I rarely track with comps anymore, but it's mostly out of laziness. I do for vocals because I do want a little squeeze going in though I'll probably do more at mix time.

Some will probably take issue with you on the question of plug-in comps. I agree with your point, though. Dynamics processing is not the necessity it once was in tracking.
-kent

Again my point on plugins vs hardware is the plugins will never sound like the hardware, but then again maybe the hardware isn't the only sound that works. It's simply a matter of choice.

It really depends for me. Vocals? always so far (I've got a sweet modid 1176LN...or whatever else is better that the studio is using). Rooms....well rooms for me are usually a "shell" for the kit, and as such, I uasually comp&eq these to get what I want at the time of tracking. The rest? I usually don't compress. Really correct Instrument/location/mic& placement...along with balance against the rest serves me well untill I mix. But that's also because I haven't been at Studio 'A" of the Village for a while (that damn Rick Rubin has had it locked out for a l-o-n-g time).
I also shy from compression when I record because I know I'm going to do it when I mix, and that means when i do it i'm doing it once and right (with thebenefit of having all the tracks to know what gets compressed, how much, what kind, ect.)

I just went through a six month period where I compressed almost exclusively usingplug-ins but they have started creeping back in over the last month. I am still mostly doing low end stuff like kick and bass, and the OHs and vox go through- actually even ran a reggae guitar through the Valley People recently, but I am still minimizing my compression overall- 1-3 dB mostly.
I am glad to read that some of the big dogs are going uncompressed to tape. Cheers, Doc. Great thread.

Hey Steve I'd be really interested in hearing some of those pieces you've put togeher in this way. Great thread!

Good thread Steve :tu:

I'm with you on this as well. Been doing no comp for tracking for a few years now and feel there is no need for them in PT. To me it just sounds better to track everything below red (ever!) raw... and keep the faders close to 0 db. I do almost all music with e-toys so I can set volumes easily thus keeping the faders in PT as close to 0db. My sound is warmer a more transparent. After tracks are ready for keepers I use a limiter to boost certain tracks I want in your face. It makes for killer acoustic tracks and other types of instruments that are similar. I find that by using a limiter to boost a track dramatically increases the bottom end and puts it in your face. In the end I use a comp for the final mix for things like vocals.

When Julian was here he stated that he wasn't compressing on the way in anymore either.

I still uses light amounts of hardware comp when tracking vocals and a few other key tracks (like kick and snare) because I like the sound, the artist likes the sound, I'm not squeezing anything to death, and am not particularly frightened of committing to a "good" sound that makes the eventual mix process faster and easier down the line.

But I can certainly see the argument for using "nothing" as well. I guess we all have ways in which we are used to working. I've come to really like and "expect" the subtle touch that the opto/tube Millennia TCL2 adds to my vocal tracks, and I find it easier to get the kick sound I want while tracking through my Aphex Expressor. Could I get the same results if I waited until mixdown? Maybe. But why make my life more difficult if I'm getting what I like right from the start?

Agree with you on that L.Dog- if ya have a good sound track it.
I am also thinking that changing methods helps one to develop. Compress everything to tape? Do a couple of short projects doing no compression to tape. Compress nothing to tape? Try compressing while tracking. Inevitably the experiment will help when (or if) you go back to your old methods. Just a thought. Cheers, Doc.