The over use of compression

mistasfx

mistasfx

MISTA SFX
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Ive seen recently bare people are using compression on tracks as some sort of 'mastering/mixdown' trick to get their tune sounding better.

Well i think they think they are :/ It seems to me that ppl aint quite sure what compression is for and i get the impression that its a piece of advice thats willingly passed round new producers as a 'make ur track sound GREAT' technique. Many tracks ive been given to listen to on Soundcloud are just walls of sound with a lot of the main 'umpppph' taken out the tune coz of the bad use of compression.

Now i believe compression is good/essential in some cases but if u dont have the trained ear to tell what its actually doing, then leave it. I find that a good sample, good eq and all round mixdown is all u need for a good sounding tune. Its all i do n only really use compression on vocals or parts of a sample i want louder.

Mastering wise i dont even bother..... just try to get my sounds as clean, crisp n loud as poss then just leave it at -3 or 4db.

Thoughts?
 
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you can only learn compression by using it, we all make stuff that sounds terrible sumtimes, just part of the learning curve init

Personally i always use compression and limiting on my master out if i'm rendering a demo, because it helps bring out the wobbles, open up the percussion and give the bass a kick...takes time to get a feel for how much compression is good for a track
 
Same here. I just try to get the best possible balance in the first place and then just limit my master for loudness. To be honest I know nothing about mastering so I don't dare to mess around with it :)
 
Just play around man, the worlds not gonna end. Do it wrong, do it wronger, it might just help your ears hear what sounds right.
 
I'd have to disagree on leaving the compressor alone. Trial and error is the key to most things mate. Although, I think less is more is defiantly the key. I tend to use compression to just glue my drum sounds together.

I think it depends on what compressor your using too, the camel phat plugin has an awesome compressor if your using it on drum hits, it's simple and effects and all you control is the amount and release. you dont need to know much about compression to use it and its very very easy to tell if its having a possitive or negitive effect on your sounds.

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 13:11 ----------

plus i think people sometimes under rate compression. it doesn't just have to be used as a dynamic tool. i've found many uses for compression to use it as a creative tool.
 
On the master i would say if you dont use comp or limit you are missing out on some serious opportunity to make your tune LOUDER. I am not talking about peak volume blah blah blah I am talking about the RMS of your tune. The volume during each instant, not just the here-it-comes-reverse-kick-preceeding crash at the climax of your tune, can be optimized using coms and limiters. At least use a little bit of compresion on the master so you can control the peak volume without having to have your whole tune quiet.
 
It doesn't help that basically every commercially released tune has been slapped the shit out of by a compressor/limiter, a lot of people just try to match the level of these tunes. I don't get it really, its not nice to listen to but no-one wants their tune quieter than the one played before it. It goes for all styles of music as well, not just electronic stuff.
 
Your the artist of ur work. It can not be wrong in what ever u do. Thats like telling leonardo da vinci that he missed the eyebrows on monalisa.
 
you can alone apprentice compression by application it, we all accomplish being that sounds abhorrent sumtimes, just allotment of the acquirements ambit init. Personally i consistently use compression and attached on my adept out if i'm apprehension a demo, because it helps accompany out the wobbles, accessible up the bang and accord the bass a kick...takes time to get a feel for how abundant compression is acceptable for a track.
 
jasmortonn said:
you can alone apprentice compression by application it, we all accomplish being that sounds abhorrent sumtimes, just allotment of the acquirements ambit init. Personally i consistently use compression and attached on my adept out if i'm apprehension a demo, because it helps accompany out the wobbles, accessible up the bang and accord the bass a kick...takes time to get a feel for how abundant compression is acceptable for a track.
Click to expand...

haha did you just run my comment thru google translate and back again? this is quite a good impression of me after a bottle of vodka tho /\
 
i don't think it is possible to "learn" compression if one's ears can't even pick up frequency issues easily fixed with eq.
it is more frequent than not i hear new producers' tracks with deplorable mixing topped off with a nice audible distortion of either clipping or a limiter. and once it is distorted, mastering cannot fix it.
 
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