Thank you, Dwoz. That makes good sense to me.

New to the forum, and nearly as new to recording.
Like many newbies, compression was almost taboo to me -
didn't understand it well enough to use it w/o fear of doing damage,
so just leave it alone.
This thread has added to knowledge I've garnered from experience and other sources, particularly Shotgun's post(s).

Here's my add, as someone working from the other end of the experience spectrum:
Worry more about the "why" than the "how" or "what".
Those will follow naturally from the first.
Use your ears.

I had a tendency to just slap preset software compressors on tracks, certain the manufacturers knew better than me. While these presets may get you in the general neighborhood, city, or state, that's all they do.
I like to think of compression as fire - an essential tool that can do amazing things, but if you go beyond your skill set, you end up burning down your own home.

And sometimes you don't need a compressor on an indivd'l track. If you have good mic choice/placement and preamp choice/settings, then EQ, panning, and reverb or delay *may* be all you need to make it sit right in the mix. In my early projects, a lot of my rough, relatively untouched mixes sounded better (albeit quieter and well, "rougher") than the suped up versions.

As a musician turned audio engineer, my main focus is on capture rather than editing. Or tracking rather than mixing. I prefer to get as good of a track as possible and let that do the talking. None of that focus applies to mixdown, of course.

AND, if you use a DAW, avoid compression during tracking - compression is a destructive process, and you can't undo what you put in the DAW. If it sounds messed up, you can always return to the original tracks in the DAW - assuming they're not messed up.

I may be way off, and have reiterated a lot of older points. But these are some guidelines that have helped me learn to use compression more appropriately.

Keep learning like that and you'll go far.

Goanyersel!

Brilliant!

Shotgun, that article deserves a grammy (or the journalist equivalent).

I've been struggling with this very issue. Thanks a stack and thanks to all the contributors who take the time to pass on insight to the helpless souls like me.

New to recording

Understanding "Compression".
Gezz, we must have had the same Mom...!

Thanks for the lesson.
Walt

I personally like to use a touch of compressing on my vocals when tracking and then adding more later if needed. Its all about preference and liking.

macbodock, no too much to add to what Shotgun said. One thing, actually. When setting up the compressor, I find useful to set the output gain in a way that bypassing it doesn't change the perceived level of the sound. That way I can judge what the compressor is doing. Sometimes a jump up in level when compressing gives the impression of "better sounding" when in fact it's just louder. Once you are happy with the final dynamics and coloration, adjust the output as needed. Cheers!

Quick question related to compressors:

How does one compress vocals after tracking? I understand compressing on the way in but I can't wrap my head around compression after tracking. If it helps I use Logic Pro 9 and I mean how to compress after tracking with a hardware compressor.

When recording set the compressor as lightly as possible, just to keep the level somewhat controlled. I don't compress, at all, when tracking. Just leave a safe headroom... With digital there is no tape noise, etc., so, there is no need to record as hot as it gets.
The serious compression work is nearly always done after recording when mixing to have control over the sound and settings needed within the mix and in relationship with the other instruments or voices.
If you have internalized what a compressor does and how to operate it, the only thing more you need are your ears.
You must try and learn how to set it right. Settings are different for every recording and level... and there are many different compressors for different jobs, too.
With a little practice you can mix a song without EQs using only multi-band compressors.
They don't just compress, they are sound relevant tools, as well...
Compressors are one of the most complex instruments for audio engineers. You never stop learning with those...

Very informative posts indeed.

Steve Freeman, post: 354110 wrote: Quick question related to compressors:

How does one compress vocals after tracking? I understand compressing on the way in but I can't wrap my head around compression after tracking. If it helps I use Logic Pro 9 and I mean how to compress after tracking with a hardware compressor.

What kinda interface you have? Check your interface outputs, on Logic send the vocal track to an available output in your interface (not to the main stereo), and get a cable from the output you choose on your interface to the compressor input, then from your compressor output to an available input on your interface and track again. Thats one way, im guessing you dnt have a patch bay.

cheers...hope it helps

SHOTGUN's post was very imormative and right! Well said.

My outboard compressor is an Avalon 737; not the top of the line, but pretty nice. And it takes less presence away than my software compressors in my workstation. So my approach is to compress lead vocals and a few other things aggressively if I like what I'm hearing, and then in the mix hopefully I can ride the vocal, but leave it uncompressed, because I hate it when I hear the compressor robbing me of some of the fidelity on the source.

I agree. A nicely compressed vocal from outboard gear can keep digital process off or at least at minimum and to my ear this method is excellent for retaining fidelity.

Numbers are nothing:

- The attack and release times aren't defined the same way by all manufacturers. That can be the time for returning to no action. That can be the time for decreasing of 6 dB. That can be the time for recovering half of the gain reduction...
- Even the threshold value has no accurate definition simply because the way the average level is computed also varies from one manufacturer to another. Because real time operation is needed, no real RMS value can be reached especially for low frequencies. Note also that many plug-ins now offer a mix between instant level values (like ones used for limiters) and pseudo RMS values.
- At last, the processor topology is in the loop. Modern feed forward processors allow to have precise values (despite very relative) for all previously evoked settings. But old style feed backward processors simply make all previous fixed values, relative to the processor output. Which means they vary according the output signal indeed...

So:
- Magic numbers do not exist
- The compressors setting are all relative to the audio signal you need to process
- The same settings on different equipments don't produce the same results

My two cents

You guys should check this free tutorials video:
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://puremix.net/…"]Compression Overview - PUREMIX[/]="http://puremix.net/…"]Compression Overview - PUREMIX[/]

Fab is a great teacher and shows what you need to focus your hearing on when you want to understand compression.

Here is a link to another useful tutorial on [="http://rocksuresoun…"]Understanding And using Compressors
[/]

Compression

Lots of good advice here. The one thing I would recommend is to use very little as you record until you know what you are doing. Play around with different settings and see what works for you. Compress something hard enough in a mix to where you get the pumping compression sound just so you know what it sounds like and what to avoid. Of course there are always exceptions.
Good luck and have fun with it.

hey macbodock. I have a nice vid for you. This is one of the freebies from a set of tutorials on the subject.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.nedwebse…"]N.E.D.web 1.7[/]="http://www.nedwebse…"]N.E.D.web 1.7[/]

there are lots of others for free at the site if you sift through. I subscribe and use it for the adobe tuts mostly. It took me a couple of these tutorials and my own tube compressor to really get it. Real knobs help.

1) Does settings change with the equipment you use? Different setting for diffrent microphones? Or is it just a general setting that is different with what you are recording
(can you tell I am lost?)

Yes, settings change all the time, different microphones, source, and intent.

2) Hardware compression or software. (why are software compression so much $$$?) Which should one use?

Either, they're all just different tools.

3) Add Compression during or after?

I always use compression very last in the chain unless it's being use for an effect instead of level control .