Understanding Dynamic Processors (Compression)

Other than using the compressor, what else is essential for achieving better quality? I mainly use adobe audition, have used cubase before but found adobe more user friendly.
 
FoulMouthFacts said:
Other than using the compressor, what else is essential for achieving better quality? I mainly use adobe audition, have used cubase before but found adobe more user friendly.
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better quality than what for what? seen it a hundred times on this forum, and totally agree; good sounds come from good samples. also, good sound comes from good instrumentation and a good mix. no amount of dynamic anything will make poorly written, sampled, and/or produced music sound good. : p
that said, eq is often crucial...you kinda gotta find your own way to do things, though. to an extent, anyways.
 
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FoulMouthFacts said:
Other than using the compressor, what else is essential for achieving better quality? I mainly use adobe audition, have used cubase before but found adobe more user friendly.
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EQ, reverb, delay, distortion. Really depends on what you are doing. Although, these things don't necessary achieve "better quality". They simply change the quality. "Better" comes from the sum of making the right decisions about how to change things. Or, optimally, getting it right from the start.
 
good stuff! use your ears when compressing...it takes lots of experimentation and practice before you know which knob to push and how much...
 
yeah its like the mic theory, you brain is the amp? something along those lines.. i read up on psychoacoustics of the human ear one day.. dont quote to much on me, i forget how it went.. i should find this article again

but remember also "your ears are your most important piece of equipment" so dont abuse them lol
 
Hey question, I've found that when I stick to raw sound that isn't compressed (I'm talking virtual synths here) I get a wide great sounding track that mixes extremely well. I used to compress the shit out of everything and it sounded ok but it was not wide AT ALL. So here's my question, based on my deductive reasoning skills, does compression cause sound to come out mono sounding if overdone? I know it's used to even out your peaks but I don't see why it would effect stereo width like that unless there is an aspect of compression that I completely over looked.
 
ohmenofficial said:
Hey question, I've found that when I stick to raw sound that isn't compressed (I'm talking virtual synths here) I get a wide great sounding track that mixes extremely well. I used to compress the shit out of everything and it sounded ok but it was not wide AT ALL. So here's my question, based on my deductive reasoning skills, does compression cause sound to come out mono sounding if overdone? I know it's used to even out your peaks but I don't see why it would effect stereo width like that unless there is an aspect of compression that I completely over looked.
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Linking channels when compressing doesn't destroy the stereo width. Unlinking produces an out of control stereo image.
Note also that compressing usually enhances the stereo information by bringing up both acoustics and reverbs even artificial ones added to a synth sound.
Could you post examples with your compressor settings?
 
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Holy shit, this thread is a god send. I was honestly having a bit of trouble understanding how all these different types of compression worked but I feel I have much more solid idea now. Thanks guys.
 
Hello there,i have to ask something about "kicks".
I'm working with Reason and when i'm trying to put 2 kicks in the track one of the 2,sounds lower that it was at the first place.
It is something about their compression or i do something wrong?
 
AWonkaMusicaCyclista said:
Hello there,i have to ask something about "kicks".
I'm working with Reason and when i'm trying to put 2 kicks in the track one of the 2,sounds lower that it was at the first place.
It is something about their compression or i do something wrong?
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If the addition of the two kicks is above the threshold, one on the kick can be more affected by the gain reduction than the other depending of the compressor settings and the actual dynamic content of the kicks.
Why not modifying the kick balance to obtain what you expect after compression?
 
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