I realised through research that Waves is the "best" audio processing package out there. I've been trying to learn it and really understand the plugins but i'm struggling to even understand the difference in the compressors. Although I know their modelled but 10+ compressors and I have to choose 1?

Is there a proper tutorial or decription of each of these?

Thanks

 

Forget about Waves ! You should try this one : http://www.klanghelm.com/DC1A.html

Ok, one finger for piano plus two buttons on the compressor maybe it's too much I know...

Lmao no, just kidding you sorry ! I think I saw a "Waves Complete 9r1" out there, with every single plug-in Waves released, it could be interesting to test them by yourself ! Because you can use most of them in any situation so... Or on the official website there's some explanations about each plug-in !

 

@ mfx,

I'm agree with that - but rather 'one of the best' (my own opinion !). However, as with all the highly professional material, it takes a little time before using them wisely...

Why do you have to choose only one ? I mean, if you have decided to keep only one, well OK... but many of the great Sound Engineers worldwide use various models. Of course, they don't necessary use 'dozens', maybe just 3-4 but 'wisely' choosen ! Those that work the more fine for them and that match their expectations depending of the audio material to be 'dynamically' treaten.

It exists, as for others FXs, some differences between them. Just to mention a few, you can find :

* Opto Compressors
* VCA Compressors
* FET Compressors
* Vacuum Tube Compressors (Vintage & warm compressors like some Guitar Amps that also have 'Vacuum Tubes')
* Pure Digital Compressors
* Multiband Compressors
...

then you can find some Compressors that combine two or more of these previous characteristics/methods in a solely unit, as is the case of the above mentioned : 'Klanghelm DC1A'.
After is just a matter of taste : how you 'feel' more or less comfortable with a kind of 'compression method' or another, the typical 'sonic coloration' of a certain model,... but of course, and above all, also the kind of audio material to be treaten !!!

If you make some searches within the WAVES website, you'll certainly find 'in-depth' infos about all of their products and/or also within the provided User Manuals.
For the different 'methods' of compression, different compressor types and their characteristics (as described above), simply make some searches with 'Google', you'll certainly find a lot more and deeper infos that I can give you here... *yes*
(e.g. Type 'Opto Compressors', 'FET Compressors',... within Google).

Hope it help !

 

WAVES - Online Tutorials

Code:

http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=5865

 

All the Waves components are explained on their website in detail, but of course there's lots to read. I'm pretty sure you do not have the proper equipment nor the experience to hear a ground breaking difference between their compressors anyway.

Just start with the Fabfilter bundle, it has everything you need:

- Compressor
- EQ
- Saturator
- Limiter.

SAiNT is right, keep it simple, concentrate on the music, not on the technology.

 

Use the stock plugins inside your DAW, they sound just as good
I just use them and my mixes sound good. honestly.
I am btw a Logic user.

 

If you use Waves, you know what you have and know that many pro's use it long time.

I test new stuff as soon as I get my hands on it, but I mostly dump that again.


For me there is SoundToys, Waves, SPL, Brainworx and FabFilter which I always use.
Overloud and Lexicon for nice Reverb too.
Audiodamage stuff is excellent too in some cases.

Same goes for VST-Synth and Sampler.

Using the big names can't be so wrong...!

I see many times new software coming up, being updated every week.
How do they expect me to work with this ? DO I have to run the latest as many people do ?
Is new better...?

Test your self, don't believe me right away and make your own thoughts ?

 

I got this link from here. I'll forward it. This series focuses on the techniques, not the brand of gear, and I learned a lot and am still learning from it, and he K.I.S.S. A good place to start until you gain some of your own experience. http://therecordingrevolution.com/5minutes/ Edit- personally I avoid compression whenever possible. I don't like the sound of it most of the time. If I am just trying too smooth out a few places I would rather ride a fader with automation. Compressors are valuable tools, but except for bass and vocals and gating, where you almost have to have it, I think they are best used sparingly. A lot of people go to them because they are lazy, or they just don't care about or hear the subtle dynamics that too much compression destroys. Even on bass I try too smooth out my actual playing or use mic distance variations on my vocals before I comp.

 

A wealth of useful and relevant information for you here. I agree with Saint and Algae;
until you get a grasp of what each tool is doing or does, it doesn't really matter if you
use the Waves plugIns, or those that come default with your chosen DAW. If/when you have
the time to sit and experiment, you will find your favorite 'go-to' inserts. Everyone has
there own personal preferences. Best of luck

 

I found that as well. I started working my way through them every time I had nothing to do and made a list of what they do and ideas for use.

