Audio Production Level 2 – Compressors

An in-depth overview of what you will learn in every video and on every section of this course, and what you will be able to do by the end of each section.
Also some useful and practical advice on how to get the most out of the course.

Useful information to help ease your way through this course, what you will already need to know to be able to get the most from it and some of the many compression questions that this course will help you understand and resolve for you

For those of you who have not done my Level 1 course, this lecture explains the differences between theme 3.0m (which I use to teach my courses on) and the current theme 6, currently available. I felt it important to include as there are some fundamental differences Reaper has made to the appearance, which some might find confusing. If you wish to download the same theme as I use, I have included it, along with instructions on how to download, in a zip file in the Resources for this lecture.

Ratio range, Gain Reduction and dynamic range, and an overview on what you will learn in this particular section

Where to start to work out what ratio to use, and how much gain reduction to apply. A demonstration with a one-bar drum loop (drum loop files provided as a download), listening to the loop, working out the dynamic range, using the track meter, the drums used in the drum loop, enlarging the image, looping a snare and noting its peak value, then looping a kik drum and snare noting their peak values, working out the dynamic range, and working out what does and does not need to be turned down. Opening and setting up the Compresser, setting Attack and Release, setting the Ratio to 2:1 and setting the threshold, the gain reduction meter, adjusting the threshold to affect the snare only. Adjusting the output to compensate, listening to the difference with the compresser on and off. Adjusting the Ratio to 4:1 and then to 6:1 for comparison, adjusting the output to compensate and listening to the difference

Continuing in the context of a full mix (multi-track files provided as a download – all marked MT for this multi-track), a breakdown of the different instruments in the multi-track, focussing on a section of the multi-track, where to start on a mix, a basic balance, a listen to the section being used, looking at the vocal wav file and using a compresser to be able to hear all the vocals, setting up the compresser ratio to 2:1, setting up the threshold to affect the loudest vocals only, noting the gain reduction and increasing the output volume accordingly, listening back with the compresser on and off to compare the difference, and doing the same again at a ratio of 4:1

A short overview on what you will learn in this section, plus a look at milliseconds and microseconds

How the attack and release controls affect the audio using a snare drum, the three distinct stages that the snare hit goes through, tuning in to each sound stages of the drum hit, opening up the compresser, setting it up, setting the threshold, adjusting the makeup gain, moving the attack time making it shorter whilst in playback to hear how it affects the sound of the snare, comparing the difference betweeen the two settings, moving the attack time making it longer whilst in playback to hear how it affects the sound of the snare, shortening the the release time and comparing with the original sound of the snare, lengthening the release time and comparing with the original sound, looking at the gain reduction meter, the reason why the longest release settings are not useful, different results with different compressers

How the attack and release controls affect the audio using a pitched intstrument, a guitar, opening the compresser, setting the attack and release times, setting a high ratio and why, setting the threshold and turning up the output gain, moving the attack time making it shorter whilst in playback to hear how it affects the sound of the guitar, comparing the difference betweeen the two settings, moving the attack time making it longer whilst in playback to hear how it affects the sound of the guitar, shortening the the release time and comparing with the original sound of the guitar, lengthening the release time and comparing with the original sound, how the differences are a matter of taste and what is best for the particular song, rather than right or wrong

An overview with block diagrams to explain the theory of how a compresser normally works, what is happening inside the compresser, what the side chain is doing, and how it works

How to set up side chain compression and how it works, an example where you'd use side chain compression, the io button, how to use extra track channels to access the side chain, a demonstration of the audio used to demonstrate this Lecture prior to any compression, why we're using the kik and bass to demonstrate side chain compression, setting up the compression for the bass, accessing the side chain of the compressor, setting up a send via the io button on the kik track, to the bass track, setting the volume, setting up the correct track channels so that the kik is being sent to the bass track via the side chain, setting the threshold effectively, a demonstration of pumping, adjusting the release, how the side chain compression makes room for both the bass and kik

Side Chain filters and EQ, listening to the audio before processing, looking at block diagrams to understand the route the audio takes, adding an EQ to change what the side chain hears, opening the compresser, the built-in side chain EQ, how to engage the preview filter, how to create a band pass filter using the highpass and lowpass controls and what it's doing, why the preview filter needs turning off, altering the threshold and output gain, engaging the highpass filter and comparing the difference, how to set up a fully parametric EQ in the side chain, using the EQ to affect the drum frequency volumes and clarity

What the Peak Compresser deals with, what it does and what it's good for controlling, what RMS means, what it does and what it's good for controlling, looking at the time reference, looking at the Master VU Settings metering for Peak compression and RMS compression, and an explanation of the window size

Listening to RMS compression and Peak compression on the same audio material and comparing and contrasting, introduction to new plugin (link available in notes), floating the compressers for ease of seeing the difference visually, setting up the RMS and Peak compressers, comparing and contrasting the two, using a compresser where you can alter the size of the time reference, how this affects the attack and release

A demonstration of parallel compression in action and the difference it makes to the sound, the different names parallel compression is known by and why, what it is, an example of reverb as a parallel processer, how the parallel compression sounds and what difference it's making

Looking at three methods for applying parallel compression using a drum loop, method 1 and the disadvantage to this method, method 2 using the 'wet' and 'dry' on two different compressers, method 3 using 5 drum tracks, creating a new track and sends, what dictates whether the tracks should be in stereo or mono, setting up sends and explaining whether the send be pre or post fader (and an explanation of what that means), listening to the effect it has, checking volume levels

Looking at the parallel compresser settings, two points about parallel compression to be aware of, a demonstration on where parallel compression doesn't work, whether to use Peak or RMS compressers for Parallel Compression, the four main controls on the compresser and their use within Parallel Compression, testing the amounts of gain reduction with different ratios, listening to the effects from different attack and release, sharing a handy tip

Looking at parallel compression in the context of a full mix, listening to the mix, setting up three separate parallel compression tracks, sending the sends to the buses, setting up a parallel bus track for the three parallel compression tracks

The different names for Mixbus Compression, the two accepted and different ways to set up your Mixbus Compression and an overview of what to expect in this section of the course

Looking at density in a track, comparing before and after, looking at the peak value, looking at the wav files, looking at the output peak and rms meters, the reason why the volumes sound different

Looking at punch, and how to maintain and enhance the punch in a mix, looking at the TAN compresser's individual controls, four pointers to set up the Master bus compresser, setting the compresser up, listening with and without the compression

Although Transient Processers are not compressers per se, they alter the dynamic range of audio, the different names they go by, what they are particularly suited to, how they work, what they do, the names of the two parts that the processer divides the audio into, the volume controls, a demonstration with a transient processer, listening to the before and after of each control, examples of how to get different drum sounds for different types of music

Looking at Dynamic EQ, what it is, how it compresses compared with a normal compresser, the different names for normal compressers, a comparison between a broadband compresser and a dynamic EQ, a demonstration and an explanation of frequency selective compression, an explanation of some of the controls of the Nova Parallel Dynamic Equalizer particularly pertaining to dynamic EQ, how to use a Dynamic EQ and a demonstration of the plug-in on audio