Compressor tips and tricks

[seti808]

I have found that putting the release as fast as possible
and the attack as slow as possible really can make stuff
cut through.

When it works it can be great!

I love all buttons mode to add excitement to anything i want
along with the above compressor settings i can make snare drums or anything I want crack or punch through!!!!!!!

This might not be news to most experienced users but it is a cool topic.

For instance there are a lot of live engineers where I live who say that
putting the release faster than the attack is a no no
I think they say that simply because
they have not had the time to experiment.

If anyone would like to share some compressor tips & tricks
Im sure it would benefit everyone!

Getting a compressor to pump in time with the track complementing
it seems like a great application to me. Anyone have and tips on this?

I use a delay calculator and base my attack and realease times of 16th
or 32nd notes or what ever sounds good. I try a many different times
in till it sounds best. That is why I like the compressors in samplitude
because they let you enter attack and release settings in ms so i can
set the times with the exact ms setting of the delay calculator.

These settings seem to work every time and train my ears how to use
compressors like the 1176 by ear.

Am i way off or close to anything?

 

[ice-9]

take a look here
http://www.chrismilne.com/uadforums/viewtopic.php?t=3661&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

 

[prince]

No you are not wrong Music is to try new ideas that works and sounds great to you and to others. Don't be afraid to try new things that is how great people become greater and for the records I will try your tip, Thanks mate

 

[Don Schenk]

Hi prince, welcome to the forum. It is a very helpful place.

Wow, a new record at bringing back an old thread. Even the article mentioned in post #2 no longer exists.

But I had to laugh at the OP's statement when he wrote: "For instance there are a lot of live engineers where I live..."

Hmmm, I suspect dead engineers can't mover faders.

Here is more compression info for you in articles that do exist.

Basic
https://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep09/articles/compressionmadeeasy.htm

Advanced Part 1
https://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec00/articles/adcompression.htm

Advanced Part 2
https://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan01/articles/advanced.asp

Enjoy,

:- Don

 

[contramark]

So if a fast transient comes and set with a Slow Attack.....
-does the compressor still act on it but just with a delay
or does the compressor not act at all?

 

[A Gruesome Discovery]

The best trick I've learned is to mix without any compression at all, and then only adding it where it's needed. It's tough to resist the temptation to compress everything, because solo tracks always sound better with the right compressor settings. And we've got the DSP to put emulations of some of the best dynamics processors in history on tons of tracks. But try a mix without any, and you may be surprised. Nowadays i compress vocals and bass, maybe the drum bus but probably just the room mics... and that's about it. My mixes are better now than before.
of course, this is genre dependent, and sometimes a heavily-compressed snare or whatever "makes" the song. But I'll freely admit that my biggest mistake in the past wasn't too much compression... it was too many compressors.
Wow this thread started on my first year on the forums! I wish i could PM this post to "10-years-ago Me".

 

[tlaskows]

The best trick I've learned is to mix without any compression at all, and then only adding it where it's needed. It's tough to resist the temptation to compress everything, because solo tracks always sound better with the right compressor settings. And we've got the DSP to put emulations of some of the best dynamics processors in history on tons of tracks. But try a mix without any, and you may be surprised. Nowadays i compress vocals and bass, maybe the drum bus but probably just the room mics... and that's about it. My mixes are better now than before.
of course, this is genre dependent, and sometimes a heavily-compressed snare or whatever "makes" the song. But I'll freely admit that my biggest mistake in the past wasn't too much compression... it was too many compressors.
Wow this thread started on my first year on the forums! I wish i could PM this post to "10-years-ago Me".

10-15 years ago I didn't even know what a compressor was :lol: I thought it was to make the files smaller...

That's why my old stuff (make in Jeskola Buzz) sounds like a joke

-Tom

 

[Wayne]

So if a fast transient comes and set with a Slow Attack.....
-does the compressor still act on it but just with a delay
or does the compressor not act at all?

In general- and there may be exceptions, it can be helpful to think of the attack time as a rate, or slope', in dB's per ms.
It's not so much that it waits' to begin reduction, rather defines the steepness of a slope in time of it's reaction.
Dbx is one that (typically?) uses dB per ms.
So the upshot is that if 'attack is slow enough, a transient can pass before much reduction has actually happened.

I'm rather new to the Klanghelm compressor which does offer a pre-delay in addition to the attack speed.
Other than some decent results on some vocals, haven't really sussed out as to why or where it would be better than simply tailoring the attack.
DC8C Overview

 

[Wayne]

The best trick I've learned is to mix without any compression at all, and then only adding it where it's needed. ...

I'll second that. And add one, and that would be clip (or 'gain) automation that is before the track insert point. All lot of the leveling needs can be solved before it even hits the compressor.

 

[dnr]

I make sure that the signal going into the compressor is not too hot. I also make sure that the output of the compressor matches the un-effected level so that I am not thinking it sounds better because it is louder.

 

[Zsarbomba]

Arrangement (Notes/Rhythms) and the instrumentation (what instruments are playing what notes) of that arrangement is crucial in my eyes. Or counterpoint instrumentation. For example if you have a 8th/quaver note rhythm/feel then double ups of instruments playing on the same 8th note will cause issues especially if its tightly quantized. Build ups of energy on a particular rhythmical point in time can therefore be moved/& or softened with the use of compressors that can help create feel and drive. When you listen to great recordings they are very cunningly arranged so hi energy is placed on the correct accents and soft energy is placed off accent. Hence you rock your head & tap your toes. Compressors help instruments on both the on & off accent by applying just the right amount of thrust/punch on accents & softening off accents.

In a nutshell & in my op of course.

 

[Gerk]

Hmmm, I suspect dead engineers can't mover faders.

Oh my, sorry Don but I just HAVE to steal this one (with some small edits) for my signature. I have this very famous bad joke (Why did the monkey fall out of the tree? Because it was dead) so I'm going to have to figure out how to incorporate this as well ...

 

[biminiroad]

On the mixing project I had for my friend Molly, I found when I put slow attack fast release compressor, it allowed her dynamics to peek through (pun intended) without flattening her vocal performance, which is what happened when I drove everything into the master buss compressor with a long release.

 

[Don Schenk]

So where did prince go? Did we scare him off?

:- Don