Overhead Compression

[lunale]

Hi everybody!

Question is: Do you like your OHs compressed or uncompressed. What do you aim for when compressing overheads? I.e. are you aiming for long attack and fast release to focus on transients, or do you like to squash transients and aim for those ever lasting cymbals.

Most of the time I don't compress OH just because it sounds weird to me. But I guess I just couldn't get it to sound right. Looking for some tips/tricks here.

thanks everybody!

[tINY]

If you are recording for something to be played on the radio, squish the living hell out of everything - isn't that how it's done?




-tINY

[steveschizoid]

I think it's best not to attack to fast because you usually don't want to dilute the dynamics. The quicker the release the more coloration. I like to EQ pre compressor as well, and that, of course, changes everything.
I have a small room, so I often need to minimize mud in the overheads. Use good outboard gear if you really want it to get interesting.
Aurora Audio Rocks!

[3rd world order]

only comp i ever liked much on OHs was a joemeek SC2... mainly because it clamps down and gets dark when the meathead starts bashing the cymbals like a muppet. long attack, release at 2.3 (magic spot for overshoot), make the meter pump

bringing the attenuator down and cranking the gain on a stereo DW Fearn mic pre is cool too

[lunale]

Originally Posted by tINY

If you are recording for something to be played on the radio, squish the living hell out of everything - isn't that how it's done?




-tINY

Isn't that what happens at the stations anyway?

[Sunim Koria]

I usually compress drum overheads to tame dynamics and bring a little unity to the kit - generally a combination of a low/moderate ratio, a very open attack and a long, natural release time. I aim for the most subtle and natural effect possible, even though the GR can often get pumping up to about 10-12dB. I typically compress overheads in context of the mix, or at least the rest of the kit unless I want to colour/distort the sound in a certain way.

SK

[Nu-tra]

the rnc is good on overheads. Just enough to tame the snare.

[Kadden Heart]

i usually leave OH's uncompressed during tracking and mixing.
i just feel that my whole mix is sterile enough i may as well leave sometihng real in it. lol
that,..and usually the levels aren't bad enough that they are everywhere,..i've actually never seen that,...

just my .02

[A LaMere]

I prefer my overheads compressed...

there are A LOT of compressors that work well on overheads imo.

Different drum sounds require different compression and compressors of course...

[yumdrum]

Are we talkin' tracking or mixing?

[Sigma]

sometimes i like the 120 ms attack1.1 - 1.5 second release in an opto mode release characteristic with 3-8 db of squash..the cymbals ring into tommorow

[ScumBum]

I don't like to compress overheads , I like an open real sound with all the transients .

But If the drummer sucks or I want a cool effect then , yeah bust out the 1176 and Squash away !!

[Winey]

When I do compress them I usually like a pair of 1176's, an 1178, or a pair of distressors. I think the excitment of a drum performance lives in the overhead mics. I'm in the minority as I tend to squash the overs a bit, but I don't compress the room too much.
If I have a harsh cymbal basher I sometimes do the opposite, eq for clarity leaving the overs uncompressed, then compress the rooms fast to get everything pumping a bit.
Wherever the performance guides me.

[DesertDawg]

I tend to NOT want to compress OH's, but it really depends on the player & the song... if the guy is inconsistent with regard to how hard he bashes the crashes or rides the ride, i'll use a faster attack to level things off a bit - sometimes this is better than trying to implement ninefarkingingmillion automation moves. Other than that, it really mainly depends on the song & the genre, really. Whatever works... this is definitely one of those "there are no rules" kinda things.

[lunale]

Originally Posted by yumdrum

Are we talkin' tracking or mixing?

I think we're talking mixing here. Compressing OHs during tracking is very dangerous, isn't it?

[George Necola]

Originally Posted by lunale

I think we're talking mixing here. Compressing OHs during tracking is very dangerous, isn't it?

you mean dangerous like potential terrorists playing a bomb-online-game?

if you know what you are doing it's not "dangerous".

[Jules]

As I usually feed all the drums into a parallel drum bus compression set up.. I found that compressing overheads was restricting my dynamic control at mixdown time.

