Best Compressor Settings

glack · Post by **glack** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:21 pm

I am having trouble getting my drums to sound super sweet. It seems no matter how much tweeking and fine tuning something just aint right.

I program my drum loops using impulse and route it to a send channel for the compressor.

Is this the best option? I notice that as soon as I apply any signifigant amount of compression to the send things get "digital sounding" and the mids and highs sound tinny.

Any suggestions?

Glack

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:51 pm

FX don't make things sound better, they're a final overcoat of sheen over the whole mix. If something doesn't sound good to start with you shouldn't use FX to make it sound good.

Start over with the original material and adjust it there.

mission · Post by **mission** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:56 pm

well that's gonna happen because applying a "significant amount of compression" is exactly the opposite of what you want to do.

compression is intended to control the signal, reduce peaks and allow you to have a more constant RMS. if you dont have a signal that needs peak reduction then all you're doing is squashing the dynamic range of your drum track.

90% of the time, i wont even use compression. people think that the C word is synonymous with hard hitting drums. if you really really need to put a significant amount of ANYTHING on your drums to get them sounding good, then your original samples are the problem. there's always a better kit that's been recorded in a million dollar studio that's going to be closer to what you're going for.

in addition, compressors REALLY vary. im super picky about what type of compression i would use. some completely smash your signal and sound digital as fuck, others are really color your sound, others really make them PUMP, others are very transparent. im sorry, but any native (to a host) compressor that ive ever used -- live included -- hasnt cut it.

i use a UAD-1 with fairchild compressor emulation and it sounds great. sometimes i use it just to give fairchild color to my individual track where i wouldnt have previously even used any compression. im just doing it for the character.

id go back to finding better samples and keeping your compression settings very minimal. i wouldnt go over a 3-1 ratio in most cases, definitely increase the attack, middle release and make sure your threshhold is set to a number that reduces your signal no more than a db or two if anything.

mission · Post by **mission** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:59 pm

Tone Deft wrote:FX don't make things sound better, they're a final overcoat of sheen over the whole mix. If something doesn't sound good to start with you shouldn't use FX to make it sound good.

Start over with the original material and adjust it there.

I agree with most of this but a blanket statement of FX dont make things sound better and they're just for an overall mix is definitely wrong.

What you were trying to say, i think, is that YOU CANT POLISH A TURD!

I agree with that!

But if you know what you're doing and strive for transparency in your effects, then you'll be just fine. i dont think it's possible to have a very good overall sounding mix without spending time doing a lot of subtractive eqing on your individual tracks in addition to anything else that allows that actual sound to be isolated more clearly in the mix.

Funkstar De Luxe · Post by **Funkstar De Luxe** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 7:05 pm

Simple things are the way to go, a good EQ is the most powerful thing you can use. Also a nice compressor (read Voxengo) will work wonders. Problems is, you need to learn how to use this stuff, don't expect results instantly. It took me about 2 years to fully grasp the power of an EQ, and an adition 4-6 months before I could fully grasp the power of a compressor properly.

You can indeed polish a turd, but sadly no one want's a shiny turd.