In one of the vids (from my other thread) the guy recommends beginners to mixing and compression should use 4:1 ratio settings and set the threshold to acheive 6 decibels of reduction. Essentially a "one size kind of sort of fits all" setting to use as a starting point until you get used to the sound of compression and what it is doing. Then from there start trying out other settings.
 
Just wondering what folks here think of this statement and its implications.
 
Cheers.

YIKES.
 
well, 
on a master bus,
i can hear 1:25 to 1 ratio.....
 
so 4:1 seems overly aggressive......
except...
 
if the intention is to 'OVERCOMPRESS'..... as part of a learning cycle.
 
it is easier to hear the effect of the compression with levels like that...
but WTF?
 
why are levels going in so out of whack to being with?
unless it's an orchestra or something........?
 

that said,
andy wallace, 
master mixer,
routinely used 4:1 ratios...
 
read here:
http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/andy-wallace/365554
 

i just think for a NOOB, 
that is just way too much.
 
bottom line:
 
it all depends on the source,
and what your end goal is.
 
 
 

crap, i throw limiters on damn near everything.
 
LOL
 

Perhaps the time period the tut was created is relevant. I think that vid was made in the early 90's (perhaps late 80's) and there was absolutely no discussion about DAWs or VST plugins (all hardware).
 
Maybe it was intended for input compression? Just the common settings of the time period?
 
I appreciate the insight, bats.
 
Cheers.

WELL, 
we always talk about 'no rules', and that really should be the mantra,
except when you are brand new.
 
i know, it's easy to get confused,
but a compressor, is a compressor,
whether it be 1969 or 2015.
 
so the idea is the same, controlling peaks and dynamic levels.
 
 
but there is a certain 'aesthetic' to using compressors, besides simple level control.
 
there is a 'flavor' that you can impart on things, using the compressor correctly.
 
and when you think about how infinitely variable a compressor can be,
and how much HARM it can do (doctors always say, "first, do no harm")
LOL
 
i guess it's important to learn the hard core basics of compressors first,
until you figure out what really needs compression, and how much of it.
 
i absolutely NUKE things with limiters.
 
but i try to do it in a way that is fairly transparent, and that takes a long time (for me) to learn how to do.
 
 
 
on a side note:
 
 
study:
 
Crest Factor, Peak vs RMS values, soft vs hard knee, and upward compression.
 
it is all related.
 
 

I recently read something that mentioned how a bunch of engineers laughingly agreed that it took them "like 5 years" to get the hang of compressors and limiters. I don't recall where I was or how far back it was, but when I saw and heard(!),  an engineer run 2 comps in series with gentle ratios and high thresholds to tame a track, I went and bought a 2nd one!

Yea, starting at 4x1 is a bit hard.  Comps are different, of course, but that is putting a squeeze on the sound.  Esp. if you are recording with hardware you will likely remove dynamics you might want later.  Going in via hardware I just want to firm the sound up a little for the most part, catch the peaks.  that and the tone.
 
@

Beeps....I'd say you can use that on electric, dirty guitar, but you have to be careful on what may be making the compressor literally work to remove -6 dB. The more lows and "whoomf" you get, the easier the compressor will kick in and that -6DB might really sound scary. Try messing with the compressor while eqing. You'll hear it work harder and softer based on the eq curves you create too.
 
I'm actually a 4:1 man myself, but never take out any more than about -3dB and even that's pushing it. Like bats told you....it all depends on the source. You may not even need that much compression. I do use 4:1 on a lot of dirty stuff though, but I don't have any nasty low end creeping in and I never pump/breathe. I actually posted a ratio chart somewhere with some of my starting points. If I can dig it up, I'll post it for you. None of it may work for you, but there are certain ratio's that I have found that work really well with certain instruments.
 
You always have to listen to what the source is doing...and the most important is to try your best NOT to be in a position to where you have to compress something like crazy unless you're going for something specific. As far as that setting helping you to hear compression, yeah that's a pretty good idea. The thing that makes it difficult at first is....you usually won't hear a compressor really working when it's doing it's job the right way. However, when you hear everything in your mix and can turn things up super loud without losing other instruments, you have achieved two important things...
 
1. You're clear of frequency masking
2. You've compressed properly keeping things out of each others way
 
When I work on a mix, I can make things super loud...but when doing so, they just get loud...they don't bury other instruments to where you can't hear them. Does that make sense at all? Ever turn up an instrument and it makes other stuff sound lower, so you start turning up the other faders and then you lose something else? LOL! That there is frequency masking and lack of proper compression.
 
When you really get this stuff down, you'll be able to make say, rhythm guitars, so loud, they just sound too loud...they won't bury other instruments to where you will need to raise the other instrument faders, understand?
 
That's when you have compressed properly and have eliminated frequency masking. Both of those are so important, I can't even begin to tell you. So keep some of that in mind. :)
 
-Danny