Original Message 1/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  01:39 PM   -   Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

All the people I've seen use compressors go for that "nice" sound. I want to get my unit to pump in time with my beats like the dance pro producers do.

How I understand it is that you send the grouped drum track to the stereo compressor and compress with the desired ratio. Then I make sure I have the fastest possible attack and release settings. Then I lengthen the release time until the drums pump (suck in and out) then back it off slightly.

This is what I've been doing but can't get it to work. Any advice?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 2/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  01:47 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

damballah

Posts: 1675

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

maybe you need to desire more ratio. or lower the threshold. what compressor, btw? some are more polite, or musical, or less obvious in what they do, so you have to discipline them a bit more firmly to make them submit to your will.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 3/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  02:05 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Damballah, I've got a Focusrite Compounder.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 4/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  03:08 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

k

Posts: 12353

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

try a longer attack & just throw out the manual...also threshold as mentioned, it has to be set actualy on the threshold so the pumping happens, there's no use having it so low the comp never recovers from compression, the idea is to make the comp continualy be switching in/out of compression with the 'pump' of the beat, so make sure the comp' indicator led-row (if you have one) is moving with the beat.

___________________________________

I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 5/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  03:46 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

gb

Posts: 437

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

So is this technique supposed to be used on all percussions sounds together as a group, or would it do something good for separate sounds as well ?

I'm asking because I take some of the sounds from the Tr909 out separately to individual mixer channels.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 6/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  04:21 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

proximus

Posts: 440

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

My experience is that i.e. house,trance,techno needs almost extreme mastering settings but then again I'm quite unexperienced  

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 7/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  04:59 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Cool. So should I be setting the threshold at zero then? Roughly how much DB reduction should be showing on the meters? Anything past 6db of reduction sounds to squashed but that could just be my ears and the room.

I read in magazines that you should compress dance music drums as hard as you can just before distortion kicks in. This ain't happening for me. I have to have the attack pot really slow (2 O'clock) otherwise it just makes my kicks sound weak and thin.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 8/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  05:58 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

boo_meister

Posts: 215

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

I think it's really fast attack and really slow decay. Or really slow attack and really fast decay.

Can't remember offhand...

I used to use a shitty Behringer Composer compressor and that had a tendency to pump.

Actually, I think the more expensive compressors pump less, because the manufacturers think that pumping is an unwanted side effect of compression. Bastards.

If you want Bounce, try sidechaining like the other thread describes...

 

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 9/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  06:00 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

soulsurvivor

Posts:

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

is that tecnique supposed to be used in conjunction with a side chain insert or is that something else?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 10/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  06:04 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

damballah

Posts: 1675

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

compounder'll do it, you just gotta be a little less polite with it. that thing's made to go from the transparent sort of compression you'd use on lead vocals to squashing the shit out of it. how much db reduction you need? a whole bunch -- you want it audible. then messing with the other controls will get you pumping. the "pump" is the comp going in and out of squashed mode rhythmically.

gb, compressing 'em all individually is different than compressing them as a group and making them pump. each way has its place.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 11/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:14 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

knowa

Posts:

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

gb--you can compress each hit to make it punchier on it's own but then route them all to the same compressed for the pumping effect. if you take your kick in and out of the compressed drum group you should be able to hear a difference.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 12/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:24 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

gb

Posts: 437

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

Hmmm... So when I get Sonar XL in a week or so, perhaps I could do the "pumping" in software rather than in the 01v ? XL comes with some sort of hi quality compressor plugin, and that way I wouldn't have to change my hardware setup.

Does this sound like a good idea ?

Or perhaps there's a way to group stuff for dynamics within the 01v ?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 13/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:32 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Knowa, do you send your kick to the grouped drums compressor or just leave it going through only its own compressor?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 14/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:47 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Zink

Posts: 215

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Sample your Kick and Snares and things each going seperately through a compressor (so that the compression is burnt into the sample), then build a pattern from the individual hits and then compress the whole pattern and make that pump...

