I love the subtle enhancement this quality component makes to vocals and acoustic guitar. Haven't tried it on bass yet, but you inspired me to give it a go. Thanks for this excellent review.
Mike, you've outdone yourself! This is one of the best audio tutorials I've ever seen. The description of compression is very clear and the graphics are an enormous help to the explanation. The extended A/B tests were very helpful in learning to hear the difference. The only suggestion I would offer would be to either: to prepare the listener for they're about to hear, or; to review what you just played. When I first started listening seriously to audio equipment a salesman did just that, telling me what to listen for and helping train my ears--it was hugely valuable. If you did that you could easily create a recording/mixing/mastering course that would be well worth the money. I've watched vids from lots of other people and it's rare that they explain what you should be hearing.
The format of this video was phenomenal. Great job! I think you nailed it with the experience component of using hardware. Plugins are convenient and can sound almost identical to the units they're meant to emulate. However, the hands-on experience of mixing music is something that plugins can't touch ;) I just added a handful of Warm Audio processors to my studio and have been having a blast with them. Cheers.
I once plotted the compression ratio of a Teletronix LA2 bought in the 1970s, and found it to be soft knee in limiting mode. The compression ratio starts at less than 1.5:1 and exceeds 20:1 at high input levels.
Hello Mike, thanks for the clear information !!! FYI your demo download is running at ~27 KB/s, which is super slow. So it takes 50 minutes to download a 76.7 MB file, which usually takes less than 30 seconds. You might want to look into that to see whats up. My connection is at 50 MB/s after testing it a few seconds ago so the issue isn't at my end. No dramas, just letting you know in case you weren't aware. Again thanks for the highly useful lesson.
Great video Mike, compressors can be such a mystery to many folks (me too)..... which one to use for what, side chaining, two different compressors in line, which one for mastering..... seems like s study unto itself. Thank you for sharing with us.
Nice presentation, Mike. Thank you for your hard work. I would like to chime in on my take on using a compressor. I've had a few musicians over who play acoustic guitar and sing. Here's my setup: I usually use transformer coupled tube microphone preamps for both vocals and guitar, miked separately, which I then feed directly into a pair of LA-2A compressors.The resulting signal is fed into a dual impedance matching xfmr set and then into the audio interface. I find the results very interesting as follows: With just the audio interface alone, no preamp or compression, the audio sounds very clear with virtually no noise, but it doesn't sound very natural. Too harsh and in your face. Although (be advised) the preamp and compressor do add a slight bit of buzzing and carrying on (noise) near the noise floor, the resulting "new" audio just seems to have a nice and natural shimmer and is sonically more pleasing to listen to. The subtle distortion the units add to the signal is enjoyable to human ears for some reason. I might use only a slight touch of EQ and maybe some reverb for dimensional enhancement in most cases to record absolutely stunning audio. You will notice how the gain reduction changes in a good way as the artist moves closer of further from the mic, or plays (and sings) with varying loudness levels....the LA-2A rides the faders for you! Very subtle and amazing indeed! Regards, Hankenstein
Very good explanation! It will come in handy, even if I use plugins. I had thought the gain was input gain, and wondered why it didn't seem to drive the compression. I'll have go back and try the vsts again!
I just found out that I've had this type all along called ADHD Leveling tool. Definitely trying it on my next project. It even has instructions! Thanks for the usual clarity of your video!
Thankyou for the wonderful video 😊🙏🏻. What i felt is that the original LA-2A also adds low frequencies or low mids and saturation with compression which gives weight and body to the sound on the other hand the WA-2A adds the low-mids and mids that we dont want with the compression. Any suggestion how to mimic that in the DAW ? Thankyou !! 😊
Great video as per. Listened to the 3 tracks and I liked the waves version, but the Warm WA 2A was much warmer and controlled. Really could hear the difference. Beautiful song by the way, Suzi's voice is fabulous. :-)
Love the demo ❤ - and you left the fret squeak in 👍Yay!!! Acoustic guitar is an example where I will barely use any compression - just enough to even it out (if needed) - but always hesitant and always very little. My vocals: smash em' - if I was a better vocalist might not have to do that. Bass compression - almost like a normal person.
