Parallel Compression

[skells]

*bangs head of table*

I should have been doin this years ago when i first heard about it

Yesterday i found out you could use parallel compression as an eq. I could emphasize or cut certain freqs in a very natural sounding way. I used it over a kick drum with great results. At the moment this technique seems superior to just useing eq on drums. For example when you boost the low end on a kick it always sounds shit to me. But when i use parallel compression it gives this nice low end thud. Mid and high freqs also sound good when i boost them.

To set this up. Split a channel in your daw. On the first channel insert an eq. Then place a compressor after the eq. On the second channel just leave it clean. Now just start boosting and cutting with the eq.

Im going to try this on b lines and leads

Anyone else using parallel compression or similar techniques?

[lowpass]

Do you have any V-Day plan?
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lol, come on guys get a mod sorted.

I've started doin a similar thing where I split the bassline, then apply crazy effects to the 2nd and have the volume slightly below the first, need to try what your saying I have heard of Eqing parallel comped tracks before but haven't tried it out, need to get on it

[whitestaa]

also called Side Chaining? or is that something different?

[lowpass]

also called Side Chaining? or is that something different?

Side chaining is different, its when the volume of another track is a trigger to the effect of another (e.g kick drum activating the compression on the bass so that when the kick hits the volume on the bass is lowered.) Parallel compression aka new york style compression is a different technique

[whitestaa]

also called Side Chaining? or is that something different?

Side chaining is different, its when the volume of another track is a trigger to the effect of another (e.g kick drum activating the compression on the bass so that when the kick hits the volume on the bass is lowered.) Parallel compression aka new york style compression is a different technique

Cool

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I have always been a lil fuzzy on Sidechaining, Tryed it before but never seemd to get the right results. Do you need a Side Chainer or can you do it through Routing?

[enfant]

also called Side Chaining? or is that something different?

Side chaining is different, its when the volume of another track is a trigger to the effect of another (e.g kick drum activating the compression on the bass so that when the kick hits the volume on the bass is lowered.) Parallel compression aka new york style compression is a different technique

Cool

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I have always been a lil fuzzy on Sidechaining, Tryed it before but never seemd to get the right results. Do you need a Side Chainer or can you do it through Routing?

you can do it with routing.

[lowpass]

I have not tried this, but surely, your just almost doubling your signal???

No its different because you've got the compressed signal that will be fairly dynamically even which will provide a lot of body to your sound, added to your original signal which still has some peaks to it which adds the life back into it.

I'm not sure the technical side behind eq'ing the compressed signal but if it works, it works

apologies if that made no sense

[miss_molinari]

also called Side Chaining? or is that something different?

also called 'New York compression'.

[skells]

Ya it will double up thats fine just turn it down. Just try it and a / b the results with just eq to see the difference

[macc]

Parallel processing can be very useful at times, and a complete waste of time at others. I certainly wouldn't say 'this technique seems superior to just useing eq on drums', it depends what you need and why If you need to make a clean cut to control a skanky tone, parallel processing won't get you too far - you're not cutting in half of the signal!

Occasionally I'll get a mixdown that has already been squashed to bits but is the only copy available ( ). At times like that you can use a parallel channel with either a comp set up for max punch, or often better is an SPL transient designer, and then slowly and gently slip it up under the main signal to restore some punch *relatively* transparently. Shelving the bass to stop that blowing speakers up with punch might be required, or whatever. It's useful - but sometimes better results are obtained with just straight correct compression.

Anyway... waffle alert. Just wanted to say that it can be useful, but as always it depends on the situation

[justrob]

sounds like a mixdown techinque someone once showed me for live drums. He would almost always take his kick and snares, compress them(usually quite alot) and then he'd just bring them up underneath the regular uncompressed drums. He would use it for vocals sometimes too.

Thinking about it however, I guess its the same idea of taking a live break, and putting sampled drums compressed and eq'd to accent the break under it.

Thanks for sharing.

[serox]

To set this up. Split a channel in your daw. On the first channel insert an eq. Then place a compressor after the eq. On the second channel just leave it clean. Now just start boosting and cutting with the eq.

What do you mean by 'split the channel' exactly?

If I have a channel with a kick on it just duplicate/clone that channel and stick a EQ then compressor on it?

[skells]

Aye macc i left myself some wiggle room when i said "seems superior" Im gonna experiment with it some more and see what it can do. Im hoping i can use it to bring out details i like in b lines and leads. I rarely use eq to emphasize things i like i usually just use it to cut. This method just seems like a good way to boost freqs.

To be honest eq is probably one of my most neglected aspect of production i havent spent much time on it


@ serox you need to find out how to split a track in your daw. You should end up with two channels in your mixer each with the same signal. Now just place an eq on one track and a compressor after it. Leave the other channel clean.

Most daws have some way to split a track and send it to two mixer channels you shouldnt have to make a copy of your track. Have a look in the help file to find out if you can do this

[deadly_habit]

sometimes it's what i use to get my bass pumping thru so much (ie pusherman)
i can't stress enough invest in and read and refer to bob katz mastering audio the art and the science

[Sharmaji]

love it for thickening up some thin-ish or super-clean drums. don't use it for much else-- maybe for vox that alterenate between superscreamy and super-whisper-y. but even then, it'll be after splitting 'em to diff. channels, getting good sounds for both, and then parallel-comping the group.

great tool for the arsenal, though. multing for different treatments (splitting, say, your kick or bass into 3 different groups), in general, can often give much deeper mixes. though if you choose great samples and layer great samples, you're pretty much doing the same, but BEFORE you mix it.

[3rdeye]

been getting really into this on my bass mids, squelches and wubs, sending a split of each to a nice bus compressor. ive found it really brings out the definition of each sound and makes the bass group more cohesive