Does that work for you??

 

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 15/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:53 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

No man, that sounds CHEAP.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 16/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  07:53 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

bedwyr

Posts: 2890

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

drop, you need pro tools to be able to do this properly, obviously.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 17/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  08:07 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

yeah man... and sell your Compounder to me!  

juss kidding. but yeah, it would be optimal if you could compress your individual sounds and then do the pumping thing on a subgroup/bus thingy.

OR, if its fucking up your kick sound, do it via sidechain: 1) compress the kick on its own, 2)send rest of the sounds to the compounder, 3)then send the kick to the sidechain input.

the drums will be pumping, but your kick will stay the same.

good luck pumping  

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 18/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  08:34 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

knowa

Posts:

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

damballah: "each has it's place."

me: "route them all to the same compressed for the pumping effect. if you take your kick in and out of the compressed drum group you should be able to hear a difference."

you: not reading.

"if you take your kick in and out of the compressed drum group you should be able to hear a difference."--it's not just a theory I have; it's a suggestion. if you try it, you will hear a difference, and this difference will lead you to the knowledge which will guide your decision as to whether or not the kick should go in the compressed drum subgroup.

I'm being obnoxious but compression is tricky and I'm no mixing guru so I'll shut up. I think k has a real good article about this here.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 19/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  08:36 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

sitar

Posts: 3872

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

GB, you can definately do pumping with the Sonictimeworks compressor. No problem there. Yea once you get the threshold down to a certain point with a fast attack and a pretty high compression ratio. play with the release. It's something you have to play around with but when it happens, you'll know it.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 20/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  08:44 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Zink

Posts: 215

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Cheap?

But Drop, That would sound the same as routing all your drum parts individually to seperate compressors (To add thump and volume) and then mixing them and compressing them together (To make them pump as a whole), wouldn't it?

Bah...

Pro Tools(tm) is the only answer...

 

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 21/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  08:55 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

nope. sidechain is the answer :P

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 22/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  09:12 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

xoxos

Posts: 6231

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

patch it right in the first place is the only answer.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 23/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  10:13 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

damballah

Posts: 1675

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

don't try to do this in pro tools without first building a pro tools rig

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 24/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  11:22 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

influx

Posts: 7627

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

gb,

yes, you can buss stuff in the O1v, and I believe those busses have dynamics...so..you could compress each sound as needed, send it, and compress the subgroup.

you know..I never ONCE tried to make a compressor pump intentionally...am I missing something?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 25/45                 Date: 08-May-02  @  11:54 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Zink

Posts: 215

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Pumping's best for 4onthefloor stuff, couldn't imagine exploiting the effect with Breaks...

But that's just meeeee....

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 26/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  10:13 AM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

j-type

Posts: 40

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

01V busses don't have dynamics unfortunately.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 27/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  12:13 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Sarcastic Bastards :-). I only asked some opinions.

Maybe to do this I need:

Pro Tools, Hans Zimmer, the Timo Mass Engineer and Abbey Road Studios.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 28/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  12:29 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

sitar

Posts: 3872

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

You don't need protools to do it. But like someone said already some compressors are softer than others. I never got anything pumping with the compressor that came with Cake Pro Audio but then I wasn't trying to back then. With Ozone "Izotope" or Sonictimeworks they pump all the time without any effort really. Last weekend the drums were coming and disappearing, coming and disappearing, coming and disappearing, they were pumping so much. It was more like a doppler effect. Jeez.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 29/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  12:29 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

hmm... well, we already brought up just about every way to do this. if you still cant crack it, then its time to get an engineer. (or sell your compounder to me!).

cheers, M.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 30/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  12:43 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Thank you. People don't know how to interpret or use sarcasim. Thank you.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 31/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  01:24 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

sarcasim? i didint know such word excisted :P

"sarcasm.... a tactic we use,

just a strategy,

helps me from coming unglued"

etc etc... RKL rocks!

