What Compressor Would You Use on Your Drum & Instruments Bus?

[Alexxon]

I was recently trying to explore more options other than SSL 4000G Compressor. I love UAD's SSL Compressor but I was thinking about if there are more options for me. I want to explore the use API 2500, TUBE-TECH SMC2B and Manley Vari-Mu on different buses instead of single instruments to bring their character to a group of sound, and I'm still learning their sonic character.

What kind of compressor would you usually use on your drum bus? What about instruments? Would you prefer normal compression or multiband? Do you favor more coloring or transparent ones on your bus?

 

[flandybob]

I typically have 33609 or ssl g bus on the mixbus depending on the song.

I don’t use a compressor on my main drum bus but do use Fairchild or 33609 on the parallel drum bus, blended to taste. Sometimes it’s an 1176 or distressor. I would love to say it depends on the song and very intentional but most of the time it’s just whatever came to mind at that moment.

I also use a dbx160 for kick/snare in parallel (like Andrew scheps), and sometimes a parallel “snare crush” which is an 1176 in all buttons mode crushing it to bits and blended to taste.

I also use studer A800 and a clipper (standard clip) to catch the snare peaks on the final bus where all things drum go before the mixbus (meaning all drums + drum parallels)

 

[rodd]

on busses I've used all the ones you noted (except the tube tech). I have also used Distressor for drums, as well as the 33609 or dbx160, which are all great on the drum bus. I use a flavor of the LA2A and 1176 on almost everything that needs compression. Those 2 together are great on vocals and guitars. Also don't overlook the 175 and 176 if you're looking for color. The Fairchild 660 or dbx160 on bass. Pretty much all of UA compressors have a use somewhere, and they're all really good.

 

[Bear-Faced Cow]

The compressors that I am often found using on drums are the 1176, dbx160 and the 175B. How I use them depend on the mix itself. I don't have any set pattern.

jord

 

[Alexxon]

The compressors that I am often found using on drums are the 1176, dbx160 and the 175B. How I use them depend on the mix itself. I don't have any set pattern.

jord

Do you sometimes feel 1176 is too hard and the personality is too strong for them to do compression on a drum bus? Like it would squash everything into relatively flatter stuff. I did find it happens occasionally for me that I have to use parallel compression to reduce it's character a bit. I found it is good if I use it on a single instrument, but when it comes to multiple instruments together, it would not act like a "dynamic controller" but a "sound design tool". Maybe it's my settings' problem.

 

[Alexxon]

I typically have 33609 or ssl g bus on the mixbus depending on the song.

I also use studer A800 and a clipper (standard clip) to catch the snare peaks on the final bus where all things drum go before the mixbus (meaning all drums + drum parallels)

Standard Clip is excellent clipper and I definitely love it. I used to use Schwabe Digital's Gold Clip to do mastering clipping but I found Standard Clip is more flexiable and when you are using the soft saturation, make the knee very soft, you will get a result that's not losing too much dynamics but able to reach higher loudness. It could also do 128x oversampling which is pretty sick.

 

[Alexxon]

I use a flavor of the LA2A and 1176 on almost everything that needs compression. Those 2 together are great on vocals and guitars. Also don't overlook the 175 and 176 if you're looking for color.

Yeah I saw Drew's UAD Tips, he use LA-2 on a piano and it just make the piano instantly feels great. I used to think the only application of OPTO compressors are "Vocal" and instruments that has long sustain and a quick attack. Now I think I should try them on different stuff and see if things works like what I expected.

I did overlooked 175 and 176 as you predictedI think they are the "tube" version of 1176 so I didn't look into them too much. I'll go back and try them. For Fairchild I think it's quite unique, every option of the compression is different in terms of attack and release, and it's not sequenced in time. I'm still learning it.

 

[Matt Hepworth]

API 2500, SSL G comp/Precision, or Fairchild. If the latter, you'll probably want to keep it to only a couple dB of compression.

 

[chrisharbin]

I don't care for the 2500 as much, but it's not UA, but that Softube Bus Pressor is very unique.

