Thought this was gonna be clickbait. But this turned out to be thee BEST video on compression I’ve ever seen, especially with the attack and release knob explanation. Good stuff!
Jesus... I've watched and intensively listened literally dozens and dozens of tutorial videos on compression. And seriously: this is THE ONLY ONE which makes it not only completely understandable to me, but also illustrates perfectly how to dial in compressions and WHY to do it that way. Much appreciated! 🥰
You really explained this perfectly. I think largely due to your attitude towards the whole thing. There is a saying that goes something like "A true master can explain something complicated in the most simple of ways" rings true for this video.
OK in one single comment you have just solved all of my sub compression issues... because I am now using a limiter instead of a compressor and it is so much better. So thanks, I appreciate it.
Glad you liked it! Make-up is just in reference to gain. 'make up compression' isn't a thing. You compress - let's say 4dB, and then you add 4dB of gain to make up for the amount you compressed.
I personally don't like all that threshold unless I'm focusing on a certain frequency bandwidth or transients, try mixing varying degrees of parallel compression from 2-3 different compressors
Hi. I saw your video about the kalis and came here to see you’ve not got them anymore. What changed your mind? I recently bought some as a cheap temporary replacement for my hedd audio type 30 mk2’s while they were being repaired, and I was shocked by how good they sound and even maybe better in some ways. I’m now not sure what to do!
@@WillBorza I understand. I think I'll send you my next single to master in a month or two from now (progressive rock), would love to hear your take on it
sorry dude, but i was maybe a little to high and got confuse with the ad that played. haha thought it was the video.... there were comparing actual ai stuff with the first analog desks etc. @@WillBorza
This is the BEST video I've seen on YT about compression, and I’ve seen all kinds of videos from “PROs.” the fact that you used different plugins and hardware for the demonstration makes it even better! 🙌🏽 great job and well explained and easy to understand.
It's not terribly important in the grand scheme, but... the technical defiinitions here of attack & release are not correct. Why believe me: I've designed these things for a living for 15 years. They're almost universally misunderstood, but attack is not the time it takes a comp to react once signal is over threshold, and release is not the time it takes to restore gain when signal is below threshold. Attack, for anyone who cares, is the RATE at which gain reduction is applied (usually, the time it takes to apply 6dB of reduction, sometimes the time it takes to apply 66% of the target reduction, depends who is designing and what their goals are). Release is the time it takes the comp to restore lost gain (again, typically 6dB or else 66%), irrespective of signal level and threshold. A compressor attacks any time a signal is over threshold *and* increasing in level, and the onset of compression begins the *instant* the signal crosses threshold (and, sometimes, slightly before, if the knee is super soft). A compressor releases any time the signal level is decreasing in level *and* there is gain reduction to be restored, which means release can and will happen a lot even if a signal crosses over threshold and stays there for the whole song. If you've read all that and are still skeptical, you can confirm it very easily: bury your signal in compression (so the signal is always over threshold) and adjust attack and release; you will hear the changes in character, and you'll see the gain reduction change its ballistics accordingly, because a comp can only do two things: attack and release, so if it's doing anything at all (i.e., the GR meter is moving) it's doing one of those two things.
Greg, you are 100% correct in all this. My aim was to distill the controls of the compressor so that people who are struggling to grasp the concept of compression could have something to relate to. “Reaction” and “Recovery” may not be the most technically accurate definition for what attack and release do, but they were the most correct “simple” words that I could find to help people conceptualize a very not simple concept.
What a fantastic video. I shared this with a budding sound engineer friend before I'd even finished watching. You're an intuitive and efficient communicator, and I'm stoked for the future of your channel!
Just want to add that attack and release have nothing to do with a compressor’s reaction time to the loud signal. They just control the speed of the volume’s movement. Also a limiter is just a compressor with an infinite ratio. Meaning anything that goes over the threshold is turned down by the amount it jumped over.
Modern limiters in DSP are not compressors with infinite ratios. This hasn't been true since at least the L1. They are more like soft and hard clippers with envelope contouring. There's probably some plugins out there that still work within that paradigm, but most modern limiters like Pro-L2, Ozone Limiter, Limitless are all kind of fancy/sophisticated clippers that can smoothly or abruptly transition between eating peaks, and riding gain like an AGC
Standing ovation! Best compression video I have ever seen. You have the gift of being able to make complicated ideas simple to understand. It is often very difficult to make something easy (and very easy to make something difficult), so thank you for your hard work! My only complaint is that I needed this video about 20 years ago. Superb.
