Compressing the bottom end in a trance track...

[baptismo]

Mark pointed out it'd be good to start a thread on this, im not an expert by any means so hope to learn a lot here too! :lol:

For me when i started my golden rule was what sounds good goes, i reckon this is a pretty good base to start on.

Main thing of course is to make sure you have some good sounds to compress! Compression can make a good instrument sound a lot better but it cant make a bad instrument sound good...

For my kicks (and bass(compression in general actually!)) i usually use waves C1, it sounds really tight and doesnt take up too much CPU. I try not to over compress, which is really important as it cannot be undone.. set a medium release time (say 100) and take the attack right to the top and bring it slowly down until the low end of the kick has a nice round thump to the sound.

Compressing the main bass line within a trance track is usually different with each track, depending on what sort of sound you are going for. For instance in a lighter trance track a typical bassline is quite constant, with quite a few notes in the pattern so i'd set quite a tight release (depending on how many notes make up the pattern) and again bring the attack down from the top but usually end up with quite a short attack, which can make the sequence a lot tighter.
In a typial hard trance/hardstyle track however its usual to only have 1 bass note per kick (the offbeat bassline) and in this case i usually use longer release and attack times, not by much but so the sound is a bit more open and big, but it can totally depend on what type of sound you have gone for.
Also the main thing is to not over compress by setting the threshold to low and the ratio too high... many of my older tracks were over processed and when put on vinyl came out really squashed and not as warm as i'd of liked.

Another technique i use regularly is grouping my kick and bassline together, by doing this you can make them gel together nicely by setting the right attack and release... i usually use light settings, and the most important thing is the release as this is the factor which makes the compression roll off the kick and into the bass. This can make for the same sort of effect as sidechaining.. (which us cubase sx 1 users cant do :cry: does anyone know if this is possible in sx 2 btw?)

These are the techniques i have used up to present day, as i say im really not an expert, and am still learnin myself so if anyone notices anywhere where i might be going wrong, or could improve upon please set me straight! :lol: Really lookin forward to readin up on this and hearin other peoples methods of working...

[DJ Corbzy]

Spot on Jonbey, so much easier to refer back to a post than have to remember what you had said to me, gonna go make some fatman offbeat hardtrance tune now! :clap:

[epidemic001]

what is the ratio part, what does it mean how does one use it?

anyone?

Would it be a bad idea to have a compresser on the master channel coz ive done that on a track i'm working on an the kick & bass sounds nice and it doesnt seem to have effected the synths, or hi hats etc? will that give me problems?


( I feel like that metal bastard from short circut "need imput" hahaha)

[Maxima]

Ratio
The ratio sets the amount of compression that is being applied when the threshold level is being reached. The settings are set in ratio's like 8:1.
When there is 8db of signal going over the threshold level this will be reduced to 1db when using this setting. So 8db over the threshold level becomes 1db over the threshold level.
The ratio is very important because it sets the power of the compressor.

Threshold
This is the level at which compression will set in. If a signal doesn't pass this level the compressor won't touch it. But if it does exceed the threshold level compression with the power of the ratio will be applied.

Attack
The attack sets the time it takes for the compressor to set in after the threshold level has been reached. If this is set to 0 the compressor will directly work when any signal is passing the threshold level. But if set higher it will gradually set in after the threshold level has been reached. This is useful if you want to maintain the initial attack of the sound you are compressing.

Release
The release sets the time it takes for the signal to get back to it's original level after it has dropped below the threshold level.
If you want to have your compressor to pump up your sound you need to set a fast release. Now pull down your threshold until you reach the desired effect without clipping. If you haven't reached the amount of 'pump' you like but the signal is already clipping you should set your ratio higher. In this case you could also set your attack faster to get to the loud unprocessed attack earlier.

;)

[epidemic001]

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I'm starting to understand know, that was very helpful Maxima!!

[baptismo]

Ratio
The ratio sets the amount of compression that is being applied when the threshold level is being reached. The settings are set in ratio's like 8:1.
When there is 8db of signal going over the threshold level this will be reduced to 1db when using this setting. So 8db over the threshold level becomes 1db over the threshold level.
The ratio is very important because it sets the power of the compressor.

Threshold
This is the level at which compression will set in. If a signal doesn't pass this level the compressor won't touch it. But if it does exceed the threshold level compression with the power of the ratio will be applied.

Attack
The attack sets the time it takes for the compressor to set in after the threshold level has been reached. If this is set to 0 the compressor will directly work when any signal is passing the threshold level. But if set higher it will gradually set in after the threshold level has been reached. This is useful if you want to maintain the initial attack of the sound you are compressing.

Release
The release sets the time it takes for the signal to get back to it's original level after it has dropped below the threshold level.
If you want to have your compressor to pump up your sound you need to set a fast release. Now pull down your threshold until you reach the desired effect without clipping. If you haven't reached the amount of 'pump' you like but the signal is already clipping you should set your ratio higher. In this case you could also set your attack faster to get to the loud unprocessed attack earlier.

;)

:clap: :clap: quality mate, its really hard to explain compression without getting confused! spot on.

[alpha_unit]

right ill post my wise words of compression, i do it all by ear.

to start i use a waves c4 compressor and route both kick and bass though it starting with thehard basic preset. i then alter the thresholds of each until the dynamics of the kick and bass are right, too much low makes them subby n stuff n i play with that till it sounds crisp. then i move the attack untill it rolls



job done :)

[aponaut]

I find the best compressor for bottom end to be the Waves Renaissance compressor (RComp). The C1 is great for limiting, and the C4 is a great multi-band for mastering, but I find the RComp really adds warmth and has a really nice sound. It's meant to emulate classic tube compressors and does a great job of it!

[Louk]

now im getting into mastering i usually export a tune in reason and compress the **** out of it using waves and sound forge 6

(cheers for the advice jon! :) hehe)

Louk

[WEZ]

yeah I so gotta get on the Compression & Mastering band wagon soon !

[baptismo]

I find the best compressor for bottom end to be the Waves Renaissance compressor (RComp). The C1 is great for limiting, and the C4 is a great multi-band for mastering, but I find the RComp really adds warmth and has a really nice sound. It's meant to emulate classic tube compressors and does a great job of it!

wicked... havent checked that 1, will av a look

[Addict]

Could someone post an example of an uncompressed sound and a compressed one please :?:

[WEZ]

should get some idea of what compression is from these samples stu

http://www.wezentiger.pwp.blueyonder...COMPRESSED.wav

http://www.wezentiger.pwp.blueyonder...COMPRESSED.wav

[Addict]

:lol:

[Ed Mant]

that's wicked. that'll really help me as i'm just trying to start masterinhg my own tracks.

wicked....nice 1

:clap:

[epidemic001]

When youz master tracks, do youz just use a compresser on the whole thing? and if thats right do you mixdown the track first?

[baptismo]

When youz master tracks, do youz just use a compresser on the whole thing? and if thats right do you mixdown the track first?

I personally dont apply any compression or dithering effects to my final mix as i try to leave it to the guy who masters my tunes.

If you're wantin to master your tracks yourself though, depending on how much compression you've used on seperate instruments, it could be the icing on the cake to put a compressor on the master effects/output, and then maybe a maximising plugin to get it nice and loud...

[epidemic001]

oo! thanks Baptismo