Great presentation and explanation of compression Mike. The graphics at the start helped a lot. Was the compressor on individual tracks or on the whole mix please?
Interesting demo Mike - I'm still getting to grips with compression. To my ears (and through You Tube & hi fi speakers!) both the guitar and vocals sounded subtly warmer
Yes it's very hard to learn how to hear compression. Usually I always feel like it brings some frequencies that weren't present before. As you mentioned, it sounds warmer. I also feel, as Mike explained, in the Vocals is rounded out some of the voice frequencies, made them mode even and more in tune with the song if that makes sense
Not sure about the WA2A but an LA2A has a variable ratio not a set ratio of about 4:1. And limit mode is the exact same variable ratio but it with a quicker onset. It isn't a brickwall limiter of INF:1. 8db in compress mode is exactly the same as 4db in limit mode. Maybe the WA2A is different but I doubt it.
Impossible question. It depends on the dynamic range. If you've got huge diffence inquiet and loud parts, the pofessional thing to do would be to go thrugh and draw the larger gain changes in by hand to level them out - then use a compressor so it doesn't ahve to work as hard.
@@jeffvox @Jeff Thompson Sorry - but like I said, this is unanswerable. Anybody that gives you a figure doesn't understand mixing. You HAVE to use your ears to decide what sounds best. The best reason I can give for understanding that is to consider the genre... In EDM you want the vocal FLAT - everything is slammed to the wall and a vocal that jumps up above the main beat will become distracting. Everything else is pancake flat in heavy genres. Your kick and bassline will look like a sausage! Whereas you'll want to retain dynamics to encourage the emotion if its a jazz or folk song, you'll want it to swell in the emotional parts and still hear the whisper quiet parts. REFERENCE! Find a track similar to yours in style and listen to what they did. Style as well.. some people want pumping squashed vocals, some people prefer more dynamics Don't forget your vocal chain either - sibilant sounds that haven't been de-essed, if they are the loudest part of the sound, then the compressor is going to work harder in those parts than the rest of the body of the sound. In my opinion, its best to process the vocal first (this is the prepping stage) De-ess, small EQ adjustment, gain control automation - THEN compress, you can use more than one compressor too so they don't work as hard (all plugins sound best in their sweet spot when they're working as little as possible) Then, you can put a final limiter on with a very very low threshold to stop it from ever going over a certain set level in the loudest parts. Multiple compressors are one of the more difficult but professional ways to level up your mixes. Slow attack and release for longer held sustained singing, shorter attack and release to control the plosives and beginning parts of words. I used to train voice over artists to do some basic mixing at home - one of the things I point out is that after a break in the speaking or singing, the vocalist likes to come back in HARD with more energy, then the power drops off. This is why do much hand drawn automation is needed because the voice is the most analogue instrument there is! It's all over the place in terms of wonky, out of time, out of tune and unpredictable volume levels.. You'll also want to listen to the breath sounds and decide if you want to cut out the breathing completely or just drop it down (usually this is done by hand through the whole song) If it all sounds balanced - yet - the quietest parts are too quiet then think about it - DO NOT compress the whole track more to bring up the quiet parts. You'll ruin all your hard work. Just cut the problem quiet part out to a separate track or adjust the gain by hand using automation and bring that up on its own. Honestly, there are no hard numbers in music production, you can't be told what to do - you're going to have to train your ears. My best suggestion is to listen to your song on as many different speakers and headphones as you can - take a note pad, make a note of overall specific changes that stand out - or just listen just to the vocals and make a note on the time where an adjustment is needed. If I told you that 3-4db of gain reduction is fine for vocals, you'll look at your meters and aim for that, then struggle later to understand why its not working. You hit the numbers correctly, that's all there is to it, right?
@@jeffvox Hey, no problem my friend and I hope it made sense. Feel free to ask anything else. I've been working in audio for 20 years - a lot of how we get the best sound is very counter intuitive - we want to dive in and dial knobs, but a rational methodical approach is really what is needed. It took me years to develop 'workflow'.
There seemed to be more detail when switched on but as I could see it when it was off and on it wasn't completely scientific (my ears are not those of a professional). I assume a Leveling amplifier is a kind of compressor?
