KVR Audio

deep'n'dark · Post by **deep'n'dark** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:27 pm

My music isn't that compressed as the music coming out from the Radio stations. I can understand that heavylie compressed music makes you not put as much volume. Also, this kind of sound is more oftenly safer for smaller/shittier speakers as too much dynamics may cause an overpowering issue.

MogwaiBoy · Post by **MogwaiBoy** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:22 am

Our music will never feature alongside pop music, so it doesn't matter to me. I'm aiming for healthy, competitive volume but not lifelessly squeezed. Somewhere in the -10 LUFS ballpark (give or take) for the loudest parts of the song... less for overall integrated - and some healthy dynamic range. I want to see some visual movement in the waveform, not a solid block. I want it to sound great on my dad's ancient hifi.

Radio stations compress again anyway. The loudness war is all but done, except for Beatport EDM charts

Forget about competing with Katy Perry producers and the likes

ATS · Post by **ATS** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:24 am

call me crazy but I like dynamics, none of my releases are overly compressed and so glad I am not with a label where they "have" to be.

Chandran · Post by **Chandran** » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:42 am

Depends of the music! Some electronic or rock music is fff from start to end in that case 6db dynamic range is fine and compression can be essential to the song estethic, not the same apply for music with dynamics from ppp to fff in that case 20db of dynamic range can be not enough...the best is to listen great records in the same genre and compare.

mementus · Post by **mementus** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:30 am

How do you increase the dynamic range?
I mean, let's say tou are at 6 and the reference sounds better and has 10 DR (both with same lufs) and you are in the end of the mix stage, not in a mastering.
Automation?
Less single elements compression?

Chandran · Post by **Chandran** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 10:15 am

First listen carefully the 10 DR dynamic relative to each track, do the balance between the kik and the snare or beetween Drums and other elements approximatively to the 6 DR one? Do you have more sub bass on the 6 DR? The sub eat's a lot of headroom and then when you want to compete with the subjective loudness of another song you may clip or limit too much the track. Ifthe 6 DR one sound squashed when you compare both try to reduce track compression. If you have a compressor on the master buss try to ad more attack to let the transients go thru a little beat. Did you use side chain comression beetween kik and bass or vst like volume shaper? This stuff can help to unmask frequencies and help to eq and compress less at the end.Do you use tape simulation or saturators? this stuff can kill the dynamics, if its the case try to use less or try to use a transient shapper to restitue back some dynamic, transient shaper on percusive sounds can help. Listen carefully at the timbral balance of the 10 DR song, the eq also impact very much the result, make use of good frequency analyser ( hofa one is great) and oscilloscope, compare both songs with that...
Difficult to help more whithout listen!
Best!

mementus · Post by **mementus** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 5:01 pm

Chandran wrote: If you have a compressor on the master buss try to ad more attack to let the transients go thru a little beat.

Add more attack or reduce more attack? If I add attack I tame transients more, did you mean to compress less the transients (a longer attack setting)?

Nice tips to try! Thanks!

Chandran · Post by **Chandran** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:00 pm

With fast attack you tame more (O.1 to 1 millisecond for example). Slow attack time let the transients go for example 25 ms attack on a snare sound let the attack of the snare intact and compress the resonnance you can add punch like that! If you want to add more sustain on a electric bass you can use short attack...be careful about the kind of compressor you use, I would not use peak compression on the master track but rms instead because it dont work as fast of peak compression and can be great to ad some glue or groove to the track. I will never use rms compressor to tame transients because it not works, to slow...
Goggle to learn more abour rms and peak compression (if you use hardware modelised vst its very important to know for what they are usualy good, if they are peak or rms , opto or vca compressors...).To listen at what the compressor do: exaggerate the ceiling,take down the threshold and listen carefully how your attack and release settings impact to the sound.
Hope it helps!
Cheers!

Who compresses their music near to Radio sound?