GClip instead of compressor on drums?

[LBTM]

Using gclip instead of compressor on drums. your thoughts?

 

[Mooch]

I'd use it on a snare channel to tame the peaks but I wouldn't use it, say in place of a compressor on a drum bus.

 

[Nimvi]

They are two wholly different tools. It's a bit like reverb vs delay. Both do something in the time-department of the mix, but they are different beasts.

I wouldn't use gclip INSTEAD of a comp on drums, because I think drums are the one place where a cool vibey compressor really shines. To me it's more than just dynamic range reduction. It's a powerful soundshaping tool. Using them together isn't a bad idea though (altough not one I use).

 

[wetpenny]

i fucking hate gclip, nasty ass POS..

 

[DeclanWhite]

sometimes i use saxophone instead of guitar in my metal songs

 

[zer0_c00l]

I actually use a clipper in my drumbus, precisely for taming all the peaks, I think it's a good tool!

that avoids me from using a clipper in the master (wich you shouldn't)!

 

[LBTM]

sometimes i use saxophone instead of guitar in my metal songs

that would be cool actually.

i probably don't understand the difference between the compressor and the gcip. wont they both limit the peaks so you get a compressed sound?

 

[Trevoire520]

You're confusing compression, limiting and clipping.

Go do some reading.

 

[Fandus]

You're confusing compression, limiting and clipping.

Go do some reading.

pretty much this.

compression will change the transient shaping, the punch, the sustain, even the color/saturation/sonic footprint of audio. a clipper will just make the wave sqaure off at a certain point. if the point of your drumbus compressor is to simply tame a few peaks, yes it would suffice to use a clipper instead. but for most of us i'd say drumbus compression is more about helping them glue, and adding some vibe, a clipper won't help that.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

I use them all in master bus, compressor, gclip and a limiter.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I usually GClip the snare(s) and then again on the drum buss, along with compression.

 

[RedDog]

No. Go read.

 

[nezvers]

Cliping= distorting
Distorting= chops peaks and creates higher harmonics

Compression= transient shaping
Transient shaping= change attack/decay/sustain/release

Now think about it!

 

[LBTM]

I got it now guys. But why someone want to use a compressor in the drums? Don't you only want to make the attack even in all the hits? What's the purpose of changing the decay or sustain?

 

[nezvers]

With compressor you can add extra smack in face by adding faster decay and fatter sound with getting sustain. Fast decay transcribe to ear like harder hit and also help sound hit through mix (from psycho acoustic point - when mix is dense and hard to hear each sound, than heavy hit let you know, that it was there) and sustain help to survive in mix, doesn't let sound die right away.

Soft clipping is useful for me to kill peaks that are created by compressor. It will reduce peak by cutting it straight off meanwhile to ears it will still sound like hard hit because clipper is transcribing that peak into higher harmonics. But if you'll clip it too much it will destroy sound more than needed and wont transcribe it right and also create more harmonics like standard distortion.

That is my philosophy behind compressors/ limiters and soft clippers. I wonder how other guys will rate it.

 

[GearMan2point0]

You can obtain transient shaping with a compresser. Think about it, you can make a kick thump like a horse and a snare slap like a bitch on Tuesdays. Gclip is the "generic" go to move. Very common since its a 2 option tool and does one thing clip the peaks. Compressor has versitilty.

I personally use gclip on snare. Tame peak, then compress everything else, then I limit the drum bus, subtleties though because limiters have fast attack that can kill the shit out of the fatness of the drums but with proper technique these tools make your drums sound huge!

 

[LBTM]

Thanks guys!

@GearMan2point0 now my mixes will be more bitch's ass slappy of all time!

 

[nezvers]

GearMan2point0, haven't tried clip before compression, that thought haven't passed my mind but I'll try it for sure. Only wonder how you use limiter without killing punch.

 

[Nimvi]

Thanks guys!

@GearMan2point0 now my mixes will be more bitch's ass slappy of all time!

Yea it's really worth it to just spend a day with your favourite compressor on a drumbus and turn the dials to extremes to get a very good idea of what is possible with it. Try everything! Fast attack fast release, fast attack slow release, different ratios, etc. They all sounds vastly different and can serve different purposes. Just don't forget to make the volume even to the bypassed signal with the make-up gain every time, so you are judging the sound by its shape and not its loudness.

Compressors are a real "do-tool" imo. You can read all the books in the world about them, but turning knobs will teach you infinitely more. It IS good to know why a compressor sounds like it does though. Knowledge is power.

 

[Uros]

Clipping can work as a pseudo compressor in a way, for ex. use it instead of a fast att/rel comp such as 1176, to control overshoots. It can easily fuck up the snare punch, so be wary. I usually use it to chop off only the biggest peaks, and then use a VCA style comp for actual transient shaping, which also serves to smooth out any artefacts that were caused by clipping.