Pumping and Breathing

[nek]

So today I decided to stop dancing around the issue and to face it head on:

I don't know as much about "Pumping and Breathing" as probably should and would like to know.

So I thought, "First stop, online to do a Google search" and I found out that the only websites that can agree on what EXACTLY "Pumping and Breathing" is are the ones that were copying word for word what another website had already said.

Some of the websites that I found disagreeing were from the manufactures of high end compressors like Manley and dbx.

So I still have two questions:

1) What is "Pumping and Breathing" exactly?

2) How do I get rid of it?

Ok, may one more:

3) How could I possibly use "Pumping and Breathing" as a little effect (to add a little something extra, but not completely change the sound)?


Nicholas

[dokushoka]

Originally Posted by nek

So today I decided to stop dancing around the issue and to face it head on:

I don't know as much about "Pumping and Breathing" as probably should and would like to know.

So I thought, "First stop, online to do a Google search" and I found out that the only websites that can agree on what EXACTLY "Pumping and Breathing" is are the ones that were copying word for word what another website had already said.

Some of the websites that I found disagreeing were from the manufactures of high end compressors like Manley and dbx.

So I still have two questions:

1) What is "Pumping and Breathing" exactly?

2) How do I get rid of it?

Ok, may one more:

3) How could I possibly use "Pumping and Breathing" as a little effect (to add a little something extra, but not completely change the sound)?


Nicholas

This is the whole "trick" of compression.

First off, to get an obvious idea of what this is. Put an ambient drum mic through any comp, then set it up with a slow attack and a fast release. You'll hear it right away.

The comp is radically altering the transients of the signal. This can be bad, or...

Try to get it to do it in time to the music. This will make your whole rhythm section hit harder. Think of it this way. Speakers sound best when they are pumping in big, simple motions. More "umph" that way. You can use compression to make the speakers do that better. You've gotta have a tight band though...

[kevinc]

Walters...... ?

[dokushoka]

Heya, I was just thinking I have a song of my site that has a good example of this:

http://sfrecording.com/audio/Containment.mp3

At just about 3:00 in the drums pump big time.

Originally Posted by nek

So I thought, "First stop, online to do a Google search" and I found out that the only websites that can agree on what EXACTLY "Pumping and Breathing" is are the ones that were copying word for word what another website had already said.

I'm surprised Google didn't pull up a few other kinds of websites

[Duffster]

Manley pumping and breathing?

[rlnyc]

Originally Posted by nek

I don't know as much about "Pumping and Breathing" as probably should and would like to know.

So I still have two questions:

1) What is "Pumping and Breathing" exactly?

2) How do I get rid of it?

Ok, may one more:

3) How could I possibly use "Pumping and Breathing" as a little effect (to add a little something extra, but not completely change the sound)?


Nicholas

pumping is what happens when a compressor is heard bringing up the volume after reducing it for peaks, in the quiet sections, so that the signal "pumps" up and down. if the signal pumps, then the compression becomes audible. really quite simple, and if you heard it you would recognise it and never forget it.

breathing is what you hear if you compress vocals so that the compressor brings up the volume after the phrase and increases the volume of the in breath. you actually hear the breathing amplified. that's where they got the term.

sometimes pumping and breathing is great. mostly it is not, and can make the listener seasick. i am not going to tell you how to get rid of it because it is a function of the signal that is being compressed and the parameters on the compressor. so for every signal the parameters might be different, and the threshold for artifacts changes.

if you don't want to hear pumping or breathing, try taking a signal and fooling with the settings till you get more pumping and breathing, and then you'll know what is causing it. then turn the knobs the other way...

or just work with it for a while to minimize the artifacts.

some compressors will foldback the signal so that it gets compressed less each time but more than once. this seems to reduce those artifacts. so you could also use multiple compressors each doing less. that would also reduce pumping and breathing.

but one of the nicest effects in the world is a heavily pumping drum room mic, in the right song. or breathing on a great vocal in the right tune. takes your breath away if it is done right. ymmv.

best,
rlnyc.

[nek]

Originally Posted by jordan19

I'm surprised Google didn't pull up a few other kinds of websites

I know. That's what I thought when I went to search for it. Not one of those websites all day. Can you believe it?




Thanks for the relpies, keep them coming in.

Thanks dokushoka, I'm going to try that "ambient drum mic" idea. Hopefully, that will solidify this in my head.



Nicholas

[nek]

bump