10ms as generally unnoticeable, which I perceived as a good thing. 20ms was notably clicky, like someone increased the volume on drum sticks or the drummer accidentally kept hitting the rim. 30ms sounded like that click was artificially extended in duration, making the whole thing sound really synthetic.
Fine, but why do you feel empowered to throw in some casual ageism? Would you do that about an ethnic group or a sexual persuasion? And I'll wager you consider yourself progressive. It's not my age group, but they're human beings and could do without being stigmatised. Cue mass of cheap insults in reply ...
Hey thanks for watching! I never use tempo based comp settings. Rarely if ever do you want the compressor to be lock step with the bpm of your project. The GROOVE is almost never an accent on every beat. usually it's 1 & 3, or 2 & 4, or something else. And depending on the character of your song, you may want that groove to feel tighter (faster release than bpm) or looser (slower release than bpm).
0:30 Compression does not "make stuff less dynamic". A compressor *can* do that, with a fast Attack, but that's not really a description of a compressor. If I use a slow-ish Attack on a drum recording with a deep Threshold and/or Ratio, my transients will end up proportionately higher than other parts of the signal which were compressed, resulting in an increased dynamic range. 1:14 Attack is not really "reaction time", or "how quickly the compressor is going to respond." The Attack process happens instantly on a Threshold breach, and the time setting of the Attack is a demand for how long the compressor will take to perform ~2/3 of the total Gain Reduction. The trouble with the "reaction time" explanation is that it leaves people confused; they think the compressor is waiting [x] milliseconds to begin performing compression and then kicks in. This is particularly misleading if they are unsure how to listen to a compressor but they're heard about using calculators to determine ms by bpm - especially if they believe your next mistake too, and think that Attack and Release happen one after the other. 1:19 This is not how Release works; it is not "how quickly will the compressor return to normal after the sound has returned from crossing that line." The Threshold is not a two-way boundary. A standard compressor (i.e. downward compressor) only responds to upward breaches. When that upward breach happens, both the Attack process and the Release process begin instantly and simultaneously (which is why your Release setting should be decently longer than your Attack, in cases where a compressor allows A to be shorter than R). There is no sensor in a downward compressor circuit to detect a level falling beneath a certain mark. Similarly to Attack, the Release time setting is the amount of time after an upward breach for the compressor to restore ~2/3 of the GR. You can prove this yourself by setting up an example where the audio is constantly above the Threshold. If only Attack happened above the Threshold and Release only kicked in beneath the Threshold, moving the Attack/Release dials wouldn't do anything. However, as you change A and R, you'll clearly hear that the sound does change.
@@WillBorza Saying that gain recovery begins after the signal dips under the threshold is not simplifying it. That's flat-out wrong. It's legitimate to simplify something if it helps new learners to understand a complex problem, but you did the opposite of helping them to understand.
@@joechapman8208 Thanks for the warning. I almost fell into the trap haha. I am surprised by people who want to spread false information to gain followers and some money.
@@ma3boch I wouldn't go that far. He's just repeating what he's heard. I'm less impressed that he just tried to BS me by pretending that already knew and was just "trying to simplify" (there's no way anyone will 'simplify' via an incorrect explanation), but I don't think the video is motivated by dishonesty. He thought what he was saying was true.
@@joechapman8208 Thank you for the response, my brother. Frankly, I do not know him, and I also do not want to oppress anyone, whether he or anyone else, but things have become annoying, and lying and deceiving people has become a normal thing for the majority, and this is what bothered me. I also unsubscribed from the channel.
Yes you convinced me...I understand just the most important thing...give me that phoenix compressor😅....just joking....cool video ..anyway...subscribed
* This was/is helpful. Thank you. * It would be even better if everything was slower (speech, video)…for normal, uneducated, new to recording, not young, not hyperactive people ;) * Also, examples of working on different compressors and limiters/compressors (all plugins are quite different in parameters, functions and layouts) would be even more helpful;… L/R, Middle, Sides… Maybe asking for too much, but i feel like i am asking the right person …
Working on my album Zero Self-Esteem, if I could find an all-star master to help me that would be epic. Otherwise I'm trying to do all the work myself.