But at the same time I found listening to uncompressed drums all day on a project pretty dreary, so I hit upon the solution - to monitor my drums, right from the tracking stage, through a compressor plug in..

This method gives that 'classy' rock band cymbal sustain on monitor mixes from day one.. and still leaves the final decisions on dynamic control - totally open at mixdown stage.. (and totally open for another person to mix it)

I used to do this before I was using a DAW on 2" tape sessions I would set up an SSL bus compressor just for the drums and monitor the drums through that.

[lunale]

Originally Posted by George Necola

you mean dangerous like potential terrorists playing a bomb-online-game?

yeah dangerous like that!

[audiovisceral]

do you guys generally comp them as a linked stereo pair or individually?

[stevesmithfan]

In my drum studio, I never compress the Overheads, over the years I've developed some natural compression in my playing, I hit the drums with some authority and crash the cymbals with control (soft touch). If every drummer had this technique, there wouldn't be a need for compression on drums.

[lunale]

Originally Posted by audiovisceral

do you guys generally comp them as a linked stereo pair or individually?

A linked stereo pair would be best in such a situation cause it will leave the image untouched. If only one channel triggers the comp into gain reduction, the other channel will get the same GR. So the balance of the channels will stay the same.

Of course you can use them unlinked, but I cannot see why you would want to do that with OHs.

[lunale]

Originally Posted by stevesmithfan

If every drummer had this technique, there wouldn't be a need for compression on drums.

That's true if you use compression only for leveling. However, I tend to use compression more for effect. Especially with drums. When only leveling is needed, I go for automation most of the time.

[Aarhus Lydstudie]

Originally Posted by audiovisceral

do you guys generally comp them as a linked stereo pair or individually?

I newer had any succes compressing the OHs with unlinked compressors. The stereo image always gets a bit funny/blurry in my opinion. I almost always use XY stereo for OH, perhaps that limits my options in that regard?

[dykstraster@gmai]

parrellel compression here... low pass the compressed version with a touch of high pass, high pass the natural.

[lunale]

Originally Posted by dykstraster@gmai

parrellel compression here... low pass the compressed version with a touch of high pass, high pass the natural.

That's interesting. Most likly this will give the smack of the toms and snare, while not taming the cymbals down too far, right?

[wshaw]

[quote=If every drummer had this technique, there wouldn't be a need for compression on drums.[/QUOTE]

You're right. But . . .

The other piece is that the crashes have to be capable of actually crashing, rather than clanking, when struck softly. If, like many crashes, you have to wallop 'em to get a good sound out of them, then your suggestion isn't an option.

I went through this myself a few years ago, and after a lot of searching decided that for pop, Zildjian's A Custom crashes were the best--precisely because they ring sweetly even with just a glancing strike. I got myself a pair of 17s--one a regular A Custom crash, the other a "fast crash," and I remain completely happy with them.

[stevesmithfan]

I crash the cymbals just enough to get a crash sound, not a ride sound. That's a good point.
Here's me playing a solo using the Moeller technique (triplets in each hand) across the drumset. I hit the crashes just enough to get a crash sound.
Give it a listen.
SoundClick artist: Improv Jazz Drums - page with MP3 music downloads

[seaneldon]

If the drum tracks are just "too dynamic" for the rest of the band (sometimes known as: awesome drummer in a shitty band) then I'll BARELY kiss my overheads with compression. Medium slow attack and a very long release so the meter lands on (and doesn't move from) 3-ishdB of gain reduction during the "big" parts. I love our Thermionic Phoenix for these purposes because of how smooth and hairy it can be in this application. I'm usually linking it for stereo, but I'll always flip the switch once or twice to hear it in dual mono.

With some more finicky/touchy compressors, being even a c-hair too early on the release can make your cymbals will pump like a bass cabinet and wash like water.

Parallel compression can do quite a bit for adding invisible weight to the quieter parts. Doesn't always work, but I've gotten a good sense of when it will and when it won't. To be honest, though, I usually leave the OH tracks OFF of the parallel buss. I can get the compressed sound to be more what I want if I just overload it with room mics, kick, and snare instead.

[danbronson]

I like this thread.

[stevesmithfan]

My sound link above has Parallel Compression on the close drum mics, I love it.