Tips for final compression I.T.B.

[Charlie-O]

Good Bus Compressor (Plug In)

Anyone care to share there ideas for compression on the Master fader?

Good plugins..... Analog sounding results?


Lately Ive been using bombfactory 1176 .... the resulsts are okay but, I dont think iI have enough experience for goo attack and release settings for hip hop..... anybody care to share some ideas on that subjet? It would be greatly appreciated.

[Alécio Costa]

I rarely use it. I don´t think I have a real good 2mix comp to handle that task. Just mix as best as I can and let the big squueze for the next chapter, serious mastering or junior mastering, depending on budget.

[Ahellam]

I dont really do that either... T-Racks compressor is what I use if I am going to compress but I dont set the ratio above 1.5/1 and dont drive the compressor at all, in face I just like to use the "stereo enhance" feature on it. For mastering I love T-Racks limiter.

[JonCraig]

I've never been able to use the BF76 on a two mix with much luck, either. I like the T-Racks Mastering suite okay, in very small doses. What i've seen work best, however, is the waves Ren Comp. i just wish i could afford it.

[JB3]

CharlieO-

I find it rare when doing rawk ITB to be able to get the right 'glue' on the mix without compression. That being said, I find more often than not that I use more than one form of compression on the master bus when ITB...

Try using one of the McDSP Analog Channel PI's for a little flavor boost (tape saturation/bus compression) to then slam your 1176 into whatever you use for dither and limiting, such as the L1. Might seem like overkill, but with the right balance of flavoring, you might really enjoy the stew. (The double compression trick is actually one of the hints from the Waves 'Techniques' pages on their website and in their books...my version is just a variation on the theme...YMMV!)

Also, a side note, if you plan on using compression on the 2 bus, have it there as you mix...

Happy mixing

...JB

[Imagine]

I've had a lot of success using Digidesign's Impact. Depending on what you do, I'm using it primarily for rock music. Without over doing it, I get a real nice punch. YMMV

[Dutchmuzik]

Agree, Impact is very nice.

[pony]

Try this my friend for the dopest sound in the land:

Master Fader:

TC Master X-

Turn off the expander
Turn off the limiter
Set the Compressor to 2 to 1 ratio
and adjust your output level, I usually set it to -3.0
Now don't touch anything else at all!!!

DUY Wide
Set it to about 30
And adjust the output level

Don't limit at all leave that for the mastering guy. believe me this will put your mixes in a class far superior to the one you're in now.
Welcome to awesome sound!!!!!!

P.S. Always and I repeat always have these plug-ins on at all times. Pretend that they were just there to begin with.

[Charlie-O]

Thx for the get back....


Ive been using the sony dynamics compressor on its bus setting also..... Im actually starting my mixes with this in the master fader....Getting pretty good results. Anyone else tryed this plug?


The sony dynamics plug is great, I just wish the delay wasnt so bad!


Ive heard the fairchild 660 is goo for bus compress also...

[Curve Dominant]

Ive heard the fairchild 660 is good for bus compress also...

Try that plug with the Time Constant set to 1.

Now adjust the Input gain and the Threshold so the needle occasionally goes to -2dB at the most.

Hint: You shouldn't "hear" the compression, so much as "glue" the mix together. Nowhere should the compressor kick in so hard that the whole mix volume ducks out. You just want to set it so the quieter elements of the mix "fill out" to a tasteful degree, while the louder elements stay pretty much where they're supposed to be.

When you bypass the 660 (or any mixbus comp for that matter), the mix should sound thinner. If it doesn't, the comp's not set right.

OR, there's something wrong with your mix. Like, for example, boominess building up due to the kick and the bassline crashing into each other's frequency ranges. Stuff like that will make a mixbus compressor freak out and sound weird.

Which tells you that a mixbus compressor will not make a bad mix sound better, but worse actually.

It's like with cornbread. If you put melted butter on a bad tasting cornbread, it just makes a more disgusting mess. Make a good bisquit first, THEN spread some butter on it.

Make a really nice mix without the mixbus comp, a mix that's good enough to listen to by itself. Then spread a little buttery mixbus compression on it. Like the butter on the bisquit, the mixbus comp should make the mix sound just A LITTLE bit better.

[muzik333]

I see where you guys are coming from as far as mixing through the compressor but I wouldn't quite go as far as leaving it in from the VERY start of the mix. I've had good experience getting the song balanced, tweaking eq's and individual channel compression FIRST. Then, there is always that magical time after that and before final automation tweaks and Lead Vocal/Instrument rides that I like to place the 2 bus compressor inline. I pay very careful attention to what the compressor is doing to my mix. Some helpful things to listen for while A/B-ing the compressor in and out of the bus:

1. How is it changing the tone of the Lead Instrument/Vocal? If I hear a change in tone, do I like that change?

2. How is this handling transient attacks such as the snare drum and moments in the song when everybody accents a certain rhythm? A/B this to see if it is sucking up too much of the dynamic. This is a good place to mess with attack/release times.

3. What is this doing to the low end and do I like it?

There are just a few things I've been messing with when I've been messing with bus compression (rock/jazz/R&B). Let me know what you guys think . . .

[Charlie-O]

I just got the sony inflator plug... in the manual it says that it would react like a analog master bus when used on the master fader through outy the mixing process.... ill be trying this i=on my mix today... ill let everyone know how it came out... perhaps put a piece of my modest mixes here for you guys to check out.....


I know theres a way to get this ITB stuff right... People are doing it and sounding goood!

[Curve Dominant]

I know theres a way to get this ITB stuff right... People are doing it and sounding goood!

I totally agree.

Dave Rietzas mixed Barbra Streisand's "The Movie Album" totally ITB. And I've heard Barbra is NOT one who tolerates compromises in quality on her productions.

Once you start approaching ITB with the attitude that it CAN be done, you stop making excuses for it, and start figuring out ways to make it work.

[cdog]

The Sony Inflator is my favorite for this task, I like the 660 or Logic Ad-Limiter also....

[Charlie-O]

c-dog


Im trying the inflator right now just wondering if you could give me some good suggestions for settings.... BTW i produce and mmix hiphop... Grimey Dre type of stuff.

[LumenStudio]

I just tried the Voxengo PolySquasher for this task. It seems very transparent which is what I wanted. Seems promising.