mix buss compressor settings

[Jimmi Accardi]

Hi folks,
This is my first post. I'd like to know if anyone could suggest some good compressor settings for mix buss.
Thanks,
Punch

[Telecastr]

welcome to gearslutz...
there's no way to tell what the settings would need to be without actually hearing the mix. it's completely dependant on the song itself. sorry, but the best help that can be given is to slap it on there and use your ears.

[Jimmi Accardi]

Well I quess what I'm looking for is something general as far as ratio/attack/release, very subtle, just enough to 'sheen' it up without pumping or slamming...something ballpark to get me started.

[MASSIVE Master]

Same answer - there is no ballpark setting. Every mix will have a different setting - Ratio, attack and release will be dictated by the volume, speed and dynamics of the mix. And of course, those settings will also differ from engineer to engineer.

You're just going to have to twist some knobs.

[dave-G]

Just to elaborate on the "same answer" pileup ...

Sometimes it's easier to learn about what a compressor can do by working first to make your mix sound like shit through it. Find the settings that kill your mix, and then discover how to make them stop killing it... With that, you might well be on the way to doing something good with it.

a process of elimination.

it'll train your ears. And I guarantee that once you've seen how some settings that injured one mix can be superb on another, you'll find yourself posting answers like Telecastr and Massive on someone else's thread.

Happy squeezing.

-dave

[PaRaNoId]

Also, be sure to constantly bypass the mix buss comp to see if you are helping or hurting. It is easy to get carried away, and this stuff can be like brain surgery.... I would also suggest that u start at lower ratios with high attack times.

[Telecastr]

Originally posted by PaRaNoId
I would also suggest that u start at lower ratios with high attack times.

i would generally agree with this for a starting point, but as dave-g said, what works on one mix may kill another. mix bus compression is a lot harder to give suggestions on without hearing a song.

[Jimmi Accardi]

"Low ratio and higher attack times" (as somewhere to start) was about all I was asking for.
Basically since I'm new here (first post), I was just trying to break the ice, say hello, start a conversation and see what some of you do with mix buss compression.
I'm not new to recording and have recently been compressing my submixes more rather than in the 2 mix buss. I know that all songs and mixes sound different and call for different settings based on varying styles, etc. Just wondering if anybody here has had success with submix compression as opposed to overall mix compression. Does anyone here work that way?
Again... thanks for all your replies,
Punch

[Slider]

I love sub mix compression.
I'll set up a few and start sending things to them.
Sometimes I'll blend and sometimes I just use the compressed sub mix of things.
Even a mono compressor is cool to add weight to the center of certain elements.
I like to have a few different flavors, start sending and see what works.

I have even started doing this in the computer sometimes, which works better than I thought it would.

Here is the approach I use mostly on Mix buss.

I start with a light ratio, less than say 6:1, maybe 4:1.
I then set the threshold to make sure the comp is doing something.
I set the attack and release as fast as possible.

Your mix should sound real bad at this point.

Then back the attack off until you are getting the transients and topend you want.
The back off the release and listen for the bloom(?) OR body of the mix to fill out.

If possible do this on a comp that has no markings like a Summit so that you have to use your ears.

I tend to usually end up with an attack in the 50-100ms range and a release in the 200ms+ rangs for the stuff I work on but, I have gone out of this range a million times as well.

I find that taking your compressors to the extremes will also help you use them in the future as you will learn the color and hear it at lower settings.

BTW: take this with a grain of salt. I suck and truly have no idea what I am doing. But, I will share.


D

[Reptil]

ROFL
ahhaahhaahha
share the suck

I agree

[e-cue]

Start here:
Ratio 3:1
Attack 25 ms (make sure your attack of the kick and snare don't get squished into suckeyness)
Release 15 ms
Softer knee, slope, or over-easy mode if that option is available
Adjust threshold to take off 3db at the very extreme part of the track

[sarcasm]This will work perfectly each time on whatever you send into it, whether it's a ballad, an up tempo, or accapella performance. Pack up your bags Blackwood, you are no longer needed.[/sarcasm]

Seriously though, if you are just starting to experiment with compression (and/or limiting, or anything on your 2 mix), do your mastering engineer a big favor and print versions without it. It's actually a great learning experience to send an unprocessed version to mastering, then do your own pseudo-mastering job and comparing the 2 when you get the mastered version back.

Use your ears, if the mix sucks it doesn't matter, if the room your are in sucks you are effed in the ozarks anyhoo, if the players suck it won't matter, if the song sucks your are screwed anyway, blah blah blah, etc, and all that other sh¡t you should already know. This topic comes up in waves so I'm sure a quick use of the search engine here will provide some additional info for you. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

[Jimmi Accardi]

Thanks for the replies.
I tend to use even less of a ratio...more like 2:1 and set the threshold to just where I hear it working (compressing). My attack and release setting vary considerably based on the impact of the sound I'm going for. Someone here (PaRaNoid) said "higher attack times" . What do you mean by "Higher"... Faster? More or less attack?
Punch

[Leo Goler]

I usually begin with very high ratio and deep treshold for more obvious effect during attack/release setup. I get ratio back at around 2:1

[picksail]

Watch those release times. Even the slightest increase in time will diminish the width, depth and overall perception of soundstage.

I would start with a slow attack then gradually decrease it to determine what is happening to your mix- it should be obvious. You don't want to compromise any pertinent transient information by setting the attack time too fast.

That being said, get the mix the way you want it then, if necessary, use a 2Buss compressor to discreetly 'glue' the mix together and round off some of the annoying peaks. Sometimes nothing at all is required.

I too, prefer a ratio of 2:1 but it all depends upon the source material.

[sid]

Punch,

Do a search here for thread "Mixing through a compressor on the stereo buss Charles Dye " It is a thread with lots of good info re this.