When we listen to attack and release, we’re not being explained if it’s the drums, the synth or even the master bus which is being compressed. To me that’s a bit confusing. What does what to what? I find it really confusing to figure out. Is it changing? First drums with the attack and then synth with the release?
Yeah, so the compressor is on the mix bus. When we're listening for attack, it's easiest to hear that on transients (ie drums). When we're listening for release, it's easier to hear that in a sustained synth (btw that synth was recorded dynamically static - no swell in volume at all. So all the volume changes you hear in the synth are being caused by the compressor!)
@@WillBorza Okay. Still not 100% sure if the compressor is on both simultaneously or you shift between takes. That it is on a mix bus, doesn’t really explain that. That could be a mix bus for drums in the first example and a mix bus for synths on the next. But other than that, it’s pretty easy to hear the changes. But I hope it makes sense, that it matters to be sure where is being used since applying compression to a track can make other things sound different: that is a confusing premise to listen from.
No matter what, I never tire of watching videos about the ARRT of compression because constant reminders are helpful. I have a natural tendency to stop going through this perfectly sensible sequence and just "dialing it in" without spending the 20 or 30s it would take to do this properly. So, thanks for the reminder and I may well re-watch this video every few months. And 2/3 for tools. Pro C2 is my workhorse compressor, Unisum is my mastering compressor and .... well I've never got on with Ozone. But apparently 2 out of 3 ain't bad ;)
@@WillBorza Ah, didn't realise that, heard good things about Ozone 11, especially the maximiser. But I'm well served for mastering tools, even if I'm still trying to get to grips with some of them (I'm looking at you Unisum!).
@@WillBorza I do. I didn't always - but CD quality is 44.1k and DVD is 48k which both allow the upper limit of human audibility. 50ms correlates to to the waveform at 50k making one pass, so this allows all information of the initial transient - tone, attack, eq - to pass and make one hit, while the compressor snaps down the peaks after that, where most of the volume information lays. So you get the best of both worlds - the initial transients and the compression. So 10ms basically correlates to 10k one cycle pass, and you'll be chopping off some, transients. Which isn't a bad or unwanted thing totally in some instances.
Youre the only one I know of with a SLAM! Mastering version. Very interesting choice; I cant get it out of my head. Because of the incredible lack of content about this unit, I’d love to hear you feedback on it or a video with your experience. Its mega expensive but seems really useful
I just took notes from this video on a word document. I've recorded for decades. Lo-fi, no-fi, sounds pretty good but not great. I'm wanting to learn best practices now and this seven minute video really helped me understand compressors and my approach to them in a way dozens of other explanation videos could not. Thank you for the time you take to help your fellow music lovers learn what you know!
Attack and release are how fast the compressor takes to ‘get to full gain reduction, or return to no gain reduction.’ All compressors start compressing immediately. Attack and release are how fast it accomplishes it. It’s a distinction fee make but eliminates confusion once you understand it.
You've got another sub! Love the technique of increasing the ratio to hear the full affect! I did this, then slightly adjusted my attack, although surprisingly it was already not too far off, so has given me confidence my ears are working correctly! I've also now started using the auto release function rather than adjust my own release, you're right! The auto release does the business! Now I trust it. Made my moves and dropped the ratio, now my mix is sounding top notch, with no more muddy pumping low end. Thank you. 🤟🏻
I though Compressor does not quiet parts louder, only loud parts quieter and then you gain everything up. I thought for making quiet sounds louder you need an Expender.
nice video man. I know how compressors work and I've worked with them for a long time, but I always like to hear other people's approach. Your explanation and general approach of the matter is really nice and easy to follow, and very well presented. Clear examples, and these 5 steps are a useful and practical approach I think
Hello there. Can you (or someone else) explain why I would want low treshold with low ratio or high treshold with high ratio. I understand everything and I can apply everything but this very detail I can't seem to develop an understanding on.
These compression changes sounded so subtle and non different on the attack, I don't know why people put so much emphasis on compression. Do I need to compress each track individually or apply compression over the entire master track?
Exactly. A.R.R.T is a great way to hear what the sound of the compressor is. Find that I have to use way less compression to get the effect that i want.
Wonderful 🤩 and a comprehensive, distinctive and simple explanation. Thank you ✋😍.. I subscribed to the channel after the first two minutes of this video.
Whats interesting is you said the punchy setting on the drums was when the attack was the slowest. What if the drum has no punch, would you adjust the release to slow or fast to make them punchier?
