01-15-2008, 04:55 PM
NuEra,
The idea of the prominent low energy of bass/kicks drivign compression is true. This is why some compressors have a filter on the sidechain, so you can remove those freqs from triggering it if desired.
I do agree that compressing the drums as a group is helpful, mainly as it gets the transients of the kick and snare working together, more defined.
You can also accomplish this by running a compressor over the whole track, but then you have to watch out you don't over do it as the track can loose some 'air'.
I've done a bit of that 'backbussing' compression but generally don't find it necessary.
What I mean about the control verses size is that compresion has the effect of both controlling yet in many cases making things less 'big'. This might sound counter to what you'd think as compression is touted as making things 'phatter. It can easily have the opposite effect. I went through a stage of compressing things more than necessary. I achieved a very tight controlled sound but at the trade off of it breathing and having the weight that it should have.
You want your drums controlled enough to sound together, but not so compressed that they get flat and lifeless. Hopefully that makes sense.
The idea of the prominent low energy of bass/kicks drivign compression is true. This is why some compressors have a filter on the sidechain, so you can remove those freqs from triggering it if desired.
I do agree that compressing the drums as a group is helpful, mainly as it gets the transients of the kick and snare working together, more defined.
You can also accomplish this by running a compressor over the whole track, but then you have to watch out you don't over do it as the track can loose some 'air'.
I've done a bit of that 'backbussing' compression but generally don't find it necessary.
What I mean about the control verses size is that compresion has the effect of both controlling yet in many cases making things less 'big'. This might sound counter to what you'd think as compression is touted as making things 'phatter. It can easily have the opposite effect. I went through a stage of compressing things more than necessary. I achieved a very tight controlled sound but at the trade off of it breathing and having the weight that it should have.
You want your drums controlled enough to sound together, but not so compressed that they get flat and lifeless. Hopefully that makes sense.
