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RE: Compressor



Thanks Per :)

So, the compressor is a kind of normalization?

What does a limiter give you by doing that? I mean, for example, does it avoid peaks if I am not careful with my beatboxing and I do a too strong sound?
And in what does it differs in the way a compressor brings down the higher sounds?

Why a compressor is more important when recording? And is there any difference between applying the compression on the fly or applying it after the track is recorded?

It is a bit confusing that, in order to allow the compressor to give me better kick and bassline, I have to decrease basses and mids in the eq. :) I generally do the opposite especially if I beatbox.
Should I buy some affordable rack eq like the behringers or any other which you here guys can suggest?
Or can it be enough the eq in the mixer? 
In the Soundcraft EFX8 which I will use between the instruments and the looper, I have only 3 band eq (with the possibility to specify in which frequency will the mid eq act).
The OT goes then in a Mackie ProFX8 where also Ableton goes and eventually also a guest who would play with me but not looped. In this mixer I have also 3 band eq in each channel, plus a general 7 band eq.

What you describes when you talk of summing many instruments, sounds like something I have read somewhere, called sidechain or a particular result of sidechaining called duck (???). But I thought I needed a chain of compressors to do that. Misunderstandings which happens when you have no idea of what people are talking about.
For this that they call duck (I sing over a bed of sounds and its volume goes down a bit when I sing) I suppose that I should place the compressor as last thing before the speakers, right? So that while the Octatrack and Ableton are performing, I sing or play theremin or a solo with a synth, and it will be more audible respect the bed?
While if I want to punch punch a kick or to deepen a bassline before looping it I should put the compressor between the first mixer and the OT? So I need 2 compressors or a stereo compressor?

I do not exclude a computer at all, I have purchased a used copy of Ableton with max4live to be able to loop together with Ableton and OT so that I can have more possibilities.
But how can I use a software compressor to compress something that I want to loop in the OT?
Should I run the out of the 1st mixer into the in of the audio interface, and the outs of the audio interface into the IN of the Octatrack?
I can do that, even if I was having some fun trying to imagine strange connection to have the possibility to resample in Ableton what the OT does, and in the OT what Ableton does.
For example: the CUE outs of the OT into the in of the audio interface (I can decide what I will rute into the CUE outputs), and the outs of the audio interface into 2 of the 4 inputs of the OT. In the other 2 inputs of the ot would go the main of the 1st mixer. While the MAIN of the OT would go into the 2nd mixer. Eventually I was even thinking to connect the Headphones out of the audio interface to the second mixer too, so that I can play with mute or faders or effects of the mixer to have a richer sound.
What do you think, could it work?

But if I want to duck/sidechain the final result (including what ableton is doing)? How can I do that with a software? (by the way, which?)

I understand what you say about eq or arrange the other instrument in the general mix.
Right.

:)

> Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2012 23:14:02 +0200
> Subject: Re: Compressor
> From: perboysen@gmail.com
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
>
> On Sun, Oct 7, 2012 at 9:37 PM, Sergio Girardi <simpliflying@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Compressors are good to make an instrument fit into the limited
> bandwidth of a recording (compared to our acoustical hearing where the
> brain self-adjusts to hear even small sounds in a noisy environment
> and thus increasing the experienced bandwidth). Compressore are more
> important when producing a recording but can do a lot of good to a
> live performance setup as well. Technically a compressor brings up low
> level sounds and brings down high level sounds, but one normally
> tweaks a compressor to make a groove swing better - or for live
> instruments, to make the natural attack envelope of the instrument
> stand out well in the PA system.
>
> A limiter does what its name tells: it sets a limit, a level which the
> signal can not increase over.
>
> Both compressors and limiters are very sensitive to too much
> frequencies in a low or mid range so often you need an EQ before them
> to thin out the sound so the compressor will sound groovy.
>
> If a bus that is summing many instruments is sent through a compressor
> all these instrument's sound affect each other. An example can be to
> but a long 808 type kick and a light hihat pattern through a
> compressor: you will then hear that during each kick hit the hihat
> level is faded down ("pumping" in the compressor).
>
> A gate is good to set a level under which no signal can enter. A
> benefit is that noise is masked out.
>
> > For example, to avoid peaks, distortion, and saturation,what do I need? A
> > compressor, a limiter, an EQ, or just set the gain properly? Or a
> > combination of those?
>
> Mostly a combination of all that. And correctly tweaked. Applying them
> in a different order may give different results, so experimentation
> with open ears is the way to learn.
>
> > And if I want do get a punchy round kick drum, or a fat powerful dense bass,
> > weather from a sample or from a Synth or beatboxing, what do I need (a part
> > a good sample or synth or voice)?
>
> Having a punchy round kick is not enough, if you don't happen to make
> "kick drum music" :-) You need to EQ, or arrange, the other
> instruments in the musicalo mix to bring out the "fat", "round" and
> "punchy" aspects of the kick.
>
> You mentioned the RNC compressor. I have one of those and think it is
> good when run in its Really-Good-Mode. I did an A-B test of it a while
> back and found that I get better results with certain software
> compressors, but if your aim is to avoid computers the RNC is a lot
> bang for the buck.
>
> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> www.perboysen.com
> http://www.youtube.com/perboysen
>