In this 10 part course, Special Circumstances, leaves no stone unturned, from different compressor models, parameters, parallel compression, mix buss compression, side chain compression and more. 7 Pro Vocal Mixing Techniques From 7 Pro Engineers. Faster attack and release settings will help focus the compression on the peaks without affecting the audio before and after each peak. Your email address will not be published. A fast attack time is great if you have a sudden spike in volume but a slower attack time will allow the initial transient to pass unaffected, which is vital for instruments such as drums. The tips below apply to a majority of compressors, both hardware and software. Start with a moderate setting of 3:1 or 4:1. How do you do this without crushing the life out of them? Increase the ratio to around 6:1, 8:1, or even 10:1. Dynamic range is the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of an audio signal. With soft knees, the signal is more loosely affected as it approaches the threshold but still tightens up again eventually. A good way to look at the attack control is that it determines how much of a sound’s initial attack will be compressed — longer attack times allow more of the initial attack to slip through before compression begins. Or even better, engage your compressor’s “Auto” attack/release control if it offers one. To learn more about our cookie policy, please check our Privacy Policy. A common compressor application is to clamp down on unwanted signal peaks, without compressing the overall signal. Sweetwater has a host of compressor options, from hardware units to the modeling plug-ins and the latest software iterations. At extreme ratio settings (10:1 or higher), a compressor is effectively the same as a limiter, preventing signal levels from spiking beyond a certain point. This can be a little confusing but is actually very simple, a 2:1 ratio means for every 2dB the signal passes the threshold it will be reduced to 1dB. Start with this at unity gain (no boost or cut). Because compression essentially lowers the volume of your audio in a dynamic, intelligent way, you may need to apply some makeup gain to bring the signal level back up after compression occurs. At a ratio of 2:1, for example, every 2dB of signal level over the threshold will be compressed to deliver only 1dB of signal level increase at the output stage. From the tweakiest techniques to the biggest ideas, our experts work hard to constantly supply inSync with a steady stream of helpful, in-depth demos, reviews, how-tos, news, and interviews. Once you can hear how the compression sounds, listen as you turn the ratio up and down. Now I have a confession to make, compression is one of those things that I put off learning about for a long time. Faster releases can create a pumping effect whilst slow release times are much smoother. Of course one size doesn’t fit all and the way you compress an acoustic guitar will vastly differ to how you compress a snare drum. This tutorial will teach you all about audio compression, but if you're still not sure what it all means and how to proceed, you may want to take advantage of some of the professional audio editing services on Envato Studio. Learn More. Phone Hours | It is common for vocals to be compressed but applying too much can create unpleasant sibilance (or emphasised ‘sss’ and ‘t’ sounds). There are so many different and creative ways you can use a compressor to manipulate audio. What are you trying to achieve? For example: Imagine a whisper and a scream on the same audio track. Like a lot of things in audio production there is no right or wrong and so experimentation is a great way of finding your feet. Audio engineers will tell you to use your ears and only compress a track when needed, which is great if you’re an experienced mixer but if you’re new to production you may be in the dark about when to compress. But you absolutely need to maintain control over the dynamic range of your recordings if you want a professional sound. The threshold relates to loudness, or more specifically how loud your signal has to go before the compressor kicks in, and it is typically expressed in decibels (dB). Especially if you can’t really hear whether compression is occurring, the gain reduction meter will tell you exactly how hard the compressor is working (or not). There are a few pitfalls with compression however. Required fields are marked *. It is an extremely important part of mixing and mastering. Remember any time you use compression you are reducing the dynamic range of your sound which can make or break a mix! You’ve heard the advice a thousand times — don’t over-compress your tracks. More dynamics create more effective mixes. Your email address will not be published. Listen as you make the attack and release faster or slower. Once you have reduced the volume with compression, simply use the makeup gain to bring the signal back up to the same level as the dry signal and it will now sound louder. But when the speaking is the same volume as the monster, it lacks impact. The key thing to remember is that a compressor responds to signal level, and an equalizer adjusts the signal level of various parts of the frequency spectrum — that means an equalizer placed before a compressor can have a big impact on how the compressor behaves. Lower the threshold control and watch your gain reduction meter — set the threshold at a point where loud peaks cause gain reduction, while most of the audio passes through without gain reduction. This guide will help you understand exactly how to use a compressor to improve your mixdowns and get that pro sound. Ratio: 1.5:1–2:1 Sweetwater Sound A good compression setting has a fast attack to catch the stray transient, a quick release so that the compression doesn’t color the sound of the singer, and a low ratio so that when the compressor does go on, it smoothes out the vocals without squashing them. Are you