Parallel Compression in more detail...

[Worlez]

First post here

Following on from the thread a few weeks ago, I'd like to start something up that goes into your parallel compression tactics in more detail. How many different compressors do you bus to, which ones, which instruments/mics goto what etc. What are your favourite compressors/plug-ins and settings?

Right now, since I'm mixing ITB here at home I'm sending my entire kit to a Drum sub, which in turn gets pre-fader sends to a NomadFactory Fairchild FA70 plugin on one aux and a BF76 on another. I tend to eq the Fairchild channel, boosting lows and highs, to give the whole kit some real punch, and use the BF76 to really get the kick thumping. I also compress/eq/gate on individual channels. Lately though I've been getting tired of those techniques, so I thought it'd be cool to get some input from other people

So how are you all doing it? Do you prefer parallel compression to simply compressing a drum sub?

Cheers

Al

[tee boy]

Iv been getting some alright results using Waves TransX to bring out the transients on one sub, then using Sonalksis in crush mode on another. I also use PSP Vintage Warmer at some point, usually before I go into the compression channels.

Still experimenting with this setup, but adding the Vint into the cocktail has made a lot of difference.

TB

[chuckj]

I find myself using more parallel compression in my mixes. I also mix ITB although I will go to outboard gear and record it to a new track. If it's a "needs to be loud" (what isn't these days?) mix then I'll set up a parallel comp for a drum sub, bass sub, gtr sub, vox/bvox sub. I usually use the Digi Maxim with the Focusrite red eq plug before it for additional tone shaping. I'm always experimenting although it does seem to me that I need to futz less with individual tracks when I set up the parallel comps early in the mix process. Less processing on the individual tracks seems to keep things cleaner in the mix. You definitely have to have some type of delay compensation for this especially with the look-ahead type comps. It's still an ongoing process but I feel it is taking my mixes in a better direction.

[Worlez]

Bump

Al

[Nerdyrocker]

Maybe I am missing something here but it sounds like you guys are using multiple drum submixes/buses. Is that right? Are you not worried about phase issues? Well I guess I should ask, are there phase issues?

This is interesting. Please do tell more.

[Ahellam]

I almost always use it at least with kick and snare. Putting distortion on the "compression" buss also is a fun trick.

[Worlez]

Originally Posted by Nerdyrocker

Maybe I am missing something here but it sounds like you guys are using multiple drum submixes/buses. Is that right? Are you not worried about phase issues? Well I guess I should ask, are there phase issues?

This is interesting. Please do tell more.

I'd never actually worried about this, since I am mixing entirely ITB.

Does anyone more experienced than I know if this will be a problem?

Al

[warhead]

Slightly off topic but concerning the same thing:

I don't really do the parallel compression thing. I stick an AEA R84 ribbon mic about 3 feet in front of the kit so that it picks up all the growl and punch of the kit, with enough cymbals anyhow but that's not the focus. Then I EQ the highs and the lows boosted pretty heavily for a big sound, pump the hell out of it usually with the UAD-1 1176LN, getting it to breathe in time with the song. I then blend that in, maybe at 1/3 fader depending on desired effect, and it's there. Adds such a great pump to the song, yet it's subtle.

Sort of like using delays, I usually don't want to "hear" them but if you mute the send you miss it instantly.

War

[warhead]

Originally Posted by Nerdyrocker

Maybe I am missing something here but it sounds like you guys are using multiple drum submixes/buses. Is that right? Are you not worried about phase issues? Well I guess I should ask, are there phase issues?

This is interesting. Please do tell more.

In Nuendo I have it setup to compensate for delays using plugs etc so I've never noticed an issue. Check the setup in your DAW, it may or may not already be enabled.

War

[feyshay]

Cubase and Nuendo also allow you to compensate for the delay in sending to an external effects unit. It "pings" the external unit and compensates for whatever it reads as the delay. Totally took care of the phase I was having when I was sending to my KSP8. It makes parallel compression a very viable option when ITB.

[Worlez]

Anyone else?

I've been playing with different approaches lately, and now I'm using two seperate parallel auxes, one for high freq and one for low. They both go through different comrpessors plugins and different eq's, whcih means I have three drum channels - the dry one, which only has mild eq/dynamics on individual mics, the low end channel, and the high end channel.

Nice way of controlling how the drums sound in a mix.

Al

[VictorQ]

I've gotten pretty descent results with sending a lot of different sources to the same comp-buss. In fact i use a mono-comp, a Tube-Tech CL 1B, for this. I've dubbed it 'the excitement buss'.
I'll send the most important elements in the song to this buss (ie. maybe snare and kik and gui, or vox and piano and shaker.) and have them fight for attention !

It'll work with any kind of 'colour-comp', though not one that eats the high end (at least not to my taste). For a plug i think i'd use the Chandler-EMI TG or maybe Inflator? If I wasn't bound by PT i'd buy a UAD and run the LA or 1176.

