All about compressors (links broken: sorry!)

[The Chase]

To some extent fruty peak controler can do similar: log curve + smoothing and modulate the volume on balance plugin. Cpu doesn't even know it's there.

True. I've been using that for a while and I think the formula controller might be possible to create even more complex things.

However, I'm having seriously big problems getting the peak controller to be smooth enough. I'm not sure why. Is it somehow possible to filter the controller data to be smoother at fast settings or is the only option to use that "decay" knob?

Cheers!
bManic

Just put a low pass filter before it

The peak controller becomes very powerful when you make the option to process it's input modulator signal.

[bduffy]

Nananananana! My filter plugin can do things that none of your compressors can!

"Huh? What? Did he just say filter plugin? Huh?"

You bet I did!! And it just so happens that it's perhaps the best drum bus squasher I've ever heard in plugin form, once you've tweaked it to suite the song! I'm NOT kidding!!!

Check this pumping smooth loveliness out!! It's a friggin' filter plugin. Made for crazy filtering. It just so happens that it has an envelope follower that can be freely routed to everything.. including global output volume! The envelope follower can even be routed to each other, controlling the attack and release settings of each! This makes it possible to do some extremely complex compression and a lot of crazy stuff!! Check it out!

Original drumloop

FabFilter Volcano 2, compressing like there's no tomorrow! And it's smoooooth but still aggressive as hell! Pro-C can't even get close to this kind of action (probably because it's just too high-fidelity so it leaves no "chunks" left).

Oh, and did I mention that it also works as a gate and an expander?

Volcano2 as a gate, on the above drumloop.

What can I say? I'm in do-it-yourself dynamics heaven with this thing.. and it's a filter plugin! FILTER PLUGIN!!!

Cheers!
bManic

Dude. That's wild! A filter you say!

[bmanic]

Someone really should create a "compressor designer" plugin. Simply code a great, smooth envelope follower, a gain reduction element (basically a volume knob) and perhaps some variations on the envelope follower or even a fully controllable envelope which is triggered by the incoming audio. Now make all these blocks available to the user in a modular environment. Boom! Instant "compressor" creator. It just needs to be able to modulate everything with anything.

You do not necessarily need a modular environment for that: see our Digitial Peak Meter Pro and its associated tutorials. The good thing with MIDI CC as control is that you even get side chain for free (it works the same way as the Blue Cat's Dynamics plugin you own).

But the main difference between such a setup (envelope follower -> volume or filter control) is the fact that you do not have a threshold to trigger the volume reduction: volume control is continuous. It usually makes a difference in the sounds you can get.

I really have to try your internal Midi CC control signal stuff but I fear the loss of resolution. Midi CC's only generate numbers from 0 to 127, right? I know you can interpolate but it still makes me wonder.

Also, you are absolutely right about the envelope follower -> volume knob. That's probably one of the reasons Volcano 2 is so tricky to setup for compression and why it sounds so cool once it's working. It's doing something all the time! Not just threshold based compression (which is also perfectly possible using the envelope generator inside volcano). Actually, now that I think about it.. the original Vari-mu process (fairchaild), doesn't that create exactly this, a kind of envelope follower constantly modulating the gain in both directions (it does both compression and upwards-expansion afaik). It's a pretty complex process.

Note: I've never heard a real fairchild and I probably never will so I'm just speculating here on other people's experience and what I've read.

Cheers!
bManic

[Blue Cat Audio]

I really have to try your internal Midi CC control signal stuff but I fear the loss of resolution. Midi CC's only generate numbers from 0 to 127, right? I know you can interpolate but it still makes me wonder.

yes that's true but it's usually not a problem. Plus since you can adjust the range for the parameters, you can really choose your precision: you will rarely need the full 60 dB range gain reduction for a compressor, will you?

[FabSurvey]

Cool stuff!

[JheGuevara]

Impressive...

[XXXL]

Trying to understand what a compresor does i've recorded a song form winamp in cubase. While recording i've switch the winamp volum up and down. Then a applied the compresor and trying to reduce the volum diferences to have the same volum level but i couldn't do this. I'm i right what i'm trying and how to do it ?

[egbert]

Trying to understand what a compresor does i've recorded a song form winamp in cubase. While recording i've switch the winamp volum up and down. Then a applied the compresor and trying to reduce the volum diferences to have the same volum level but i couldn't do this. I'm i right what i'm trying and how to do it ?

All VST plugins receive audio streams in 32 bit float format which can easily exceed 0dB - eg you can send them signals which peak at +15dB.

So, even with a hard knee, the action of the compressor can produce significant gain reduction even when threshold is set at 0dB. Another consideration is that many compressors have knee controls and depending on the plugin and the setting they might start affecting the signal at 40dB below the threshold setting.

[bmanic]

Trying to understand what a compresor does i've recorded a song form winamp in cubase. While recording i've switch the winamp volum up and down. Then a applied the compresor and trying to reduce the volum diferences to have the same volum level but i couldn't do this. I'm i right what i'm trying and how to do it ?

If you want to learn what a compressor does I suggest you take a fair amount of time, sit down with a nice cup of coffee and good quality chocolate and read this article:

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn ... /index.htm

It's an excellent link that somebody here on KvR pointed to. I'll add it to the first page of this thread as it'll surely help a lot of beginners.

Anyhow, a compressor works more on the "micro dynamics" than the "macro dynamics". When you change volume in winamp up and down you most like are not fast enough to affect the small dynamics (like individual kick/snare/bass notes) but rather you affect the overall macro dynamics. A compressor does not smooth these unless you set it to some really brutal settings. You're much better off with automating the channel volume or object volume control in cubase to get the level differences even again.

Cheers!
bManic

[XXXL]

AUTO-ADMIN: Non-MP3, WAV, OGG, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and Facebook links in this post have been protected automatically. Once the member reaches 5 posts the links will function as normal.

Trying to understand what a compresor does i've recorded a song form winamp in cubase. While recording i've switch the winamp volum up and down. Then a applied the compresor and trying to reduce the volum diferences to have the same volum level but i couldn't do this. I'm i right what i'm trying and how to do it ?

If you want to learn what a compressor does I suggest you take a fair amount of time, sit down with a nice cup of coffee and good quality chocolate and read this article:

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn ... /index.htm (http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/compuncomp/index.htm)

It's an excellent link that somebody here on KvR pointed to. I'll add it to the first page of this thread as it'll surely help a lot of beginners.

Anyhow, a compressor works more on the "micro dynamics" than the "macro dynamics". When you change volume in winamp up and down you most like are not fast enough to affect the small dynamics (like individual kick/snare/bass notes) but rather you affect the overall macro dynamics. A compressor does not smooth these unless you set it to some really brutal settings. You're much better off with automating the channel volume or object volume control in cubase to get the level differences even again.

Cheers!
bManic

And how to automate the chanel ?

Tanks !

[bduffy]

XXXL, that's really not the best way to learn a compressor. You should bring in a drumloop or a vocal file - something with a lot of peaks - and learn on that. Keep it simple.

[XXXL]

Ok. But now i'm curios about this to (automating the channel to get even level)

[bduffy]

One thing at a time, XXXL: focus...

[buscemi]

Ok. But now i'm curios about this to (automating the channel to get even level)

Yes, one thing at a time since you have a pending request from a mod to fulfill before you continue to have us do your research... oops I mean help.

[Meffy]

Exactly so. Thank you.

@XXXL: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3205102
Do it now. You have half an hour. *starts stopwatch*