learning about compressors

[thesisdrs]

Gain staging is when you have different volume's coming from different equipment. for example, My Technics SL 3300 goes to my Mixer which goes into my 404SX which goes into my Audio I/O... So I have to watch out for the level outputs on my mixer, the 404SX and my Audio I/O

If people were watching their level's (making sure you aren't clipping and leaving yourself a good amount of headroom) then you wouldn't need to compress so much.

I was told from an engineer I know that when you record your level should not exceed -12dB. some say -6dB.

[Sharris]

I dont know the full meaning, I THOUGHT gain staging was like mixing or a part of mixing....... getting all your levels right....... would an example or a small portion of gain staging be boosting levels with your mixer?
The KO has a really low output, so I boost the level by uping the gain on my mixer.......is this gain staging?

I just saw thesisdrs post, ok, so thats what I thought it was....

[thesisdrs]

Some people fail to realize that the effects you add later is suppose to raise the level.... Initially, you just want a clean, dry signal to work with.

I remember when I first made beats... I bet I went to at least 10dB /

and that's before I add effects lol

I just wanted to get my ideas out there.

The beats I have on my band camp are old. So I haven't implemented any new techniques I learned yet.

[Sharris]

Yea, that makes sense (using effects raise levels)......I personally don't add any software effects, BUT I use my mixer to boost if needed.......or the Analog Heat...... or the sx........but I wish I had enough disipline to use software effects to master & stuff, I think my beats would def benefit from it.

& yea, its crazy how big of a difference it makes just getting all your levels right.

[EssentialMaintenance]

Dont clip. Turn all your shit to -6.
This shit is basic. Read a book or something.

[Sharris]

I like to clip certain sounds sometimes. And yea, good to read books........also good to expiriment & try things out. And discuss with others to get opinions......tips....tricks.... give advice to newcomers........

[SOUL CHOPPA]

Thanks for bringing this up , very informative. I didn’t know what this was , but I ran to my mixer after reading it and I had it set to around -6 so I was kind of already doing this . Although , in Logic when I’m recording from my SP it’s always jumping to the red as well as my phono pre amp . So I’ll be paying attention to those next time I bounce a track and fix my levels .

[SOUL CHOPPA]

I rarely compress though , it’s fucks up the dynamics like zen said . I don’t like everything sounding squashed together

[thesisdrs]

In Music, Analog is King... But If I were to go all out and make my setup all analog (excluding the SP) i'd owe thousands upon thousands.

And I want Hi-Fidelity analog.

I love to travel, so I try to have a set up that I can pack easily when I decide to go somewhere. Software emulations are sounding close to analog more than ever. Of course it's not the same, but it will sound similar to the untrained ear.

[Sharris]

Yea, I'll admit I just recently heard about gain staging, but have always been doin it..
I go from turntables/synths/samplers to mixer to bigger mixer to analog heat to kp3+ to sampler. It feels like I have more control over levels as well, I can get pretty much anything to a good level w/o clippin (or a little clip sometimes, but thats just me)

[thesisdrs]

@SOUL CHOPPA

Have you listened to Grover Washington Jr. A Secret Place album?
I can hear the dynamics being squashed on the Master bus... but I like how it sounds on this album. Dynamics, like other mixing tools, has general rules... once you know them, you can manipulate according to taste.

I like my music to retain it's waves and not have it look like a brick... which is why I try not to use brick wall limiting.

This is why I also like tape.. it calms down the transients in a natural way. it's like 3 or 4 effects in one.

[thesisdrs]

Yea, I'll admit I just recently heard about gain staging, but have always been doin it..
I go from turntables/synths/samplers to mixer to bigger mixer to analog heat to kp3+ to sampler. It feels like I have more control over levels as well, I can get pretty much anything to a good level w/o clippin (or a little clip sometimes, but thats just me)

That's one thing that irritates me with the SX. whenever i want to record the sample and i check my level, no matter how low i turn it down, the flipping red light keeps blinking at times. I learned to ignore it and watch if the blue screen in the middle turns orange.

I also watch the levels on my audio I/O

All these things are just technical terms... i'm sure we have an innate idea of how to do what we're doing... terms are good but sometimes its like some type of garbage post secondary teachers overcharge for.

[Sharris]

Yea, i let the sx light barely blink.......you're right tho it goes in the red easy.

I dont use compressors either that much. But again, recently got the Alesis 3630 to mess around with it abit, I like it in small amounts & I do like usin sidechain sometimes....when it comes to kicks & bass........been playin with sidechaining melodies with kicks......sometimes it sounds cool......I used to make a lot of "fake" sidechains........take off the attack of the bass when the kicks hit......adjust to taste......

[zindan]

Gain staging is when you have different volume's coming from different equipment. for example, My Technics SL 3300 goes to my Mixer which goes into my 404SX which goes into my Audio I/O... So I have to watch out for the level outputs on my mixer, the 404SX and my Audio I/O

If people were watching their level's (making sure you aren't clipping and leaving yourself a good amount of headroom) then you wouldn't need to compress so much.

I was told from an engineer I know that when you record your level should not exceed -12dB. some say -6dB.

oh ya i'm pretty good at that kinda shit haha; i didn't know what it was called!

[zindan]

& yea, its crazy how big of a difference it makes just getting all your levels right.

it's the most important thing about producing/engineering sound