Parallel Compression

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:22 pm

havinga-studios,

In case you didn't get your original question answered...

Here's how I do parallel compression in Cubase 4:

1. create 4 group channels named DRY DRUMS, COMPRESSED DRUMS,
DRUM RVB, & DRUM SUB. route these channels to DRUM SUB

2. route the outputs of all your drum mics to DRY DRUMS

3. create sends for each drum mic channel as follows:

dry drums
compressed drums
drum rvb
and set the send slider to 0db

4. put your favorite compressor plug on the COMPRESSED DRUMS
channel, favorite drum reverb plug on the DRUM RVB channel, and
I usually put an Envelope Shaper and EQ on the DRUM SUB channel.

5. Set up effects plugs like you normally would for kick, snare, toms, and
overheads, etc. I like to use a gate, compressor, and limiter on the BD,
a small bit of compression on the snare, an Envelope Shaper plug on
the toms, and nothing on the overheads and room mics. This is where
the "parallel compression" comes from.

6. Using the faders on the group channels mix in to taste the
DRY DRUMS, COMPRESSED DRUMS, AND DRUM RVB.

There are other ways accomplish the same thing, but this is what I use and there is a noticable improvement in the sound of the drum tracks.

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:57 pm

There was a great article about parallel (2-stage) compression a few issues back in Tape Op. I'll scan some pictures of the article if you're interested.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:17 pm

thanks awedone for posting that and yes Patrick, that 2 stage compression would definitely interest me, thanks ahead for the info.

Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:26 pm

So is this also common practise for vocals?
It seems so far, that this is used alot on Drums.
Great info by the way Awedone and I will surely try this with my Cubase 3. Hopefully I should have the same flexibility with routing.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 3:07 am

Parallel compressini results in a form of upward compression.

Conventional compressors are downwards compressors, ie: they turn down loud signals and leave quiet signals unaffected. Upward compression does it the other way around: quiet signals are boosted while loud ones are not affected (or hardly affected).

You can use the technique to transparently reduce dynamic range (eg for classical recordings) or to increase ambience levels, or simply to make things sound fatter and meatier.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:38 am

this is exactly what I want, thanks for the info.

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