I have a few questions regarding compression and equalizing. Let me start off by saying that I understand the concepts in theory. I've read plenty of articles online and in magazines and books regarding these topics. I'm just looking for some real-life answers, as opposed to the textbook ones. Thanks!
Compression:
1) Let's say I want to compress my drums to make them gel better in the song.
Before compression, my kick drum is loud, my snare is only slightly below the
volume of the kick drum, and my hi hats are relatively quiet. When I add
compression and make-up gain to the drum track, my hi hats suddenly are as loud
as the kick and snare! How can I add compression to the drum track to make
them gel together and not alter the dynamics of the track? Is there another
method of doing this without using compression?
2) Anybody here use the technique of compressing a track and then sitting it
slightly behind the original uncompressed track for effect? Please explain.
3) Is it better to compress individual tracks and raise the volume with the
makeup gain on each compressed track or to compress all tracks as a whole? Or
both? Or neither?
4) Is there any reason to compress MIDI or drum-sampled tracks where I can
already control the volume? I can understand compression may be needed on
vocal or live instrument tracks, but if my kick is hitting at 127 everytime, is
it really needed? Can I still use compression to make the kick sound punchier?
5) Any tips or tricks for compression you all can share?
EQ:
1) Do I gain anything from EQing frequencies that aren't there? Are all the
frequencies always there, but just some are more prominent than others? For
example, do I really need to roll of the low end of a hi hat? Some people say
to roll off the low end of anything that is not a bass. Does this really make
the track sound better? Perhaps it'll give me more headroom? Others say, less
is more. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Any comments?
2) I understand the use of EQ for giving each element its own space in the
sonic spectrum. I also understand that each element soloed may sound terrible,
but as a whole it may sound incredible. Do you all have any tips or tricks for
EQing your tracks to give the song more space?
3) Any general EQing tips or tricks you all can share?
Thanks for your time,
Chisel
Compression & EQ questions
-
Mr Arkadin
- Posts: 3283
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2001 4:00 pm
Blimey O'Riley, there's a lot of questions there! i'll give you my general tips as to what i do, which will cover some of you points i hope.
Compression:
With drums i usually compress the kick, sometimes the snare - then rarely anything else. i'll sometimes add a reverb for the whole kit to make it gel a bit better. You might want to try a multiband comp (like OptiMster) across a group mix of the drums (or PSYQ, or a Transient Designer if you have one - wish they'd bring the price down) to make them sit together. If you slap a normal comp across the whole kit all soughts of nasty things may happen - best avoided i think - comp individually.
i've vagually heard about ading a comped mix to the regular mix - haven't tried it, sounds like a recipe for possible phase disasters to me.
If you have a kick sound at 127 MIDI then you will still get some effect by compressing, mainly if you use it as an effect - say to 'pump' the sound.
i use OptiMaster at the mastering stage.
EQ:
Well i generally cut like a MF. i often start with an 80Hz low cut as standard and then wiggle it (usually higher) from there. Low guitars often need cutting not to clash with the bass, sometimes i'll even take some off the bass to avoid it clashing with the kick. i'll always cut pads and also male vocals too. However i think it would be a rare day that i would bother putting a low cut on something like hihats. Your track really will have a lot more space with less bass - and with careful mixing will make the bass that is there more powerful. Sometimes less really is more.
i rarely boost when using EQ - i try and leave the sound alone if possible (apart from the low cut obviously), but sometimes it's needed. Of course too much boost in the mid regions where a lot of instruments normally ride and you could be in trouble - although careful panning can open up the space again (of course this won't work on mono systems), eg. two guitars panned one left and one right. However i would still try and give them two distinctly different sounds (preferably from source, or by EQing), otherwise it's all going to get dense in that mid ground.
Mr Arkadin
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mr Arkadin on 2006-05-08 09:50 ]</font>
Compression:
With drums i usually compress the kick, sometimes the snare - then rarely anything else. i'll sometimes add a reverb for the whole kit to make it gel a bit better. You might want to try a multiband comp (like OptiMster) across a group mix of the drums (or PSYQ, or a Transient Designer if you have one - wish they'd bring the price down) to make them sit together. If you slap a normal comp across the whole kit all soughts of nasty things may happen - best avoided i think - comp individually.
i've vagually heard about ading a comped mix to the regular mix - haven't tried it, sounds like a recipe for possible phase disasters to me.
If you have a kick sound at 127 MIDI then you will still get some effect by compressing, mainly if you use it as an effect - say to 'pump' the sound.
i use OptiMaster at the mastering stage.
EQ:
Well i generally cut like a MF. i often start with an 80Hz low cut as standard and then wiggle it (usually higher) from there. Low guitars often need cutting not to clash with the bass, sometimes i'll even take some off the bass to avoid it clashing with the kick. i'll always cut pads and also male vocals too. However i think it would be a rare day that i would bother putting a low cut on something like hihats. Your track really will have a lot more space with less bass - and with careful mixing will make the bass that is there more powerful. Sometimes less really is more.
i rarely boost when using EQ - i try and leave the sound alone if possible (apart from the low cut obviously), but sometimes it's needed. Of course too much boost in the mid regions where a lot of instruments normally ride and you could be in trouble - although careful panning can open up the space again (of course this won't work on mono systems), eg. two guitars panned one left and one right. However i would still try and give them two distinctly different sounds (preferably from source, or by EQing), otherwise it's all going to get dense in that mid ground.
