Re: [microsound] usefulness of compressors/mastering in experimental music

[precursor <precursor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 11/11/04 8:30 PM, taylor deupree at taylor@xxxxxxx wrote:

> thanks for posting this link!! i'm really excited to read this
> document... i think mastering and recording techniques are something
> everyone needs to pay attention to, especially in our field of music
> where most people mix "in the box"...
> 
> i think this thread should be continued and hopefully see people
> sharing some mastering ideas/trips/tricks.. i'd be happy to share
> some of my own.
> 
> 
> 
> 


ive got a tip...buy the best monitoring gear you can...if you like to color
your sound, thats fine...but your monitoring gear has to be flat...ofcourse
there are exceptions but this tends to work best.

my uses of compressors

1. shaping dynamics of sources..as in a ADSR on a synth..do i want a sound
shorter, maybe a bit longer??, maybe i want it to attack slower.
2. colour, sometimes to add subtle distortion.
3. crushing or pumping
4. blending of sources
5. spatial definition
6. side-chaining
7. tuna in can compression.
8. presence/punch

lately though ive found that multi-band compressors are just so much more
versatile then single-band ones, you can really fine-tune sounds. Few think
that its purpose lies in mastering or on complex material such as a two
track, but try a multi-band one on a single sound...
anyhow compressors are really great tools that arent just used to crush
grapes as many think, and using different ones in serial can bring even more
interesting results, but i agree that it takes a while to grasp. That sort
of explains why so much music out there is overcompressed. i couldn't hear
anything for a few years at first, well not anything, only killer
compression. :)

PS one thing that is crucial to understanding compression is that it is a
multiplicative process, not additive... meaning if you compress something
now to 5:1 and later the mastering plant does a 10:1 well you do the math...

:)
m.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: microsound-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: microsound-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
website: http://www.microsound.org