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 32/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  02:56 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Brett

Posts: 781

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

use a milisecond to measure calculator and set the release to match the duration you want, say eith note for instance. Then you bring the thresh down until it lowers the volume, then add some gain. play with the ratio . maybe a 1.8, or 2.1. not too high. Attack should be short, but use a medium knee. I'll take a look at my settings and get back. I am at work now.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 33/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  02:57 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

k

Posts: 12353

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

i wouldnt compress the whole drum mix at all, it might be that just a pumping comp on the clap gives it that surging return-pump sound you want.

___________________________________

I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 34/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  11:06 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

gb

Posts: 437

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

sarcasim, n. abbr. f. sarcastic simulator, i.e. a person or personlike being that uses sarcasm or something resembling s. to simulate his dreams and/or hopes of greatness as a tool for succeeding at life in general.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 35/45                 Date: 09-May-02  @  11:41 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

erm..ok, i bow down to your superior knowledge :P

geek :P

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 36/45                 Date: 10-May-02  @  11:53 AM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Drop

Posts: 1128

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

Don't go out like that Milan. ;-)

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 37/45                 Date: 10-May-02  @  03:28 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Brett

Posts:

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

wooops, meant attack should be slow, sorry!

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 38/45                 Date: 14-May-02  @  06:51 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

Pongoid

Posts: 2003

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

You're all making this much harder than it has to be, it's really just a question of tweaking, what you are trying to put through the comp, setting your compressor correctly, and setting the amounts of each instrument being sent to trigger the comp's envelope correctly, and then not retriggering it with the wrong stuff, so that it pumps correctly. It's not rocket science, just a little time, and ear training. Good luck.

Ape

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 39/45                 Date: 16-May-02  @  04:48 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

frostbyte

Posts: 1345

Link?:  Link

File?:  File

soundcheck_(master).WAV

"It's not rocket science"

yeah, right, maybe for you it isn't  

well, apparently haven't blown the compressor, just knocked down the pulse wich was triggering it, doh!

does this sound like it?^^^^^
the pumping i mean

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 40/45                 Date: 16-May-02  @  06:34 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

sitar

Posts: 3872

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

Everything is difficult until you practice enough to get the hang of it. Then it's easy. Would be worse the other way around I guess. The thing is if your compressor isn't made to pump, but you don't know that, it's frustrating and seems like rocket science. Make sure you pick up at least a free compressor like the Blueline comp. Then you'll get the idea pretty quickly.

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 41/45                 Date: 16-May-02  @  06:47 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

frostbyte

Posts:

Link?:  No link

File?:  No file

have you listened to the clip ? it's not pumping at all ?

i use an LA Audio 4x4 by the way.

it seems to work, but it might be a figment of my imagination again. it's getting nearly impossible being me :p

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 42/45                 Date: 16-May-02  @  07:49 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

knowa

Posts:

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

which MAC plug compressors have a sidechain gate?

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 43/45                 Date: 18-May-02  @  11:56 AM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

yo frosty, i just remembered something. it looks to me like you were trying 1/8th note kick-hat-snare pattern to pump? well try puting hats on each 1/8th or something, that way you´ll be able to notice the pumping effect much better. the thing is, you have to think WHAT exactly are you trying to get the pumping effect on? you see, the compressor is usually trigered by a kick, and with snare to a slightly lesser extent. and its the things which lay _between_ those too that get "pumped". know what i mean? try it...

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 44/45                 Date: 18-May-02  @  04:55 PM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

frostbyte

Posts: 1345

Link?:  Link

File?:  No file

but there is no snare in that clip ! but it's ok, since i got the answer i was looking for  

[ back to forum ]               [quote]

Message 45/45                 Date: 19-May-02  @  11:56 AM   -   RE: Can't get my compressor to

milan

Posts: 5701

Link?: Link

File?:  No file

yeah ok, i listened to it again after posting that. but the point stays the same. anyway, if you sorted it out than all is well...

[ back to forum ]               [quote]