Mr Arkadin
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mr Arkadin on 2006-05-08 09:50 ]</font>
compression
1. compressors make the loud things quiter and the quiet things louder.
2. no, but ANY technique that sounds cool IS cool. the slight out of phase combination MIGHT be to your liking. or not...
3. i don't use comressors to raise the volume. i use compressors to LIMIT the difference between the loud and soft parts of a sound. i use "make up gain" to return the sound to it's original(precompressed) volume. i then turn it up or down as needed...at least that's what i do if i want it to sound relatively "natural"... if i want it to sound strange(experiment!), i might use the make up gain to make the sound "breathe" or "pump". i use a fader or channel input gain to control the volume of a sound.
4. to affect the sound or how it sits in the mix? sure! it depends on how it sounds. compressors change the attack and release envelope of the sound. they can make a sound "fatter" and "heavier" because the quieter portion of the sound(like the tail of a kick drum) will be closer in volume to the loudest part of a sound(like the point of impact of the beater on the kick drum). this has nothing to do with overall volume of a sound. that is controlled with the channel gain and the fader.
5. the tips are in the answers....
eq
1. sure there's low end in a cymbal! eqing will effect it! generally, it is good to remove low end on tracks that don't need it, but you have to use your ears. eqing means "EQUALization". make it all equal, balance the frequencies out. that was the original idea. if there are different sounds that take up the exact same frequency spectrum, they will mask each other. eqing can be used to make sonic space for each sound, by cutting slightly different freqs on each sound. obviously, if there is absolutely no action in a frequency range, there's no point in using eq there....
2.answered in #1. experience is the best teacher here, i'm afraid... just a/b things a bit, maybe burn a few different versions and listen a bit. check out popular music and how it's mixed(listen) and you'll start to get it.....probably...
3. play with it. if it sounds good to you, it is.
1. compressors make the loud things quiter and the quiet things louder.
2. no, but ANY technique that sounds cool IS cool. the slight out of phase combination MIGHT be to your liking. or not...
3. i don't use comressors to raise the volume. i use compressors to LIMIT the difference between the loud and soft parts of a sound. i use "make up gain" to return the sound to it's original(precompressed) volume. i then turn it up or down as needed...at least that's what i do if i want it to sound relatively "natural"... if i want it to sound strange(experiment!), i might use the make up gain to make the sound "breathe" or "pump". i use a fader or channel input gain to control the volume of a sound.
4. to affect the sound or how it sits in the mix? sure! it depends on how it sounds. compressors change the attack and release envelope of the sound. they can make a sound "fatter" and "heavier" because the quieter portion of the sound(like the tail of a kick drum) will be closer in volume to the loudest part of a sound(like the point of impact of the beater on the kick drum). this has nothing to do with overall volume of a sound. that is controlled with the channel gain and the fader.
5. the tips are in the answers....
eq
1. sure there's low end in a cymbal! eqing will effect it! generally, it is good to remove low end on tracks that don't need it, but you have to use your ears. eqing means "EQUALization". make it all equal, balance the frequencies out. that was the original idea. if there are different sounds that take up the exact same frequency spectrum, they will mask each other. eqing can be used to make sonic space for each sound, by cutting slightly different freqs on each sound. obviously, if there is absolutely no action in a frequency range, there's no point in using eq there....
2.answered in #1. experience is the best teacher here, i'm afraid... just a/b things a bit, maybe burn a few different versions and listen a bit. check out popular music and how it's mixed(listen) and you'll start to get it.....probably...
3. play with it. if it sounds good to you, it is.
Hi,
Not sure if my way to manage drum will help you but here it is (knowing that I search "natural" sounds):
I use 3 stereo groups bus for drums (merged then in 1 bus for drum and bass )
The first group bus receive the leveled / stereo panned mono sound of the drum kit. I use the optimaster to reduce the dynamics in order to ear details. This bus hold the punch and "proximity" feeling.
The second group bus receive the leveled stereo overhead. This bus hold the "2D" information.
The third stereo group bus is used to recreate the ambience and receive the panned and leveled mono sounds then processed with a masterverb classic. (I also send a part of the bass sound to make the bass fit with the drum "ambience").
This bus hold the "depth" and "ambience" informations.
The 3 group bus are mixed in a "drum and bass" bus. The proximity, 2D and depth and ambience are then leveled individually depending of the feeling I want in the song.
In order to reduce the "muddy low end", I cut the low part of the signal coming in the reverb (particularly required when you have floor tom/ low tom / high level kick.
Not sure it is a good tips, but would appreciate any comments.
Cheers
Not sure if my way to manage drum will help you but here it is (knowing that I search "natural" sounds):
I use 3 stereo groups bus for drums (merged then in 1 bus for drum and bass )
The first group bus receive the leveled / stereo panned mono sound of the drum kit. I use the optimaster to reduce the dynamics in order to ear details. This bus hold the punch and "proximity" feeling.
The second group bus receive the leveled stereo overhead. This bus hold the "2D" information.
The third stereo group bus is used to recreate the ambience and receive the panned and leveled mono sounds then processed with a masterverb classic. (I also send a part of the bass sound to make the bass fit with the drum "ambience").
This bus hold the "depth" and "ambience" informations.
The 3 group bus are mixed in a "drum and bass" bus. The proximity, 2D and depth and ambience are then leveled individually depending of the feeling I want in the song.
In order to reduce the "muddy low end", I cut the low part of the signal coming in the reverb (particularly required when you have floor tom/ low tom / high level kick.
Not sure it is a good tips, but would appreciate any comments.
Cheers