Searching, Slicing and Squashing?
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Posted on Apr 25, 2003 05:12 pm
Alanfc
Member Since: Mar 13, 2003
RE: Frequencies and Compression
On a per/song basis(not my overall sound):
After a few hours/days/weeks with my EQ, once I've found the frequencies my individual instruments are happy in, and I somehow get them to have their own space; do I need to - or would I Want to, do the following: >>>>> -
Compress each instrument an appropriate amount to make it really distinct?
Or is that a totally weird idea, no reason to do that if I've already EQ'd....
Because, I was reading something by a big buy that talked about the "compressors for each instrument", like every single instrument just went through its own compressor no matter what. That made me wonder if he was compressing every instrument according to its frequency and its character. Which led me back to wondering about EQ..
If you get the EQ right for each instrument will it be helped by just a little compression to make it stand out (without more volume)?
I'm not looking for any kind of "sound" but there have been a few bands I've heard in the last couple years who's instruments you can hear perfectly/distinctly, while they keep the levels up high for each instrument. And no one is lost. I want to do That....
Thanks for any opinions...
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Apr 25, 2003 06:03 pm This is exactly the type of thing that makes recording an art form. You definitely don't want to compress every track just for the sake of compressing them. Some tracks will need it and others will not. This is where your ears come in! My assumption is that the engineer you heard say "compressors for each instrument," was not implying that he put every track through a compressor. Although, go to any pro studio and you will find a LOT of compressors!
You've got the right idea already as far as getting the instruments to sound good AND have their own space in the mix. You'll need to use EQ, panning and compression to accomplish these tasks, but that doesn't mean you'll need to add EQ and compression to EVERY track. Getting perfect definition of every instrument, plenty of separation and plenty of punch in a mix is something we ALL want to do. Unfortunately, there's no one formula for accomplishing this on every mix. Mixing really is a case-by-case process. It's the concepts that carry over from one to the next.
My advice: Continue experimenting with EQ and compression and really grasp the concepts behind their uses. Knowing what the different knobs and buttons do is only the beginning. Understanding those concepts will allow you to identify and correct problems in your mixes which will, in turn, get you closer and closer to that perfect mix that we're all looking for.
I hope this helps. If you post a song that you think has some issues in the mix, we can give you some more specific direction.
AlanfcMember
Since: Mar 13, 2003
Apr 25, 2003 06:29 pm excellent/thank you
It will be a few weeks away but I'd love to put something up for inspection !
thanks
Apr 25, 2003 06:56 pm Great! We'll be here and ready when you get something posted.
