oh no, I meant processing a single shot sample and Copy it throughout your song.

I don't agree, but this is a very good example of why words like color and character are not practical too use in this context

 

Exactly Always use the compressors to reduce the dynamic range and give gain to a track or mix. But as you say, this is something "new". Now depending on the compressor you use it gives color or a characteristic to the track, as you say and I had not seen it like that. Since I come from the era of "compressing for profit" And if you're right. This doubt arose from a virtual acoustic guitar. And I said to myself... why compress? If it was crushed later. But I didn't think about the color of a compressor or how it would work together later.

 

An 11what?

 

A for this part.

 

So let me get this straight. So..; A compressor shouldn't just look like its name. It only compresses audio. If not, that modifies it. By giving it color, by gathering sounds, and by shaping it. But then, the compressor keeps compressing, if it gives color and so on. But let's see something (and it has happened to me) I take a sample, one speed. He put a compressor on it and I liked the sound of it. Then he finished the song. And I keep two. The one I put this compression on just to give it color and change its sound. And B, no effects. I open it in three months. And B sounds better because it was the main idea. So I'm back to the same thing. Doesn't it take us away from our original idea? Anyway... I think that according to the style, it should be used in a very subtle way. As they say. With attack and slow release or one could get away from your idea by something that sounds different. It's like going to buy a vanilla ice cream, and they make us try the strawberry one and we find it very rich, it's more creamy and has strawberry pieces. It's really good. But we didn't want vanilla? Is it better or different? I hope you get the idea

 

I understand everything you say and I thank you for the different opinions. With understanding and limitation, I always went around in circles. I ruined many songs, to the point of "hating" them. Bad decisions and much for wanting to follow "the war of sound". Today I listen to them and they sound plastic, when that was not the idea. That's why I'm thinking again "should I compress a sample" ? But it will be a question of taking it easy and not moving away from the idea. Something that has always served me well is to deceive myself. Save different audios, open them at the same time and compare. But I'm very impatient.

 

In case this is meant as a question you want an answer to, of course it's just different. For some sounds and genres you need heavy compression on, e.g. snare and bass drum. Heavily distorted guitars are compressed by the nature of distortion. But this won't sound good at all for a Jazz track.
So, it depends solely on your goal, on the sound you want to achieve. If you think it sounds better without, don't use it.
And, as already has been said, this has nothing to do with using a sample, a VSTi, or a 'real' recording (samples are/were recorded too).

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2020

I think only you can decide if the compression you apply sounds good or not.
One thing is going for maximum loudness, another trying only to make it sound better. A whole art.
So keep your project files especially when it comes to recordings.

 

It has been used a sound designing tool for decades, nothing new about it.

 

Let me help you with this phrase 'The wrong thing is going for maximum loudness'.

 

Nothing I've said needs correction or admonishment Sir. Please take your feelings out of it.
My comment simply states the facts. I've addressed both it's primary function and usage for creative intent.

I found the later quote to be a bit in conflict with itself by stating compressors are mainly used for "sound" not loudness, but it is the loudness that is addressed by compression further in the statement.

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2020

Compression and limiting are still used to control the volume of programme material, 70+ years later. LOL
That said, I addressed compression for both utilitarian and creative usage.

 

I didn't say otherwise, did I? I shouldn't need to state the obvious.
We are all (apart from you) saying that compression has new usages too!
Hence Transient Designers and such.
Cheers.

 

Actually, I didn't. I clearly stated compression can be used as a creative tool. That's not a new usage BTW.
Nor did I overlook transient designers, as they fall under the category compressors.
It was you that chose to address how long it's been since compressors were invented and their usage.
I merely stated it's usage as a control for programme material, was still relevant as well.

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2020

These are, again matter of taste, style and what kind of sound you are looking for. For me it´s simple, in the box with vst´s, listen, it might not needed at all(except for pumping and making more "straightforward"), but with more natural sounding like jazz, classical especially, just look for the right position with mics, good gain stage and fader riders(you can also do this ITB). When I mixed and recorded live bands, i always tried it to not use any compression or fx, just to capture the feeling of the dynamics, intonation and space. Compression might be required in some situation, but you can definetly get without it.

 

It all depends on the genre, download recent an official stems, it's not about compression but about knowing how it sounds (get to certain rms, lufs db and freq. , if it sounds weird stack elements for reaching the desired result) get depressed because you fail, be happy because you think you got the results, be sad because it was not as easy, repeat until you make it (electronic music is harder to do, if you are talking about compressing or getting other genre sounds to sound good its much easier). And no it's not a lie, just because a good rock mixer can get a decent mix in rock doesn't mean He is going to do a good job mixing an edm track. etc.

 

Absolutely.

 

You didn't what, exactly?

 

I tip my hat to you cuz this is one of the most interesting question I've seen in a while in this forum, which by itself would totally deserve a masterclass from a top-notch sound engineer/mixer.

 

Last edited: Jan 30, 2020

Sure, I agree. A compressor doesn't stop being a compressor. I mean, it doesn't stop compressing an audio. Ever since I started understanding and using what a compressor was. I always understood that it was to compress so that you have more gain, to accommodate the sounds, etc. Now we are talking about that you can also give color. But well, I understand that it's like everything. A gate can be used to reduce a signal as to use it as an effect. And as we go forward we are encouraged to take things more creatively. "a delay in an acoustic guitar".