In this tutorial Linden Hudson gives you one illustration of why you might want to compress your song when you mix it (dynamic range compression, not data compression). Rock and country music products are compressed. If you don't compress your finished mix, it wont seem loud. It's a fact. And, that's ok, it's the artists choice.
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Suggestion: don't over-compress (unless you choose to, it's called freedom).
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Compression is probably the most mis-understood, most argued about, and maybe the topic of the most confusion. But it's important. Compression is really very simple and once you understand what it is, you'll find that it's a useful tool in the recording process.
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Linden Hudson has been a sound engineer for 40 years. The first 20 years he worked in recording studios. The past 20 years he's worked location sound for film and video shoots.
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Linden Hudson once wrote a song on one of the most famous rock albums in history. The song he wrote was "Thug" and it was on the ZZ Top "Eliminator" album (multi-platinum worldwide). Then Linden spent 5 years suing ZZ Top for his money. Why do some stars treat people like this? Are they afraid of having one less Mercedes in the driveway? This story is easy to verify with a little research on the internet.
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(known books that talk about Linden):
SHARP DRESSED MEN (by David Blayney)
ZZ TOP - BAD AND NATIONWIDE (by Deborah Frost, former Rolling Stone writer)
TRESS HOMBRES (by David Sinclair - writer for the London Times)
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Here's an excerpt from the book "Sharp Dressed Men" by ZZ Top's ex road manager Dave Blayney: "sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album (Eliminator) as a live-in high-tech music teacher to Beard and Gibbons."
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Linden Hudson teaches video tutorials on audio. Some of them are at:
http://vimeo.com/16069618
http://vimeo.com/15775653
http://vimeo.com/15698080
http://vimeo.com/15430122
http://vimeo.com/15379788
http://vimeo.com/15264227
http://vimeo.com/14858238
http://vimeo.com/14625922
http://vimeo.com/15485053
http://vimeo.com/14131812
http://vimeo.com/14075709
http://vimeo.com/14074442
http://vimeo.com/14073745
http://vimeo.com/13914433
(there are many more tutorials on Vimeo and Youtube)
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Linden Hudson also records his own songs and sells them on Itunes and other services. Support indie music. Some of LInden's indie music is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XEt0aKGFHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNCYVYChINs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOOPAMEdb4s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2VyfppD9k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hppDsntNKPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIfNR5oWTw
(warning: nude girl in this one): http://vimeo.com/9843246
(warning: light nudity in this one): http://vimeo.com/10571345
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More comments: Dynamic range compression is a controversial topic in some circles. Some of the folks who are upset about compression believe that musical artists does not have the right to compress his music when he releases it for public consumption. It's hard to believe. But it sounds like some of these people are serious. We repeat, musical products are not the property of the public but are the property of the artist or the record company that recorded or gave birth to the music. The artist or record company is merely letting the world listen to their music (for money or for free). The public does not have the right to dictate the amount of compression, or eq, or reverb, or acoustical coloration, or anything else that the artist or record company decides to add to the music ("arrest that man, he has too much echo on his voice track"). This topic is just like any other topic when it comes to products that are for sale, if you like the product: buy it. If you don't like the product: don't buy it. Linden agrees, however, that some products are overly compressed. But, that's art. The artist is free to do it his way (again, it's called freedom). Wow, let's just get the government to pass a law dictating how music must be mastered (then there would be compression police who might bust down the door of a recording studio "ok, hands against the wall, we're arresting you for criminal use of compression"). Just insane. It goes on and on. Linden has watched maniacs shout "THE ARTISTS BELONG TO THE WORLD, THEIR MUSIC BELONGS TO THE WORLD". Wow. Sorry. None of that crap is true. We have free speech and freedom to compress or not compress our own music (as we see fit). At least we have that freedom in the USA.
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Comments are turned off because they are not needed. This information is free. If you like it, use it. If you do not like it, do not use it. Go in peace. (Youtube is an open forum, make your own video and state your own point of view if you so choose. It's called freedom.)
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How To Use Compression In Music Productionby MrHarryhughes1,685 views
It all makes sense now! Thank you for this information!
dublex 1 month ago