One compressor, stereo bus? OTB mix.

[Rufuss Sewell]

Hi, I'm just starting to do mixes out of the box for the first time. I'm using a Daking 32 channel board and Logic 7. I'd like to put a compressor on the drum bus and mix it back in with the original. I have a hardware LA-2A from the 60's and a UA 6176 which has an 1176LN reissue in it. Both are single channel compressors. I also have some crappy stereo compressors like a DBX266xl and a Yamaha GC2020. I also have some digital outboard stereo compressors to choose from like the TC Electronic Gold Channel and a Kurzweil K2600 that has very nice stereo compressors identical to the KSP8.

My question is, with the nice analog compressors, do you guys see a problem with bouncing the left and right channels separately and then just mixing those in with the original? I'd prefer to use my nice analog compressors, but again I only have one channel of each. In other words which of these options do you think would work best:

Option A:

Bounce the L and R signals of a Logic drum bus separately through one of the single channel compressors and back into Logic, then just mix that stereo signal with the separate drum tracks at mix time.

A1: LA-2A
A2: UA 6176 (1176LN reissue)

Option B:

Create a stereo bus on the Daking for the drums and send them to one of my stereo compressors. This will give me the added benefit of summing the drum bus with the Daking rather than ITB in Logic. But I won't be able to use my cool compressors.

B1: TC Electronic Gold Channel (digital)
B2: Kurzweil K2600 (digital)
B3: DBX266xl
B4: Yamaha GC2020

Option C:

Just use a plug-in and call it a day.

Are there any other options (without buying anything new 'cus I'm broke) I'm not seeing? Of course I will try them all and pick the one that sounds best, but any suggestions from you guys are always appreciated.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

Option C:

Just use a plug-in and call it a day.

Never in a million years.

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

Are there any other options (without buying anything new 'cus I'm broke) I'm not seeing? Of course I will try them all and pick the one that sounds best, but any suggestions from you guys are always appreciated.

Option D:


Buss your drums to a mono send and feed one comp.


Mix that in with your drums.


Its been done for years(i still do it).


Its a misnomer to think that a drum parallel has to be in stereo.

[Natural Mystic]

I hear ya thrill, even though I mix in the box these days, mixing back a mono send with compression still seems to give the drums more impact than without. And I really like the 1176 in the UA6176 aside from what most people think of it. Definatly give that one a shot first. Can you do hardware inserts in Logic like you can in Nuendo?

[brendondp]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

Its a misnomer to think that a drum parallel has to be in stereo.

For the last two projects I've worked on drums have gone out as a mono aux, and been sent through a Fulltone 69 distortion pedal for some hair and dirt.

Mixed back in with the stereo signal - no worries.

Cheers,

bdp

[Rufuss Sewell]

Ah, Option D. I didn't think of that. I just figured it would mess up the stereo image and was out of the question, but I'll give it a shot.

[dokushoka]

I frequently make mono drum subs. Its nice for getting a good center image. Your 1176 would be an excellent candidate for this!

[Rufuss Sewell]

So I'm getting the impression that most of you actually PREFER a mono comp for the drum bus?

Does anyone prefer a stereo chain?

[Mike Caffrey]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

Hi, I'm just starting to do mixes out of the box for the first time. I'm using a Daking 32 channel board and Logic 7. I'd like to put a compressor on the drum bus and mix it back in with the original. I have a hardware LA-2A from the 60's and a UA 6176 which has an 1176LN reissue in it. Both are single channel compressors. I also have some crappy stereo compressors like a DBX266xl and a Yamaha GC2020. I also have some digital outboard stereo compressors to choose from like the TC Electronic Gold Channel and a Kurzweil K2600 that has very nice stereo compressors identical to the KSP8.

My question is, with the nice analog compressors, do you guys see a problem with bouncing the left and right channels separately and then just mixing those in with the original? I'd prefer to use my nice analog compressors, but again I only have one channel of each. In other words which of these options do you think would work best:

Option A:

Bounce the L and R signals of a Logic drum bus separately through one of the single channel compressors and back into Logic, then just mix that stereo signal with the separate drum tracks at mix time.