I feel exactly like everyone else here ... Finally! I've always understand Compression in.theory, but never been able to translate that to my own compression efforts. The SSL theory is pure genius and makes total sense, they're preset values for a reason!! Well done and thank you ❤
Very thorough and comprehensive explanation! The visual aids helped immensely in my understanding of this difficult topic. THANK YOU! You should have 100k subscribers in no time (IMO)
Thanks for the tutorial. I really like the SSL item for timing. It really makes sense. I almost subconsciously choose emulation plug-ins that sound like my '80s and 90s song collections. Yep, going after that sound thing. Things like my Relab LX480 V4, Pulsar Audio Massive, Mu, Smasher, W495,1178, and the UAD LA-2A Silver free edition. Soundtoys SuperPlate on EMT 140, still a similar thing. I'm stuck in the 80s, but mixing in a box.
Thought this was gonna be clickbait. But this turned out to be thee BEST video on compression I’ve ever seen, especially with the attack and release knob explanation. Good stuff!
Jesus... I've watched and intensively listened literally dozens and dozens of tutorial videos on compression. And seriously: this is THE ONLY ONE which makes it not only completely understandable to me, but also illustrates perfectly how to dial in compressions and WHY to do it that way.
Much appreciated! 🥰
Thank you so much for watching. I'm so glad it helped!
Me tooo, I was just about to type this 😭
Bro this is genius, I'va always had issues with setting my attack and realease times @@WillBorza
not only did this legend explain compression so beautifully he did it in 7 minutes! I wish my receding hairline made me that smart
Would LOVE to see more videos from you if you can. Favorite plugins, analog gear reviews, Studio tour, etc!
More to come!
I've watched a ton of mixing and mastering content. This is probably my favourite video I've seen about compression. Great work! 🔥
You really explained this perfectly. I think largely due to your attitude towards the whole thing. There is a saying that goes something like "A true master can explain something complicated in the most simple of ways" rings true for this video.
This video should get an Oscar. Really nice job of clearly explaining and visualizing your concepts!
OK in one single comment you have just solved all of my sub compression issues... because I am now using a limiter instead of a compressor and it is so much better. So thanks, I appreciate it.
From now on, I will send the link to this video to anyone who asks me anything about compressors! 😀👍
Yesssss!!!! You rock!
Thanks for a great instructional video. It all makes sense now.
won my subscription right away. wasn't aware I was able to listen to compression until today :o
Thank you so much!
Excellent!
Echoing others' comments about this being the best explanation of compression I've come across. Subscribed.
Thanks for watching!!!
Your video is the best. Thank you.
Wow, thank you so much!
This is excellent thing I found today 🎉
THIS IS LITERALLY GOLD
Thank you so much!
@@WillBorza can you also get into dynamic eq or something like soothe 2 for vocals
I concur. This is the best vid on compression. Examples are great. More of those! Like on “make up” compression (?) where and why?
Glad you liked it! Make-up is just in reference to gain. 'make up compression' isn't a thing. You compress - let's say 4dB, and then you add 4dB of gain to make up for the amount you compressed.
Awesome! 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for watching dude!
This is SUCH a good video man!!! Wow.
Thank you so much! More to come!
You mention famous attack and release settings... what are some of them?
The 6 attack times and 6 release times from the SSL G-Buss compressor
This is such a good video! Thank you! I'm excited to spend some time with the one million compression plugins I have really hearing them.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I personally don't like all that threshold unless I'm focusing on a certain frequency bandwidth or transients, try mixing varying degrees of parallel compression from 2-3 different compressors
Great tip!
Hi. I saw your video about the kalis and came here to see you’ve not got them anymore. What changed your mind?
I recently bought some as a cheap temporary replacement for my hedd audio type 30 mk2’s while they were being repaired, and I was shocked by how good they sound and even maybe better in some ways. I’m now not sure what to do!
I still have them at my editing desk! But the Genelecs and Kii's are a whole tier above
Wow
Why did you choose Kii Three's instead of some bigger ATCs with subs for your mastering room?
The cardiod pattern means less room treatment. Buying bigger ATC's or PMC's would mean building them into the wall (this is a rental).
@@WillBorza I understand. I think I'll send you my next single to master in a month or two from now (progressive rock), would love to hear your take on it
Thank you so much! I’d love to help!