The fun thing about using a mono-buss is when something is panned off-center, it automatically pans toward the center when it is loud. You thus have a self controlling stereo management system (SCSMS). Won't work for everything, if not use a stereo-buss (or none at all).

I haven't tried it with bass, reckon it won't work...

[tubedude]

I like rolling the highs out. You are looking for big girth, not nasty brass.

[Alexi]

Originally Posted by tee boy

Iv been getting some alright results using Waves TransX to bring out the transients on one sub, then using Sonalksis in crush mode on another. I also use PSP Vintage Warmer at some point, usually before I go into the compression channels.

Still experimenting with this setup, but adding the Vint into the cocktail has made a lot of difference.

TB

i know a lot of people like the psp vitage warmer................every time i use it it messes up the signal in a bad way, especially the compressor...........

[vtone]

Originally Posted by warhead

Slightly off topic but concerning the same thing:

I don't really do the parallel compression thing. I stick an AEA R84 ribbon mic about 3 feet in front of the kit so that it picks up all the growl and punch of the kit, with enough cymbals anyhow but that's not the focus. Then I EQ the highs and the lows boosted pretty heavily for a big sound, pump the hell out of it usually with the UAD-1 1176LN, getting it to breathe in time with the song. I then blend that in, maybe at 1/3 fader depending on desired effect, and it's there. Adds such a great pump to the song, yet it's subtle.

Sort of like using delays, I usually don't want to "hear" them but if you mute the send you miss it instantly.

War

I prefer to do the same thing instead of parallel compression on drums-- I put up a mic that captures the whole kit, the tlm 103 is good for this, squash it on the way in, eq to taste and crush it a little more in the mix (double compressing the tg1 is an amazing sound). I blend that in and it really makes an exciting yet natural drum sound.

[tubedude]

Originally Posted by vtone

I prefer to do the same thing instead of parallel compression on drums-- I put up a mic that captures the whole kit, the tlm 103 is good for this, squash it on the way in, eq to taste and crush it a little more in the mix (double compressing the tg1 is an amazing sound). I blend that in and it really makes an exciting yet natural drum sound.

Is this your room mic or a whole seperate mic?

[jseveriniii]

If you are using PT LE (without a third-party PCI effects card) then you do not need to worry about phase if you are using a plugin compressor. LE automatically aligns all audio as a function of its buffering. However, an HD system you can run into problems. However there is always the automatic delay compensation, the insert delay settings, and the TimeAdjuster to deal with this. Or you could just manually nudge a printed version of the effect to align it.

[Pronecobra]

I am relatively new to audio recording. I mix in the box with Nuendo 2. I have been putting a URS 1980 compression on my individual bass drum track and EQing tracks separetly using URS N series or A series (Neve emulations & API emulations, respectively) . Then I submix the entire kit and from there send to the Waves SSL bus compressor (or as they call it, the master compressor). I essentially end up with two submixes, one that is simply all of the individual drum tracks consolidated to stereo (otherwise known as a submix, duh!) with no further processing and a second that is compressed with the Waves SSL comp. I blend between the two. This sounds good to me but it is not really parallel compression. I have substituted the Waves SSL comp with PSP Vintage warmer with just OK results; I have also substituted with the Sonalksis SV-315 which sounded pretty good. After reading these posts, I think I will try parallel compression, perhaps sending the submix to the Sonalksis. I like colored compression, so the Waves SSL emu is great for that but I was always affraid that adding the Sonalksis would be overkill in terms of adding color. Perhaps I should add something transparent, maybe Waves Lin Phase multiband. Has anyone tried that plug on a submix?

[vtone]

Originally Posted by tubedude

Is this your room mic or a whole seperate mic?

it's a separate mic.

I have two spots in my room that one of my room mics usually ends up at, depending on the sound I'm trying to get. they're unusual spots (one is in the upper right corner, where the two walls meet the ceiling, mic facing the intersection). they usually don't get compressed, more often they'll get a touch of eq. the focus is to capture the room reflections with as little direct kit as possible.

the squashed mic is for the overall kit, with some emphasis on the kick.

I know it's not a groundbreaking technique I'm sharing-- I just noticed that whenever I've tried to parallel compress the drum buss I never end up following through with it. the crushed mic lets me dial in all the compression I need.

[mahasandi]

i take it out to s/ms double it thru outboard comps bring this into about 600 plugs and limit the hell out
of it with a radio shack compressor


I like Wars suggestion good mic technique.

i'am not meaning to dfegad on this topic but, i do feel like

it all starts with mic technique, though all the cool tricks of compression

are great to hear about , it seems a big part of getting the comps to really work is to

send them sounds captured in good acoustics or i'd say intentional acoustics.

If you can "hear" the rooms your in that really helps to make placement choices .

For each song different compression "arts" should be applied

or at least" compression" should be listening to the individual songs

then i find blaming gear disappear........

(assuming you have comps you like )

Mic technique is not faked its from experience and while you can "throw up"

some mics it might work or you might end -up blaming everything but source

and throw up at what you hear.