steve@psbnoe.wanadoo
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Application and characteristics of different compressors
Hi, i've just got a Liquid mix and was hoping someone could provide me with a link or site with good information on the application and characteristics of different compressors, in particular which compressors are commonly used for Drum busses, parallel processing and vocals.
Cheers
Steve.
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
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batsbrew
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/27 16:41:51
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mattplaysguitar
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/27 16:48:39
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The fact that you are asking this question means you are probably not yet ready to move on to using different compressors for different purposes. I have a belief that you should choose one very neutral compressor and learn everything there is to know about it, learn its limitations, then move on to others only when you are ready. Sonitus is perfect for this. The reason for this is the benefit you will get from choosing the perfect compressor for the job is likely to be much smaller that the benefit you will get from really perfecting the compressor settings with one good, flexible compressor. I will admit that I am still at that stage where I am just using Sonitus. I think I'll be ready to move on to come more compressors soon, but there is so much I keep learning every time I play with that compressor that moving on to a new one would certainly slow my learning. I think the saying applies here "it's better to be able to use one tool very well, than to be able to use many very poorly." Maybe doesn't apply to everything, but with different compressors I think it does apply well. If you just can't get the right sound with the one compressor, by all means, try something else, but make sure you have given it your best shot in your first comp of choice, you will learn so much morre.
VC64 has a good rep for sounding nice on vocals. Do some experiments with that and sonitus on a vocal track. Try and make them sound as good as possible, then get someone in to help you do some blind tests. If you can't tell what's different and why or why one sounds better, then you may not be ready to move on to using multiple compressors.
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CJaysMusic
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/27 16:51:57
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steve@psbnoe.wanadoo
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/27 17:10:26
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First of all thanks to you all for your help, I have been using sonitus for a few years now and think it's great, but what started me off on this was when i purchased T-racks and tried their emulation of the Fairchild 670 and just having this on a track without any gain reduction sounded really nice, and since getting the Liquid mix i'm loving it.The Distressor emulation on Nuke setting is something i could never get out of the sonitus, i just feel it just gives me more options.
Thanks again,
Steve.
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
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Legion
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/28 16:16:34
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I totally agree that using a nice compressor emultation getting 'that' character can make all the difference. The Liquid Mix totally changed how I worked and, for me, really allowed me to take my sound to another level. Here are some ideas to try (but as you know none are written in stone): Vox (or vocal bus): LA2A LA3A 1176 Red 7 TL-100 CL1B Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day) DBX160 Avalon 737 T-Racks Opto Drums:
1176 Distressor DBX160 Bus use (drums, overheads, 2 bus etc): SSL G-series mixbus (great on the 2 bus and to mix through, I almost never use more than say -2.5 GR though) API 2500 Neve 2254 & 33609 (sometimes LA3A can sound great on a drum bus as well) Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day) (I often use the both the T-Racks Fairchild and the T-Racks Opto while premastering as well, very little GR on both)
Bass: LA2A (I don't know if this is a standard at all but I love it) 1176 ...sometimes Fairchild (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day) (with bass make sure you don't set the attack to fast if you use a fast compressor or the unit will start riding the waveform...)
Almost everything: G-series chanel strip compressor 1176 T-Racks Classic (can be great on rap) --- Also, depending on the sound I want I usually check out what compressors were available at that era, and used in that type of music (for example I've heard that the entire Burnin' album by the Wailers only used 1176's), and that research can get you much closer to the sound you are after. Also SoS classic track articles are a really great read. --- One WARNING with the Liquid Mix though, STAY AWAY FROM THE HIGH PASS FILTERS in the EQ section! Just turn them off, don't activate. If you want to you can check them with a spectral analyzer, if you set it to roll off from 60hz they'll start rolling off at around 500hz instead most of the time. HTH /Legion
post edited by Legion - 2010/05/28 16:26:33
Sadly very reduced studio equipment as it is... ASUS G750J, 8 gb RAM, Win8, Roland Quad Capture.
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steve@psbnoe.wanadoo
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/28 17:06:20
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Legion
I totally agree that using a nice compressor emultation getting 'that' character can make all the difference. The Liquid Mix totally changed how I worked and, for me, really allowed me to take my sound to another level.
Here are some ideas to try (but as you know none are written in stone):
Vox (or vocal bus):
LA2A
LA3A
1176
Red 7
TL-100
CL1B
Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
DBX160
Avalon 737
T-Racks Opto
Drums:
1176
Distressor
DBX160
Bus use (drums, overheads, 2 bus etc):
SSL G-series mixbus (great on the 2 bus and to mix through, I almost never use more than say -2.5 GR though)
API 2500
Neve 2254 & 33609
(sometimes LA3A can sound great on a drum bus as well)
Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
(I often use the both the T-Racks Fairchild and the T-Racks Opto while premastering as well, very little GR on both)
Bass:
LA2A (I don't know if this is a standard at all but I love it)
1176
...sometimes Fairchild (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
(with bass make sure you don't set the attack to fast if you use a fast compressor or the unit will start riding the waveform...)
