Compression (General)
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Where can we find a compressor?
There are hardware and software compressors.
Nowadays most compressors are in VST format and can be found in every single DAW.
What actually does a compressor?
Compression in one of the most important aspects to your mix.
Many people get confused about its usage and use it wrong or don't use it at all.
In simple terms:
- A compressor compresses your signal and makes it lower (yes your signal is not as loud as it used to be). That way, we should also mention that it brings the lower db of the signal to the surface.
It's like a man having his hand at the volume knob and decreases the volume when it exceeds a certain level (the level that we chose with the knob called Threshold)
And now you'll think:
"Why should I make my signal quieter? At the "Loud Signal = Low Noise" topic you told me to have as much signal as I can, are you kidding me?"As we said when we pull up the faders to bring up gain we also bring up some unwanted noise.
The second reason of not having a low-volume recording signal is that the compressor is going to make it even lower.
Why is that?
Let's say you are about to record your friend. You set up the microphone, open your daw and your are ready to go.
Your friend has a wonderful voice but there is a problem. He can't stand still while he is recording, he doesn't have a good relationship with the microphone (he shouts when he gets near to the microphone and whispers when he is far from it).
He can't sing at a constant level.
So the recording is finished and you are about to mix. You set your friend's voice at -10 db. "Aw that's fine" you think. But later he sings louder and you have to reduce his voice and put it at -15 db. Later on he whispers and you have to put him at -6 db. See where this is going?
That's where the compressor kicks in!!
You set the compressor to you reduce his volume when he sings louder so that you can bring him to a more constant level. The louder signals become lower and the lower match the louder. The compressor is not only for vocals as explained above. It is used everywhere. Guitars, basses, drums...
Even when you listen to the radio or watch tv there is always a compressor running.
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Basic Settings of a compressor:
* Threshold: When the signal reaches the threshold the compressor starts to compress.
* Ratio: At a 1:1 ratio a
30db input sounds like
30db and a 100db input sounds like 100db etc (no compression applied). At 1:2 ratio a
40db input sounds like
20 db and so on.
* Attack: This sets how fast the compressor kicks in when the Threshold is breached.
* Release: This sets how fast the compressor lets go when the signal has dropped back below the threshold.
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Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:58 am by SMdEnT
Subject: Compression (General) 
