Direct recording and compressors??

> > > Direct recording and compressors??

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Member Since: Feb 19, 2007

So I've successfully recorded a song with my bassist, guitarist, vocalist, keyboard and drums.. sounds sweet. BUT

i wish i could have a more even recorded sound. i use pro tools, and i know that i can use compressor plugins after i've recorded something... however, i was wondering if it helps to record bass and guitar direct through a compressor so the recorded, not mixed, signal is more even.. would that help me when i'm compressing the sound later?

Any help would be extremely appreciated, as i'm looking to get a 4 song demo out in the next week or two!

Thanks!

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Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Mar 12, 2007 04:19 am

I generally only record vocals and drums with a compressor out front. Everything else can be evened up in mixing.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Mar 12, 2007 07:40 am

Yes, a compressor outfront is almost required on some instruments, vocal being one. Guitar shouldn't necessarily need it, but then, I am not listening to what you are recording so I can't say. Bass guitar is a candidate for a compressor with some frequency. Snare and kick drum are good for compressing to as it helps tighten them up.

Remember, it's not always compressing, sometimes just having a limiter can help a great deal. Sometimes using the software compressor on the recorded signal is simply too late to fix anything, it'll just be a fresh coat of paint on a house with rotten wall studs.

Bottom line is you should have a pre-PC compressor at least available should you need it, and using one is very common and helpful in many situations.

Member
Since: Mar 13, 2007

Mar 13, 2007 01:08 pm

Also, go easy on compression ratio and treshold: you can always recompress further on mix-down. What you can't do is "uncompress".

Rules of thumb: the more a musician is steady on levels, the less you need to compress. Also, the more you compress, the more you take away from dynamic range.

Finally, anything that sounds good is perfectly acceptable

> > > Direct recording and compressors??

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