)
i'm NOT searching for basic infos ( like explaination of the parameters, or what types of comps do exist. )
what i'm searching for are producing electronic music related tips like what lines should be compressed in which way, do you compress each line or just the ones u want to have punchy, ...
thx 4 help
psylopath |
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sy000321
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
1142
Posted : Apr 26, 2006 16:28
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i'm maybe the worst person to tell you this but:
-threshold should be about the average dbs the input is
- ratio, depends on what your after. try 4:1, 10:1 or so and see what you get
then start with a very fast attack and a very slow release
tweak attack until you dont get clipping and artifacts
tweak release until it sounds good (may give the impression of pumpin)
this is only the starting point
it all depends on what your after and why yo u use compression roll a joint or STFU :) |
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Psylopath
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
13
Posts :
87
Posted : Apr 26, 2006 21:30
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thx sy000321
basicly this is the way i use them now, but 4example as far as eqing is concerned, i've read a lot of stuff like boost kicks at this frequency range to get this and this effect, or make this and that in order to get certain results, ...
these infos were very usefull for me, because after some practice i had some sort of a plan as far as eqing is concerned.
with compression its the extreme opposite. I'm only trying and fooling around in order to get the results I want, but i'm not able to do that in a effective and direct way.
maybe I need more practice ... |
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sideFXed
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
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430
Posted : Apr 26, 2006 22:26
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psylopath do you have proper nearfield studio monitors?
I ask because I'm about to buy some and I have also problems hearing obvious differences with my hifi speakers.
after all compression needs lots of experience and practice. sometimes accidents are nice too. afterall I have to say sy's tip is excellent.
some folks say compression is science, don't they?
soundcloud.com/epsylohm |
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Apr 26, 2006 23:33
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Quote:
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On 2006-04-26 22:26, sideFXed wrote:
some folks say compression is science, don't they?
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Music is science!
science isnt always explainable, its often a mystery and to solve it you need to do experiments to rule things out..
and sometimes things are very deep or sometimes very simple, but it dosent seem to matter, cause both are equally worth when it all sums up..
i dont understand much about compression than some basics, or even them. still some of the basics seems to be enough for my demands right now, besides sometimes it feels like i have thousand things to do so i end up with nothing.
if i would take a week with compression and do some experiments i would be a whole lot of wiser...(of course the experiments needs to be organized) also reading the manuals of the gadgets and instruments, each thing is explaind in different ways so its a bigger chance something will appeal or that the sum of it all is giving a good picture..
anyway, i think most of what you need to know about compression exists here on isratrance, and good links to compression guides and tutorials.
but im not sure the best threads are in the "sticky" threads..
take a search surf..
we should all do that and add the gems to the stickys, if their not in there...
other than that, i think sy000321 suggestion is one of the best..
i know i should sit down and really do that someday...
it takes some energy to aquire knowledge, hehe
Quote:
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On 2006-04-17 21:20, 0v3rd0s3d wrote:
dont give up, you are the best teacher u can have ^^
if u really want to make something special, you must be constantly trying to learn and improve ...
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Damn wise words!
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e-motion
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
Posts :
933
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 01:58
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some more tips:
- try to think what you're doing and imagine the signal in your head and what you want from it (if you need help in this open the file and check the wave).
- don't be fooled by ear-candy before checking the volume. i don't know how to say this but increasing an "attack" may make you think the sound's is getting fat but look closer and you'll check the volume just went up.
- use short attack time when you want to bring the volume of something up, then increase the release slowly. use long attacktime when you want to keep the dynamics, use release to control loudness.
- be prepared to change the threshold lots of times as well as the gain\makeup gain
this is the only useful tips i can remember, rest is ear... i'm not keen in compressing too, plus i don't have monitors  |
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Enertopia
Enertopia
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
676
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 05:30
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Here is an important tip.
If you want to keep things in order for lines that are out of control, like delay too long or to keep the lines tight, use a Gate and the compressor to lift the volume.
The Cubase dynamics section is great for gate+compressor duo.
Hope it helps.
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Kitnam
Mantik
Started Topics :
110
Posts :
1151
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 15:30
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@ psylo...
you only need to know how compression works. i think you allready made the theory. if not repeat, you should be able to tell someone how it works with a few sentences. you should feel how it works. sometimes when i say someone "use compresson" i see this emptyness in the eyes, showing that they say they understood, but doesnt understand. understanding compression needs to make click* in the head. and then everything is out of question.
ok sorry this wont help any much i think...
hmm... man. its like a door. 1000 people can show you 1000 different technics from the room behind the door. you can be the best producer knowing which compression for bass, for voice etc. 1000 known technics. but at the end there is only 1 technic. its the understanding of compression! if you know this, then you dont need nobody and you can tell people 100000000 technics from the root of this one technic. the door is open, go into it by yourself.
a compression is only manipulating the signal-envelope. reducing or adding it, fast or slow. later or earlier. thats all.
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cytopia
Cytopia.org
Started Topics :
61
Posts :
329
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 15:42
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A good trick is to set the ratio high like 10:1, and threshold low so it compressed signal really hard. Then while it is set like this, set the attack and threshold, since you can really hear what it is doing. Then set the ratio and then the threshold.
When setting attack and threshold with low threshold and ratio settings, its often hard to hear what's going on...
Friend read it in book "mixing with your mind" i think... works for me...
Cytopia.org
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sy000321
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
1142
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 16:07
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a very good tip i've learnt from some books on mixing is to use compression on the aux bus instead of an insert
that way you can have the uncompressed sound mixed with a bit of the compressed part. will make the part sound tighter and crunchier.
works very good for drums and was known as the NY "sound" for some time.
i think there are no real easy-tips for compression.
to some point, you can use compression as you would eq, by tweaking the threshold/ratio:
every sound is made of components of diferent frequencies and diferent volumes (loudness)
- if you place the threshold just after the quieter part, you will enhance the stronger part, if you place the threshold before the quieter part you'll get both the quieter and louder part of the freqs at almost the same range.
as pointed out, gate is also very usefull and not as used as compressio
roll a joint or STFU :) |
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e-motion
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
Posts :
933
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 16:30
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if i recall that is called stealth compression (compressing as a send). |
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cytopia
Cytopia.org
Started Topics :
61
Posts :
329
Posted : Apr 27, 2006 16:38
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Be carefull not to send different sounds to one group channel with compressor, since one sound will effect compressor, and other sound may not come through it as wished, can seem like its ducking since other signal is effecting compressor.
So only send similar sounds to one group channel with compressor, such as drums. If you here what sounds like ducking in one channel, can try sending to different group channel with compressor, or using insert...
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soulfood
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
875
Posted : Apr 28, 2006 02:47
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Im also having a compression problem. Im pretty sure I understand it. Its a tool to change overall dynamic of a sound i.e difference between louder and softer sounds to bring them together enough to suite the intended part and also envelope the sound as to almost craft a set of shoulders on it or whatever.
Anyway when im compressing my bass after i record it and look at the wave overview, I cant for the life of me get those nice tidy triangles I see when I analyze the spectrum of other tracks. I've spent hours tinkering with the release time but just can't get that effect. Im using the basic logic compressor.
Does this copressor suck or do I need to do my homework a bit? |
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jivamukti
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
21
Posts :
342
Posted : May 1, 2006 20:46
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My two compression tips:
Remember that every compressor is different. Try many comps to find those that work for you.
Use more than one comp in a plugin chain. I got a tight and phlatt kick using two comps (and a few other plugins). |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : May 1, 2006 23:37
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for me it was more about ear training than theorie to understand compression ,it s better every day even if you don t see it. |
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