Charter Oak SCL-1 Compressor - How To Compress a Heavy Kick Drum

[Finggaz316]

Whats the difference between a Limiter & a Compressor?

[soundpurestudios]

@Finggaz316 The difference is more about the way that they are used than anything else. Technically speaking a limiter is essentially a more aggressive compressor that acts as a "brick wall" typically with a fast attack, and a high ratio preventing any audio from getting past it thus "limiting" the peak. A compressor tends to work at a lower ratio, allowing for more dynamics on the output, and compressing a wider range of the original dynamics... not sure how clear that explanation was...

[NicenEasyuk]

@soundpurestudios So it a compressor is like a sieve and limiter is like a solid block. the more you adjust the ratio and threshold controls the distance the sieve is from the sound. and how much can get through??

[soundpurestudios]

@NicenEasyuk Thanks for the comment... I think what you are getting at is definitely an analogy that is on the right track. "How much can get through" is entirely based on the speed of the transient in question, the attack of the compressor, and then the ration on which the compressor would act- this is actyally true whether we are talking about a compressor or a limited. Depending on what you are looking for, we can definitely help get you into the right thing. Thanks again for watching!

[alexkamrock]

@soundpurestudios im new to audio production, and i use logic pro. is there any tutorial you know of that can explain the compressor in further detail to a complete beginner. because i have no idea what its for at all

[fojeba]

Good evening,

can you please let me know how you connect  your external /hardware compressor to your DAW ?

[soundpurestudios]

@fojeba The answer will depend on your overall DAW workstation and workflow. For us (and anyone with ProTools 9), we can connect it using the analog i/o of our audio interface, and simply access it as an insert within PT. Depending on your setup, we can try and find the best situation for you. If you own a lot of outboard equipment like we do, patchbays are necessary evils, and the latest patchbay technology (d-sub from audio accessories) make these easier than ever to implement.

[fojeba]

@soundpurestudios

Thank you very much for your help. I'm a musician with a small home studio and i'm a beginner.

[soundpurestudios]

@fojeba you bet... our help is always a phone call or e-mail away...

[Finggaz316]

I have a very important question for me. If I have my drums and bass hitting hard with that hard 90's HipHop sound, how do I keep that rough sound with both drum and bass playing at the same time without having that dirty noise collide that I don't want? You know?

[soundpurestudios]

@Finggaz316 You definitely need to compress the drum and bass individually to "pack them in" so that they each have a lot of power, but can sit properly in that kind of music. Some pan can help, but really, you will need to work on the EQ of the relevant portion of the mix so that the meat of each of them don't get in the way of each other any more than they have to. Simultaneous Kick and Bass interactions can be problematic and sometimes have to be tweaked in the music as a last resort

[BolgerMike]

1:03

[soundpurestudios]

@BolgerMike ???

[DisInfoWars]

You've lost some of the dynamics with compression. I'm listening through headphones.

[soundpurestudios]

We are rather confused by your comment. The purpose of a compressor is to reduce the dynamic range of the program material...  that's exactly what this does, and frankly, better than just about anything else out there (perhaps with the exception of a Fairchild 670)... nothing else works the way this does. So to your statement, yes, the dynamics are reduced.

[DisInfoWars]

I meant harmonics

[advancedSemiotics]

At 10-15dB gain reduction on a heavy hitting kick drum, you simply won't find another compressor that will do this good. Harmonics, a little, sure, if you can hear it with your headphones on, I'm not arguing. This test was extreme, and one that you wouldn't do typically, it is an example of how good this compressor is. I'm not sure what your experience is, but this compressor exceeds the capability of just about everything on the market.

[nickeax]

@soundpurestudios Snap LOL!

[soundpurestudios]

@nickeax Huh?

[nickeax]

@soundpurestudios I was just laughing at your reply to DisInfoWars, I thought it was good. Ironic name for DisInfoWars too. :)

[soundpurestudios]

@nickeax Oh... that makes perfect sense... LOL

[nblfyb]

that looks like a great compressor.

{Benson and Tonic}

[odius93]

Nice to see some good outboard compression for a change not all that digital stuff that the production students are using a lot of.....

[soundpurestudios]

No doubt... a superb analog compressor can't be reached by even the latest plug-ins, though they've come a long way. We sell plugs and outboard gear. Plugs are good for speed and recall, but not the "real thing" in analog- if you really care about your sound- for transparency, and artifact free compression, this about the finest compressor we have put our hands on.... if you want to chat about this or anything else call us toll free 888-528-9703. Our sales guys are serious engineers too!

[sonnybrown]

Veeeeery interesting