Problem with master buss compressor

[aviel]

i feel like on almost any mix i do, the snare drives the buss compressor, and not the kick, even though level-wise i hear them the same. i want the kick to drive the master buss more then the snare (that how it suposed to be, right?), but i dont want to kill the snare transient..

any suggestions?

 

[Headof75]

Post a clip?

 

[crillemannen]

Well the snare is always the hardest peaking transient in the mix so it is hard to get around that problem. One way would be to use a limiter on the snare but that would change the sound of the snare drastically. Another way is to use a sidechain send to the kick but then the compressor would only kick in when the kick plays.

A good way to get nice compression is to use a dual mono compressor, then the compressor tends to compress more even.

 

[CubanDude]

Are you Gclip'ping your snare a tad?

 

[BLUElightCory]

Just send all of your tracks to a stereo bus and use it as the sidechain to feed the compressor. Reduce the snare level in the sidechain so that the compressor reacts the way you want. No reason to change the way your snare sounds in the mix if you like how it sounds.

 

[kool98769]

I usually do some parallel comp-ing on my drums, then send it to the master where it gets comp'd more. I run GClip before the comp on my master chain, and it cuts off a tiny bit of the snare transients. It barely changes the sound. Chances are, you can turn down your snare more without any noticeable effect, except it sounding less compressed overall. If that's not the case, then cut from other instruments so the snare can cut through. The goal is to make your mix work together so that you don't have to turn up one thing way over the others to be properly heard.

 

[aviel]

i usually compress my drum tracks, then compress the master drum bus with some paralel compression, and then use somethink like the glue on the master bus with all instrunments. i am actually trying to get a little kick pumping effect, because i find that it add some nice punch to the mix..

never heard of using a sidechain to compress the master buss, i will have to try it,i just read on the forum that everyone use an ssl type compressor, with attack somewhere around 30 ms, and med release time.

how is the dual mono compressor thing working?

 

[crillemannen]

how is the dual mono compressor thing working?

Well in dual-mono the compressors L/R channel responds on their own, so if the material goes over the treashold on just the Left channel then the compressor will only compress the left channel. In full stereo mode it will compress both left and right even if the treshold only passes the left channel.

Dual mono sounds better, and makes the mixes sound more organic if that makes any sense

 

[grywolf627]

Well in dual-mono the compressors L/R channel responds on their own, so if the material goes over the treashold on just the Left channel then the compressor will only compress the left channel. In full stereo mode it will compress both left and right even if the treshold only passes the left channel.

Dual mono sounds better, and makes the mixes sound more organic if that makes any sense

+100!!

 

[BLUElightCory]

never heard of using a sidechain to compress the master buss, i will have to try it,i just read on the forum that everyone use an ssl type compressor, with attack somewhere around 30 ms, and med release time.

Every SSL-style bus compressor I can think of has sidechain functionality for the exact reasons you describe. Give it a shot, it works great.

Another +1 for dual-mono operation too. I love what it does with the stereo field.

 

[ttrentt]

What dual mono comps are y'all using?

 

[crillemannen]

What dual mono comps are y'all using?

In Protools you can chose dual mono for all plugins. Vertigo VSC-2 is really nice and it got dual mono switch from within the plugin interface. Sounds really nice

 

[DavePiatek]

Multiple clipping stages along the way to the master bus seems to work out ok for me.

 

[Uros]

I usually do some parallel comp-ing on my drums, then send it to the master where it gets comp'd more. I run GClip before the comp on my master chain, and it cuts off a tiny bit of the snare transients. It barely changes the sound. Chances are, you can turn down your snare more without any noticeable effect, except it sounding less compressed overall. If that's not the case, then cut from other instruments so the snare can cut through. The goal is to make your mix work together so that you don't have to turn up one thing way over the others to be properly heard.

Why using a clipper on the bus, when you can on the snare track itself? I know that Slate has mentioned using two clippers in series on the master buss, but other than that I don't see the reason.

Personally, I find using the clipper on the snare track, but only slightly, to chop the loudest peaks off. I don't drive it hard, so it's pretty transparent.

 

[kool98769]

Why using a clipper on the bus, when you can on the snare track itself? I know that Slate has mentioned using two clippers in series on the master buss, but other than that I don't see the reason.

Personally, I find using the clipper on the snare track, but only slightly, to chop the loudest peaks off. I don't drive it hard, so it's pretty transparent.

I use a clipper on the snare to shape the sound of the snare. Then the clipper on the master just slightly eats up some peaks. The sonic difference of turning the clipper on and off on the master is pretty transparent. It's just to eat up small things that would trigger the comp.

 

[aviel]

anyone have an idea on how to use dual mono compressor in reaper?

 

[kool98769]

dual mono sucks for metal imo... it just fucks up the stereo image for me.

What on EARTH are you talking about?
if it's causing problems, then obviously you should be doing tighter editing, or more dynamic control on tracks that are triggering your comp.

 

[hurdy]

^ LOLZ sturgisboy
Yea GClip the snare as others have said

 

[Aaron Smith]

It might have something to do with the general low end energy of the whole mix, and/or whether or not the kick's low end "signature" actually has good separation from the bass guitar. I don't know what your mixes sound like, but I would bet that if you get the kick/bass guitar separation really nailed, the compressor will definitely start reacting to the kick more.

 

[crillemannen]

dual mono sucks for metal imo... it just fucks up the stereo image for me.

You are so wrong