I set the ratio on either a 2:1 or a 4:1 ratio because I don’t want to completely squash the signal. I typically compress with no more than 3dB of gain reduction. This trick works because I’m artificially creating a transient. Determine Instrument Placement With Compression The attack time of 30ms ensures that the first 30ms of the signal is not completely squashed, which basically creates a peak in the signal. What I mean by determining instrument placement is making things sound close by, or far away. Sometimes I get guitars that sound like they are punching straight into your eardrum, or they sound like there is a mile between the cabinet and the microphone. While that can be just part of the song, other times it’s an issue that needs fixing. To make things sound like they are far away there are a few things you can do. You can reach for reverb, get rid of some high-end, or boost the mids and turn everything else down. But if the part has a lot of pronounced transients that might not be enough.Īnother way to create an illusion of distance is by getting rid of that initial transient. So let’s grab a compressor.įor this trick, I like using a compressor that has a very fast attack time. I typically use an 1176 emulation, such as the T-racks Black 76 by IK Multimedia. The 1176 is known for its ridiculously fast attack time of 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds, which is perfect for what I want to accomplish here. That’s microseconds, which is μs, not milliseconds. I usually set the attack time between 7 o’clock (close to 800 microseconds) or 11 o’clock (close to 500 microseconds). Again, I won’t compress more than 3 dB, because it needs to stay natural, but of course, sometimes you might need a little more. This will tame the transients very nicely. I then set the release around 50 microseconds, or a little slower, depending on how many notes are being played. When I get funky 16th note guitars I’ll go with a faster release time than when I get a guitar that’s playing quarter notes. Otherwise I would just be squashing the notes before they even start. Sometimes a guitar part I’m mixing needs a little help to poke through the mix. You can use a high shelf to add presence, or you can use a transient designer, but you can also use compression for extra attack. If a fast attack time means your guitar will seem farther away, a slow attack time will result in the opposite.
When I want things to sound closer I know I’ll need something that gives me plenty of flexibility, and a quick response to make sure there’s no pumping.įor this purpose, I really like the Waves Scheps Omni Channel. This channel strip offers a compressor that emulates VCA, FET, and optical compression (more on compressor types later). I either use it on the FET or VCA setting.
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