Please read this first:
This Playbook will teach you…
- …how to hear compression (the benefits, as well as the unwanted side effects)
- …how and when to use it
- …how to understand exactly what the different controls do and how they interact
When you're doing the "crack the code" exercise, try to ignore the unwanted side effects of the heavy compression and instead focus on one dial at a time, so you'll really learn what to listen for and how you can shape the sound of any audio source with compression.
Do this on many different sources with as many different compressors as you can until you get a great understanding of the tools that are available to you.
The different compressor types mentioned in the video:
- VCA (clean, versatile, transparent, "snappy". Built into most consoles. Often used on drums or mixbus. Great allround compressors. Examples: SSL bus comp & channel comp, Distressor, many stock DAW compressors)
- FET (dirty, saturated, super fast, lots of character. Can make things sound upfront. Often used on vocals, bass, drums (careful with low end and transients), the 1176 is the most popular allround vintage compressor. Examples: 1176, 1178, Drawmer 1973)
- Opto (slow, musical, can have a lot of character. Great transparent "leveling compressor" that can do a lot of gain reduction and add a lot of color without sounding overcompressed. Often used on vocals, bass, guitars, keys or anything that needs a slower, more gentle type of compression. Examples: LA2A, LA3A, Tube Tech CL-1B)
- Tube (similar to opto + additional color. Some optos are tube compressors)
- Vari-Mu (not mentioned in the video. Slow & musical. Lots of character. Can be very transparent in its compression behaviour. Often used on vocals, mixbus, bass, or really anything. Examples: Fairchild, Manley Variable Mu)
Action Steps:
- Watch this video
- Figure out which compressor plugins or hardware units you have available. If you don't have anything, buy one or download a test version.
- Pick a set of multitracks (different types of instruments / vocals) for the upcoming exercise
- Do the "crack the code" exercise with different compressors on different tracks and make notes, so you can remember their behaviour at different settings
- Pick some favorites (new go-tos) and add them to your template(s)
- Apply compression in a mix, using what you've learned in this video
- Pick a track (vocals or bass work great for that exercise) and try to make it as consistent as possible with just volume automation. Try to make it sit really well in the mix without any compression. Then duplicate the track, remove the automation and compress until it's consistent. Compare the results.
- Compress a track heavily to add color and make it really consistent, then use volume automation to add dynamics back in. Also pay attention to the unwanted side effects and find a solution for them. Sometimes you need to really squash things to get the desired sound and then you have to find a way to still get the dynamics you want and keep the artifacts under control. Go crazy here, the goal here is to smash something as hard as you can in order to test the limits and make it sound exciting. 😁
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