This comparison is so out of world, it's ridiculous
lol
sorry dude, but i was maybe a little to high and got confuse with the ad that played. haha thought it was the video.... there were comparing actual ai stuff with the first analog desks etc. @@WillBorza
hairline side chained
Feels a little thin. Might need more compression.
This is the BEST video I've seen on YT about compression, and I’ve seen all kinds of videos from “PROs.” the fact that you used different plugins and hardware for the demonstration makes it even better! 🙌🏽 great job and well explained and easy to understand.
Wow, thank you so much!
Agreed
I agree, it's exactly how I think about compression as well and it's definitely the easiest way to explain it.
Facts. This is what im linking people to who ask about compression. I could try to explain it better in 7 min, and I'd fail lol. Will is rad
Ditto. Great channel, amigo. (You just need to upload more content!:)
It's not terribly important in the grand scheme, but... the technical defiinitions here of attack & release are not correct. Why believe me: I've designed these things for a living for 15 years. They're almost universally misunderstood, but attack is not the time it takes a comp to react once signal is over threshold, and release is not the time it takes to restore gain when signal is below threshold. Attack, for anyone who cares, is the RATE at which gain reduction is applied (usually, the time it takes to apply 6dB of reduction, sometimes the time it takes to apply 66% of the target reduction, depends who is designing and what their goals are). Release is the time it takes the comp to restore lost gain (again, typically 6dB or else 66%), irrespective of signal level and threshold.
A compressor attacks any time a signal is over threshold *and* increasing in level, and the onset of compression begins the *instant* the signal crosses threshold (and, sometimes, slightly before, if the knee is super soft). A compressor releases any time the signal level is decreasing in level *and* there is gain reduction to be restored, which means release can and will happen a lot even if a signal crosses over threshold and stays there for the whole song.
If you've read all that and are still skeptical, you can confirm it very easily: bury your signal in compression (so the signal is always over threshold) and adjust attack and release; you will hear the changes in character, and you'll see the gain reduction change its ballistics accordingly, because a comp can only do two things: attack and release, so if it's doing anything at all (i.e., the GR meter is moving) it's doing one of those two things.
Greg, you are 100% correct in all this. My aim was to distill the controls of the compressor so that people who are struggling to grasp the concept of compression could have something to relate to.
“Reaction” and “Recovery” may not be the most technically accurate definition for what attack and release do, but they were the most correct “simple” words that I could find to help people conceptualize a very not simple concept.
This is the best explanation I’ve seen on compression on RUclips today. Wonderful
Wow, thanks!
Today? How many videos about compression have you watched today?
Lmfao
What about yesterday?
Ever feel like you need to decompress from watching about compression? 🙋
Finally found a channel where although I'm at an advanced level, I can still learn. Finally.
Thanks for watching!
the droning synth sound behind ... genius! Best lesson yet, you've done in 7min what countless hrs from 'pros' have not come close to teaching.
Thank you so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed!
This is the best way i've ever seen someone explain an audio tool. Big thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so much! More to come!
Well done I would say, this is one of the best explanations about compression on RUclips... Thank you
Thank you so much for watching!
Dude. As much as I understand compressors, your structured 5 steps is PURE GOLD ❤️🙌. Best explaination I've ever seen / heard. Cheers Bro.
Great to hear!
What a fantastic video. I shared this with a budding sound engineer friend before I'd even finished watching. You're an intuitive and efficient communicator, and I'm stoked for the future of your channel!
Thank you! I really appreciate the share :)
Awesomely Helpful Video my Dood!
You are the man !!!!! I have awarded you the BEST understanding compression video on the entire internet !!!!!! 🏆
thanks!
Just want to add that attack and release have nothing to do with a compressor’s reaction time to the loud signal. They just control the speed of the volume’s movement.
Also a limiter is just a compressor with an infinite ratio. Meaning anything that goes over the threshold is turned down by the amount it jumped over.
That’s a good way to think of it!
Modern limiters in DSP are not compressors with infinite ratios. This hasn't been true since at least the L1. They are more like soft and hard clippers with envelope contouring. There's probably some plugins out there that still work within that paradigm, but most modern limiters like Pro-L2, Ozone Limiter, Limitless are all kind of fancy/sophisticated clippers that can smoothly or abruptly transition between eating peaks, and riding gain like an AGC
This is great! Thanks for all this info!!!
great video. just subscribed
Standing ovation! Best compression video I have ever seen. You have the gift of being able to make complicated ideas simple to understand. It is often very difficult to make something easy (and very easy to make something difficult), so thank you for your hard work! My only complaint is that I needed this video about 20 years ago. Superb.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for watching!