It's weird dat I can only hear certain compressors. I couldn't hear no change wit this at all. I've been experimenting wit compressors n I can hear when it turns down n up when I mess wit the attack n ratio. I can hear a change when I mess wit da release. When it's subtle I can't hear shyt.
@@CreativeSauce I used to do software product management before UI/UX became a specialty, and that's exactly the kind of thing I'd argue with developers about. "Data flows from left to right, fer cryin' out loud!!"
It’s a common myth that a compressor brings up the quieter parts of an audio signal, and this is also IMO a very bad way to use a compressor. A compressor never boost up any quiet signal(this is only an illusion), it can only bring down the volume of a signal above a certain/set threshold. After a compressor is applied to a track, the overall volume of that track feels lower, so to compensate we turn up the makeup-gain, which in turn of course also brings up the volume of the quieter parts. Don’t misunderstand me, a compressor can be a absolutely wonderful tool if used correctly. But as mix-engineers we need to choose our tools carefully, and the big problem with any compressor is that it inevitably changes the recorded sound (and I’m not merely talking about volumechange or harmonic distortion). If the only dynamic problem with let say a vocal track is that some parts are to low, you would get much better results by using automation (or even an expander).
Compressors don't EQ a sound, they only change the volume. So how can it make it muddy? Some might impart some subtle saturation, but even highly coloured compressors don't change the sound enough to call it 'muddy'. You might get distortion from pumping or slamming a sound like a limiter - but an A2A is a super slow Opto so you're not gonna get that here either.
Suzies vocals are so spot on, emotional, and perfect...they bring water to me eyes...
Your overview of what compression is, is among the best explanations on YT. Very nice job.
Thank you Ed, much appreciated. I still think I can improve, but that's for another video.
I don't think it's even possible to explain this more cleanly that you have. Thanks a lot great job !
I finally realize the actual purpose of compression, as opposed to various different examples shown elsewhere. Excellent job, as always!
Hi Raoul, thank you, I'm glad it was helpful!
This video is probably the best video I’ve seen about any compressor period
I love the subtle enhancement this quality component makes to vocals and acoustic guitar. Haven't tried it on bass yet, but you inspired me to give it a go. Thanks for this excellent review.
These videos are incredibly helpful. I'm here with my pad and paper taking notes! Thank you.
I was literally thinking about this today. I have all these effects and don’t know their full potential. Thank you for this video!
Mike, you've outdone yourself! This is one of the best audio tutorials I've ever seen. The description of compression is very clear and the graphics are an enormous help to the explanation.
The extended A/B tests were very helpful in learning to hear the difference. The only suggestion I would offer would be to either: to prepare the listener for they're about to hear, or; to review what you just played. When I first started listening seriously to audio equipment a salesman did just that, telling me what to listen for and helping train my ears--it was hugely valuable. If you did that you could easily create a recording/mixing/mastering course that would be well worth the money. I've watched vids from lots of other people and it's rare that they explain what you should be hearing.
The format of this video was phenomenal. Great job! I think you nailed it with the experience component of using hardware. Plugins are convenient and can sound almost identical to the units they're meant to emulate. However, the hands-on experience of mixing music is something that plugins can't touch ;) I just added a handful of Warm Audio processors to my studio and have been having a blast with them. Cheers.
Best definition of compression that I've heard
I once plotted the compression ratio of a Teletronix LA2 bought in the 1970s, and found it to be soft knee in limiting mode. The compression ratio starts at less than 1.5:1 and exceeds 20:1 at high input levels.
A very professional and detailed explanation and review. WA-2A has been on my list for some time.
Cheers Vatche! Yes, it's very nice - subtle, but nice.
Great explanation as always! I always come away from your presentations understanding what 20 other videos never explain. You're the best!!
Great video Mike! You're making my brain work and remember my days at Full Sail back in 1995.
I like this compressor a lot. I think it works fantastically well, especially for the price.
This was the best video of this compressor that I've seen! Also want to say the music is beautiful and the vocals are heavenly! Absolutely amazing!!
