super dumb question about master bus compression

[-J-]

if you use say a compressor and limiter on the master bus during mixing, would you end up taking them away prior to mixdown so as not to interfere with the mastering process, or do some people keep it, then end up compressing/limiting again during mastering?

 

[colonel kurtz]

it just depends, i guess...i would venture to say that most people who mix with a lot of compression and limiting on the 2-buss are handling the mastering themselves...so they're really just getting that shit out of the way to start out

a lot of the "purists" out there will say to put nothing on the 2-buss if you're sending to an outside ME, while some of the biggest names in the industry(example: andy wallace) will shave off 8-10db with a buss compressor, then send off a mix that needs almost nothing done in mastering.

in the end, i would say to just do whatever works to your ears, and your workflow...personally, i usually have a compressor on the master doing some pretty gentle compression, and i'll occasionally turn it on and off just to hear what effect it's having on the mix

 

[-J-]

thank you colonel

 

[Deaf Ear]

I would agree that it totally depends on what you're doing for. The ME that I used most often tells me anytime I bring it up, "mix it til it sounds good, I don't care what is on what, as long as it sounds good". The point being that if you get a good mix using 2bus compression and then take it off for the ME, you just took away a vital element that you used to create the mix, so now it's off balance. Try not to get caught up in what's "technically correct" so much as what sounds good and excites you. It's good to know how stuff works, but without getting caught up in "exactly how you should use it". ..if that makes any sense.

 

[-J-]

makes sense.

Once I gave a tune to Dave Shirk at Sonorous a few different ways (just a mix and a few "attempts" at mastering). To my surprise I think he used one of the mastering attempts and took it a bit further with his rocket sauce.