Using Compression in the Mix

Wondering how much compression you should use in the mix? Maybe you're skeptical that compression really makes a difference? Its a difficult effect to get a handle on and to really use effectively. It starts by being able to hear the difference between a mix that has compression and one that does not. To this end, Ive cooked up a phat drum beat and given it a mix with lots of compression. In this video, I switch all of the compressors on and off while the beat is playing, so you can hear the difference. And, at the same time I flip through the compressors on each channel so you can peep my settings. Enjoy!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• compression
• mixing
• compressor
• dynamics control
• audio
• audio engineering
• using compression

[huzzam27]

Thanks for the reply. What purpose does the master compressor serve that the individual ones don't? Is it a matter of "glue," as folks seem to like to call it?

[muzicali]

"glue" is a good analogy. It adds a nice smooth polish on the top. Keep in mind that two signals, even if both signals are compressed individually, will be louder, more dynamic, when heard together. The master compressor helps to smooth out these final peaks. Also, use a dual master compressor rather than a stereo master compressor. This allows the two sides of the stereo master out to be compressed independently, rather than squashing the whole stereo field just because one side peaks.

[huzzam27]

Thanks for this! Very useful. I took note of your settings & put them in a spreadsheet everyone can see. Unfortunately Youtube won't let me post the link, but folks can drop me a line if interested.

Also, I couldn't tell what the Master compressor was doing, since it was bypassed when you flipped through it. How much Gain Reduction do you aim for on the master?

Thanks!

[muzicali]

Oops, sorry about that. You're right, it was muted when I hit the master compressor. -4 to -6 db tops, depending on the level of overall compression I'm shooting for. This one was around -6 db because I was really trying to emphasize the compressed sound. And, on the master compressor, about a 2:1 ratio is usually fine.

[MistaMatos]

Beats soundclick MistaMatos

[philinmotion]

@muzicali hey thanks for that.