Compressor Help

[anode]

ok so i just got an Alesis 3630 Compressor.

fiddling about with the knobs and i can hardly notice any difference in sound...maybe its my shitty hifi speakers..? what am i listening for?

i have run my tr-707 through it to get a beafier sound and also my mc-202.

cheers
;)

[Evil G]

you can think of sound as being 3 dimensional, the dimensions being amplitude, pitch, and time.

compression is a cousin of eq. eq controls amplitude in the pitch domain (ie, you tell it which frequencies to boost or cut). compression controls amplitude in the time domain (ie, you use the attack and release controls to tell it when to make the material loud or quiet.)

listening for compression effects is a lot different than other kinds of critical listening, and takes time to learn. just go ahead and start experimenting with both solo instruments and mixes until you get a feel for how the various nobs affect the sound. it gets easier as you go.

[anode]

thanx Evil G

[messyfuture]

what way do you have it wired too.

most comprossors i have used all need to go though an insert on a desk.

but i've never tried to wire on direct with a bit of kit, can this be done?

[anode]

at the moment i am just feeding an individual output from my drum machine or mono synth into the Input then Output into the mixer channel.

you can also send to the mixer inserts.

on my little behringer mixer there is only mixer inserts for the whole desk not individual.

[messyfuture]

get a y lead and try it on the whole mix to see if you notice any difference.

[anode]

yer im gettin one very soon:)

played on it a bit more last night can here a bit of difference when turning the Threshold down (and into the red) on a Kick Drum , it was like cutting the bass. using the Gate on my 3630 got some interesting effect on both kick and hihat.


do you / most use the Compressor on the whole mix ?

[messyfuture]

i use a tc electronic multi band compressor over the whole mix

it gives me alot more control than a normal one cause you can boost frequencys indivually and lots more.

i'm just starting to get to grips with compression myself (at long last) :lol:

[Starfuqer]

yer im gettin one very soon:)

played on it a bit more last night can here a bit of difference when turning the Threshold down (and into the red) on a Kick Drum , it was like cutting the bass. using the Gate on my 3630 got some interesting effect on both kick and hihat.


do you / most use the Compressor on the whole mix ?

if you are using it for drums

use a really short release and a short enough attack so that the transient will sound thru but the end tails will be quieter

low threshold and a high ratio and you will hear it

[anode]

cheers mate:)

how bout for analogue synth/bass - mc-202 ?

[Evil G]

with moderate compressor settings on sustained sounds like bass it will be more difficult to hear the compressor working than it would be with drums, but if you use a fast attack and fast release, and a threshold low enough to give 8db or more of gain reduction, you should start to hear it distort as the compressor starts to work on individual cycles of the wave, rather than on individual notes. this can fatten up the sound quite a bit.

[stjohn]

in saying this would producers in gerneral have individual compressors inserted on each track ???

ie.. multiple instances....

or is a multiband on the master enough???

[messyfuture]

in saying this would producers in gerneral have individual compressors inserted on each track ???

ie.. multiple instances....

or is a multiband on the master enough???

i find that a good multi band comperssor is great and even better if your on a budget. i'm sure proucers with bigger set ups use a few compressors and also with bigger desk the being able to route channels to the subs and having the compressors inserted on the subs would make a difference...well it would allow you to be more flexable anyway

you can pick you a tc electronic triple c multiband for about £140(second hand) just make sure you get the stero version.

[Starfuqer]

in saying this would producers in gerneral have individual compressors inserted on each track ???

ie.. multiple instances....

or is a multiband on the master enough???

both


compressors on individual tracks
compressors on group channels
compressor on main mix

[messyfuture]

in saying this would producers in gerneral have individual compressors inserted on each track ???

ie.. multiple instances....

or is a multiband on the master enough???

both


compressors on individual tracks
compressors on group channels
compressor on main mix

thats what i wanted to say except in a much better way :lol:

[stjohn]

thanks....

[auditory hallucinations]

There was a really great post on here last week about compression - from memory you set the thresehold to a sensitive setting, ratio to max, release to min then fiddle with the attack till you get the "edge" you want, then adjust the release to get it to groove with the material - then back off the ratio until the effect you've created dissapears then increase it back a little, then adjust the threshold.

the way the guy described it, it was like cracking a safe ie if you do it in that particular sequence the next "lock" opens up for you and hell it's made me get my head round it all sooooo much more!

i guess patience, practice and asking lots of questions is how you suss it out...

[Evil G]

There was a really great post on here last week about compression - from memory you set the thresehold to a sensitive setting, ratio to max, release to min then fiddle with the attack till you get the "edge" you want, then adjust the release to get it to groove with the material - then back off the ratio until the effect you've created dissapears then increase it back a little, then adjust the threshold.

the way the guy described it, it was like cracking a safe ie if you do it in that particular sequence the next "lock" opens up for you and hell it's made me get my head round it all sooooo much more!

i guess patience, practice and asking lots of questions is how you suss it out...

nice one. that's a much better recipe than just naming off ratios and thresholds, because they always depend on the source material.

[Basil Rush]

There was a really great post on here last week about compression - from memory you set the thresehold to a sensitive setting, ratio to max, release to min then fiddle with the attack till you get the "edge" you want, then adjust the release to get it to groove with the material - then back off the ratio until the effect you've created dissapears then increase it back a little, then adjust the threshold.

That's from that Mixing with Your Mind book I think.

[nova]

There was a really great post on here last week about compression - from memory you set the thresehold to a sensitive setting, ratio to max, release to min then fiddle with the attack till you get the "edge" you want, then adjust the release to get it to groove with the material - then back off the ratio until the effect you've created dissapears then increase it back a little, then adjust the threshold.

That's from that Mixing with Your Mind book I think.

what are some good books to get for the beginer in dance music on mastering, compression. i kno you guys hav talked on this before . sorry ta inved ya post!