K this is great ur great im subscribing
10ms as generally unnoticeable, which I perceived as a good thing.
20ms was notably clicky, like someone increased the volume on drum sticks or the drummer accidentally kept hitting the rim.
30ms sounded like that click was artificially extended in duration, making the whole thing sound really synthetic.
Worth listening to 1, 10, and 30 on everything, because different sounds/songs will react differently to each.
Fine, but why do you feel empowered to throw in some casual ageism? Would you do that about an ethnic group or a sexual persuasion? And I'll wager you consider yourself progressive. It's not my age group, but they're human beings and could do without being stigmatised. Cue mass of cheap insults in reply ...
I mean I showed my dad and he was like “hey man, we invented loud music! … that’s why we can’t hear anymore” 😂
With background music, words become bla bla
good to know
Hey great video. I have a question: What about tempo based Compressor times for settings close to your 10 and 30 theory’s?
Hey thanks for watching! I never use tempo based comp settings. Rarely if ever do you want the compressor to be lock step with the bpm of your project. The GROOVE is almost never an accent on every beat. usually it's 1 & 3, or 2 & 4, or something else. And depending on the character of your song, you may want that groove to feel tighter (faster release than bpm) or looser (slower release than bpm).
This is by far the best explanation Ive ever heard when it comes to compression.
0:30 Compression does not "make stuff less dynamic". A compressor *can* do that, with a fast Attack, but that's not really a description of a compressor. If I use a slow-ish Attack on a drum recording with a deep Threshold and/or Ratio, my transients will end up proportionately higher than other parts of the signal which were compressed, resulting in an increased dynamic range.
1:14 Attack is not really "reaction time", or "how quickly the compressor is going to respond." The Attack process happens instantly on a Threshold breach, and the time setting of the Attack is a demand for how long the compressor will take to perform ~2/3 of the total Gain Reduction. The trouble with the "reaction time" explanation is that it leaves people confused; they think the compressor is waiting [x] milliseconds to begin performing compression and then kicks in. This is particularly misleading if they are unsure how to listen to a compressor but they're heard about using calculators to determine ms by bpm - especially if they believe your next mistake too, and think that Attack and Release happen one after the other.
1:19 This is not how Release works; it is not "how quickly will the compressor return to normal after the sound has returned from crossing that line." The Threshold is not a two-way boundary. A standard compressor (i.e. downward compressor) only responds to upward breaches. When that upward breach happens, both the Attack process and the Release process begin instantly and simultaneously (which is why your Release setting should be decently longer than your Attack, in cases where a compressor allows A to be shorter than R). There is no sensor in a downward compressor circuit to detect a level falling beneath a certain mark. Similarly to Attack, the Release time setting is the amount of time after an upward breach for the compressor to restore ~2/3 of the GR.
You can prove this yourself by setting up an example where the audio is constantly above the Threshold. If only Attack happened above the Threshold and Release only kicked in beneath the Threshold, moving the Attack/Release dials wouldn't do anything. However, as you change A and R, you'll clearly hear that the sound does change.
This is all accurate but wouldn’t fit into a simplified 60 second overview.
@@WillBorza Saying that gain recovery begins after the signal dips under the threshold is not simplifying it. That's flat-out wrong. It's legitimate to simplify something if it helps new learners to understand a complex problem, but you did the opposite of helping them to understand.
@@joechapman8208 Thanks for the warning. I almost fell into the trap haha. I am surprised by people who want to spread false information to gain followers and some money.
@@ma3boch I wouldn't go that far. He's just repeating what he's heard. I'm less impressed that he just tried to BS me by pretending that already knew and was just "trying to simplify" (there's no way anyone will 'simplify' via an incorrect explanation), but I don't think the video is motivated by dishonesty. He thought what he was saying was true.
@@joechapman8208 Thank you for the response, my brother. Frankly, I do not know him, and I also do not want to oppress anyone, whether he or anyone else, but things have become annoying, and lying and deceiving people has become a normal thing for the majority, and this is what bothered me. I also unsubscribed from the channel.
Great Video!
From one receding hairline to another, thank you for this amazing video. I’m brand new to recording/mixing and this is very helpful.