A1: LA-2A
A2: UA 6176 (1176LN reissue)

Option B:

Create a stereo bus on the Daking for the drums and send them to one of my stereo compressors. This will give me the added benefit of summing the drum bus with the Daking rather than ITB in Logic. But I won't be able to use my cool compressors.

B1: TC Electronic Gold Channel (digital)
B2: Kurzweil K2600 (digital)
B3: DBX266xl
B4: Yamaha GC2020

Option C:

Just use a plug-in and call it a day.

Are there any other options (without buying anything new 'cus I'm broke) I'm not seeing? Of course I will try them all and pick the one that sounds best, but any suggestions from you guys are always appreciated.

You could try setting you drum compression with everything in mono, then panning, increasing the level by 3dB into the compressor and priting the L/R separately.

You could do the same, and print the drum compression in mono. Then in the mix, pan the uncompressed signal and just use your parallel compression in mono. That could sound very cool.

Or, just go for a "creative" sound. Beyond the Beatles, I've heard tons of cool recordings where there wasn't symmetry between the left and right, both overall and just the drums.

Why not use one for the left and one for the right and don't worry if it's wacked. Just treat it as the first Oblique Strategy "Treat the accident as hidden intention."

[dokushoka]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

So I'm getting the impression that most of you actually PREFER a mono comp for the drum bus?

Does anyone prefer a stereo chain?

I like the stereo compression to be on the mix buss.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

So I'm getting the impression that most of you actually PREFER a mono comp for the drum bus?

Does anyone prefer a stereo chain?

I do whatever sounds good.

Sometimes its mono.

Alot these days is in stereo.

[Cojo]

If you have one mono compressor and that compressor has a sidechain input then you can make a stereo compression. If you connect a monomixed signal of left and right to your compressors sidechain and then record left and right chanel one at a time (with the same settings on the compressor). By doing like this you remain the stereo image.

Unfortunatly I don't think the LA2a and the 6176 has sidechain inputs but it't a tip anyway!

/Cojo

[Kalite Marka]

Originally Posted by Cojo

If you have one mono compressor and that compressor has a sidechain input then you can make a stereo compression. If you connect a monomixed signal of left and right to your compressors sidechain and then record left and right chanel one at a time (with the same settings on the compressor). By doing like this you remain the stereo image./Cojo

NO! By doing like this you screw-up the stereo image!

[Cojo]

Originally Posted by Kalite Marka

NO! By doing like this you screw-up the stereo image!

Why would you mess the stereo image if you feed a L/R monomix of the stereo track (before compression) to the sidechain? Explain!

/Cojo

[Rufuss Sewell]

Yes, please explain. It sounds like it makes sense to me?!?

Although it's true that neither has a sidechain so it doesn't really apply to me.

[knightsy]

You could feed your stereo drum signal to a m/s encoder, use your LA2a as the mid compressor, and use your 6176 as the side compressor (or vice versa), and the feed them back into a m/s decoder. That might be interesting! I've often thought about trying it, but I never remember to do it when I'm in the studio.

[kats]

Option D:


Buss your drums to a mono send and feed one comp.


Mix that in with your drums.


Its been done for years(i still do it).


Its a misnomer to think that a drum parallel has to be in stereo.

What's funny about that is that no one thinks twice about slamming a FOK mic and blending that mono signal into your stereo drum mix. First thing I thought on Thrills advice was....yeah, no shit. Another reminder (to me) to stop thinking about the limitations of my set up and realize the possiblities. It's so simple it's stupid.

[Rufuss Sewell]

I know, you wouldn't believe how many times I've gotten home from Guitar Center with some little gadget... just to smack my forehead and realize I already had the stuff to do it if I would've taken a few seconds to think it out.

Luckily Gearslutz is around to remind me of the potential of my current gear.

If I like the mono thing, maybe I won't need a second 1176.

Stereo is a bitch. Why do I need two of everything anyway?????

I know eventually I'm going to have to go 5.1 cus I really want to get into movies... then I'll need 5 of everything ugh.

[Kalite Marka]

Originally Posted by Cojo

Why would you mess the stereo image if you feed a L/R monomix of the stereo track (before compression) to the sidechain? Explain!/Cojo

My bad! I misread your post!

[Cojo]

Originally Posted by Kalite Marka

My bad! I misread your post!