Compress the drum kit = Yes?

[outbreak525]

So I throw compression on my ENTIRE drum track right, and it's like bam everything is so punchy and powerful [but those damn cymbals make it sound way too compressed!]

I'm feeling I should find the middle ground and just SLIGHTLY compress the kit. Why do you guys think?

Non Compressed
Compressed

 

[kernelxsanders]

too much compression. try less. and try not routing the OH/cymbals to the same bus as the rest of the kit?

 

[bryan_kilco]

too much compression. try less. and try not routing the OH/cymbals to the same bus as the rest of the kit?

This, or I add slight comp to the drum group, slight comp to each drum/cymbal (very little, like 1-3 GR max), and route all the shells to a parallel compressor.

 

[Vinny]

Send just the shells to a more aggressive comp, cymbals to a less aggressive comp, and then both of those to a single group and use some slight compression to bring those two together

 

[Heabow]

I always compress the kick, snare, toms and sometimes oh's separately to my taste, then route the drum tracks to a buss. Generally two options: I compress just a little bit to glue the shit AND parallel comp to add some punch OR I simply compress the drum buss. It depends how it works for the music.

 

[JeffTD]

Comp shells individually and send to a parallel comp, then do light compression on the drum bus itself. Very different intents with all 3 compression stages.

 

[OneDaySky]

Comp shells individually and send to a parallel comp, then do light compression on the drum bus itself. Very different intents with all 3 compression stages.

^^^
THIS

 

[Heabow]

Comp shells individually and send to a parallel comp, then do light compression on the drum bus itself. Very different intents with all 3 compression stages.

That's what I wanted to say, you speak better than me ahah!
Btw, do you guys use the same compressor or different ones? I use to take the SSL comp from Waves.

 

[JeffTD]

I usually use the black CLA76 on both drum bus and parallel comp, go back and forth between MHCS, Waves SSL CS and API comps on the individual shells.

 

[outbreak525]

Comp shells individually and send to a parallel comp, then do light compression on the drum bus itself. Very different intents with all 3 compression stages.

I'm a noob, how do I do this in Cubase 5?
And even if you can send me a link on how-to that'd be great I just don't have time to look right now.

EDIT:
ALSO do you think the drum compression is even necessary for the track?
Here's the end of the song without any drum compression.