Also, the Capitol Mastering Compressor is terrific for me, I like subtle most of the time. You know, bring out the cymbals, fatten things up, kind of (oh no that buzz word again) kinda......"glue" things together

Don't care for heavy compression.

 

[Alexxon]

but that Softube Bus Pressor is very unique.

I tried that one's demo. It eventually sounds just like a SSL which I don't think I need a duplicated plugin to do what I already can do. The drive feature can be done by pushing the gain of UAD 1073 which I use on almost every channel that needs an EQ. The stereo imaging feature could be achieved using free iZotope Imager. It's good that they made an "All-In-One" bus processing unit but I think sometimes the simplicity is what I need. If I didn't own the previous things I mentioned then the Softube's Bus Processor would be exactly what I wish to have.

Capitol Mastering Compressor is really interesting and unique. I don't know if that "saturation" is acting like a soft clipper. I'm still exploring its character but I still stay in my comfort zone using Shadow Hills(I'm most familiar with that).

 

[Alexxon]

API 2500, SSL G comp/Precision, or Fairchild. If the latter, you'll probably want to keep it to only a couple dB of compression.

I like 2500 a lot, it sound great especially on percussions.

 

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Do you sometimes feel 1176 is too hard and the personality is too strong for them to do compression on a drum bus? Like it would squash everything into relatively flatter stuff. I did find it happens occasionally for me that I have to use parallel compression to reduce it's character a bit. I found it is good if I use it on a single instrument, but when it comes to multiple instruments together, it would not act like a "dynamic controller" but a "sound design tool". Maybe it's my settings' problem.

It probably sounds too hard because you are probably using it too hard. This can apply to any compressor and not just the 1176. When I use compression on a drum bus I don’t apply that much unless it is for parallel compression. You would be surprised at how little you need to glue the drum bus together.

jord

 

[Alexxon]

It probably sounds too hard because you are probably using it too hard. This can apply to any compressor and not just the 1176. When I use compression on a drum bus I don’t apply that much unless it is for parallel compression. You would be surprised at how little you need to glue the drum bus together.

jord

Thank you for the reply! Yes I think that might be a possible reason. I’ll try different settings as I explore the sonic character of 1176!

 

[eaygee]

API Vision I Track all my drums through that.

 

[Alexxon]

API Vision I Track all my drums through that.

I like API vision too! They did an excellent job recaping every single detail of the original thing.

 

[Bruce_Sokolovic]

Try the DBX compressor. I never even thought about it until I received the AudioScape clone of it. It just does something very special to drums. Set it so the needle only moves at the highest transients and only just a touch. The red light should really only flicker a little and you’re right where it should be.

 

[slamthecrank]

I tend to not compress busses - except the main mixbus. Sometimes I will throw an LA-2A on the drum bus, but it would be only catching the most obnoxious peaks, and mainly just for the tube tone.

I'm not shy about parallel compression of busses though.

 

[Alexxon]

Try the DBX compressor. I never even thought about it until I received the AudioScape clone of it. It just does something very special to drums. Set it so the needle only moves at the highest transients and only just a touch. The red light should really only flicker a little and you’re right where it should be.

Thank you for your reply! I'll keep this in mind and definitely going to try it out!

 

[Alexxon]

I tend to not compress busses - except the main mixbus. Sometimes I will throw an LA-2A on the drum bus, but it would be only catching the most obnoxious peaks, and mainly just for the tube tone.

This makes sense too. I think bus compression is not essential. I personally prefer less dynamic range and more "glue" in drums. You first know what sound you want and then apply techniques respectively.

 

[Sam Guaiana]

I use the Arousor on my drum bus, so I guess if you were tying yourself into the UAD world, the Distressor would do the trick. I don’t use any other compression on instrument busses, sometimes the CLA3A on my guitar bus, and an 1176 directly on my bass track instead of the bass bus. On my mix bus I use Slate FG-Grey, so I guess the UAD SSL bus comp would be the move there