Original Message 1/8                 Date: 12-May-00  @  10:24 AM   -   Compressor Help

rlabarca

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I'm starting out trying to get some good technical mixes of my tracks going and I'd like some advice on how best to use my little Alesis NanoCompressor. Should I save it for specific instruments? Run the final mix through it? Any advice on how to set it up for electronic/techno music to put it to the best use? Thanks in advance...

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Message 2/8                 Date: 12-May-00  @  02:28 PM   -   RE: Compressor Help

Defector Z

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Ideally, you'll want to run every instrument through a compressor. Very difficult to most people of average means. If the best you can do is send the final mix through it, do it. That's the best I can do. Do you have a pc with software? That can help.

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Message 3/8                 Date: 16-May-00  @  04:43 AM   -   RE: Compressor Help

max coombe

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yes, if you have access to pc audio editors like cool edit or sound forge, you can add compression "off-line", as it were. also logic audio and cubase vst offer compressor plug-ins.
or you can record the compressed signal onto your hard disk and play it back.

i wouldn't necessarily agree that everything needs to be compressed. some instruments, particularly digital sounds, don't have a big dynamic range - although vocals and analogue blurps and squelches do often need a bit of flattening.

you can go overboard so watch out.

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Message 4/8                 Date: 17-May-00  @  04:50 AM   -   RE: Compressor Help

steve

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yeah i'm starting to work on mixing my stuff too... i use logic so i can record each instrument on a seperate track, then compress and mix 'em down as i like.... which is great but what should be compressed and mix with what, in what order...?

i mean is it best to mix all the drum parts together first, then compress the drum mix a bit.... then mix the bass in...

or is it better to say mix the kick & bass together first, then compress, then add the other percussion etc....

or just compress each track individually then mix the lot together.

is their any standard approach?

cheers.

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Message 5/8                 Date: 25-May-00  @  08:40 AM   -   RE: Compressor Help

99devils

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Use your ears... I'm certainly no pro at this, but if I don't hear a problem with a sound, and don't see that I'm having a problem keeping the levels up without clipping, then I usually don't do anything to it. Of course sometimes you'll want to use the compression more like an effect (with kick drums), and of course that's OK... But don't run everything through compression just for the sake of compressing things... You'll wind up with a dull, lifeless mix devoid of dynamics.

-Craig

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Message 6/8                 Date: 29-May-00  @  09:21 PM   -   RE: Compressor Help

mikec

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I'd just like to add that sometimes, compression of everything is not what you want. When you go to see a live band, it sounds powerful because of the extreme dynamics of the volume levels which you don't really get from recordings (except classical stuff which does sometimes go from super-quiet to quper-loud).

Don't underestimate the effect that big changes in amplitude can have in a track. Compress everything and you'll lose it.

The only example I can think of off the top of the my head that (maybe) everyone will know is Smack My Bitch Up by the Prodigy. The first big kick drum sounds massive because the intro is relatively quiet. Watch the levels when that comes in. If that was all hard compressed, then that kick would sound very weedy in comparison.

MikeC

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Message 7/8                 Date: 30-May-00  @  11:00 PM   -   RE: Compressor Help

steve

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That reminds me of something on the Crystal Methods album, first song or second song, can't remember which... the intro goes on for a while, then the drums kick in. The first kick sound is WAY loud then it drops down. I guess it is to make the "kick in" sound realy big, which it does, but then the kick drum sounds like it gets quieter after the first bar or two. When you listen to it, me thinks it actually sounds stupid. Not sure what the point was there but anyway.

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Message 8/8                 Date: 01-Jun-00  @  06:29 AM   -   RE: Compressor Help

Jasper

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I can get the same effect with my compressor, I think it's a fast attack and slow release setting does it, with heavy compression.

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