Skip to main content

What compressor do you use on a snare drum and how do you set it?

Comments

anonymous Mon, 10/15/2001 - 00:11

Hi,

I had a mix for an Elektro/Punk/Metal thing going about two weeks ago. I just couldn't get the snare as smacky and cracky as I wanted it to be. In the end I patched in an RNC - fast attack, fast release. Holy shit, fucking awesome. The best snare I mixed to date.Usually I used the RNC for mild vocal compression, bass guitar and ambience mics - now I know I need two more of them. These little boxes are do REALLY live up the buzz and hype on the net!

Regards,

UTS

MadMoose Mon, 10/15/2001 - 07:37

Usually a dbx 160VU or an Orban 414A. If I want the poppy "wet fish sound" I'll reach for the 160. When I want to tame the dynamics a little bit I'll use the 414A. Last week I tried the 1176 on snare and that sounded great at 4:1. The amount of compression I use and where the controls are set depends on the song, the player, the way the drum sounds and what I'd like to hear.

mixfactory Mon, 10/15/2001 - 19:40

I don't really track these days, but when I used to I rarely ever used a compressor on a snare when tracking. Mixing is a different story. My favorites would be a Neve 32264a(works %90 of the time), a Distressor(the other %10), and sometimes a DBX160X or for some tube coloration a Summit TLA100. Most of the time the Neve is just the ticket.

anonymous Tue, 10/16/2001 - 19:10

I don't compress when tracking but on the mix I like a 160/165A/160S on the original track,mult it to another channell , gate,compress/ELDistressor,eq,san's it,reamp,phase check, etc.,
Blend to taste.
Of course It depends on what's appropriate for the tune.

I did a Rockabilly session where I multed the snare track to a Fender Twin in a 4x4x8 tiled bathroom miced with an U87 back to a channel,eq'ed, compressed with a Valley People Dynamite,AKG BX-10ed, Dynamited again and gated.

Use your imagination and the tools at your disposal.