What compressor do you use on snare?

[coldsnow]

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

 

[isoloop@juno.com]

I use an Alan Smart comp when tracking, but I only set it to catch a few stray hits. When I set up a compressor I just mess around with it until it sits right in the mix.

 

[Predrag Trpkov]

Originally posted by Lord Alvin:
I use an Alan Smart comp when tracking, but I only set it to catch a few stray hits.

Do you use it (Alan Smart) again in the mix on the master inserts?

Predrag

 

[isoloop@juno.com]

The Alan Smart compressor has a very distinctive sound to it, so I don't always use it on the mix bus. I usually use it on a paralell drum bus to add some beef to the drum sounds. I have used the Alan Smart for mastering quite a bit and I like it there a lot.

 

[anonymous]

I rarely, if ever, compress drums while tracking. In a mix situation, if the drummer was a bit more "all over the place" than I would have liked, I'll usually use a Purple MC-76 or a DBX-160-vu. For getting a kick consistent the 160-VU is my first choice. Best of luck.

 

[UTS]

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 $*^t, ^#$%ing 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]

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.

 

[anonymous]

For yer deluxe sound a 3U VU meter Tube Tech (model??) is awsome...

 

[mixfactory]

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.

 

[drumsound]

Lately I've been mostly compressing the drum sub and not doing much individual drum compression. The RNC and for lots of color a Joe Meek SC2.2 are my first choices.

My $.02

 

[coldsnow]

Hey Tony,
Do you find that "DARK" mode useful?

 

[Jay Hudson]

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.

 

[drumsound]

Originally posted by coldsnow:
Hey Tony,
Do you find that "DARK" mode useful?

Mine is an older model, before they added "DARK" mode. I do like the unit when it's matched with the right source.

 

[coldsnow]

Which sans amp model do you use

 

[Bear's Gone Fission]

Since no one else has said it, Quantegy 456.

Bear

 

[AudioGaff]

Like a lot of the other guys, I'll use a dbx. (160S or a 160SL) and try to avoid using durring tracking. I sometimes like to use my Manley mono vari-mu and sometimes I use it and a 160S or 160SL.

- Bruce -