Almost everything:
G-series chanel strip compressor
1176
T-Racks Classic (can be great on rap)
---
Also, depending on the sound I want I usually check out what compressors were available at that era, and used in that type of music (for example I've heard that the entire Burnin' album by the Wailers only used 1176's), and that research can get you much closer to the sound you are after. Also SoS classic track articles are a really great read.
---
One WARNING with the Liquid Mix though, STAY AWAY FROM THE HIGH PASS FILTERS in the EQ section! Just turn them off, don't activate. If you want to you can check them with a spectral analyzer, if you set it to roll off from 60hz they'll start rolling off at around 500hz instead most of the time.
HTH
/Legion
Hi, this is exactly what i wanted, thankyou very much really appreciate it, i'm going to print this off and have it on my wall. Did notice the HP filter and thought my hearing was on the blink  . Cheers Steve.
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
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Philip
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/05/28 18:07:15
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steve@psbnoe.wanadoo
Legion
I totally agree that using a nice compressor emultation getting 'that' character can make all the difference. The Liquid Mix totally changed how I worked and, for me, really allowed me to take my sound to another level.
Here are some ideas to try (but as you know none are written in stone):
Vox (or vocal bus):
LA2A
LA3A
1176
Red 7
TL-100
CL1B
Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
DBX160
Avalon 737
T-Racks Opto
Drums:
1176
Distressor
DBX160
Bus use (drums, overheads, 2 bus etc):
SSL G-series mixbus (great on the 2 bus and to mix through, I almost never use more than say -2.5 GR though)
API 2500
Neve 2254 & 33609
(sometimes LA3A can sound great on a drum bus as well)
Fairchild 670 (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
(I often use the both the T-Racks Fairchild and the T-Racks Opto while premastering as well, very little GR on both)
Bass:
LA2A (I don't know if this is a standard at all but I love it)
1176
...sometimes Fairchild (I prefer T-Racks over LM all day any day)
(with bass make sure you don't set the attack to fast if you use a fast compressor or the unit will start riding the waveform...)
Almost everything:
G-series chanel strip compressor
1176
T-Racks Classic (can be great on rap)
---
Also, depending on the sound I want I usually check out what compressors were available at that era, and used in that type of music (for example I've heard that the entire Burnin' album by the Wailers only used 1176's), and that research can get you much closer to the sound you are after. Also SoS classic track articles are a really great read.
---
One WARNING with the Liquid Mix though, STAY AWAY FROM THE HIGH PASS FILTERS in the EQ section! Just turn them off, don't activate. If you want to you can check them with a spectral analyzer, if you set it to roll off from 60hz they'll start rolling off at around 500hz instead most of the time.
HTH
/Legion
Hi, this is exactly what i wanted, thankyou very much really appreciate it, i'm going to print this off and have it on my wall.
Did notice the HP filter and thought my hearing was on the blink.
Cheers
Steve.
Thats quite a list! In addition: Clip gain envelopes: For manual compression/automation Sontitus Compressor: For 'pre'-limiting vocs (if you don't have an outboard handy) Also great for drums: kick, snare, etc. if CPU loads are a problem. VST Multicomps: Voxformer 32 or 64 bit (vox, guitar, bass, and drums) ... and for parallel compression of vox and/or bass ... and a powerful sidechain compressor to de-Ess vocs Alloy: (low latency compression) I now use for buss and track 3-band compression Ozone 4: For final stage compressions and volume maximization (best for mastering)
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batsbrew
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/06/01 13:44:18
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realize, that if you use a IN the box compressor, you cannot actually limit or compress until AFTER the signal has already hit the convertor. you'll only be limiting or compressing a signal that has already been committed at a certain peak level.
most folks use limiters on the input signal so they can squeeze more out of the headroom without worrying about hitting 0db.
in other words, you have to use an OUTBOARD compressor to limit signals BEFORE they hit the convertor.
there's no point in limiting a signal AFTER CONVERSION to try to keep from peak overload.
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batsbrew
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/06/01 13:45:31
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in other words, there are TRACKING compression/limiting issues, and MIXING compression/limiting issues, and they are two different things.
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steve@psbnoe.wanadoo
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/06/01 15:32:14
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batsbrew
in other words, there are TRACKING compression/limiting issues, and MIXING compression/limiting issues, and they are two different things.
Sorry but i don't know what this has got to do with different types of compressors and their typical uses, no offence intended.
Cheers
Steve.
Sorry just noticed thread above regarding sontitus comp "Sontitus Compressor: For 'pre'-limiting vocs" Cheers Steve.
post edited by steve@psbnoe.wanadoo - 2010/06/01 15:37:04
I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book? Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat
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batsbrew
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/06/01 16:08:25
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batsbrew
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Re:Application and characteristics of different compressors
2010/06/01 16:09:32
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the sonitus compressor is input AFTER the conversion of the input signal from analog to digital.
that's one step too late.
it's only good for mixing, not tracking.
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