AllNightDayDream wrote:Anybody mind sharing any good tidbits from the compression guide?
Have you read the wiki on compression??
It's an excellent read.
------------------------------------------
Also, I've lifted the following notes from Alex Case's book called Sound FX which I recommend everyone purchase.
Uses of a compressor:
To preventing signal overload
• Stops physical damage to equipment
• Keeps signals within the usable range of the audio equipment
• Use peak limiting to stop momentary spikes in the signal from overloading the safe operating tolerances of the equipment
• High threshold
• Fast attack
• Fast release
• High ratio
To overcome a loud noise floor
• Makes the quietest parts of the mix louder than the noise floor, e.g. hum or rumble
• Reduces the overall dynamic range of the signal before amplifying the entire signal with make-up gain increasing perceived loudness
• Low threshold
• Medium slow attack
• Slow release
• Any ratio (depending on how much you want to squeeze the mix and raise the overall average level with the make-up gain)
Improving vocal intelligibility
• Low threshold (but above the average signal level)
• Fast attack
• Medium to fast release
• Up to 10:1 ratio
Improving instrument articulation
• Low threshold ( but above the average signal level)
• Fast attack
• Medium to fast release
• Up to 10:1 ratio
Smoothing a live performance
• Reduces the overall dynamic range of the signal before amplifying the entire signal with make-up gain
• Use peak limiting to stop momentary spikes in the signal from overloading the safe operating tolerances of the equipment
• High threshold
• Fast attack
• Fast release
• High ratio
Envelope shaping: Sharpening the attack
• Make the attack envelope sound louder to change the dynamic of the sound
• Low threshold
• High ratio
• Medium attack
• Long release
Envelope shaping: Smoothing the attack
• Make the sustain portion of a sound louder
• Low threshold
• Medium to high ratio
• Fast attack
• Fast to medium release
Envelope shaping: Bringing out the sustain
• Make the sustain portion of a sound louder
• Low threshold
• High ratio
• Medium attack
• Fast release
Pumping
• Make a sound 'throb' as the volume is turned up and down unnuturally (but often creatively).
• Used in lots of electro house productions.
• Medium threshold
• Fast attack
• Medium release
• High ratio
De-essing
• Takes the sibilance out of a vocal take
• Feed a copy of the signal to be de-essed into a side chain, boosting the problem frequencies with an EQ. This enables the compressor to trigger only when the problem frequencies are present leaving the remainder of the siganl intact.
Saturation Distortion
• To change the sonic character of the waveform being compressed
• Low threshold
• Fast attack
• Fast release
• High ratio
Gating:
No notes yet, sorry. Look up some tutorials on Google if you're interested.
Expansion:
No notes yet, sorry. Look up some tutorials on Google if you're interested.
Compansion:
No notes yet, sorry. Look up some tutorials on Google if you're interested.
------------------------------------------
Maybe there's a little more to learn here?

--->
http://www.dubstepforum.com/compression ... 51890.html