Hello, I have a problem about setting the parallel compression tracks in my template for orchestral music.

My ideal setup would look like in the attached Example 1:

• VCA tracks (1-6) are for controlling the "flow" of the mix and making it more musical by bringing up certain sections during the key moments, etc. - these tracks are set to VCA Lead for both Parallel compression tracks and Instruments.
  
• Parallel compression tracks (7-12) receive Pre-fader/Post-FX signal from Instrument tracks (13-18). I want to be able to turn on the Receives on them whenever I need to "beef up" certain sections.
  
• Instruments (13-18), i.e. tracks with separate Kontakt instances - here, I do my "surgical" automation, if necessary.

Example 1:


And here's the problem: because the signal I send to Parallel compression channels is sent Pre-fader, I also need to create additional groups for them, so they follow the automation I do on the Instrument tracks and the ratio of compressed to uncompressed signal stays the same. However, Reaper has a hard limit of 64 groups and I would need a lot more to set it up this way for all sections. It's already 10 groups used just for the string section.

What I can do is to simplify the setup and do something like in the Example 2, but then, any automation I do on the Instrument tracks doesn't translate well to Parallel compression channels, since multiple tracks are now affecting one group. It might happen, for example, that I will send Violins to Parallel compression group (for whatever reason), then do some automation on Double basess Instrument track, and it will still affect that compressed signal of Violins.

Example 2:


Are there any smarter ways of doing this? Sending the signal Post-fader or just putting compressors with wet/dry setting directly on the Instrument tracks are certainly some kinds of workarounds, but these two solutions have some issues of their own. I can also automate the Parallel compression channels manually, but it's tedious...

I will be grateful for any advice on this topic.

 

I don't know if i understood correctly (prbably not), but maybe use the same group to use the instrument track as volume lead?

Example: Violins 1 Group
-VCA violins 1 is lead VCA (which afaik is pre-fader/postFX/post send) of Parallel violins 1 and Instrument violins 1 for overall volume and feel.
-Instrument violins 1 leads volume fader of parallel violins 1 to maintain compressed/uncompressed ratio while automating (automation would have to be done on instrument violin 1)
-receives are controlled on the parallel track itself, since it's only one (if there's more that one violin 1 instrument, maybe put them on a folder and send that to parallel?)

With that you have pretty much everything on one group per instrument.

 

I think this could actually work, thanks! I will need to do some testing later to see it everything behaves correctly, but I think it should. And to be honest, as dumb as it may sound, I simply didn't think about using one group for both VCA and Volume leads/follows. I was so fixated on using VCAs that I missed this solution

 

Not that I've any experience in either recording or mixing orchestras, but I believe historically any form of compression is frowned upon and microphone placement in a hall and capturing the performance the only ingredient in the recording process, volume and balancing the capture in the mix held precious. Mastering engineers would only sparingly alter what was given them.

 

As long as the VCAs are only controlling the level:
- you could use folders instead, would change your track order, but should work
- you could use just tracks. Send instruments and parallel compression to them and uncheck their Master send. These tracks would work like subgroups on a console.

 

While you are correct, a bit compression can work very well with classical music (instruments and whole track).
Additionally, scores...

 

...and when I was a boy there weren't light bulbs, we used candles and whale fat lanterns to brighten the evening darkness and ice cubes weren't even dreamed of, plus I had to walk 5 miles to school and 5 miles back in the afternoon and had to be in time to the farm and the dairy barn to milk the cows...and we didn't use compression on a symphonic mix. .

 

You forgot to mention, while you had to drive away bears and wolves with a club.

 

Uphill both ways! GET OFF MY LAWN

 

Whatdya mean "club", I always walked alone unless my best friend and just the sweetest of all goats Billy Whiskers decided to join me on the trek (although our teacher, Miss Crabtree wouldn't let Billy into the classroom even on cold days even though he could do math better than the leather tanner's son Willum Feldstein who was an actual idiot). Fond memories.

 

And wear those bird masks to avoid getting the plague.