Thanks so much Michael, I'll pass your compliment on to Suzi :)
Hello Mike, thanks for the clear information !!! FYI your demo download is running at ~27 KB/s, which is super slow. So it takes 50 minutes to download a 76.7 MB file, which usually takes less than 30 seconds. You might want to look into that to see whats up. My connection is at 50 MB/s after testing it a few seconds ago so the issue isn't at my end. No dramas, just letting you know in case you weren't aware. Again thanks for the highly useful lesson.
Love these videos and the overviews. It helps someone like me who grabs a compressor plug-in because I “like the sound” lol. Thank you 😊
Not a bad reason :) Thanks man!
The real gem in this video is that song
It's a great video and a cool unit. Thinking of going hybrid..but still evaluating. A big step.
"Hey folks, oi moik" 🤣Wish you well too!
Great video Mike, compressors can be such a mystery to many folks (me too)..... which one to use for what, side chaining, two different compressors in line, which one for mastering..... seems like s study unto itself. Thank you for sharing with us.
Proud to be your 1000th like on this video! Thanks for all the info! Subbed!
As always, magnificent explanation. Thank you, Mike.
Amazing explanation on compression. I’d love a masterclass with you
As always - a great tutorial. LOVED the song!!
Cheers John :)
Great job I learned so much just now 👏
Nice presentation, Mike. Thank you for your hard work. I would like to chime in on my take on using a compressor. I've had a few musicians over who play acoustic guitar and sing. Here's my setup: I usually use transformer coupled tube microphone preamps for both vocals and guitar, miked separately, which I then feed directly into a pair of LA-2A compressors.The resulting signal is fed into a dual impedance matching xfmr set and then into the audio interface. I find the results very interesting as follows: With just the audio interface alone, no preamp or compression, the audio sounds very clear with virtually no noise, but it doesn't sound very natural. Too harsh and in your face. Although (be advised) the preamp and compressor do add a slight bit of buzzing and carrying on (noise) near the noise floor, the resulting "new" audio just seems to have a nice and natural shimmer and is sonically more pleasing to listen to. The subtle distortion the units add to the signal is enjoyable to human ears for some reason. I might use only a slight touch of EQ and maybe some reverb for dimensional enhancement in most cases to record absolutely stunning audio. You will notice how the gain reduction changes in a good way as the artist moves closer of further from the mic, or plays (and sings) with varying loudness levels....the LA-2A rides the faders for you! Very subtle and amazing indeed! Regards, Hankenstein
Very good explanation! It will come in handy, even if I use plugins. I had thought the gain was input gain, and wondered why it didn't seem to drive the compression. I'll have go back and try the vsts again!
I just found out that I've had this type all along called ADHD Leveling tool. Definitely trying it on my next project. It even has instructions! Thanks for the usual clarity of your video!
I could use such a tool for my ADHD, but I don't think one exists ;-)
Thankyou for the wonderful video 😊🙏🏻. What i felt is that the original LA-2A also adds low frequencies or low mids and saturation with compression which gives weight and body to the sound on the other hand the WA-2A adds the low-mids and mids that we dont want with the compression. Any suggestion how to mimic that in the DAW ?
Thankyou !! 😊
Thank you for the advices, much love from Brazil
This is a fantastic resource. It would be great if you could do a similar video for other classic compressors such as the DBX 160 and the 1176
Absolutely working on that, thank you!
@@CreativeSauce sweet! Well, I'll be subscribing then!
Great video as per. Listened to the 3 tracks and I liked the waves version, but the Warm WA 2A was much warmer and controlled. Really could hear the difference. Beautiful song by the way, Suzi's voice is fabulous. :-)
Love the demo ❤ - and you left the fret squeak in 👍Yay!!! Acoustic guitar is an example where I will barely use any compression - just enough to even it out (if needed) - but always hesitant and always very little. My vocals: smash em' - if I was a better vocalist might not have to do that. Bass compression - almost like a normal person.
Great presentation and explanation of compression Mike. The graphics at the start helped a lot. Was the compressor on individual tracks or on the whole mix please?
Hi James, it was applied to individual tracks. I would recommend this compressor for a whole mix.
