HI i am trying to understand how much headroom i am saving when using parallel compression.

For example lets say i am not satisfied with my drums

i use parallel compression on the drums (ratio 10:1 or something) and blend that in with the original.

Am i saving headroom like this?

Instead of raising the original drum track up

or its just a matter of dynamics?

i.e without parallel compression track is more dynamic

with parallel compression track is less dynamic

But is headroom same more or less for both?

 

If adjustable, you usually use parallel compression
- with shortest attack time to tame transients and peaks,
- with pretty high ratio.

You use it to maintain the dynamics of the source and raise its average level with the parallel compression and of course for the sound. Short attack times have a heavy impact on drum sounds.

When you blend it in, the sum of both will of course result in higher peaks and RMS.

 

Your headroom is the least affected part. It's upping the lower dynamics, inbetween peaks/hits, and thus upping the percieved loudness. It's upward compression.

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2022

Only if you lower the uncompressed tracks volume.
If you blend that together with fast compression where transients are cut off then the peaks will obviously be lower giving you more headroom while the perceived loudness will stay the same or even increase.