Happy you found it helpful!
What about one for vocals? I'd love to see the examples although the same concept may apply.
Yep! Same concepts apply! Do you want your P’s, T’s, and S’s to punch, snap, or disappear?
Yes you convinced me...I understand just the most important thing...give me that phoenix compressor😅....just joking....cool video ..anyway...subscribed
* This was/is helpful. Thank you.
* It would be even better if everything was slower (speech, video)…for normal, uneducated, new to recording, not young, not hyperactive people ;)
* Also, examples of working on different compressors and limiters/compressors (all plugins are quite different in parameters, functions and layouts) would be even more helpful;… L/R, Middle, Sides… Maybe asking for too much, but i feel like i am asking the right person …
Working on my album Zero Self-Esteem, if I could find an all-star master to help me that would be epic. Otherwise I'm trying to do all the work myself.
When we listen to attack and release, we’re not being explained if it’s the drums, the synth or even the master bus which is being compressed. To me that’s a bit confusing. What does what to what? I find it really confusing to figure out. Is it changing? First drums with the attack and then synth with the release?
Yeah, so the compressor is on the mix bus. When we're listening for attack, it's easiest to hear that on transients (ie drums). When we're listening for release, it's easier to hear that in a sustained synth (btw that synth was recorded dynamically static - no swell in volume at all. So all the volume changes you hear in the synth are being caused by the compressor!)
@@WillBorza Okay. Still not 100% sure if the compressor is on both simultaneously or you shift between takes. That it is on a mix bus, doesn’t really explain that. That could be a mix bus for drums in the first example and a mix bus for synths on the next. But other than that, it’s pretty easy to hear the changes. But I hope it makes sense, that it matters to be sure where is being used since applying compression to a track can make other things sound different: that is a confusing premise to listen from.
No matter what, I never tire of watching videos about the ARRT of compression because constant reminders are helpful. I have a natural tendency to stop going through this perfectly sensible sequence and just "dialing it in" without spending the 20 or 30s it would take to do this properly. So, thanks for the reminder and I may well re-watch this video every few months.
And 2/3 for tools. Pro C2 is my workhorse compressor, Unisum is my mastering compressor and .... well I've never got on with Ozone. But apparently 2 out of 3 ain't bad ;)
Thank you so much for watching! Ozone 11 is quite a bit better than its predecessors. But I’m a bit biased in saying that because I helped design it.
@@WillBorza Ah, didn't realise that, heard good things about Ozone 11, especially the maximiser. But I'm well served for mastering tools, even if I'm still trying to get to grips with some of them (I'm looking at you Unisum!).
50 ms attack is enough for all audible frequency transients to make one cycle before the compressor kicks on.
Interesting! Do you factor that into how you dial in your attack time?
@@WillBorza I do. I didn't always - but CD quality is 44.1k and DVD is 48k which both allow the upper limit of human audibility. 50ms correlates to to the waveform at 50k making one pass, so this allows all information of the initial transient - tone, attack, eq - to pass and make one hit, while the compressor snaps down the peaks after that, where most of the volume information lays. So you get the best of both worlds - the initial transients and the compression. So 10ms basically correlates to 10k one cycle pass, and you'll be chopping off some, transients. Which isn't a bad or unwanted thing totally in some instances.
Youre the only one I know of with a SLAM! Mastering version. Very interesting choice; I cant get it out of my head. Because of the incredible lack of content about this unit, I’d love to hear you feedback on it or a video with your experience. Its mega expensive but seems really useful
This genius gentleman also has The Secret to Perfect Teaching. I have never seen a better tutorial on RUclips on ANY subject matter. Thank you SIR!!
Best way anyone has explained compression and HOW to actually use it.
Thank you so much!
I just took notes from this video on a word document. I've recorded for decades. Lo-fi, no-fi, sounds pretty good but not great. I'm wanting to learn best practices now and this seven minute video really helped me understand compressors and my approach to them in a way dozens of other explanation videos could not. Thank you for the time you take to help your fellow music lovers learn what you know!
Theres some sort of clickbait on this video. You are explaining just how compressors work. Nothing special here.
Best Video Ever 👏🏾👏🏾❤️
Thank you so much!
Attack and release are how fast the compressor takes to ‘get to full gain reduction, or return to no gain reduction.’
