I would like to learn compression, in music production. How to use it, knowing when to use it, etc.

I'I've watched quite a few tutorials, one for ADSR also, and I still just can't get it. I'm not expecting to master it, i would just really like to know how to actually use it properly, to compress drums, bass, and stuff.

I know it's a very important tool (can be) and i think that it's essential that i understand it.

Do any of you know any good tutorials that are gaurenteed to help me learn and come out actually understanding how to use them. Like youtube videos/playlisy of youtube videos, paid, free (preferably free for the moment), or some from tutorial websites, etc.

I use Logic pro, and make House and Techno.

Thanks!

 

Last edited: Jul 21, 2016

you wot m8??

We both been here for 3+ years and I was a compression expert 2 years ago ..!?? ( kidding)

did you check the ones from the Recording Revolution guy? He is good at explaining stuff, and wickiemedia's are ok too
( in youtube ) and no doubt check Dave Pensado as well

I usually check a variety of sources and then just try to decide on a few key factors I understand, then just give it a rip.
Do you understand EQ and its relation to compression well enough? Seems to me , no one technique will get you close
to the sound you want, though for sure compression is a major one..point being it needs to work in the context of
the overall mix as well....

another point.. I don't know if all compressors are pretty much the same.. I found
112db's Big Blue to be pretty straightforward and got me a good way to taming vocal dynamics.. fairly simple controls

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jul 21, 2016

I can give you this, 11m

 

Just check this video:

It's not going to make you a master on compression as far as to know when to use it exactly. But that comes with time and is hard to really get through solely videos. What this video does do is explain the basic controls in a very fast yet concise fashion. I think this is just as useful as any compression course on Groove3 or whatever. When to actually use compression comes with time and needs you to make the next step so that you actually start thinking what you want to achieve within a particular sound and then you can start thinking about how to do just that.

 

As far as i know this guy knows his stuff...

https://www.udemy.com/compression/

Very good for a beginner to learn about compression..

P.S it is also available in sister site ......

 

Hi, first try to know about Sound Design, just about ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release). If you know about that, you will know the envelope of the sound you are trying to use compression and also know how to configure Attack and Release, compressor knobs, from scratch. This will help you a lot.

 

i really understand after i read this http://www.homestudiocenter.com/how-to-use-a-compressor-plus-10-top-tips/ i was banging my head in the wall trying to figure out ratio and treshold alchemy...

 

Compression........ the holy grail of Audio .....millions will claim to know about it, thousands they have mastered it, truth is nobody knows really, it depends on your ears and what sounds good for you during your mixing and mastering process

i can only list you a bunch of tutorials that have been released and could give you a wider aspect upon the subject most of us think we know but dare not to say we have mastered . "Compression"

SoundMagus - Audio Compression Production Course
ADSR Sounds - Masterclass Side-Chain Compression
ADSR Sounds - Compression Masterclass
ADSR Sounds - Multiband Compression Explained
Trance Music Mastery - Guide To Compression
Home Studio Corner - Understanding Compression
Udemy Audio Engineering - All About Compression
Udemy Audio Engineering - Basics of Compression
Lynda.com - Foundations of Audio Compression and Dynamic Processing
Groove3 - Compression Explained 2016
Matthew Weiss - Mixing With Compression
Mixbus Tv - Ultimate Compression Tutorial
Ask Video Audio Mistakes 101- 10 Common Compression Mistakes
Live Courses Complete Guide to Compression

Lots of youtube videos too , you can download and keep them with Youtube Downloader HD free

Part1

Part2

Part3

of course you will find lots of compression tips and tricks , and how and when they use information in various tutorials where producers make a full track of any genre or mixing and mastering tut's

Sonic Academy Tips n Tricks , Bassgorilla Projects , Sample Tools by Cr2 , Dance Music Production. Good luck in your quest friend

 

Last edited: Jul 21, 2016

Compression took me about 10 years of time before I felt I was confident about compression, parallel compression, sidechain compression, multi-band, limiters, clippers, upward compression, expanders, etc. One can watch all the tutorials there is, memorizing all the do's and donts that other people say, yet still not be fully confident after a year of compression use/abuse. Most knowledge and experience comes from actual hard work in various situations and with different music styles, live sound and recording studio sessions, etc. The best way to learn IMO is to make mistakes.

