Anyone else using the 'mixing with your mind' method for compression?

[manducator]

Hello,

I have been rereading 'Mixing with your mind', by Mike Stavrou and I encountered the capter about compression. It changed the way I use a compressor.

Anybody else who likes this method and got more understanding on how to use a compressor, thanks to 'Mixing with your mind'?

[camsr]

I haven't read this book yet, but it looks interesting. I approach compression with how much gain reduction is needed first, set a medium ratio about 3:1, guess a good attack, and tune the release, and keep fine tuning until it sounds right with the necessary impact. I stare at the gain reduction meter a lot but it helps to see how the release is behaving within the mix context.

It's also kinda necessary to understand what your compressor(s) are doing with regard to fidelity. The right compressor for the material is the one you know best.

[Tricky-Loops]

Maybe you could elaborate some points what the book is all about? I've never heard of this book...

[manducator]

Here's the website for the book:

http://www.mixingwithyourmind.com/

Here's what Mike has to tell about compression (I wrote it in my own words though, it's what I learned from it, not the real text):

I like the Michael Stavrou approach, explained in his book 'Mixing withyour Mind' and it goes a little like this:

Setting up a compressor is like cracking a vault: every tumble has to fall in place and they have a particular order. Don't go to the next tumbler unless you are sure the previous setting is in the right place. Otherwise you will be attempted to keep changing previous settings, ending up in a loophole, chasing your tale.

Here is the right order to set up your compressor:

1. Attack
2. Release
3. Ratio
4. Threshold

Starting Point:

- Attack at minimum, shortest attack
- Release at minimum, shortest release
- Ratio at maximum (100:1, infinity, whatever the highest ratio of your compressor can be)
- Threshold to the lowest (-40 or -60 dB, so you get maximum compression on the whole song)
Now your music sounds completely crap, but you will hear the effect of each function clearly. You probably have to turn up the volume to hear the instrument/mix.

1. Determine your attack time. A short attack makes the sound thin, longer attack makes the sound fuller. Choose what you like. Ignore the distortion because of the short release time. Take a snare drum for instance; with a short attack time, it will sound like the snare gets hit with a thin stick. A longer attack will give the impression that the drum stick is thicker. A guitar with a short attack will give the impression that the strings are just touched by the fingernails, but with a longer attack time it seems like the guitarist is really hitting those strings. Just listen to what sounds best.

2. Setup your release time. The sound is compressed after the attack and will be uncompressed after the release. You will hear some kind of swing (loud-soft-loud). Control the swing by changing the release time. It doesn't have to be in time (don't set it on 1/16th or 1/8th note), just listen until it grooves. You shouldn't ask yourself you short the release time has to be, but 'how long can I get the release time without destroying the dynamics'. Don't get mathematically on this (I have to get a release at xx ms because the next sound will get crushed) but listen to the swing (loud-soft-loud) and how it goes with the music. Let your ears and your gut feeling decide, even if the release time looks insane. (I have been using release times of 800 ms on 140 BPM techno songs, just because it sounded right!) 'Groovy' doesn't have to be 'in time'. I have heard lots of 'groovy swings' that aren't in time with the music but it sounded good.

3. The ratio. You have the ratio at maximum, so you hear maximum 'swing'. Now start lower the ratio until you still hear the swing, but not too overdriven. Compare with the uncompressed version (use makeup gain to adjust levels). Uncompressed music is wide, compressed music sounds narrow but focused. Determine how wide or how focused you want your music to sound. You can compare the ratio with the zoom function of a photo camera; how much do you want to zoom in on the subject (high ratio)? And how much of the surroundings do you want on the picture? (= zooming out, making music wider) Compromise on this.

4. Threshold. Music has to breathe. Not all parts have to be compressed. That's called overcompression. On the quietest parts, compression shouldn't occur (let the music get some 'air' in the quietest parts instead of keeping it compressed). If your music is compressed all the time, you can as well lower the overall volume level, because the whole instrument/mix will sound quieter with compression). The purpose of a compressor is to only compress the loudest parts. So put your threshold in a way that not everything is compressed, and the music can breathe in between. This makes the compression subtle. If it's too subtle fr you, just put a second compressor after the first one, and do the procedure again (serial compression). That way you will get a less subtle compression but still acceptable. Remember, if the gain reduction meter is pumping during the whole mix, you are overcompressing... Now make it louder with the makeup gain and you're done.

