Multiband-Compression on Master Track [Question]

[therook]

I'll keep it short.

- I have no idea how to use one or what it does
- Got the waves one
- Comes with an "electro" preset

Question is.... is MB compression required? Would it help my mix? Or should I just not use it at all?

[Depone]

I'll keep it short.

- I have no idea how to use one or what it does
- Got the waves one
- Comes with an "electro" preset

Question is.... is MB compression required? Would it help my mix? Or should I just not use it at all?

If you dont know what it does or what its doing, dont use it. You're doing more harm than good 99% of the time.

MB Compression is Multi-band compression. Its split into frequency bands ware you can compress them individually. If you dont know how standard, 'single band' dynamic compression works, maybe look it up on the production bible first.

[kebnoa]

just no

[safeandsound]

Hi there, if you do not know what one does best to leave it off until you know exactly
what a powerful tool it is, you need it 3 x less than you need a limiter.

Seriously, MBC are generally used to solve very specific problems and then
at absolutely most 2 bands (and usually 1)

cheers

[Wrigzilla]

Ok I'll try and keep this short too

In short a multiband compressor allows you to apply different amounts of compression to different frequency bands. So say for example I'm mastering a hip hop track and I want to compress the kick and bass a bit but if I use a standard compressor it takes away from the vocals, then I'd use a multiband compressor to only compress the bass and kick.

Ok now for the standard mastering spiel: it is better to leave it to the pros, a perfect mix needs no additional processing apart from bringing up the volume up a bit and if any additional processing is required in the mastering stage it is a problem that could have been fixed in the mixing stage.

Multiband compression is not required but it may benefit the mix IF it is required. As far as I'm concerned there is one overriding rule in production: if it sounds good, do it.

I'd say mess about with multiband compression within your mix and learn what it does before considering putting it in your mastering chain.

[moki]

Witch one you using?? I love the shit outa multiband compression. I got the linMB and it`s great. One awesome thing I use it for. Cut around the 200 to 300 area, and set that band to expand when your snare hits. cleans the mud but brings it back so your snare has the bottom end hittin`.

Great tool.

[therook]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I forgot to mention that I knew kinda what a MB compressor was but just not how it worked. I just wanted to know if general mixes needed them to sound good but wrigzilla summed it up quite nicely.

@Moki I use the linMB. Seems pretty nice except for the fact that I have no idea when to use it.

[Vast_Grid]

Also keep in mind...... why do professionally mastered tracks tend to sound better than home D.I.Y one's?

It is because they process the sound through analog hardware which leaves their harmonic signature because of the vacuum tubes, transformers, transistors, e.t.c. (which cannot be emulated digitally).... though, hope is not gone. So essentially, when you pay to have a song/e.p./l.p. mastered professionally, you are paying for all the regular protocals (eq, compression, leveling, Id number, e.t.c.) but you also desire that warm, analog sound.

You can still achieve this (for D.I.Y potential mastering peeps) by buying some audiophile tube preamp gear (I'm on the process of trying to get one)..... you'll have research a bit more... but if you want that sound, here are a few out there;

http://www.turntablelab.com/dj_equipmen ... 88525.html

http://www.amazon.com/Audiophile-Produc ... B001CWZPBE

http://www.jazzloft.com/p-47643-decco-h ... ifier.aspx

http://midwestsupport.amazonwebstore.co ... ce=froogle

http://www.hideflifestyle.com/bellari-m ... ormer.html

http://www.alpha-electronics.net/prodde ... od=306-100

just to name a few...........

[kebnoa]

It is because they process the sound through analog hardware which leaves their harmonic signature because of the vacuum tubes, transformers, transistors, e.t.c. (which cannot be emulated digitally).... though, hope is not gone. So essentially, when you pay to have a song/e.p./l.p. mastered professionally, you are paying for all the regular protocals (eq, compression, leveling, Id number, e.t.c.) but you also desire that warm, analog sound.

[safeandsound]

Good stamp that, nail on head.

Analogue certainly has it's place in mastering but it is not a panacea for all mix ills and anyone
who tells you it has an agenda.