I once was given a compressor by a friend who said it was broken. It wasn't. He just didn't hear what it did. Maybe he expected a flanger or phaser or something.

 

I can agree on that, also the first 4 years I only used software compressors and apparently the wrong ones.
Not that they are totally unusable but I should have expanded my horizon further than alloy and fl studios basic compressor much earlier.

to tell the truth I still avoid mid/side-, multi band- compressors like the plague

maybe it helps to not only examen the theory but also the history

 

Compression is akin to the mystical component of a religion, in this case, let us call this religion Music. It is difficult to see (hear) and understand, but if you can cast away your doubts and open your heart (ears) to the prophet (online educator), she/he will guide you on your devotional journey (musical education) both inwardly and outwardly (compression and expansion) until you no longer need to think or judge (fear of mistakes) but rather live within the moment in pure joy (intuitive decision making). Use the Force, @freakymofo, young Padawan, let it grow inside of you.

 

I think too many people here are somewhat exaggerating, I mean, sure it isn't the easiest concept in the World but nothing in music production truly is. But some people here act like it's pretty much equal to advanced rocket science. Now, I'm not claiming I've truly mastered compression or any other concept of music production. But it should take somebody way less than 10 years to get a solid grasp on compression and on how to use it confidently and in the most conventional ways where you would like to use compression. There could still be some weird or maybe even creative ways to use a compressor at that point that you haven't really thought of yet. Like using one for a de-esser but then again, you might as well just use a de-esser plug-in.

Sorry, if I am ranting but I think making things sound so intimidating is the wrong way to go. Music production isn't rocket science and people acting like it's almost as hard are really overreacting. That being said, it's not as easy as breathing, eating or taking a shit either. It's something you have to invest time and effort in to grasp the concepts. But when you do just that and love it at the same time, it will seem like only yesterday that you started with this stuff.

 

Music and art takes time to evolve, music IS next level rocket science today we use the latest algorithms, layouts, cpu's, ram's, etc to achieve the best possible mixing but even being rocket science doesn't necessary means its intimating or complicated as this all depends on the brain behind the tools.

 

I am going to sleep as I type this, my eyelids droopy, my consciousness fading in and out as I catch myself dozing...... .. ....Alone and soloed passage the first time, then within the context of other instruments, set attack and release at 12 o'clock. Makeup gain at 0. Ratio at 2:1. The instrument gain from the DAW coming into the comp. at approx. -12db. Begin with the threshold at 0db and rotate down until the needle stars to move. Listen to what is happening. Find a place where you are knocking off 5 decibels and move the ratio to other proportions and listen to those results. Play with attack to see how transients are changed. Do the same with the release to see how either a fast or slow recovery affects the sound. Just play with it and see what happens.

 

you gotta try your hand at it. that's the real point, take a chance and try

I think it was kontakt guru (or one of the mods) who pointed out you can create a conversation with up to 17 people or something. so take a crack at it, and share with a few guys you respect. let them take a listen and offer you adjustments

 

Yeah dynamic processing is one of the hardest part of music producing/mixing to get, it takes learning - advices and feedbacks from people who have experimented with a lot of compressors and material is real plus - and practicing. Experimenting again and again with different material compressors and compression techniques, there are many of them.
One of the most thorough video tutorial I've come accross, and done by someone with experiment and knowledge is called : Music Production School - Power Compression Course.
Compression and its different forms is explained in depth, several units are presented their emulation and what their caracteristics are and material is processed through them to demonstrate their differences, a whole mix is done (in protools though, but that doesn't really matter, in the mix he uses different waves compressor), different compression strategies are presented (levelling, groove based compression, front and back positioning, peak and rms, focus and presence), different compression techniques are presented (layering compression, pumping, parallel, mix stem, mix buss), how to get different sound flavors through compression (natural, dirty, vintage, electro, etc), how to compress different materials (guitar, basses, piano, EP, synth, a whole class on vox techniques), multiband compression techniques, amongs other things.
It's a long class, it's not easy but if you want to learn a lot about compression and be equiped to experiment, this is imo a very good starting point.