This is a 'compressed' version (pun intended) of what's mentioned in the book 'Mixing with your Mind'. But it's worth to read the 8 pages because they are written much more colorful than this little part.

Thanks to this approach, I sometimes get results that I never would have gotten otherwise. Like that release time of 800 ms on a fast-paced 140 bpm techno song. Pure mathematical it's not right, because the release doesn't end before the next beat kicks in, but somehow it has that groove.
Thanks to the comparison of wide and narrow music (while setting the ratio) I learned to not overdo compression. I seldom use a ratio of more than 2:1 while at first 2:1 was unnoticeable for my deaf ears.

This method learned me that compression is about feeling, not mathematics.

[Tricky-Loops]

This is an interesting approach...

I always started with the threshold, then ratio, and at last attack and release. But it's a good idea to use the extremest compressor setting to get the groove right, and only then to adjust threshold and ratio!

[Jrace]

Forgot where I'd read this but yes I use this. Ever since I started using this way it has made my life soo much easier. One thing missing is After I have my threshold set I move on to Knee settings (if the comp has them)

[Zombie Queen]

'Mixing with my mind' would be a good name for my method. So here's what I do, I open vst subfolder with compressors, I pick one that catches my eye first and I start to fiddle with knobs randomly, until I get so tired with it, I tell myself it's not worth my health and mental state to continue, at which point I leave it as is and then try to get used to the new sound of the thing that I have been compressing. That's how I get from 'mixing with my mind' to 'listening with an open mind'.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

I've not read the book Dirk mate, However I think I'll pick it up on your word as your work as you know I think always sounds very good even if it is a style/genre I am not familiar with, I need a new read also which sounds like an inspirational one to boot. I'm of course mostly sticking to BAU metal (For a change)

Wishing you well and sorry its been awhile, Send our best to yourself and your family/loved one's dude

Cheers

Dean and Family

[nineofkings]

It's a good approach, but with a lot of compressors the threshold changes the release response. One with a good sound at a higher threshold may be too long at a lower one.

[faun2500]

Why would you set the attack and release unless you can actually hear it changing? I pull down threshold first then twiddle diddle.

[Tricky-Loops]

Why would you set the attack and release unless you can actually hear it changing? I pull down threshold first then twiddle diddle.

Starting Point:

- Attack at minimum, shortest attack
- Release at minimum, shortest release
- Ratio at maximum (100:1, infinity, whatever the highest ratio of your compressor can be)
- Threshold to the lowest (-40 or -60 dB, so you get maximum compression on the whole song)
Now your music sounds completely crap, but you will hear the effect of each function clearly. You probably have to turn up the volume to hear the instrument/mix.

[camsr]

Sorry, but someone telling me how to use a compressor is like a sex ed course. I was tweaking compressors ignorantly for years with good results, and still avoided a illegitamate conception

[faun2500]

Why would you set the attack and release unless you can actually hear it changing? I pull down threshold first then twiddle diddle.

Starting Point:

- Attack at minimum, shortest attack
- Release at minimum, shortest release
- Ratio at maximum (100:1, infinity, whatever the highest ratio of your compressor can be)
- Threshold to the lowest (-40 or -60 dB, so you get maximum compression on the whole song)
Now your music sounds completely crap, but you will hear the effect of each function clearly. You probably have to turn up the volume to hear the instrument/mix.

Ah yes, Ok. I do similar to this some times.

[elnn]

Sorry, but someone telling me how to use a compressor is like a sex ed course. I was tweaking compressors ignorantly for years with good results, and still avoided a illegitamate conception

but having an idea at which hole does what, how to approach each, and how clean the end result is is always of benefit.

[manducator]

Sorry, but someone telling me how to use a compressor is like a sex ed course. I was tweaking compressors ignorantly for years with good results, and still avoided a illegitamate conception

Everyone is different, I guess. You do good things with a compressor, I heard your mixing abilities and they are great.

I like to have a starting point, it doesn't mean it has to kill creativity. It's more about learning what a comp can do. take it further from there.