Compressors - Confused about compressing and how to use it

[Hermetech Mastering]

http://hermetechmastering.com/2016/03/2 ... ression-2/

[Nathan Alexander]

Ok so there are 3 overlapping perspectives I’ve used to understand what compression really is:

1. Compression is just an automatic volume fader. This is literally what a compressor should mean to you. It’s not compression, it’s an automatic volume fader.
2. Anything a compressor can do, volume automation can do.
3. Compressors are designed to make loud sounds quieter

Knowing when you need compression can be answered by whether you want to 'Control the Average Level' of your sound i.e. a vocalists dynamic performance or if you want to 'Control the Volume Shape' of your sound like giving a snare hit more attack, or more punch. So you're just shaping the sound in the same way a sculptor might shape a statue to make certain parts more prominent than others.


If you want to better understand the Controls of a compressor you may want to watch this:
https://youtu.be/qYvzCYeSNB8

To see how you might use a compressor in an actual session you can check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=6fPtYN_YUbc

[solomute]

Compressors can increase sustain and make quiet sounds lowder but they make sound dead. You don't need them. You must find studio quality grade equalizer. That's what you actually need (secret info...)

[Boone777]

Compressors can increase sustain and make quiet sounds lowder but they make sound dead. You don't need them. You must find studio quality grade equalizer. That's what you actually need (secret info...)

You can actually use an upward compressor to make a dead sound more alive. Saying you don't need them is very much a black and white opinion. Need might be a strong word but compressors are part of the sound a lot of people like plus it's faster to use than automating volume. Eqs in many DAWs are just fine but if you want some tone out of them EQs than yeah you can look in some freeware, hardware or buy alternatives to your DAW eqs.

[cron]

Compressors can increase sustain and make quiet sounds lowder but they make sound dead. You don't need them. You must find studio quality grade equalizer. That's what you actually need (secret info...)

You can actually use an upward compressor to make a dead sound more alive...

I'd go further and say even 'normal' downward compression can liven up a dead sound, especially when mouse programmers aren't making use of velocity. You can even increase perceived dynamic range with downward compression assuming your channel contains discrete events where the release can back off during silence (e.g., a kick drum track.)

[solomute]

Never heard about upward copmressor solution. How do you do it?

[donkey tugger]

Compressors can increase sustain and make quiet sounds lowder but they make sound dead. You don't need them. You must find studio quality grade equalizer. That's what you actually need (secret info...)

Is it finally the long awaited return of JP22?

[borrachoruso]

This is the best compression explanation I have ever seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdGdtJgayTU

[solomute]

Is it finally the long awaited return of JP22?

what do you mean?

[donkey tugger]

Is it finally the long awaited return of JP22?

what do you mean?

There was long, long ago on KVR and other music forums, a rather interesting individual under the moniker of JP22, who advocated the rather novel concept of using eq to control dynamics;

https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Jp22

"I could easily give back any minimal dynamics lost compressing with a bit more eq on my mixer"

[solomute]

This is the best compression explanation I have ever seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdGdtJgayTU

I prefer short videos where they briefly summarize the essense. I have never met a situation where i would really need a compressor. Unless you record live performance you don't need it unless you make some electronic, dance and other type of non-intellectual music. You need to focus on quality of sound. There are airwindows plugins like console4 which are claimed to produce studio like air. that's what everyone needs and not some cheap emulation of hardware. Also you need to focus on panning and equalization. I.e. compressor won't help you to get good sound, on the contrary you are sure to get some deterioration from my experience. Instead of compressing you for example can lower down highs of less important tracks if you need to cut down volume. I.e. the compressor is not the solution to improve your sound and thus since all compressor emulations are crappy and worse than hardware ones you are sure to lose your time. Again this is from my experience and experience of some other people i know. I recommend your trying genwave eq instead of any compressors. It will definitely make your sound much much better and you won't want to lose your time on compressing... Of course if you produce non-intellectual electronic crap you may compress as much as you want.

[donkey tugger]

Blimey!

[donkey tugger]

electronic, dance and other type of non-intellectual music.....

Of course if you produce non-intellectual electronic crap you may compress as much as you want.

Oooof, I think you may just have picked the wrong audience for your pearls of wisdom here...

[solomute]

the guy is asking if he should use compression. and definitely if he makes intellectual non-electronic non-dance music he must stay away from compression and crappy software emulators. That's not the instrument to shape the sound. If he wants to add colors he would better use some separate saturators and not compressors.

[donkey tugger]

What about non-intellectual, non-dance, non-electronic crap? Is it ok then?