All compressors start compressing immediately. Attack and release are how fast it accomplishes it. It’s a distinction fee make but eliminates confusion once you understand it.
You've got another sub! Love the technique of increasing the ratio to hear the full affect! I did this, then slightly adjusted my attack, although surprisingly it was already not too far off, so has given me confidence my ears are working correctly! I've also now started using the auto release function rather than adjust my own release, you're right! The auto release does the business! Now I trust it. Made my moves and dropped the ratio, now my mix is sounding top notch, with no more muddy pumping low end. Thank you. 🤟🏻
Thanks a lot for this video! I love how there are hour-long courses on compression and you made me understand it in just 7 minutes. Great video!
Glad it was helpful!
I though Compressor does not quiet parts louder, only loud parts quieter and then you gain everything up. I thought for making quiet sounds louder you need an Expender.
you're a funny guy, sent your videos to some of my colleagues learning mixing, I appreciate the sharing
nice video man. I know how compressors work and I've worked with them for a long time, but I always like to hear other people's approach. Your explanation and general approach of the matter is really nice and easy to follow, and very well presented. Clear examples, and these 5 steps are a useful and practical approach I think
Hello there. Can you (or someone else) explain why I would want low treshold with low ratio or high treshold with high ratio. I understand everything and I can apply everything but this very detail I can't seem to develop an understanding on.
These compression changes sounded so subtle and non different on the attack, I don't know why people put so much emphasis on compression. Do I need to compress each track individually or apply compression over the entire master track?
Exactly. A.R.R.T is a great way to hear what the sound of the compressor is. Find that I have to use way less compression to get the effect that i want.
Wonderful 🤩 and a comprehensive, distinctive and simple explanation. Thank you ✋😍.. I subscribed to the channel after the first two minutes of this video.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed 😀
Wow, this helped me a lot. Finally I get how compression works ❤
The SSL Theory !!!!
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
This is THE BEST explanation of compression I’ve ever heard on RUclips. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Yay! Thank you!
Whats interesting is you said the punchy setting on the drums was when the attack was the slowest. What if the drum has no punch, would you adjust the release to slow or fast to make them punchier?
Thank you , i think vyou are only one in the entire universe that explained properly the correlation between treshold and ratio!
Excellent tutorial. Great work Will.
Bro, you made the best video on compression ever!
Looking forward to your take on the secret to perfect eq'ing. Nice breakdown and great balance between "taste" and "how it works".
Thanks!
I feel exactly like everyone else here ... Finally! I've always understand Compression in.theory, but never been able to translate that to my own compression efforts. The SSL theory is pure genius and makes total sense, they're preset values for a reason!! Well done and thank you ❤
Thanks for watching! Glad it helped!
Awesome! Thank you for this one.
Glad you liked it!
Bro's leveled up
Wonderful presentation.
Loved your video.
Thank you
Many many thanks
Great video bro we appreciate you 🏋🏾🔥🔥💪🏾
Super helpful! Thank you Will!
Very thorough and comprehensive explanation! The visual aids helped immensely in my understanding of this difficult topic. THANK YOU! You should have 100k subscribers in no time (IMO)
wow, thank you so much!
This video is great. Please make more videos in this style 😊
Thanks for the easy understanding!
Good stuff….& yeah the last tip is a very good point 👍
That was really nice. Thanks for helping to explain it in EASY terms.
Glad it was helpful!
This is the best video about compression I've ever watched. I've struggled for years because I couldn't hear compression. THANKS A TON!
Glad it helped!
Thanks for the tutorial. I really like the SSL item for timing. It really makes sense. I almost subconsciously choose emulation plug-ins that sound like my '80s and 90s song collections. Yep, going after that sound thing.
Things like my Relab LX480 V4, Pulsar Audio Massive, Mu, Smasher, W495,1178, and the UAD LA-2A Silver free edition. Soundtoys SuperPlate on EMT 140, still a similar thing.
I'm stuck in the 80s, but mixing in a box.
80's music is the best. Thanks for watching!
This was a great watch. Thanks!!
Damn background music made me hit the sub button somehow! Good stuff btw.❤
RUclips's Royalty Free library has some gems if you're willing to dig for them 😀
Wow thanks, amazing way of exploring by understanding❤
Glad you liked it!
that's the last song the end of the video called?
Super interesting and great presentation
Great video! Explained it better than I could with great examples!
Glad you enjoyed it!