Compression in mastering
- Thread starter lillody
- Start date
i think you do : you are trying to learn how to ride a bike but with that you want to drive a tank...
if you dont use compression in good way on your drums/samples/instruments in your mix, so only good compression on master cannot change it to sound good...theres too many tutorials on youtube, search some...its my amateur opinion
if you dont use compression in good way on your drums/samples/instruments in your mix, so only good compression on master cannot change it to sound good...theres too many tutorials on youtube, search some...its my amateur opinion
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Wallengard
Manipulator of energy
Attack is the time it takes for the compressor to reach the threshold you set. The release is how long it takes for it to go back to its neutral state.
There's nothing particular about applying it to the master other than it being more delicate in a way, since you have every sound in the mix going into it.
There's nothing particular about applying it to the master other than it being more delicate in a way, since you have every sound in the mix going into it.
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Adrian-MarQ
New member
Depends on what you are trying to achieve with compression (along with the audio you are working with).
If you just want to tame a few transients that are taking up headroom, a short attack (compression begins more quickly) and a short release (signal returns to its original level quickly).
If you have compressed too much (low threshold and/or high ratio) and the "life" has been sucked out of your mix, then try opening up the attack (may let more transient remain).
Not gonna make a perfect list of every possible application of compression... try playing with the attack & release after over compressing to see how it sounds and hopefully determine what your track needs.
If you just want to tame a few transients that are taking up headroom, a short attack (compression begins more quickly) and a short release (signal returns to its original level quickly).
If you have compressed too much (low threshold and/or high ratio) and the "life" has been sucked out of your mix, then try opening up the attack (may let more transient remain).
Not gonna make a perfect list of every possible application of compression... try playing with the attack & release after over compressing to see how it sounds and hopefully determine what your track needs.
ok
im looking at this tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLfXZWHX8nI {around 6 minute mark }
hes using slow attack and fast release
can you explain why hes doing this?
Wallengard
Manipulator of energy
You're asking a rather impossible question. :O
Adrian-MarQ
New member
The settings are meaningless by themselves. They are much more important when you take the threshold and ratio into account. The threshold and ratio are set in a way that they are only affecting the transients of the track. Having a slow attack would mean that the entire transient above the threshold aren't being reduced by the 2:1 ratio. The fast release means the signal will return to its unaffected state quickly. More practically, the transients are being reduced in a relatively transparent way that increases the headroom a bit.
Keep in mind that this is intended to be very subtle. It is difficult to hear any change outside if the slight increase in gain.
i sometimes use compression on my master to achieve more of a pump in some of my dance tracks. Depending on the rhythm and type of song it is i determine it based off of that.
but yeah. the attack is basically how fast the compressor reacts to your threshold. i feel like if you have a hard hitting track you might want to go that type of way with a fast release as well to be able to cut transient and allow the compressor to go with the flow of the song. make any sense?
haha. i like to think of compressors as like instruments instead of tools. just me!
but yeah. the attack is basically how fast the compressor reacts to your threshold. i feel like if you have a hard hitting track you might want to go that type of way with a fast release as well to be able to cut transient and allow the compressor to go with the flow of the song. make any sense?
haha. i like to think of compressors as like instruments instead of tools. just me!
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bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
sorry, no. Attack time is how long after reaching the threshold the compressor starts to act - this is what distinguishes a compressor from a limiter; a compressor can go over the threshold before it turns on whereas a limiter turns on at the threshold and holds everything that exceeds the threshold at the threshold (until the signal falls below the threshold)
Agreed
For mastering purposes (as opposed to master buss compression - a very different use) you would use a compressor subtly and maybe even use a multi-band compressor - get a copy of reaper and just play with it's multi-band compressor as a master buss compressor to hear the difference their presets have on a track - the settings for the most part are subtle but do have a big impact on final audio quality/sound
master buss compression is usually in the form of an emulation of the SSL master buss compressor, used to glue a mix together - I like the native instruments emulation for this in most daws but love the emulation in reasons ssl mixer the most
Wallengard
Manipulator of energy
You'd think after ten years that I would have gotten it right by now. 
Perhaps explaining these things is not my strong suite
Perhaps explaining these things is not my strong suite
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Waltz Mastering
www.waltzmastering.com
This can be a common setting when only a small amount of compression is needed (which is a lot of times) and you want the compression to stay relatively transparent to the source.
Having a slow attack helps preserve the leading edge and the release lets go of it quickly,
so the effect of the compressor is more subtle than if you were to have a fast attack which eats into the transient and a long release
that hold the compression out for an extended time.
Low ratios and not much gain reduction are also common settings in mastering as things these days can tend to get slightly over compressed in the recording and mixing stage.. It's relative though cause if you get something that's spikey like vocals and snare or percussion is sticking out you might want to go with a faster attack. De-essing with a shelf or bell is also a useful form of frequency dependant compression where you can target certain frequency regions with compression. gl
This is mostly my approach: I have aux channels for my drums, synths, perc, vocals etc. I will use a SSL comp there with a short release long attack and 1:2 ratio. The compression should be max 2 or 3 db, just to glue everything together. If the volume level of your tracks are on the right level and your mixing overal has been right, you barely need a compressor on your master channel. I think it will only kill the character of your song, the attacks and transients etc. especially of you dont know how to set the attack and release right. In my mastering I use EQ, mostly to cut the lows <25hz and the highs >20khz, and maybe to make some tonal balances. Very little exciting just to bring some transients up and after that a limiter to bring the track to the right volume.
Just remember, you dont need to use compression on everything. In some songs I use it barely actually.
Just remember, you dont need to use compression on everything. In some songs I use it barely actually.
Leopoldo Lopes
New member
Use Ozone mastering suite... and your song is finalized but now mastered! Dominating a professional mastering takes a long time and you should have the best acoustics possible and trained ears!
Deliver those songs to professionals, if you want professional results.
Deliver those songs to professionals, if you want professional results.
Quality comment, thanks! I share this same view on it and I'm not afraid to stack comps as long as the touch of each compressor is light enough, but this I do usually only as "glue" at the very end, when the transient response is already very good but you want the mix frequencies to be a little more like a bigger and softer ball of sound. In mastering I try not to be too dependent on this final compression, I want most of the quality to come from earlier work with the transients.
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