Message 6/15
Date: 03-Jul-10 @ 09:00 PM Edit: 08-Jul-10 | 04:07 PM -
RE: DjGio, my first track! Looking for feedback
I make my own presets. First six months was slow going but once I got my instruments and presets made the work flow smoothed out.
For compression on the master track...For a factory preset that sounds good and loud but muddy....turn the threshold down and the gain down until it sounds clean. If 3db Input & 3db Output Gain* does NOT do it then work on individual tracks. e.g. If I put more than 7db gain on the master then I'm just messing around; means i don't take that song serious, its more of a joke.
(*some compressors don't have both input and out gain)
I only use High Ratio on single shots (one-shot samples). Or I'm being lazy. What that means; example put the snare on a separate drum track and compress the piss out of it, crank the ratio all the way.
Currently I'm compressing the final mix down with about 2:1 Ratio and it still feels like I might be using to much compression. Alas there's a price for everything! compression sounds good on cheap ear buds. But sounds like poop on good home stereo. And when I take a track to a club I don't add any compression on the final mix down. Instead I let the DJ adjust the EQ. You see, that's why god invented EQ's. So DJ's could adjust them.
Common Controls – Definition
Threshold – This sets the threshold level, measured in dB (decibels). When a signal exceeds this level, compression will be applied.
Ratio – This is the amount that the signal is reduced by the compressor. A compression ratio of 5:1 means that if the signal exceeds the threshold level by 5dB, the output signal only exceeds the threshold by 1dB. As you can see, the higher the ratio, the nearer the output level will be to the threshold level. When this happens (at ratios of around 20:1), we refer to it as limiting.
Attack – This is how long it takes for the compressor to act after a signal has exceeded the threshold level.
Release– This is how long it takes for the compressor to stop acting after the input signal has fallen back below the threshold level.
Output – After reducing the overall level of a signal, the output gain can be increased to bring the whole signal back to it’s peak level.