52 Reason / Record Tips - Week 39: Compression Tips for the Best Mixes

For many people, compressors are the biggest obstacle between them and a professional mix. But if you know how to use them, compressors are your best tool to achieve that professional mix. Most early interactions with compressors involve cranking them up until they sound horrible and then removing them - wondering why anyone would even want to use them in the first place. This week I'll explain what a compressor's actually doing and how to make it work the way you want.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Reason
• Record
• 52
• Tips
• James
• Bernard
• Production
• Software
• Propellerhead
• Propellerheads
• Music
• Mixing
• M-Class
• Mastering
• Compressor
• Limiter
• Compression
• Dynamic
• control
• sound
• design
• beatmaking
• music
• production
• mixing
• 52w

[TimmyMatrixxDappaDon]

Are these tips good for record 1.01?

I won't be upgrading for a minute (long time) so I'm trying to get the most outta what I have now

[PropellerheadSW]

@TimmyMatrixxDappaDon Yeah, with the exception of his Neptune tips, every one of James Record tips should work with Record 1.0 just fine.

[TheFesta01]

i do actually like that breathing compression sound, i am a big french house fan tho and have been a fan of the different sounds a compressor can achieve since hearing dp's homework in 97, and believe that daft punk have had a huge influence on production today including people liking the sound of over use of compression (or at least what sound engineers what consider over use)

[Stadnb]

@mkk911akadevil Cut freq's and compress

[mkk911akadevil]

I have a stupid question! How can I make my mix loud and clean?

[pitolove71]

Wow...spoken like a TRUE PROFESSIONAL!! It's true, it's NOT a shortcoming but a plus in mixing & mastering an ear for sound. Just like studio monitors don't have a high fidelity, colored sound because it is almost flat and the mixers/engineer's job to shape & color it to his/her liking on the way out to sounding like a finished product. Well said. Propellerhead, this is NOT a flaw this is a plus for those of us who aren't LAZY in the mixing/production department. Hard work=great sound. 

[mcRioRemedy]

great tip number 39

[DayneXavierHunt]

hey james, for an electro/house song, which would be the best overall compression? because i realized there are 8band, 4band and others

[cperception]

when to use a 4band compression, and when a 8 band ??i don´t actually get it .

[Vandrandelik]

@GRtheMaster Not necessarily what they get paid thousands for, but what they PAID thousands for.

[stereoimagery]

Breathing and pumping is fairly standard in most club genres. Sidechaining is better to achieve that pumping noise.

[GRtheMaster]

That so called "reason sound" is just people blaming the equipment when their own lack of mixing knowledge is at fault. If sound engineering was that easy, then you wouldn't need years of experience and training for it. of course you're not gonna get that big clean sound that top notch sound engineers get paid thousands for.