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When I use a compressor in ableton, for example, on a kick drum, the out on the compressor peaks into the red with ease but the channel level seems fine. There isn't any distortion in the sound, and sometimes the kick level will be at around -3db, but the compressor is hitting the red. Is there something I am missing here? Is it Ok as long as long as the channel level is ok. Obviously, I am struggling with compression with ableton here.

The transient peaks are likely getting past the compressor. Read the money shot thread, it will save you years of bad mixes, no joke. Basically turn your speakers/soundcard whatever you use to monitor up, and turn all your tracks down. Kick should be peaking around -12 db.

On it. Thanks for the reply.

just read the moneyshot thread. Fuckin' hell that dude macc is a pimp. I've read some of his stuff on DOA and gearslutz before and he seems like a sound overlord. Thanks for the pointer.

With digital meters in peak mode (as opposed to RMS) this shouldn't really happen. If it does, it's probably user error or an actual bug. I'm not saying it's out of the question, but I'd be kinda surprised if it did, unless:

- the compressor meters were set to RMS mode (is this even possible in ableton?)
- you had some other effect in the chain after the compressor
- the channel fader is not at 0dB

Can you confirm?


On a DAW, a peak meter will work over a buffer of like, 128 samples or something, and do something like this:

1) start with peak = minus infinity
2) advance to next frame in audio buffer
3) is this one bigger than current peak? YES -> it's the new peak /// NO -> keep the old peak
4) repeat from 2 until you reach the end of the buffer

There's really not much room for transients to get through unless it's a design feature, and it'd be a pretty shitty design feature unless these are RMS meters, which the Live ones definitely aren't.

I mean when I increase the out on the compressor it will peak into the red, but the channel level will still be at around -3db and I don't understand why.

RMD wrote:I mean when I increase the out on the compressor it will peak into the red, but the channel level will still be at around -3db and I don't understand why.

Do you have anything after the compressor in the FX chain?

I don't. I'm just confused why clipping in the compressor doesn't clip the channel level. Does threshold cut it off before it gets to the channel level? I have been reading about compression for a long time, but it's still a mystery and I keep reading that compressing just to "make it louder" is not the right approach. Argh. . . so much to learn about sound mixing beyond the initial orgasm of making a good groove. . .