trying to tame excessive signal spikes on a hi-hat? You can always increase or decrease this after you’ve gotten the threshold and timing controls dialed in. Once you get to grips with compression you can try more advanced techniques such as sidechain or parallel compression. The lower the threshold, the more compression you can generally add as there will be more signal passing the threshold point. ⁠ Once the signal level passes this level, the compressor will begin to apply the amount of compression set (determined by the ratio). Audio Compression Explained – How it Works and When to Use it. You will usually see this in the format of 2:1, 4:1, 10:1 and so on. Limiters, which are a type of compressor, use high ratios to ‘brickwall’ the sound. Most of the audio will pass completely unaffected, but if a mic gets bumped or the drummer hits too hard, the compressor will catch the signal spike. The higher the number the higher the amount of compression. Being music makers ourselves, we love geeking out on all things gear. All rights reserved. Dealing With Imposter Syndrome: Making It Or Faking It? The release refers to how long it takes for the compressor to revert to normal, or to an uncompressed state. If you need inspiration, check out some of our favorite tips from legendary producers! - @_madebypet, We're loving the symmetry in this sleek set up fro, 10 Best Mini Distortion Pedals (That Money Can Buy In 2020), I Enrolled At Point Blank Music School (Here’s My Review), 6 Of The Best Audio Interfaces For Beginners (2020), Fusing Sound Design & Architectural Principles (Interview With Ténèbre), Empowering Communities Through Knowledge Sharing (Interview With Stranjah), It’s All In The Details (An Interview With Objectiv), 11 Organizations Making A Difference To Music & Mental Health. Tropical studio vibes with @paradisestudiosuk and, Evening sessions with @iampaulkalkbrenner , Only the most high-tier spaces at @larrabeestudios, Beautiful studio space. Your ratio control lets you decide how much compression is applied once the signal crosses that threshold — the actual ratio being referred to is the input level compared with the output level. You’ll need to be able to approach your compressors with a goal-oriented mind-set. Otherwise you will care less about how the dynamic range is being affected. Because compression essentially lowers the volume of your audio in a dynamic, intelligent way, you may need to apply some makeup gain to bring the signal level back up after compression occurs. Conversely, if you find the compressor is being triggered too often due to excessive bass or sibilants, try reducing those problem frequencies with an EQ placed before the compressor. This would also mean for every 4dB past the threshold the signal will be reduced to 2dB. Exclusive deals, delivered straight to your inbox. It’s one of the most used yet least understood audio shaping techniques. Kieran is a producer based in Manchester. EQ Before Or After Compression? Music compression is the process of reducing a signal’s dynamic range. The same principle can be applied to music. Similar to attack, the release control determines how long it takes compression to stop once the incoming signal level falls below the threshold. A simple way of doing this is looping your track, and reducing the threshold until you hear or see the compressor begin to work. By doing this, you’ll be able to gradually introduce compression by lowering the threshold, which will better help you hear the effect it’s having on your audio. At this point, you can increase the ratio to clamp down on peaks more, or lower the ratio to reduce the amount of gain reduction occurring. Gear Acquisition Syndrome: Confessions Of A Compulsive Gear Head, How To Make A Mix Sound Wider (9 Practical Stereo Width Tips), Reverb Cheat Sheet (A Complete How-To Guide), Mixing Low End (8 Tips For Bigger, Bolder Bass), Compression 101: A Course From Special Circumstances, Reviewing Logic Pro X’s Compressors (Are They Any Good?). The first thing you need to do is set at what point the compressor will start working. Setting this control too short can cause the compressor to “pump” or “breathe” — setting the release too long can cause equally unnatural sound effects. The three most popular types of audio file compression schemes used for saving audio as digital files are lossless, lossless compression, and lossy compression. If the signal level is not reached, no compression takes place. You’ll quickly find compression is a great tool to sculpting your mixes and adding depth and color. All in all, it’s an incredibly versatile tool that every producer should get to grips with. Copyright © 2018-2020. The higher the compression the less the dynamic range. I know it can be confusing which is why I wrote Audio Compression For Dummies. Do you want to add sustain and weight to a bass guitar? , There’s a lot of nuance in these controls; a good place to start would be 50% for both of them (or halfway between their fastest and slowest values). He has written, produced and recorded for BBC Radio, mixed tracks from Kendall Calling Festival and worked on broadcast sessions for national TV. Limiters, which are a type of compressor , use high ratios to ‘brickwall’ the sound. The attack control on a compressor determines how long it takes for the compressor circuit to reach (nearly) full compression — these are often very short values time-wise, sometimes down into the microsecond range. A/B’ing, or comparing your uncompressed and your compressed signal, is a great way to learn. This allows the compressor to evaluate the incoming signal’s dynamics and automatically set the attack and release times accordingly. We’ve all seen horror movies where a softly spoken scene is interrupted with a loud jump scare from a ghost or monster. Typically you will see either a needle or meter start to move when the compression begins. 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