I think it's sometimes difficult to remember that just because the quiet part of the waveform is below the compression threshold doesn't mean it's not affected by the compressor. The transient triggers it, but it affects the entire waveform until that release time is reached. Great video, thank you!
I was actually wondering about that. The compressor is still affecting the quiet part even though the threshold isn’t crossed if release time hasn’t been reached. Great discussion!!
Have produced and composed 50 CDs in the last 10 years. Since then I've been looking at all the tips here on RU-vid. That was one of the best! Thanks!!!
I've learn about compression through trial and error (30 years now)and never heard anyone explain this so clearly as you did in this video.. thanx 4 the tip🎛🙂
Great explanation and drawings. Now I've been given homework in my compressor settings. I'm guilty of not paying as much attention to the release a much as I should.
Wow. I’ve been making and recording music for ~25 years and this is the best explanation for how release on a compressor affects a sound in the most practical and useful terms. Thanks for the great tutorial!❤
Damn! I actually had it backwards. I thought longer release = longer sustain..I would always set the release on my kicks pretty long because I thought that would give me better low end and then wondered why my kick was nothing but attack ;-) great explanation, thanks!
Great video, Joe. After years of compression confusion, I've finally gotten to where I can dial around the knobs to get what I want but always good to get a refresher on what everything's doing. Compression can be daunting, especially starting out, but is absolutely essential to getting a good mix. Thanks for the overview!
Great video Joe - I am ok with compressors when mixing. but loved your way of describing the way the compressor [on a kick drum] works. Even though you were preaching to the choir, I think you have a great delivery; great pace; and therefore great engagement. Look forward to your next video!
I had a kick drum punch me in the face one time. I didn't press charges, but sued for pain and suffering. Kidding aside, this video was helpful and straight to the point.👍🏾😏
Great video - I have so much to learn when it comes to mixing, and my biggest struggle is getting my bottom end to sound tight. I’m definitely still lost in the maze when it comes to figuring out the bass and drums. Will apply this advice! Thank you!
Great explanation! Compressors are so essential for mixing, I can't imagine how much studios spent on physical compressors back in the day just to have enough for each instrument.
Cheers Joe. A nice, concise(or dare i say') compressed, explanation. I think i had been looking at release times, backwards. Once again, much obliged. Alex
Helpful. Thanks for this. I begin to see how I could compress the bass drum for part of the song, and then when it gets to a solo drum section change the compression or put it on to a track which has a different compression attached. Thank you.
I feel like such an idiot. I've watched (literally) 100 hours worth of videos on compression and it never occurred to me to just load up a (bare) drum sample and play with compressor settings. ...Perhaps the most helpful compression video is gonna be the one that suggested I stop watching compression videos. Thank you, sir!
Release time I would guess. It seems like you can arbitrarily just set release to let it go whenever you want for the most part - probably make it come back smoothly depending on the speed of instrumentation or singing.
Do they have a compressor plug-in that gives you that visual on the on the sound wave? So when you adjust a compressor setting it will show you what or when you are effecting the sound wave. Your drawing was very helpful.
I watched till you started talking "Drums" and then stopped....I love ya, brother Joe, am also a VIPer, but you are totally obsessed with DRUMS and have been watching your vids AND also have a bunch of your courses that I Bought..... And I am not, because I use EZDrummer, now vers3, and most often, those are recorded SO Well I don't even split them out into UMPTEEN different tracks, SO my ONE Drum track turns out to be a Drum BUS. I do use plugins on it though, starting with the Omni Channel, with 1-2 others usually, but also use Izotope's Rebalance in mastering if I need it for the drums. I also still believe that drums' main function is to keep the beat.
You explained that very well, but without examples of what is considered to be a slow or fast release time, it's not as helpful as it could have been unfortunately.
@@officialWWM Well I know that! I'm just saying that for instance, if the default release on a compressor is 200, is that considered fast or or slow? If the default attack is 5, is that fast or slow? Over and over, video after video, it's use a fast release, use a slow attack, use a fast attack, use a slow release, without ever being given a reference as to what is considered fast or slow. He might as well have said, twiddle the knobs blindly and listen, one day it'll sound good. The people doing that, are the ones watching this type of video!
@@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn That's a great question, and depends greatly on the signal you're working with. A typical kick drum hit would have anywhere from, say, 8 to 20 milliseconds of attack, followed by any length of boom, depending on the tuning of the drum. A typical drum pattern would include eighth-note kick hits. At 120bpm, that's a 250 millisecond separation between hits. So if your release is longer than 250ms, your compressor will still be releasing when the next transient hits. Vocals are different. The best thing, in my opinion, is to grab a compressor plugin that has a good visual representation of what's happening. The FAST compressor from Focusrite does this. I don't love the compressor, but the visual is super helpful.
@@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn I understand what you are getting at. There is a lot of assumption in these videos that people understand these things. I didn’t mean to sound facetious with my answer but the reality is you literally need to use your ears and learn to hear what is happening when you make adjustments. Any compressor that has attack and release knobs will have fast and slow settings at their extremes. Don’t worry about the actual number, just adjust it till you get the sound you are chasing.
@@officialWWM No worries, it's good advice, ultimately, if it sounds good, it is good. You see my point though. I've been watching mixing videos for two years, and I'm still unsure of what is considered fast or slow. Only recently did I see a video saying slow attack, and they gave 30ms as a starting point. Until then, I never would have tried a 30ms attack at all because it's so far from the default of 5ms. Then you have 200ms as default on release, I still have no idea if that's considered fast or slow, so I just left it. After two years of watching these videos daily, you'd think it would be mentioned, but no. I can't see why someone couldn't give a general guideline like - values between Xms and Xms would be considered a slow release time, so start from there, and THEN listen and adjust it. I'm sure if I'd had something like that two years ago, I'd be much better at dialling compression in by now. Do you know what range he means when he says fast attack and fast release, 'cause I certainly don't. I do know that you can use an equation based on the BPM of the song btw, , I guess that at least tells you the slowest release time for that song, especially on drums, but he didn't mention that either. 🤔
