What is the best way to do parallel compression?

[Ill Frequencies]

I have 2 return tracks. The first one has nothing on it and the second one has the compressor then I send my drums to both of those return tracks. Is this the right way to do it?
Thanks

[Slightlydelic]

you dont need 2 return tracks, cos remeber your clean signal is comming from its track, so you just need to add a compressed signal from a return.

but you dont have to use a return chanel you can do it directly in the instruments track by using an effect rack.

just drop in an empty effect rack, right click and add a chain, keep it empty,( this will be a dry signal) then add another chain and throw a compressor in that.

adjust the level of the compressed signal direcrtly in the chain.

[Tarekith]

I already made a rack for this if you're interested:

http://tarekith.com/assets/ParallelCompression.adg

It was part of this tutorial I wrote awhile back:

http://tarekith.com/assets/dynamics.html

[rydn]

If you are up for using a 3rd party compressor, many of them have a parallel option built in. The free and good Density mkII (http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/vst-effects/) has a wet/dry nob, for example. Personally, I only use the Ableton compressor when I want to side-chain something. Splitting up the wet/dry with a rack will work too.

[Tympanic]

this (link) one is quite good - and cheap!

[Theo Void]

+1 on Effect Rack. In Live, it's the best way to do it!

Just have a clean chain and a severely compressed chain and balance w/ chain vol.

[sexface]

I already made a rack for this if you're interested:

http://tarekith.com/assets/ParallelCompression.adg

It was part of this tutorial I wrote awhile back:

http://tarekith.com/assets/dynamics.html

Wowza, dude! That is a super indepth post. Thank you for posting this. I'm retweeting the bejeezus out this right now.

+1 FX rack.

[evon]

IMO everything will be summed in the master bus so I just duplicate my tracks and add the parallel compressor on one of them. I can adjust the gain to increase or decrease the wet contribution. If needs be I can add delay compensation to the dry track. I can't see anything wrong with doing it this way. Have to admit though that the Rack way seems more professional/appealing.

[Tarekith]

I already made a rack for this if you're interested:

http://tarekith.com/assets/ParallelCompression.adg

It was part of this tutorial I wrote awhile back:

http://tarekith.com/assets/dynamics.html

Wowza, dude! That is a super indepth post. Thank you for posting this. I'm retweeting the bejeezus out this right now.

+1 FX rack.

Thanks, glad you found it useful.

[evon]

Not certain if I understand what you mean by "parallel tracks'. The only parallel track would be the one that you want to add compression to, usually this is the drum track. So I would just duplicate the drum track and insert and tweak my compressor for the type of parallel compression I need.

[stevemac]

Am I being thick, or wouldn't the easiest way be to set up a send FX channel and use this for all tracks you want to parallel process (not just for compression).

What's the benefit of using individual FX chains?

Obviously you can now use separate setting for each channel, but almost all parallel compression would be hard compression right? You can just use the send amount to control how much comes through.

[evon]

Correct, there are chiefly two main variations one with the compressor set to average and the other to peak limiting. The settings would be different initially. So you could set up two FX channels one each for both types. That would be more economical in terms of cpu.

However, since I only use it for drum tracks I find a better work-flow for me is to just use another track. That way when I am mixing I just move across from the dry track to the wet.

[mongrelbeats]

I find this guys version to be very clean and easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-K-Slp6jQo&

he's got a cpl different types of compression going for different components of your track using return/sends.

also a bunch of other helpful vids on his channel

[Earwax69]

find this guys version to be very clean and easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-K-Slp6jQo&

Thanks for the link! It's when I see that kind of videos that I notice I kinda have absolutly no idea what Im doing in Ableton. I like the songs I do but my mixing skills are nil.

If he's so carefull about clipping, that mean he is not using a limiter on the master track? Should I emulate that??

[stevemac]

find this guys version to be very clean and easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-K-Slp6jQo&

Thanks for the link! It's when I see that kind of videos that I notice I kinda have absolutly no idea what Im doing in Ableton. I like the songs I do but my mixing skills are nil.

If he's so carefull about clipping, that mean he is not using a limiter on the master track? Should I emulate that??

You should always keep the master clean to be honest unt it comes to mixing and mastering. Good gain structure from the off makes mixing the track a whole lot easier in the long run