Hello, so i compress my hip hop drums with SSL buss compressor setting 30ms attack, .1 release 4 ratio about 3db gain reduction. Its little bit strange for me that after i compress with theese settings my Daw level meters shows like only 0,3 db gain reduction how is it possible if my compressor shows up 3db gain reduction minimum? I dont think fl studio has auto gain function for compressors or eq :D SSL bus comp for sure dont have auto gain function. So later i tryed to check the differences in db by looking at RMS meters by using Paz meters by wave. Before compression it showed -21 after comrpesion -22.3 so its shows compression made 2.3 db gain reduction. So my question is to which metering i should refer to not fool myself to RMS or peak when doing drum buss compression and how is it possible when looking at peak meters that daw meter levels show 0.3 db gain reduction while SSL buss compressor show -3 db gain reduction ?

 

most likely the meter in your ears imo.

 

It's because the fast transient of the drums are passing through the slow attack of the compressor. That's what make the punchier sound... After 30 ms, the signal is compressed 3db and the sustain of the drums are recovering very fast due to your 1 ms release time. The SSL buss compressor is emulating VU meter showing the actual compression, which differ from digital meters showing the actual peak or RMS output.

Use a clipper and/or a brickwall limiter after the compressor if you want to grab these transients and control the peak levels of your session.

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2018

Compressors will generally affect peaks, not RMS, unless you have verrrrrrrry slow release times. Your RMS will be affected by the makeup gain. In other words, your mix can be peaking at -0.1 dBFS after compression, but your RMS may only be at -14 dBFS, depending on the amount and type of compression used. The greater the compression ratio and the faster the attack time (as well as the slower the release time), the higher your RMS will be after makeup gain is applied.

 

Ok thx but still do you have idea why after doing 3db of gain reduction with compression my Daw meters show to do only 0,3- 0.6 db of make up gain and not 3 db?

 

As El digital already said, it's only becaue of the attack time. Set it to 0ms and you'll see.
And, as he explained furthermore, your DAW shows peak level and this differs from RMS because the peaks aren't reduced for the same amount with 30ms attack time.

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2018

The 3db gain reduction is done AFTER 30 ms so the loudest part of the drum hits are barely affected (0.3 to 0.6db) by the knee of the compressor.

The VU meter of the compressor is showing the actual compression (30 ms after the loudest part), not the peak level at the output.

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2018

Because that's not how makeup gain works. Depending on your attack and release ratios, the compressor is only affecting your peaks, not your overall (RMS) volume. In other words, you could have a snare that peaks 12 dB higher than the rest of your mix. You apply a compressor with -3 dB of compression ... it takes -3 dB off of your peak. You then turn up your makeup gain by +3 dB to compensate. Your RMS (or even peaks) is still well below 9 dB. That's just one example -- what I'm saying is, you're freaking out because you applied 3 dB of makeup gain and your DAW's output meter isn't showing you at 3 dB over. It's not a clinical 1:1 process, nor is it something you may even see on your meters. You can hear if your compressor's doing its job. Rely on that.

 

So i should refer to Vu metering instead of peak metering? since the Vu meter as i red is more acurate discribing Perceived Loudness, and perceived loudness is what matters.

 

For which purpose? If it sounds better, good, if nothing is clipping, even better. What's the problem?

 

You can use both and add an RMS meter, LUFS meter, etc. But you have to know what it's doing. The calibration of any metering is also crucial to understand. First, I think you should learn about it, google, wikipedia, gearslutz, youtube... and make some research in the pdf manuals of your DAWs & Plugins, you might be surprised to find useful information !

Metering is a big topic, be curious and give you some time to learn it right

 

Last edited: Sep 4, 2018