experimenting with parallel compression

[kensuguro]

I was messing with the upward compression stuff and decided I'd try some parallel compression. I never really bought into just "mixing" in some compressed signal.. but typical parallel compression with some squashed signal mixed in sounded ok. Natural sounding, and gave kicks some good body. Particularly 909 style kicks. Nothing eye popping, but I guess that's precisely the point.. is that it's supposed to sit very naturally.

I decided to take it a step further and tried separating to a squashed track (infinity ratio), and a snappy track (lots of attack) and tried different mix ratios but didn't really find it useful since both the squashed track (least amount of attack) and snappy track had to much body, and adding them to the original would yield too much body or release. So then I inverted the squashed track to see if I could use that to cancel out the body in the snappy track, and it worked! It leaves some artifacts, but I was able to almost isolate the attack transients. (squashed and snappy track needs to use the same comp, same release and ratio, just different attack and threshold) But I guess the idea is to make them identical, but with more attack on the snappy track. Get the snap track up to regular volume, and drop the squashed track. Gradually increase the squashed track 'till you hear it carve away the body on the snap track. There's a point where it starts to sound like the snap track has a gate on it (with some artifacts). I think that's as high as you can go. You can go higher, but it starts to sound distorted.
Mix that back in with the original and wow, mega transient boost. The snappy track had to much snap that I had to saturate it a bit as a quick remedy to keep peaks under control.

I tried it with Live's sampled acoustic drum kit and also microtonic's electro drums and the punch from this was incredible. Almost like pain the ears snap. It's kind of lofi tech compared to all the crazy dynamics shaping tools, but it works. lots of snap.

The demo goes original -> squashed -> snappy -> mixing in inverted squashed to snappy for sampled acoustic drums and microtonic. I mixed in a bunch of the snappy since I was going for ultimate snap, but the amount of snap should be easily controllable.

[ehasting]

Hey!

Great post! What did you use in the parallel compression? hardware or scope?

If you used scope, how did you do it mixing wise? did you use some kind of delayer device on the dry-track?

Rgs
Egil

[kensuguro]

I just did it quickly in Live with Live's comp. Easy to do in scope too. Just route the original track in 2 other tracks, and put comps on those, and phase invert one of them. I guess you'd need to switch on "phase correct" option on the mixer as well in case the tracks don't line up correctly. (is that still how it is on the stm?) In this case, I don't think the comp fidelity or character matters that much since it's being mixed up quite a bit.

[Mr Arkadin]

I guess you'd need to switch on "phase correct" option on the mixer as well in case the tracks don't line up correctly. (is that still how it is on the stm?)

Not in Scope 5.1 for XITE-1 - the phase button has gone as it's not needed anymore due to not needing to share the mixer over DSP.

You have piqued my interest in parallel compression, never really looked into this. Also I never tried side-chaining either - that's due more to stylistic concerns: I hear so much EDM with pumping side-chains it makes my head explode, but I'm sure there must be good implementations too.

[astroman]

... I guess you'd need to switch on "phase correct" option on the mixer as well in case the tracks don't line up correctly. ...

not at all - that switch has a completely different purpose, it doesn't deal with the signal's own phase at all
instead it takes care that all channel processing is done on the same DSP Chip
(otherwise your channel EQ may introduce a few samples delay, which then would spoil the phase)

parallel compression on the same signal is pretty pointless
as you've quickly learned by intuition the signals must vary to a significant degree
at Motown they applied this to high pass filtered, ultra-compressed vocals which added the sparkling effect
your signal inverting is also a big variation from the original

cheers, Tom

[jksuperstar]

It sounds similar to how transient designers work. Although they tend to mix or multiplex a couple different envelope generators into one VCA, while you have them separate and then mix the VCA outputs.

Nice to know how to pull it off with just a few compressors. Especially when tools are limited in another space. Thanks for the discovery share!

[dawman]

I guess you'd need to switch on "phase correct" option on the mixer as well in case the tracks don't line up correctly. (is that still how it is on the stm?)

You have piqued my interest in parallel compression, never really looked into this. Also I never tried side-chaining either - that's due more to stylistic concerns: I hear so much EDM with pumping side-chains it makes my head explode, but I'm sure there must be good implementations too.

Using hardware Analog with Native or Scope synths requires SideChaining IMHO.
The real Analog stuff just overwhelms virtual in a mix, but midrange octaves for polyphonic work can be used with virtual synths, while using real analog for monophonic work, all Lows and higher ranges.
Sidechaining over the Analog with Native or DSP mixes the signals really well, so you end up with tracks that are powerful, and well blended.
I have real good results using the SBX, then cutting all low end down to nothing, using that signal as a SideChain over the Analog synths.
Using the same trick in reverse where the ultra highs, or high mids in the SBX are sent toi Vinco's SC ins, but that example requires settings to taste, where as the Bass Sidechaining trick is pretty much the lowest 2 faders everytime.
Give it a try, I think you'll like how well they blend using the Band Parameters of the SBX as a Sidechaining Source.

Nice work Ken.

[Mr Arkadin]

What's SBX?

[dawman]

Scopes' Spectral Balancer with an X after it I guess.....

[Mr Arkadin]

Oh, SBC X - I thought I had missed out on some new device.

[dawman]

My Bad, I am still lost from Spubase 12, Kontakt 10, InKomplete A01, all of these Windows 15s, I am so sick of seeing this form of revenue creation, that sounds no different than the year before.
But at least NI has a better synth in Mono. After 14 years the law of averages stepped in.

I shoudda remembud da Wrocks.........aye.......ya shoudda.

[dante]

Also I never tried side-chaining either - that's due more to stylistic concerns: I hear so much EDM with pumping side-chains it makes my head explode, but I'm sure there must be good implementations too.

All the more reason to do some yourself - by that I don't mean you should explode your head - I mean if you put our own slant on it you can experience it and be knowledgeable of it in your own style rather than EDM that you don't like.

That's the thing about being able to make your own music - you can make it to taste.

[kensuguro]

I've used sidechaining to various degrees... A lot of the times I have it pumping quite hard on the mix, and then the master comp actually softens the effect a bit, bring it back to a more natural mix. It's sort of convoluted, but I think it's much better than pumping for the sake of pumping. I think when used just right, it clarifies the drum groove, though in theory, that should be achieved through proper arrangement. But even with proper arrangement, the clarity of the groove can be emphasized with the right amount of pumping. Also, with EDM, pumping's recently entered the realm of more like an LFO... and people actually do apply LFO to make the pumping more controllable... so at that point, I think its' become a totally different animal.