@@CreativeSauce thanks Mike
Can’t get the LA-2A? No problem, Warm audio got us. And if you can’t, the plug in got us as well 😂 awesome review
Wish they would do a CL1B
Interesting demo Mike - I'm still getting to grips with compression. To my ears (and through You Tube & hi fi speakers!) both the guitar and vocals sounded subtly warmer
Yes it's very hard to learn how to hear compression. Usually I always feel like it brings some frequencies that weren't present before. As you mentioned, it sounds warmer. I also feel, as Mike explained, in the Vocals is rounded out some of the voice frequencies, made them mode even and more in tune with the song if that makes sense
Great explanation. Love the tune.
Best explanation ever, thx so much!
thank you for your teaching !
Silly question here. Is a compressor only used for 1 mic channel on mixer or are there more than 1 input for multiple mic channels?
You're the best, Mike.
Great Vid Mike.
Do you have any thoughts on the opto cell upgrade from black lion? The T4BLA?
Great video! Love the song, is it available anywhere?
Again, 'great teaching video. Thanks.
I most definitely can hear the difference.
And yes the more analog you can have is the better....
I could hear the change. Sounds like it allowed all frequencies to come more clear; opens a pocket for each signal.
Approximately how often should the tube be changed?
Such a beautiful song
Great explanation
You know there is a free digital one in cakewalk on the pro channel right?
I love that unit neat and clean board than original one and the prices are very reasonable
Really awesome!
The song ist beatiful
Not sure about the WA2A but an LA2A has a variable ratio not a set ratio of about 4:1. And limit mode is the exact same variable ratio but it with a quicker onset. It isn't a brickwall limiter of INF:1. 8db in compress mode is exactly the same as 4db in limit mode. Maybe the WA2A is different but I doubt it.
Good video Mike... Good Stuff.. Stay Safe.
Fantastic video! Thx so much.
How much gain reduction to you aim for on vocals and acoustic guitar?
Impossible question. It depends on the dynamic range.
If you've got huge diffence inquiet and loud parts, the pofessional thing to do would be to go thrugh and draw the larger gain changes in by hand to level them out - then use a compressor so it doesn't ahve to work as hard.
@@MOSMASTERING I get that, but generally, once it's in a range, you aim to peak at 3dB or 5dB of reduction, for example.
@@jeffvox @Jeff Thompson
Sorry - but like I said, this is unanswerable.
Anybody that gives you a figure doesn't understand mixing.
You HAVE to use your ears to decide what sounds best.
The best reason I can give for understanding that is to consider the genre...
In EDM you want the vocal FLAT - everything is slammed to the wall and a vocal that jumps up above the main beat will become distracting. Everything else is pancake flat in heavy genres. Your kick and bassline will look like a sausage!
Whereas you'll want to retain dynamics to encourage the emotion if its a jazz or folk song, you'll want it to swell in the emotional parts and still hear the whisper quiet parts. REFERENCE! Find a track similar to yours in style and listen to what they did.
Style as well.. some people want pumping squashed vocals, some people prefer more dynamics
Don't forget your vocal chain either - sibilant sounds that haven't been de-essed, if they are the loudest part of the sound, then the compressor is going to work harder in those parts than the rest of the body of the sound. In my opinion, its best to process the vocal first (this is the prepping stage) De-ess, small EQ adjustment, gain control automation - THEN compress, you can use more than one compressor too so they don't work as hard (all plugins sound best in their sweet spot when they're working as little as possible) Then, you can put a final limiter on with a very very low threshold to stop it from ever going over a certain set level in the loudest parts. Multiple compressors are one of the more difficult but professional ways to level up your mixes. Slow attack and release for longer held sustained singing, shorter attack and release to control the plosives and beginning parts of words.
I used to train voice over artists to do some basic mixing at home - one of the things I point out is that after a break in the speaking or singing, the vocalist likes to come back in HARD with more energy, then the power drops off. This is why do much hand drawn automation is needed because the voice is the most analogue instrument there is! It's all over the place in terms of wonky, out of time, out of tune and unpredictable volume levels..
You'll also want to listen to the breath sounds and decide if you want to cut out the breathing completely or just drop it down (usually this is done by hand through the whole song)
If it all sounds balanced - yet - the quietest parts are too quiet then think about it - DO NOT compress the whole track more to bring up the quiet parts. You'll ruin all your hard work. Just cut the problem quiet part out to a separate track or adjust the gain by hand using automation and bring that up on its own.