Try that?
I've not reached the bottom of the list yet, someone else might have and be willing to share? I'll post mine if I remeber when I ever reach the bottom

 

If you think that Waves are the best plugins then you haven't done enough research. The best plugins are the ones that are the most efficient for you to use. They will be different for each person. Some people like colour, while others prefer transparency. It depends on your sound and what works best for you.

 

mastering plugins are like sample CDs
there are 100000000s

waves are ok but not that great

Waves CLA on vocals (try this and never look back)
Voxengo elephant compressor is good on lots of things
ozone mastering - sometimes good sometimes not
izotope alloy -multi Transient Shaper - on drums. (try this and never look back)


it depends on what you are trying to achieve?

find a solution for something - stick to it


you can tighten tracks up using just eq and compressor on the master channel


so many boring avenues with this sort of thing
chasing "gear porn"
"crappy opinions of so called experts"

The stuff built into the sequencer is a good start

also not every track needs eq and compression

 

@ Google,

I don't really understand this comment in the sense of 'tighten up' the tracks... I mean, basically the EQs have been created exactly to avoid the masking of frequencies and to prevent themselves from overlapping, therefore to permit that each track and/or instrument to be listen distinctively and suit well together within a full song. If then you 'tight' the ensemble of your tracks together, I can understand now why sometimes, when I listen to some songs, that they sound and give the impression of being made ​​as a single block...

Another remark is why don't take advantage of the benefits that we have to get the Full Stereo compared to 'old' musicians/sound engineers,... that were unable to get it some decades ago ! And I'm just talking about Stereo, I don't even take in account the emergence of all the different Surround methods ! I mean and is my own opinion, why absolutely want to 'tight' tracks together when we have, for example, the possibility to pan individually all the tracks/instruments and get a great listening sensation thanks to the width of the stereo field in place to have the impression that all the tracks/instruments come from the same place... this is what happens when you 'tight' several tracks together !

To ending this 'tighten tracks... 'chapter, you must take in account that when you use EQ and Compression on the Master Channel, as you recommend, your full 'dynamic' treatment/process affects all the tracks/instruments together (don't forget that you use it on the Master Channel), so whereas for example if you boost the highs (treble) and set a higher 'cut off' (or center point) frequency, all your tracks will incorporate this... then it could be perfect to add brightness to the overall and particularly enhance Hi-Hats, Guitars, Voices,... but at the same time your 'low frequencies' tracks (bass, drum kick,... ) will also change even if only slightly. The same can be applied to compression, all the tracks will follow the same compression scheme, and if some of your individual tracks/instruments have already been compressed initially,... some could sound over-compressed at the final stage.

In one sense, if the majority of the professional DAWs, Consoles, Mixers,... incorporate Compressors, EQs,... on each Channel Strip is that there's a reason for that, don't you think ? There are not available just to make 'smart' and 'look' good !

 

OK here goes

a DJ plays a record has a 3 band EQ on the DJ mixer
add a little bass and reduces the treble to make it less bright

That's called tightening up in my book

as in
it sounds like the other music.
it sounds like the other album tracks
it sounds like the other tracks of the EP
etc

as in it makes it sound like the other music it is being put with

--

compression

Orchestral music .......really quiet bits.....really loud bits.. loveley
pop EDM (Electronic Dance Music) etc ... all mostly pretty loud

any loud bit in the track will stop all the other bits being loud
any loud bass will stop the other bits being loud
any loud bass will also drive a PA too much and reduce the volume etc

so compression on the master will keep a good volume
turn it up listen for "pumping" or "whooshing" then turn it back down a bit
too much compression with make the track sound different especially breakdowns and loud sections

SO

add a little EQ then compression
to "tighten up the track

lesson over


--

option 1

make music and play it to people.
get girls, excite people.. ;)

option 2

is grow a beard and sit around talking about whether one compressor is a "soupçon" more transparent than the other
and become an intellectual conceit


--


unless you want to be a studio engineer that is

http://www.samplemagic.com/books/the-producers-manual

the other book is great, i guess this one is pretty good

 

Exactly. If you choose option 2 you can spend the rest of your life at Gearslutzs, discussing why hardware is better than software, Mp3s are crap compared to vinyl, Skrillex is a commercial fraud consiting of half a dozen producers, music used to be so much better "those days" when the Beatles were still around and so on....