Help with Buss Compression in Logic 8

[jsrockit]

I'm trying to get away from compressing my drums individually via insert effects and to try to do it via a buss in order to get that glue effect that people talk about. The only problem is that I just don't get how to do it... if I try via sends, then I'm not sure how to work the knob that is on the send. If I just make a buss in an aux channel... it seems a bit hard to work as well.

Which way is the easier way to handle what I want to accomplish for a compression novice? Additionally, should I basically route all drums to this buss and then remix all other tracks around the drums running through the buss?

Sorry if I'm not using the right terminology, and this is bit embarrassing to ask, but I want to learn.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Insomniaclown]

The easiest way to get a send going in Logic is to click on the empty box under "sends" in the channel strip. Go to Bus, and select an unassigned bus (such as bus 1). Logic will automatically create an auxillary that is assigned to that bus. Alternatively, if you already have a bus, click on the first box under the I/O section, go to bus, and select an unassigned bus. Then go to the send on the channel you want to send, and select that bus from the menu.

The knob controls the amount of signal that you send over to the bus. If you roll it all the way up (+6.0), you are effectively sending all of your signal over. If you want the bus to be independent from your source, then choose the pre fader option.

As to compression, if you are looking for transparency, send some of your signal over to the compressor, and then mix the bus level so that your compressed sound sits in behind your uncompressed sound. The amount of compression is up to you. The smaller the amount of gain reduction, the more transparent. Typically drums will be grouped into Kick/snare/maybe toms into one compressor, and then other percussion elements (overheads, rooms, maybe toms, etc) into another.

I hope this helps somewhat. I have been told that I suck at explanations when I am not fully caffeinated, which I am not right now, but will be soon.

[Insomniaclown]

I thought I'd just explain one more thing about bussing in Logic. The difference between a bus and an aux. The Auxillary channel is the actual physical channel strip in Logic. The bus is the way that you connect your audio channels to your auxillary channels. Most of the time my bus channels and auxillary channels match (bus1=aux1, bus 2=Aux2), but they don't have to.

Consider what sound you are going for before you start applying compression. Gluing drums together can be as simple as applying a little reverb on a bus. If it's density your after, then parallel compression is the ticket. Have you looked over the tips & techniques section?

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by jsrockit

The only problem is that I just don't get how to do it... if I try via sends, then I'm not sure how to work the knob that is on the send. If I just make a buss in an aux channel... it seems a bit hard to work as well.

Treat and compress your drum channels individually first.

Then change the output of the drum channels (don't use sends) to an Aux with a Bus, i.e. Aux 1 with Bus 1.

Here's a screenshot attached.

Insert a compressor on the bus. Try one of these compressor presets as a start:
SSL 4000 G presets for Logic 8 Compressor (download)

You could also use sends to a bus and insert a compressor on the bus, but then you're doing parallel compression instead. This requires you to set some radically different settings in the compressor.