Compression Question.

[Grave Desire]

Hey guys kind of a stupid question but I'd like to see if anyone else has similar issues.

I like to use compression for more of an effect to shape the wave when i replace the snare..since i can really get the dynamics under control with the dynamic tracking control on drumagog.

So when I compress for effect I try to keep the attack relatively slow to keep the transient lets say around 16-20ms. with a long release to pull out the tone of the drum.

I most of the time need to bring the threshold down to get about 9db of reduction ratio depending to really bring excitement to the sample.

What I don't get is that if i'm getting 9db of reduction I cant seem to turn the output gain up 9db to bring the audio to it's original level with out clipping the output of the plug-in. I guess thats because i'm not really hitting the transient fast enough, but even when i bring up the output as close to zero as possible and then compare to the original by bypassing the compressor The original still seems louder. Although I do like the sound of the compressed better..it just seems smaller in a sense. I hear everyone talk about using compressors to make the samples bigger or sound louder but I can't seem to make it work.

 

[ryanojohn]

if you want to make it 'bigger' you'd need to compress the entire wave, NOT letting the transient through. Thus your peak of the waveform is compressed also, leaving you more headroom to boost the entire thing... that would also bring out the ring/decay of the snare drum

 

[greyskull]

try a quick release too for the SMACK! on the snare

 

[brandy]

Yea - you just compress *after* those 20ms - so the attack of the hits will not be affected (usually a good thing ;-)

But when you raise the makeup gain by those 9db you just will clip the output.

You will have a complete different effect when using very short attack times, and you propably will go up with the threashold a little.

Mabe you will find a good compromise when compression like you did - but just making up the gain by 2 or 3 db - then put a limiter behind that compressor and go for another 3 db.

cheers,
brandy

 

[Student]

Try parallel compression, bounce a squashed track bring it under the original track so your transients are in tact, but the rest is crushed, the overall sound will change a touch, as far as ADSR, but experiment and you'll like that.

Also Ryan recently told me about using multiple compressors because digital compressors don't smack shit down nicely in one pass for some reason, or something to that effect.

Ryan, can you please elaborate here.

 

[brandy]

yea indeed, parallel compression is often worth a try. Don't forget to eq the compressed signal as well. The "classic" NYC compression is: Smashing the shit out of a bus (with single ore multiple instruments on it), then boosting some top and low end and bringing that group up in the mix up to taste.

 

[Student]

It's an interesting technique not without it's own auditory charm, but you might mess with an expander after the transient instead also. Lot's of stuff to try.

 

[ryanojohn]

As said before, Parallel compression could certainly be very cool... and it would certainly make it louder...

Otherwise you could try two compressors, one to get the tone letting the transient through, and giving it the 'compressed sound,' and the other to tame the transient a bit (higher threshold, faster attack) which should allow you to bring up the volume too...