Hi again, After
today's blog I’ll be putting up a Q&A blog about compression. So if you have
any questions regarding compression contact me on @krecording on Twitter or
Krecording on Facebook.
Also as you may
or may not know I will be teaching a weekend course in The Sound Training
Centre, Temple Bar, on March 3rd and 4th. If you want to learn more about what
we’ve discussed and how to record individual instruments then call Maggie on
01-6709033.
The course fee is refundable should you decide to do any of their
diploma courses!
Compression
So compression is
seen as a bit of a dark art. It’s nothing to be afraid of but it does take a
bit of getting used to.
What a compressor
does is squash the loud parts of the sound to give you a consistent volume
level. For example if I was to whisper into a microphone that was running
through a compressor and then shout loudly the overall volume of my voice
shouldn’t get much louder. If it’s set right of course.
In its most basic
form a compressor is like having someone control the levels for you. But of
course it’s way too hairy to just leave it at that.
There are 5 main
elements to a compressor.
 |
| Typical software compressor (Pro Tools) |
Threshold: That’s
the level that compression starts at.
Ratio: The amount
of compression
Attack: How
quickly compression starts
Release: How
quickly compression stops.
Makeup Gain:
Overall volume.
As a mixer I
would use compression on 90% of tracks if not more. It’s a great way of getting
levels to remain consistent and to beef up a track.
As an experiment,
set up a microphone in the room that a drum kit is in and put a compressor on
it. Set the threshold low and the ratio high. Set the attack reasonably fast and
the release really fast. All of a sudden the drum kit sounds really beefy and
dirty. You’ll probably get tons of cymbal wash too.
 | |
| Waves CLA series compressor |
When you do set
up a compressor, don’t be afraid to be brutal with it. If you can’t hear what’s
going on then crank it. You’ll soon start realising how the compression is
working and therefore you’ll back it off to make it give a more subtle effect.
That's it for compression. Remember to ask me questions and I'll answer as many as i can.
Andy Knightley
Info@krecording.com
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