Taming a harsh top end run through some nice transformers, it can help.
The smoothest top end boosts I know of are analogue.
Analogue kit usually has a "pass through" tone, it passes through and something happens, know your kit
and apply it if it's right, or not.

Sometimes digital is perfect you don't want to add anything other than the process, sometimes a track has had the "warmth"
to coin a subjective term, put into it at the right stage, during recording and mixing. Some ITB mixes
benefit from some analogue love and some not. You cannot easily blanket statement. Sometimes a mix that has been mixed
through an analogue console through dull monitors with a flabby bottom end, sound harsh, shrill and anything but "warm" to the ear.

Most important is the right EQ moves, stereo image and subtle personal tweaks an engineer uses to
bring the best out of a track. I suppose the "magic" of mastering of which there really isn't any of, is a sum
of small tweaks that combine to enhance the overall.

Sorry to have veered O.T.

cheers

[slothrop]

Yeah, I reckon someone like Jason from Transition could do a better mastering job on Fruityloops built in FX and an average soundcard, monitors and room than I could given his studio, just by actually being able to identify what needs doing and how to do it...

Re multiband, isn't the main use in mastering to fix a specific part eg bass or vocal that's dynamically all over the place without affecting the rest of the mix? And obviously if you think that that needs doing while you're mixing then it's a lot easier to just go and stick a normal compressor on the relevant track...

[ctang]

could you also use the multiband compressor to split frequencies so i can put different fx on them???

[safeandsound]

You can use a multiband compressor to "snap" a snare out, de-ess, address flabby bottom end usually in addition to EQ moves, tame hats, increase band density.I am not aware of any multiband compresor that allows you to route out a band elsewhere and I suggest this would be a mix procedure. IMO MBC are used out of need, they are a compromise a ME will put into place if there is no recourse to a mix tweak.

I think the perception of usage is probably out of proportion because it can do so many things, because it can does
not necessarily mean you do.

[Sharmaji]

its very, very rare that i reach for a MBC-- usually things can be handled by varying degrees of serial or parallel eq & compression.

In situations where things are really, really out of whack, MBC can help bring life back into the midrange, while keeping the low end focused and the top clear, but not harsh. Though as safe&sound aptly stated, it's rarely more than 1-2 of the bands in action. TBH i'd rather try using a compressor w/ a hipass circuit in it-- logic's internal comp is great for that-- and using makeup gain, rather than have to deal w/ MBC stuff at first. but sometimes, there's no way out of it.

[-[2]DAY_-]

could you also use the multiband compressor to split frequencies so i can put different fx on them???

Lol of course... but,

I am not aware of any multiband compresor that allows you to route out a band elsewhere

You'd have to do yer own routing and simply use the MB as a filter/EQ
as per many folks advice.

[moki]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I forgot to mention that I knew kinda what a MB compressor was but just not how it worked. I just wanted to know if general mixes needed them to sound good but wrigzilla summed it up quite nicely.

@Moki I use the linMB. Seems pretty nice except for the fact that I have no idea when to use it.

The instructions it comes with are really good. explains what everything does and some ways to use it. less than a half hour read. but like these guys said, you probably don't need it.

[Basic A]

could you also use the multiband compressor to split frequencies so i can put different fx on them???

No, but you could use the linear phase EQ built in before the compressors to!

Consider that a multiband compressor is actually 3 bands being split out by a linear phase EQ, and then these bands are sent to compressors individually... Depone and I and ect have mentioned looking to multiband compressors as a convenient place to find a linear phase EQ in your daw, because a multiband compressor usually comes standard in a DAW, but a linear phase EQ is a very specialized tool that alot of DAW manufacturers left out, and I tihnk alot of people get that confused and think the compressor is actually being used somewhere.

You shouldnt use the compressor functions at all, you should turn them to passthrough and then what your left with is the ability to utilize the EQ that is in place pre-compressors... make sense?

The upside is that linear phase EQ's sum perfectly, whereas other EQ's will disrupt the phase relationship between each frequency band,a nd when you add em up youll have a technically different sound entirely...