Parallel Compression

[Tim Farrant]

How many people here use parallel compression and what are your tricks? What are some good combinations of compressor? What does it work best on, vocals, instruments etc...?

Cheers
Tim.

(PS; If you don't know what I'm talking about here, it's feeding a track (or mix) into 2 different compressors or 2 compressors with different settings and blending the outputs of each one. Or sometimes you might just blend the output of a single compressor with the original signal).

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Tim Farrant

How many people here use parallel compression and what are your tricks? What are some good combinations of compressor? What does it work best on, vocals, instruments etc...?

Cheers
Tim.

(PS; If you don't know what I'm talking about here, it's feeding a track (or mix) into 2 different compressors or 2 compressors with different settings and blending the outputs of each one. Or sometimes you might just blend the output of a single compressor with the original signal).

Tim not to be a jerk, but this has been covered on many threads before.

If you do a search you will find many uses.

Basically the usual suspects(all drums and drumsub),bass,guitars and vocals.

Really anything.

The trick is finding which comps work best for what and what are you are trying to bring out.

In the past i've posted about breaking it down to the envelope(attack,decay,sustain and release) and using different chains for each at times.

[Tim Farrant]

Right - didn't even cross my mind to do a search - will do!

Series compression interests me as well...

Tim.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Tim Farrant

Right - didn't even cross my mind to do a search - will do!

Series compression interests me as well...

Tim.

What i look for the most is which comps let me manipulate the sustain and decay the most.

That way i can layer them or pick and choose on different parts of the song.

Here its also possible to thicken the sounds.

The compresors that give you insane attack i've noticed are normally the older units.

A newer unit to me like the Transient Designer lacks the depth i can get with 2 comps for some reason.

[418]

Parallel compression is your FRIEND.

[Jules]

Michael Brauer (Spelling) is mad keen on this there is a great article floating around on his method that is WELL worth looking up, I am sure it was in Tape Op.

[TheSweetener]

I very nice thing is the Dolby Spectral EQ, where you have three bands of (extreeeeme) parallel compression that you can add to your signal. Even the crossovers are editable. Cool for tracking, mixing, mastering.
Parallel compression made easy!

[7rojo7]

Vox>
mult or buss>
HPF 400 Hz> LPF 4kHz>
1176 20:1 slow attack slow release, set it so the needle never really makes it back to 0 not more than 8dB GR>
add it to the original just enough to hear it make a difference in presence buss these into a compressor set up for music not speech or an LA2A or LA3A type setting. Vocals you can hear at any volume. you can send only the filtered compressed track to the effect if you like.

[JohnMcD]

I looooove parallel compression. I use it to thicken things up. Just think flour in broth equals gravy. Where would I be without this nectar of the gods for pro audio? Parallel compression can also ruin things real quick. Bad attack and release times can really make things muddy and you'll lose a lot of detail real quick. But when done right, this method rocks! Someone should just make a two channel box that only does parallel compression.

Now if I can only find out how Katz did his K-Stereo technique before his DD-2.....


-John

[roughly]

Originally Posted by JohnMcD

Now if I can only find out how Katz did his K-Stereo technique before his DD-2.....
-John

John - Gary Katz or Bob Katz ? or ....... if Bob would it be in his book ? Just a thought, sorry if this a dumb question.

- jeffrey


PS - hey Jules do you have a link on that? i've looked around on the net a bit and i lost many of our tapeOp in "the great flood" -- don't ask.

[RoundBadge]

Here's the brauer article .pretty much covers it,of course it'd be nice to have a console with 3 -4 stereo busses at my house like some of use guy's got
http://www.mbrauer.com/articles/tapeop.asp?pp=1

[silverdisk]

Originally Posted by JohnMcD

I looooove parallel compression. I use it to thicken things up. Just think flour in broth equals gravy. Where would I be without this nectar of the gods for pro audio? Parallel compression can also ruin things real quick. Bad attack and release times can really make things muddy and you'll lose a lot of detail real quick. But when done right, this method rocks! Someone should just make a two channel box that only does parallel compression.

Now if I can only find out how Katz did his K-Stereo technique before his DD-2.....


-John

Yes that would be kool. He discussed this box on the Glenn Meadows forum, and eventually posted a link to his U.S. patent. I looked it up..... and it is hard to understand through the way it is worded. From what I could make out, it uses some combination of difference channel prcessing, combines with discreet delays and possible phase manipulation along with parallel processing. Something to do with amience extraction and enhancement of what is already in the recording



Heres a link to the patent

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...l&r=0&f=S&l=50


let us know if you can figure it out!

[Tim Farrant]

Thanks for the link Roundbadge, great article.

Tim.

[7rojo7]

K > tape out from half normalled patch point > 1176 in wallop mode >bring back to the desk and cut the lo s and high s >mix with original
This lets the Kik remain dynamic yet you always hear the the point and poof, the eq points depend on the song
You don't have to use too much of the processed signal to make a big difference

[Shan]

Originally Posted by Jules

Michael Brauer (Spelling) is mad keen on this there is a great article floating around on his method that is WELL worth looking up, I am sure it was in Tape Op.

Yeah, I had this bookmarked at one time but cant seem to find it. It was an amazing article!! I cant seem to track it down.

Anyone have a link??

Shane

[Shan]

Found it here.

His website might have further info.

Shane