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  #1  
Old 10-27-2010, 06:58 AM
Cue Zephyr Cue Zephyr is offline
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Default Your favorite compressor and/or limiter

Howdy folks,

(again digital compressor limiter plug-ins)

Getting back into recording, producing and arranging for already-written songs I find myself throwing compressors everywhere. I just like the way I can make things sound with them. For rhythm tracks I tend to smash the attacks somewhat to make it sound really tight and pumping. I use it on my cajon quite a lot too, usually to even out all the notes (velocities) and the transients. I use the compressor on vocals quite a lot too, also to even out everything. My favorite one for almost all of this is the Oxford R3 Dynamics - to me it sounds very transparent and is very powerful - can't really do without it I think. If I need something less fancy, probably the C1 comp by Waves - also a very nice little compressor (quite like it's visual feedback too).

For limiting I'd either use the limiter in the above mentioned plug-in. For the master channel I usually reach for the Waves L2 (my favorite limiter, I guess), and when I need a bit more 'oomph' (both in terms of sound and the power of the unit itself) I will go for the L3 Multimaximizer.

Now I would like to ask you what your favorite compressor for what source is, and possibly a limiter to go along with the recording/arrangement/production/etc.

CZ
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  #2  
Old 10-27-2010, 08:37 AM
RRuskin RRuskin is offline
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I'm old school and use compression & limiting as little as possible. When necessary, I use an FMR Audio RNC if I want it to be as transparent as possible, a DBX 165A when I a little color is called for, and either an FMR RNLA or Allison Research Gain Brain when a lot of color is desired.
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Old 10-27-2010, 03:20 PM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default I'm with Rick on this one - I'm a Minimalist!

Aloha Cue,

Have to agree with Rick on this one. I keep my compression/limiting to an absolute minimum, if I use it at all. Too much simply kills the life-force of vocals & acoustic guitar, somewhat like noise reduction used to prior to the digital age.

I use a hint of the ones that come with Logic Pro 9 - Surround Compresser & Adapative Limiter - on my vocals, but rarely. I value the space between the notes - "God's Beat" too much & like slightly uneven levels in my simple acoustic recordings. I'm not recording to be heard through car speakers or ear pods! Non-comercial here.

I have access to a friend's external UA1176 if I want better compression. I haven't done that yet.

alohachris
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Old 10-27-2010, 03:40 PM
RRuskin RRuskin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alohachris View Post
Aloha Cue,

Have to agree with Rick on this one. I keep my compression/limiting to an absolute minimum, if I use it at all. Too much simply kills the life-force of vocals & acoustic guitar, somewhat like noise reduction used to prior to the digital age...........

alohachris
Not knowing how to use noise reduction is the only reason it would do as you describe above.
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Old 10-27-2010, 04:06 PM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default RE: Noise Reduction

Aloha Rick,

Not to be contrary, just an opinion, but...

Noise Reduction, even when applied to direct to disc applications or 2" tape at 15 ips, ALWAYS negatively affected the feeling of solo acoustic guitar recordings.

One of the final decisions for me to go in my studio with that first Sony F1 in '79 & digital, which certainly, had it's own sonic limitations, was disgust with every recording studio experience I had for solo acoustic guitar applications.

Tape Hiss, increased noise or no soul for your acoustic - take your pick. That was the choice in those days.

I spoke at length several times with Cookie Marenco & Steven Miller of Windham Hill back then about noise reduction systems. They hated ALL of them so much for solo acoustic recordings that they made a decision to not use any for nearly all their projects, focussing instead on close-miking, stereo techniques. And digital came to their rescue. Their recordings were a revelation at the time.

So there are many - especially players who are not pro engineers - who absolutely hated noise reduction for two-track acoustic guitar applications.

It makes perfect sense huge projects like the hundreds of tracks you find in a typical movie soundtrack. But for solo acoustic guitar recordings, no matter your skill - I'm glad we've evolved past it.

alohachris

Last edited by alohachris; 10-27-2010 at 04:11 PM.
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Old 10-27-2010, 04:24 PM
Cue Zephyr Cue Zephyr is offline
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Looks like I'm shooting a bit too much for commercial stuff - like I even hear a clear difference between Don's and Michael's older tracks and Andy's new ones (definitely a lot of compression and limiting on the latter).
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  #7  
Old 10-27-2010, 04:56 PM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alohachris View Post
I use a hint of the ones that come with Logic Pro 9 - Surround Compresser & Adapative Limiter - on my vocals, but rarely.
As you know Chris there are NO rules in mixing audio and what you choose to a creative end is in the end...the right choice.

That said, least there be confusion, the Adaptive Limiter is a bit depth maximizing plug-in intended as a final mastering tool. It's a look ahead device in the spirit of Digidesign's "Maxim" or Steven Massey's "L2007"or the Waves L1,L2,L3. It is not intended to act as a single channel limiting device (at least by design).

As I said no rules and not to say you can't, but you get into some REALLY ugly situations when you "master" individual tracks before you master the project. In short you're forced into mastering already mastered tracks. It get's really sonically offensive in a major league hurry.

As a blanket statement you'd get (at the mastering stage) a much more musical sounding project if things weren't maximized before you attempted to maximize. A compressor in Logic set with a really high threshold will be, if nothing else less crackle-y and still indeed "limit" output of that particular track. In my world and in short more musical-like compression.

YMMV and take it with a grain of salt cause it's merely my 2 cents and I'm often REALLY wrong around here
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Old 10-27-2010, 05:25 PM
RRuskin RRuskin is offline
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duplicate deleted
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Last edited by RRuskin; 10-28-2010 at 08:17 AM. Reason: duplicate deleted
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  #9  
Old 10-27-2010, 05:26 PM
RRuskin RRuskin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alohachris View Post
Aloha Rick,

Not to be contrary, just an opinion, but...

Noise Reduction, even when applied to direct to disc applications or 2" tape at 15 ips, ALWAYS negatively affected the feeling of solo acoustic guitar recordings.

One of the final decisions for me to go in my studio with that first Sony F1 in '79 & digital, which certainly, had it's own sonic limitations, was disgust with every recording studio experience I had for solo acoustic guitar applications.

Tape Hiss, increased noise or no soul for your acoustic - take your pick. That was the choice in those days.

I spoke at length several times with Cookie Marenco & Steven Miller of Windham Hill back then about noise reduction systems. They hated ALL of them so much for solo acoustic recordings that they made a decision to not use any for nearly all their projects, focussing instead on close-miking, stereo techniques. And digital came to their rescue. Their recordings were a revelation at the time.

So there are many - especially players who are not pro engineers - who absolutely hated noise reduction for two-track acoustic guitar applications.

It makes perfect sense huge projects like the hundreds of tracks you find in a typical movie soundtrack. But for solo acoustic guitar recordings, no matter your skill - I'm glad we've evolved past it.

alohachris

This debate has been going on ever since I can remember. As a player and a professional engineer, my experience has been that when properly done, analog noise reduction exhibits none of the negatives you complain about. Audible problems will arise with poorly aligned equipment and/or poor technique. (The poorest technique is printing too hot with NR in the chain, a guarantee for unwanted artifacts.)

Be assured that I'm not waxing nostalgic for the good old days of analog. It could sound great but was a pain in the arse to get and keep it that way. (Spend some time calibrating a multi-track machine, its NR, a 2-track, and it's NR and you'll understand.) I'm just saying that noise reduction has gotten an undeserved bad rap.
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  #10  
Old 10-28-2010, 08:10 AM
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KevWind KevWind is offline
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I also use compression only sparingly and only on vocals where I tend to like Digi's smack LE over the Wave Ren. Comp.
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