To compresss or not to compress

Electronic Music Production // Dark Arts
Post Reply
User avatar
Senko
decent
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 3:45 pm
Location: US
To compresss or not to compress

Post by Senko »

Random question I thought of while sitting at work.

So say you have a compressor on a snare, then you have that snare sent to a percussion buss with a compressor on it, and then you have a master channel compressor. Effectively you are compressing a sound 3 times? This can span over a lot of elements in the track that are really being compressed multiple times.

Thoughts on this?

User avatar
Lost to the Void
subsekt
subsekt
Posts: 13518
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:31 pm
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Lost to the Void »

Depends on how the compression is applied, it can not matter at all, or you can end up with a mix with no dynamics
Mastering Engineer @ Black Monolith Studio
New Shit
Techno is dead. Long live Techno.

User avatar
Macca
durchfall
Posts: 478
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2013 1:07 pm
Location: Scotland, Glasgow
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Macca »

If you're compressing everything correctly I don't think it would be a problem. Just compress when you need to and make sure you're not compressing everything.
Website: www.stevenmcfarlane.design
Instagram: @stevenmcfarlanedesign

User avatar
Senko
decent
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 3:45 pm
Location: US
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Senko »

1. Channel Comp: Tighten snare, tame transients.
2. Buss Comp: Gel Percs together
3. Master Comp: Apply super glue to the mix

Simple-termed thought-process, but I’m thinking this is a recipe to squash the track completely in theory.

User avatar
Thies
Pig
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 1:18 pm
Location: Vienna
Contact:
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Thies »

Each compressor takes care of different tasks and you dont have to apply loads of gain reduction at every stage. It all comes down to how they are set up.

User avatar
Barry G
Interact. Don't Spam.
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu May 31, 2018 10:32 am
Contact:
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Barry G »

The best approach is to not use a compressor unless you have a goal in mind. With electronic music also remember you have MIDI velocity to have basic level control if that is what is predominantly the goal. When learning how to use compression there is a bit of a chicken and egg situation between learning what the controls do and understanding what you wish to achieve. I could write an essay here but I already did that elsewhere. I really do think it worth the time to read it.

As a taster it may come as a surprise that the most important control is the make up gain. Why ? If you do not match up
pre compressed sound and post compressed sound (and switch the compressor in and out rapidly on the source) you will mainly be hearing gain change which the ear is VERY sensitive to and not dynamic change. So you won't be able to know through that gain change (initally of course reducion of volume) what you have actually done to the sound and if it better or worse.

http://www.resoundsound.com/effective-t ... mpression/

As far as multiple layers of compression, it is likely that each layer will effect that which has gone before to more or lesser degrees depending on where the thresholds sit and the Attack and Release controls.

As far as goals compression is commonly used for the following reasons.

Reduce dynamic range (between loud and quieter sounds)
Lazy mixing control (i.e instead of fader riding) to hold an element in place.
Shaping transients to try and improve perceived punch
Changing the tone of a sound (transient to body relationship)
Adjusting or enhancing the groove of drums/percussion.
Gently holding a mix together if that is what is deemed necessary.

The above article goes into some practical ways of learning it (and how to listen for the effects) and explains the basics with a few examples..
so you can become effective in its application.
Last edited by Barry G on Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Barry Gardner - Mastering Engineer - masteringmastering.co.uk/ PMC IB1S (10 inch drivers to 25Hz), Manley Massive Passive, Vari Mu, Crane Song Solaris Quantum DAC, Mytek ADC, Summit DCL-200 Sontec clone - Ear selected plug in suite, precision acoustic environment.

User avatar
RWise
durchfall
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:04 pm
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by RWise »

Adding to whats already been said but, it doesnt necessarily matter how many compressors you use, as long as you know how you are applying them.

Dont base your decisions on theory with production/mixing because there are multiple ways of doing something. Apply what you want to do and gauge the results that way. Then decide whether that decision was the right move or not by using your ears.
Dont take life so seriously :mrgreen:

User avatar
Barry G
Interact. Don't Spam.
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu May 31, 2018 10:32 am
Contact:
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Barry G »

I would suggest learning the rules well before breaking them. Then you break them to good effect, not mistaken effect.
Barry Gardner - Mastering Engineer - masteringmastering.co.uk/ PMC IB1S (10 inch drivers to 25Hz), Manley Massive Passive, Vari Mu, Crane Song Solaris Quantum DAC, Mytek ADC, Summit DCL-200 Sontec clone - Ear selected plug in suite, precision acoustic environment.

Planar
subsekt
subsekt
Posts: 3883
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:05 pm
Location: Leeds
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Planar »

Barry G wrote:
Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:37 pm
I could write an essay here but I already did that elsewhere. I really do think it worth the time to read it.
Where's the essay? I'd like to read it. Unless the link to the resound blog is the essay, which means you're resound and you can marry me. But he's not called Barry. So I don't think you are him, so you can't marry me. Unless you're trying to pull the wool over everyones eyes and you are him. Life is so hard sometimes...

Oktagon
Chernobyl
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 2:37 pm
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Oktagon »

Planar wrote:
Tue Sep 04, 2018 11:49 pm
Barry G wrote:
Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:37 pm
I could write an essay here but I already did that elsewhere. I really do think it worth the time to read it.
Where's the essay? I'd like to read it. Unless the link to the resound blog is the essay, which means you're resound and you can marry me. But he's not called Barry. So I don't think you are him, so you can't marry me. Unless you're trying to pull the wool over everyones eyes and you are him. Life is so hard sometimes...
The resound article says it’s an interview with Barry G.

Planar
subsekt
subsekt
Posts: 3883
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:05 pm
Location: Leeds
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Planar »

Aha, I didn't get far enough through the article to notice that. Thanks, Barry G, I'll go through it properly later, but the marriage is off, my heart belongs to another ;).

User avatar
sergiobR1
Wastedddd
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2013 3:08 am
Location: Buenos Aires
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by sergiobR1 »

I learned how to compress thanks to the guide Steve provided here.

http://www.subsekt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8418

He doesnt say explicitly when and how to compress, but if u put all the pieces together you will find out, and realize it because it is said indirectly since he talks about the master or aux bus mostly, but you should give it a try, there is some unvaluable knowdelege thgere that a professor would rip ur wallet apart until he starts talking about those techniques.
Just don't fuck with the makeup gain unless it's 100% necessary.
we speak of art with flaming passion
then do work void of compassion
and wonder why reality is bleeding fiction

User avatar
Lost to the Void
subsekt
subsekt
Posts: 13518
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:31 pm
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by Lost to the Void »

We've had a gazillion compression discussions in this forum no?
At this stage only newbies to the forum should need a guide.
Mastering Engineer @ Black Monolith Studio
New Shit
Techno is dead. Long live Techno.

User avatar
over9000
Nor Crystal Tears
Posts: 1176
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 4:23 pm
Re: To compresss or not to compress

Post by over9000 »

as the newbie that i am i say thanks for the recommendations here


Post Reply