Honestly, there are no hard numbers in music production, you can't be told what to do - you're going to have to train your ears.
My best suggestion is to listen to your song on as many different speakers and headphones as you can - take a note pad, make a note of overall specific changes that stand out - or just listen just to the vocals and make a note on the time where an adjustment is needed.
If I told you that 3-4db of gain reduction is fine for vocals, you'll look at your meters and aim for that, then struggle later to understand why its not working. You hit the numbers correctly, that's all there is to it, right?
@@MOSMASTERING this is gold. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this.
@@jeffvox
Hey, no problem my friend and I hope it made sense.
Feel free to ask anything else. I've been working in audio for 20 years - a lot of how we get the best sound is very counter intuitive - we want to dive in and dial knobs, but a rational methodical approach is really what is needed. It took me years to develop 'workflow'.
Great Video
There seemed to be more detail when switched on but as I could see it when it was off and on it wasn't completely scientific (my ears are not those of a professional). I assume a Leveling amplifier is a kind of compressor?
Very helpful! Thanks for posting!!! BTW, I am well, thanks, and hope that you are, too. God bless!
great video
How much?
can you do this for the 1176 next ?
I'd love to :)
It's weird dat I can only hear certain compressors. I couldn't hear no change wit this at all. I've been experimenting wit compressors n I can hear when it turns down n up when I mess wit the attack n ratio. I can hear a change when I mess wit da release. When it's subtle I can't hear shyt.
I can tell you how to hear ANY compressor and what its doing with one simple technique.
I was told the Fairchild 660 was the best?
That's more of a mastering compressor
UAD the best
Took me a moment to realize that this thing is the actual hardware 😂
Lol
Undoubtedly you're a new born
Shock horror! 😯
"You mean, not everything is a plug-in?"
Ahh, that`s Output gain, not Input... dammit White 2A, you didn`t told me! 🤣
You won't be the first who got confused! Especially as its on the left :)
@@CreativeSauce I used to do software product management before UI/UX became a specialty, and that's exactly the kind of thing I'd argue with developers about. "Data flows from left to right, fer cryin' out loud!!"
Hi mick bob the builder 👷♂️ 😃
... 👍👍 !!
Wait a minute... this isn't a CL 1B
It’s a common myth that a compressor brings up the quieter parts of an audio signal, and this is also IMO a very bad way to use a compressor. A compressor never boost up any quiet signal(this is only an illusion), it can only bring down the volume of a signal above a certain/set threshold. After a compressor is applied to a track, the overall volume of that track feels lower, so to compensate we turn up the makeup-gain, which in turn of course also brings up the volume of the quieter parts. Don’t misunderstand me, a compressor can be a absolutely wonderful tool if used correctly. But as mix-engineers we need to choose our tools carefully, and the big problem with any compressor is that it inevitably changes the recorded sound (and I’m not merely talking about volumechange or harmonic distortion). If the only dynamic problem with let say a vocal track is that some parts are to low, you would get much better results by using automation (or even an expander).
ugh
@@wardharrisonaghhh
@@theclaverman
You should make a video... smh
@@badger519maybe I will
All plugins suck, especially boosting a digital eq
Sarcasm, right?
@@MOSMASTERING
Get yourself a hardware Manley Passive Massive and say that...
And you didn't even use the word 'punchy'.
:)
He didn't use the word "punchy" cause it is an OPTO-Compressor which are known for being NOT "punchy" 😂
Warm audio cl1b
Vocals no good
Warm audio
Wa 2a vocals beutiful
Overated and outdated.. Very nice compressor is king for any type of audio, not to mention its price..
One of the muddiest sounding compressor plugins…
Compressors don't EQ a sound, they only change the volume. So how can it make it muddy?
Some might impart some subtle saturation, but even highly coloured compressors don't change the sound enough to call it 'muddy'. You might get distortion from pumping or slamming a sound like a limiter - but an A2A is a super slow Opto so you're not gonna get that here either.
@@MOSMASTERING “Compressors don’t eq a sound…”you may not continue further. You’re a noob.