When it comes to practicing with compression, the bypass button can be your best friend. But it can also cause some serious problems if you’re not careful. Compression is one of your most powerful mixing tools. First off: a good rule of thumb for compression is “do no harm.”. Spend some focused time working with your compressor settings, practicing with different instruments and vocals, and critically listening to the difference it makes in your mix. Even if you’re using a very coloured compressor or applying intense compression for effect, your goal should be to enhance the natural and musical dynamics of your signal — not destroy them. Subscribe to get unlimited access to all of our course content, an invitation to join our members-only Slack community forum, exclusive perks from partner brands, and massive discounts on personalized mentor sessions for guided learning. Download this chart with starting points for compressing various audio sources. Controlling the dynamic range can help you create a more stable sounding mix (especially when it comes to the pastor’s mic), and you’ll be able to dial in the sweet spot for certain instruments (like the kick drum). What’s happening to my transients and dynamic range? Make sure you have a strong idea of which elements of the sound you want to remain dynamic, and set your times to achieve it. on the other hand, for live sound, I almost always compress the bass. Only when the sound hits the compressor threshold… It’s All About The Threshold. Set the attack too fast and your transients will be crushed. We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. But using the audio compressor on a digital console or a separate analog compressor can be intimidating – even if you've used one before! For example: think of a nice cracking snare. Setting it higher will affect only the most aggressive peaks and leave the rest untouched. What parts of my signal are becoming more apparently loud? It’s an important concept. This happens because the period of a low frequency wave is actually quite long. You already know that when the signal goes above your threshold, the compressor will begin to reduce the gain based on your the ratio you set. Remember those transients you just learned about? For example: We can say that an uncompressed signal would have a ratio of 1:1 and a brick wall limiter (which allows no signal whatsoever to go above the threshold) would have a ratio of ∞:1. This is more of a personal admission, but it’s worth remembering that not every compressor works exactly the same way. Your Attack and Release are two parts of the same range of control — the timing with which the compressor’s gain reduction starts (attack) and stops (release) acting on your signal. Compression might just be the biggest one, so make sure you’re getting right. This article will help you learn what compression does, how to choose the perfect compressor settings, and some common pitfalls to avoid. If all of those numbers and settings seem a little confusing, that’s ok. Just experiment with different settings and even use factory presets to help you get started. It doesn't have to be super complicated. "; (No spam! Good compression starts with a good plan of what sounds need what type of processing. An audio compressor is used to control the dynamic range of an audio signal, or the difference between the highest and lowest volume level. Compression helps you find the perfect balance for a track that has good dynamic range with a nice, full body. Percussion hits are meant to be dynamic, so let them be! All audio signals below this threshold will be ignored and passed through, while all signals above the threshold will be affected by the remaining compressor settings. It’s easy to think faster attack settings sound better when the drums are soloed, but in the context of the track, the drums will disappear if the the transients have been limited too aggressively. If your compressors are working properly, they’ll contribute positively to the performance and make a good recording sound great. Use a 3:1 ratio on the snare with a fast attack and medium-slow release time. What am I trying to achieve with my compression? Note: this originally appeared as a guest post on the TwelveThirtyMedia blog. // ]]>. The opposite is true too, no dynamics can lead to a lifeless and fatiguing sound, and a waveform that looks like a big brick. It’s called the ratio because it’s expressed in comparison to the unaffected signal. Check out some of the stuff that I personally use and recommend. This is at no additional cost to you. But how your signal gets reduced is determined by the attack and release controls. Try a 3:1 ratio with a fast attack to control any strong plucking sounds. If you’re using a compressor plugin, the other option is to. For example: The 1176 FET Compressor is one of the most essential compression sounds in music, and I was incredibly excited to get my hands on a good software emulation. amzn_assoc_asins = "B00IT0IHOY,B000TZVCWG,B004PX4ZBS,B0002BACAK"; Are the signal’s loud transients distracting from the rest of your mix? Audio Geek, Drummer, Pilot, Author, and someday I'll learn to play the hurdy-gurdy! In most situations you should apply the EQ cuts before the compressor and the EQ boosts after the compressor … If the attack time is set too fast, you’ll simply be reducing the “impact” of the individual drum hits by squeezing the initial moments of the sounds too hard. Same way for compressing various audio sources bassists, there ’ s too dynamic is transients..., making the audio sound unnatural each courses comes jam-packed with 6 weeks of pro mentorship feedback! 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