![]() ![]() The plug-ins aren't made to replace the hardware versions, just add more variety and flexibility to your workflow if the budget isn't available to have racks of outboard gear. With the advancements of digital technology, companies like Universal Audio and Waves are making plug-in models of the industry's top compressors that can make you forget you aren't using the real hardware version. If your console doesn't have an insert point, you can route out of the mic preamp to the input of a compressor, then out of the compressor to the input of your DAW or tape machine, then the output of your DAW or tape machine will feed the line input of your console.īoth hardware and plug-in compressors have a unique sound to them. On a large format console, you will set up the compressor on the insert path through the insert send and insert return points on the patch bay, which you can then engage or disengage using the “insert” button on the audio channel. This will turn the dry audio into a processed signal and the compressor will always be engaged. In a DAW, you place the plug-in directly to the channel through the insert path. Every engineer has a different style and opinion in the way they work, but there are some basic operations that can help you easily dial in a sound that will sound good on almost any style of recording.Ĭompressors work as an insert on an audio channel, but can also be used in parallel, which I will explain more in depth in a later blog. There is no golden standard telling us that "this is the compressor you always use for this source." Every project is different and should have a unique approach so everything doesn’t end up sounding the exact same. One thing to remember when working in the audio world is that there are no set rules on how to use any certain piece of gear. In addition, I'll offer up some tips/tricks on how to get the most out of them and what compressor to use for certain sources. In this blog, I’m going to go over the basic functions of the three main types of compressors FET, optical and variable-mu. Since each compressor has their strong points, he uses one compressor for the air of the vocal, one for the mid range, one for low end or body, one for aggression and so on. One of the top mixing engineers on the planet, Michael Brauer, uses multiple compressors in a send and return set-up to fill in different frequency ranges of a vocal rather than trying to use an EQ. Since they are loaded with transformers, resistors, wiring and capacitors that add color, engineers can use them as a subtle EQ. A compressor does much more than tame dynamics and, when used properly, can greatly expand the overall frequency range, add warmth or glow to the source and improve the harmonic content even if no compression is actually happening.Įvery style of compressor has a “sound,” and some engineers prefer the way the audio is affected by just running through a compressor without any actual compression happening. I think that definition is very vague on the variety of functions a compressor has to offer. It tames the louder sounds to avoid intense transients from vocals, drums, etc, and also brings up the softer sections of the source which ultimately makes a more even, less dynamic recording. The basic definition of a compressor is “an audio signal processing operation that reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds thus reducing or compressing an audio signal’s dynamic range.” That is the definition that most of us learned from our mentors or in audio school and is completely accurate in the basic function of a compressor. It is very easy to overuse a compressor and crush all the dynamics of whatever source you are running through them, but when used in the right way, they expand the depth and sound of the overall recording or mix. When young engineers get their start, they are usually aware of compressors, but don’t know how to properly use them or know of the wide variety of functions they offer while tracking or mixing. They have been the glue that holds recordings together since their creation and engineers still heavily rely on them for vocals, voiceover, guitars, bass, drums, the mix bus and more. A compressor is one of the most useful tools an engineer can have on hand during a session. ![]()
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