Do you ever think compressors, suck?

[The_Hidden_Goose]

It's true that a lot of modern dance stuff really relies on it. But presumably those artists have to deal with the downsides of heavy compression as well and manage to pull it off in a way that works for them and their music.

I *almost* never employ them - preferring to either get the source material as I want it (or as near as damnit), and using EQ and gain automation for most cases, but for the few things I have used them they've been pretty worthwhile. I don't use them enough to buy endless variations on a fairly limited theme, though I can see how someone who makes liberal use of them might.

So I use them but try not to. Sometimes it's the best option.

[WBRS]

No

[camsr]

artists have to deal with the downsides of heavy compression as well and manage to pull it off in a way that works for them and their music.

This is what bothers me about compression, management. Isn't a compresor supposed to do this? Why must extra steps be taken?

[Arrested Developer]

I have a lot to say why I would think this, but honestly I may be totally wrong. I think there could be a more expressive dynamics control device! What I hate about compressors is how they modify the frequency spectrum, making one band sound good at the expense of another. Yet I've never seen one that could make anything sound good all the time. Constant adjustments and judicious knob turning feels like facism to me. Tell me I'm wrong, tell me that compressors are good.

Compressors don't suck at all, but they don't replace a proper Volume automation.

[jens]

But the magic of compressors is elsewhere than mere volume automation...

you couldn't mimick the beloved sound of a (say) 1176 or LA2A with volume automation - not at all.

I think I understand compression quite well. Changing gain over time? There has to be creative limits...

Yes, and that time is milliseconds and even microseconds... do you really think you can draw automation-envelopes for that?

Just so that the facts do not get overlooked /forgotten amongst all the nice philosophical talk...

You wouldn't want to give the impression of just ignoring these facts because you can't counterargue them, would you?

[camsr]

I already replied about automation being tedious on the millisecond level... at least for any suitably long recording. I do that kind of thing all the time on samples.

[kelldammit]

Like the most other (audio) tools the question is always: What do I want to achieve and what is the right tool for it?
e.g. compressors almost do the same thing but whit different approaches (Optical, Variable- MU, FET, VCA, wideband, multiband and so on) to solve the problem and reach the aimed task.

That.
The different approaches (creative and control) aren't mutually exclusive. Extreme compression on individual drum tracks to shape the sound drastically, and then a drum bus comp for more transparent dynamic control is perfectly legit. As is the inverse. As is not using it at all (if you want to maximize an effect's impact, contrast is a great way to do so). It just depends on what you're looking to do, and what process(es) best serve(s) the specific task and big picture.

In terms of bigtime engineers...for some, you'll pry compressors out of their cold dead hands, while others think compression is for sissies. Either side has enough zillion-selling records to make a definitive conclusion impossible. Just use whatever works for you...

That said, I've personally found comp and reverb to be the most common places where i overdo it and foul stuff up. It does take practice, as someone else pointed out.

[jens]

I already replied about automation being tedious on the millisecond level... at least for any suitably long recording. I do that kind of thing all the time on samples.

I missed that then, sorry - however I think it is notonly tedious, butoutright impossible - and I even simplified it extremely...

You can read on the following SKnote explanation for the Stripbus compressor a lot on infor about how complex some hardware compressors actually function and how signal-dependent it works:

http://www.sknote.it/StripBus_HowTo.htm

Even if you had years to spend in order to edit the volume envelope of even just a single track, you would have a really hard time to mimick this behaviour - even if you knew exactly how it works/what it does to the signal

[bongo_x]

Even if you had years to spend in order to edit the volume envelope of even just a single track, you would have a really hard time to mimick this behaviour - even if you knew exactly how it works/what it does to the signal

Yes. For a lot of engineers level control is one of the minor uses of compression. You can do that with level rides. The multitude of ways you can change the sound and feel is the main use. Someone I know said "I use it for EQ, reverb, everything but level control"

[jens]

Yes - if I simply want to even out (say) on a vocal track the difference between a quiter verse and a louder chorus, then, yes, volume-automation is for me the way to go - but they way I use compression it affects the sound of the program-material on a per-note basis - which is completely something entirely different altogether - like totally...

[lolilol1975]

Good luck applying automation for transient correction during live sessions.

[camsr]

A question came up in another thread, it was "why don't more compressors have mix knobs?"
It is obviously a marketing strategy. By crossfading good compression with the input, it's subconsciously interpreted as rejecting the product! And then users may not talk about it as much as another product, which is bad.

[jens]

Are you actually serious?

[do_androids_dream]

A question came up in another thread, it was "why don't more compressors have mix knobs?"
It is obviously a marketing strategy. By crossfading good compression with the input, it's subconsciously interpreted as rejecting the product! And then users may not talk about it as much as another product, which is bad.

Are you joking?

Another thing about compressors - they all produce distortion - which is actually what I want from them as well as control. Volume automation is not going to get you that.

[camsr]

OP is serious, post is serious



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Compressors can be goood, if the right thing is put into them.