Compression Part II

Hi people. Thanks for stopping by

So….where was I? . Release time…the most misunderstood control ever!. However, first I want you to have a listen to a couple of clips showing right and wrong knee slopes (as mentioned in part 1 of the compression…..again!!?? article)

I’ll re cap….The knee setting adjusts how fast the compression sets in. The biggest sign for me is how steady the image is. Have a listen to these and see if you hear it.

Knee ...

wrong at 12db

Knee wrong at 12db by PublicSpacesLab

Knee correct at 13db

Knee correct at 13db by PublicSpacesLab

What you’re listening for is an unsteady image. It’s moving about slightly in the wrong clip, and more solid in the correct one. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t hear any difference!. In tracking and mixing, this isn’t really a big problem, but in mastering, it affects the whole sound. Possibly adding to a few more minor discrepancies to make one large one!.

Right, back to release times

The technical explanation….how long it takes for the compressor to ‘release’ gain reduction after the signal drops below the set threshold. Yaaaawn, What does it really mean??, it means it’s a blend control, but make no mistake….it makes or breaks your sound!. My first subtle tip is this…..DON’T SIT LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS!! (and yes, I know there aren’t any on this pic hehe). Shut your eyes and drag the release control around until the sound either blends , or pumps nicely, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.

As with most of the other controls, it will work in a few different places, I see it like the gain reduction stepping off of different parts of the mix, giving a different feel to the whole track with each, but check them all and find the best one for the sound you want.

Auto release?

Hmmm, some of the models get it right, but just check with a manual setting anyway, As I’ve said before, why trust your sound to a computer’s decision! . If there are big tempo/rhythm/instrument changes in the tune, you’ll need to check the release times for each section. It really is a tempo based deal. Some compressors offer a ‘hold’ function. This basically holds the gain reduction for a set period before going to the release phase. It’s just another blend control. With my main comp, I find the auto release and a small Hold setting does what I want. Be careful using higher hold times, as it can alter the feel of the material.

The most important control….

Is…….the gain control into the compressor!. No good spending time with all the other settings , if you don’t keep a good level through them. In fact, the more good work you can do with the track levels, the cleaner the compression will be. So don’t be afraid to ride it in places. One of the first things to do when mastering any track, is adjust the levels for each section.

What you’re looking to do, is keep the perceived volume about the same. Forget the meters!. This is to mainly make setting up comp and limiting a bit easier. Once I’ve got all the dynamics tools doing what I want, I go back and write the gain level into the compression in real time. Shaving 1 or 2 db off the input in places, can make for a slightly different feel.

Especially if you’re hitting the multiband first. Slight gain changes into that can be quite creative, but there’s not a lot of room for movement. Not enough gain can make the settings invalid (couldn’t think of a more human word for that), and hitting the thresholds with too much level will just squash the sound.

Once again, I’ve run out of words this time. There are a few more things I want to say on the subject, also a few more audio examples of right and wrong/creative settings etc. So if this has been of any help, be sure to check back for upcoming posts.

Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me if you need anything

Tone (Puretone Mastering)

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