What’s going on everyone? ‘Tool back with another post. Compression is one of the most often misunderstood and overused effects when it comes to mixing. We’ll break down simple steps to make sure your settings are dialed in correctly. A bus compressor can make or break your drum mix. It’s important to keep the initial punch and energy, especially for the kicks and 808s.
Attack Time As stated earlier punch and energy are important factors when it comes to drums. Make sure to keep a slow attack so that the transients aren’t squashed. We want our drums to cut in the mix, not be buried and sound like a toy. Attack tells the compressor when to compress. When you have a slower attack that allows the signal through before compression is applied. This will help emphasize your drums making them sound bigger and more aggressive. Medium Release Time Release is when the compression will stop. If this setting is too fast your drums will have a pumping sound. For some genres this is actually a desired effect but a medium release usually gets the job done. Ratio Shoot for a 2:1 ratio as a starting point. The ratio determines how much compression will be applied. Threshold This control sets the level at which compression is engaged. When a signal goes above the threshold, it will be compressed. 1-3 dB of gain reduction is good here. Output Gain Since we’ve attenuated the signal with all the previous controls, it’s now time to bring the level back up. Some compressors provide meters to let you know how much the signal has been reduced. You'll easily know how much gain to “make-up.” Compression doesn’t have to be hard to learn. It can seem overwhelming, time-consuming and downright frustrating… if you don’t have a process to follow. Start off with these settings and apply them to your next mix. I’ll see y’all next time.
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