 

Like @HETISFRANK I too am no fan of exaggerating. There's two views, the beginner' view and the advanced one's view. Most that you can read here about the philosophy of compression is from the advanced one's view. Forget about it. You are far from the point where subtle tweakings will give you the desired results. Your ears simply aren't trained enough yet.
To understand how to use it, you have to understand how a compressor works. And in this regard it is no rocket science. A compresser decreases amplitudes that exceed a certain level. That's all it does.
You define the level crossover with the control that reads "threshold". This will be the level that is watched by the compressor. If something crosses it, the compressor takes actions. To define how it behaves, when taking actions, there are two essential controls: Attack and Release.
The former defines the time it takes from noticing that an action has to be taken until the action is fully performed. Longer attack times therefore do quite the opposite of what an attack of a synth's amp envelope does. It starts with the untouched source, then increases its work on the source.
The latter is the reverse behaviour. It defines how long it takes from the fully performed action until the untouched source is heard again.
Those two are the most important controls. You have to find a good balance between them to get the desired results.
The next control each compressor has is the "ratio". This defines, how strong the decrease of the amplitude should be. 2:1 means, it will be half the level between the threshold and the actual amplitude level of the source. 4:1 compresses to a quarter, etc.
Often you also find another control called "Make-up gain" or "pre-gain". It does exactly that, increasing the level of the source before running it through the compressor.

With these few informations you should already be able to effectively use a compressor. It should be clear that a combination of very short attack, very short release and a subtle ratio is a good start to even out a mix. Longer release times with mid to high ratios will result in a very prominent pumping effect. And longer attacks will emphasize the start of the sound that is to be compressed (often used to give kicks a more defined sound).

I'd say, first get familiar with these simple basics. Play around with sound sources and hear the different behaviour. When you get more confident, start with the lectures and video courses, that are linked in this thread.

 

Last edited: Jul 22, 2016

Is that a Josh Hartnett avatar?

hahahha...

you watch Penny Dreadful?.. I loved it... except for a few uncomfortable moments, for a guy such as myself... one which is attracted to women... but amazing show... bad end. I know though, ratings were bad, so the ending was lame.


to o.p.

so many comp videos and tutorials. I just look at all of em... through years. I pick up different thoughts and tips with every compression series I watch, I know that many can probably agree.


I saw a recent Groove 3 one that was excellent!!.. many also agreed that it might be the best comp tutorial... it's quick, but gives some great insight into where it came from and how it works... why you need it and when.

Just something about it was unique compared to many which came before it.

 

Call me slow or whatever, but it took me 4 years to really understand compression. So much frustration, so many bad mixes. i'm just happy I actually know what i'm doing now or understand what knobs i'm twisting lol. Still got lots to learn...know nothing of multi band compression for example...

 

Last edited: Jul 22, 2016

Compressors are used every day for more than just amplitude management. On a daily basis in studios throughout the world compressors are tools that are used for different tasks. Off the top of my head generally and from my own personal experience, variable-mu compressors such as the Fairchild (I have used it only in my dreams, the ones where Megan Fox sits on my lap in the control room) can and have been used just for only for the way it sounds, how it's zillions of tubes in circuit colors the signal and nothing more. Your cymbals too much like an ice pick in your ear? Try throwing a Distressor on that sucker and pacify the transients into obedience. Just drop an 1176 onto the signal path of a much too clean track and use gain management (feed it low dBs and use the sweet transformer gain of the unit to impart sparkle, or dirty it up like a fuzz unit distortion box, you can decide how you want to sonically paint your canvas) without ever actually decreasing amplitude. Heck, feed the input transformer and clip the ship out of the source kind of sort of in a funny way like tape saturates.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jul 22, 2016