5 Minutes To A Better Mix: Mix Bus Compression - TheRecordingRevolution.com

Part 2 of 31 - In this video I show you how to you can use a compressor on your mix bus (or master fader) before you begin to mix to help gel your tracks together.

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• mixing
• tutorial
• tips
• mix bus
• master fader
• compression
• compressor
• recording
• protools
• pro tools

[HelgeTaksdal]

Even though mixing is quite to each his own method, there's a lot of disinformation in your video here. Making a compressor push several dB on the master fader before sending to mastering could result in your mix getting thrown back from the mastering studio. Also, the heavy compression on the master fader would make you unaware of how your gain structure affects the mix. Increasing the vocal volume would e.g. reduce the overall backing volume and etc.

[recordingrevolution]

@HelgeTaksdal Not disinformation at all. Granted mix bus compression is subjective and genre dependent, but this is very much accepted (and smart) in the audio world. The key isn't to do heavy compression. I make this clear in the video when I even dial it back at the end. It's only catching some of the peaks and compressing just a hair. Nothing earth shattering here.

[Lethargy01]

Just curious, is there any reasoning to sending your entire mix to a bus, and then sending that bus to the master fader bus? It seems like an unnecessary step considering the master fader is already your default 1 and 2 out... unless I'm missing something here? Just curious.

[recordingrevolution]

@Lethargy01 There's a very specific reason why I do this. Check out my video on master faders in Pro Tools.

[AmpsforBuddha]

What are your Attack and Release settings? I'm working with Logic, what would be your suggestions?

[recordingrevolution]

@AmpsforBuddha Don't remember what settings I used, but in general start with a mild attack and release (i.e. in the middle). You don't want to slam the transients with a fast attack, just squeeze things a bit.

[ServingMyJesus]

@jackbaz1 So the song have a Christian content. What if they had all been about cheating on your spouse, would you have made any comments?

[cazcotty]

@recordingrevolution I agree!

[MomoTheBellyDancer]

@jackbaz1

"Is me or do all these songs sound christian? - almost every one is about god..."

Hey, you can make a lot of money with those.

[jackbaz1]

Is me or do all these songs sound christian - almost every one is about god...

[jrhager84]

@dkyx

Is that what you think? Pretty baseless character judgement there. I happen to use pro DAWs with PRO gear. Guess you just can't handle somebody having a differing opinion. It's ok, I get it. You're sensitive. I'll leave you alone now. I'd also *love* to hear some of your work. ;-)

[jrhager84]

@dkyx

Parallel means "Side by side"... If you have 2 channels playing the "same" content, it's a parallel signal.

[jrhager84]

@dkyx

You don't know anything about me, so please don't act like you do. You're mistaking my point: I'm saying I don't care *what* a meter says (as long as it's not peaking), as long as the track sounds good, that is what's important. People who feel threatened, often times try to make character judgements about other people. ;-)

[jrhager84]

@dkyx

You mix with your ears buddy. I don't give a SHIT what a needle is doing, I *LISTEN* with my EARS to find what SOUNDS better. That's what makes your argument so silly...

[dkyx]

@jrhager84 Nice story. Completely irrelevant.

And watching meters isn't simple enough for you?

"just seems weird" ;)

I mix/master and produce music for a living. No time for Xbox here.