Doubling Down on Compression

[Chistopher]

I know some of you guys know more than me about advanced studio techniques.

How and in what circumstances would I use two compressors on the same signal?

 

[Mincer]

In a way, the signal is getting compressed twice if you use either a compressor or overdrive into an amp with a high preamp gain. Some people will compress different frequencies differently, too.

 

[beaubrummels]

Two compressors are almost always used in the studio. The first would be to get the dynamic range of instruments you are mixing to be comprable, the second would be on the master bus mix to 'glue' the whole mix together and sound like it all happened in the same room. Without that, it can sound like a radio and a T.V. playing at the same time.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Yah, especially vocals and often bass. Compressed once when tracking, and compression on each grouped buss during mixdown.
It's pretty common for an overall mix to be compressed too. As beaubrummels said, it helps unify a mix.

Some guitarists - particularly slide players - even stack compression as part of their guitar tone. Lowell George was already doing that in the 70s.
He's the earliest that I know of, but he almost certainly wasn't the first one to do it.

 

[Blille]

I always use two compressors. One at the beginning of the chain (or after OD) like most folks use it, generally a Ross like pedal. Then I also have one at the end of the chain after all the other pedals or even after the amp if I’m going helix. That last one I try to set more transparently usually 1176 like with a low ratio to gel things more and let the reverb and delay stand out a bit more.

Another way to use a second compressor is just to stack them. A great use of that is for playing slide where you squash the signal more at the beginning for total smoothness/sustain. You can check this out for stacked compressor settings

https://youtu.be/Onumg2F-emY

 

[Aceman]

Two compressors are almost always used in the studio. The first would be to get the dynamic range of instruments you are mixing to be comprable, the second would be on the master bus mix to 'glue' the whole mix together and sound like it all happened in the same room. Without that, it can sound like a radio and a T.V. playing at the same time.

This;

You have a guitar that is just up and down dynamically all over the place. First comp tames that.

Then you have a mess of effects that also jack the dynamics of the signal AFTER the first compressor. Put that in the loop after everything else.

And no - just using the last one is not the same as using two. If what goes into the effects changes, so do they.

 

[Demanic]

This;

You have a guitar that is just up and down dynamically all over the place. First comp tames that.

Then you have a mess of effects that also jack the dynamics of the signal AFTER the first compressor. Put that in the loop after everything else.

And no - just using the last one is not the same as using two. If what goes into the effects changes, so do they.

Is this from the same person who frowns on using compression in front of distortion because "distortion is compression"?

 

[Aceman]

Is this from the same person who frowns on using compression in front of distortion because "distortion is compression"?

I wouldn't use one into a big distortion personally. YMMV.

 

[El Dunco]

There’s also different kinds, voltage controlled, optical etc. They’re like spices in a meal, you can build on a dash of different kinds for different reasons. I’ve heard of some people daisy chaining very mildly set dbx units. First order of business is determining if the source needs compression and why it needs it, what you’re hoping will happen from doing so. I find optical compression sounds really nice for adding presence to certain tracks without chopping off too much transient like clean percussive guitar, snare drums.

I swear by optical for keeping dry, aggressive vocals forward in the mix. Sounds good before needing to apply any delay or ambience effects.

 

[Demanic]

I wouldn't use one into a big distortion personally. YMMV.

Think about running into a super clean amp. You can use compression to even out your signal, add a bit of sustain, keep the bass and top from getting out of control and producing unwanted distortion. The mids get a nice clean area of bandwidth to shine in, while still preserving the tightness for stop and chop.
At least that's what I have found. It works great especially for rhythm. You can always shut of the compressor for leads ( the opposite of what you would do playing clean) to let them breath a bit more.

 

[Aceman]

Think about running into a super clean amp. You can use compression to even out your signal, add a bit of sustain, keep the bass and top from getting out of control and producing unwanted distortion. The mids get a nice clean area of bandwidth to shine in, while still preserving the tightness for stop and chop.
At least that's what I have found. It works great especially for rhythm. You can always shut of the compressor for leads ( the opposite of what you would do playing clean) to let them breath a bit more.

I don't disagree with this. But for me, it would really depend on the guitar if I'd need that. I generally find I don't.

 

[Demanic]

I don't disagree with this. But for me, it would really depend on the guitar if I'd need that. I generally find I don't.

Well, I suppose that it's not necessary for classic hard rock.
Modern death metal is a bit more demanding.

 

[GuitarStv]

If you have a tube amp up loud, you're getting compression from the amp. That's a big part of why the amps sound so different at low volume and up at band levels. Pop a compressor pedal in front and you've got two compressors working already.

 

[beaubrummels]

I’ve heard of some people daisy chaining very mildly set dbx units.

I've done this. If I need a big ratio of compression, but still need it to sound natural and transparent, two compressors in series set to half sounds way more natural than trying to get one device to handle all the compression. If you don't work the device to the limits of it's range, then you won't 'hear' the device 'working' on the sound so much and you'll hear more of the natural sound of the instrument. Studio engineers and producers call it "pumping" and "breathing" that compressors do when you work one unit to extreme ratios. It's not really desirable and it sounds noisy when it happens.

 

[El Dunco]

I've done this. If I need a big ratio of compression, but still need it to sound natural and transparent, two compressors in series set to half sounds way more natural than trying to get one device to handle all the compression. If you don't work the device to the limits of it's range, then you won't 'hear' the device 'working' on the sound so much and you'll hear more of the natural sound of the instrument. Studio engineers and producers call it "pumping" and "breathing" that compressors do when you work one unit to extreme ratios. It's not really desirable and it sounds noisy when it happens.

That’s the real trick isn’t it? No matter how much “production” you use, not actually having it sound obvious what you did and having the song itself come through exactly as it should.

Reminds me of a great story by the man who created the sounds for the lightsabers in Star Wars. At first he felt a little let down that nobody complimented his amazing sound work.

Then he realised that the fact that it didn’t occur to anyone that it was a sound effect, that they just subconsciously accepted that what he created is exactly how this otherwordly device they were seeing ought to sound, was the biggest compliment of all.

 

[Mincer]

I use a mild compression to even out dynamics, and another compressor (set to very little compression as well) as a solo boost instead of a boost pedal.

 

[El Dunco]

I use a mild compression to even out dynamics, and another compressor (set to very little compression as well) as a solo boost instead of a boost pedal.

That makes a lot of sense as in any audio application, the more a signal is compressed, the louder it can sound without exceeding the volume on the meter. That’s how commercials get away with blowing your ears out compared to the much more dynamic sound design of the movies they intrude on, why songs on the radio are all at a consistent volume and why digital audio formats sounded worse and worse once artists and studios found out about it.

How do you set yours?

 

[Demanic]

Really, if you're using compression, you hear it the most when you take it away.
If you have an amp with a loop, you can run one in front and another in the loop.

 

[Mincer]

That makes a lot of sense as in any audio application, the more a signal is compressed, the louder it can sound without exceeding the volume on the meter. That’s how commercials get away with blowing your ears out compared to the much more dynamic sound design of the movies they intrude on, why songs on the radio are all at a consistent volume and why digital audio formats sounded worse and worse once artists and studios found out about it.

How do you set yours?

Low ratios, like 2:1. I will go higher if I do some Albert Lee kinda stuff.