Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 1:04 - About The Distressor 1:34 - Audio Modes 2:03 - Detector Modes 2:22 - Test Details 4:07 - Distressor on Drums 4:24 - Distressor on Vocals 5:15 - Distressor on Bass Guitar 5:47 - Distressor on Electric Guitar 6:03 - Distressor on Acoustic Guitar 6:13 - Mix with and without the Distressor on each Instrument 6:34 - Mix with the Distressor on each Instrument and on the entire mix
How’s it going I’m a blind producer and I am about to get the UAD version of it, it sounds like you are placing this type of effect in the sub group, or would you place this in each individual track and then even though you have them on each in the video check you would still do a sub group as far as a drum bus, vocal bus, etc. or would you just use this on a bus? I also wanted to know if you could give me any tips of where should I place the settings while tracking vocals with this or you don’t think it’s recommended?
Hi @@sin_phany_tv! Thank you for watching and for your comment. Great questions! In this video you're right, I put the compressor on each track and near the end of the video, I took all the compressed tracks and ran them through the compressor again as a group with light settings. As with any compressor, we're just trying to control the dynamics of the track - that is, the difference between the loudest and softest parts of the performance so we don't lose anything and to help an instrument stay at a consistent volume level all the way through the song. That's all we're trying to do with a compressor. For instance, maybe you've sung a vocal before where you were singing really softly in the verse but start singing louder and more energetic in the chorus. How do we get that soft singing (or even whispering) to sound as loud as the loud, energetic singing in the chorus? By using compression to bring the softer parts up to the same level as the louder parts or vice versa. So to answer your question about where to put it, it's usually one of the fist things you do either right before or after you EQ. This is because one of the first things you want to do is control the volume level of the track as it helps it sit better in the final mix alongside all the other instruments and no part of each performance gets lost. There's another technique with compression called group bus or mix bus compression. This is where you would put a compressor on a whole group of instruments or the whole mix. Again, we're just trying to control the dynamics here so when we're putting a compressor on a group, like all drums for example, we're treating that group as one track and trying to make the whole group of instruments gel with one another so everything can be heard and no one instrument is getting lost. And when we put a compressor on an entire mix, we're making sure each track and each group is gelling with each other. You can use any compressor for all of these tasks but some are well-known to be better at certain tasks than others. The Distressor is so versatile, I think it does all tasks well however examples of compressors that are known to work well on individual tracks include the Distressor, Universal Audio LA-2A and 1176, and the Tube-Tech CL 1B Tube Optical Compressor. On group or mix bus tasks common compressors are the SSL G Bus compressor, Neve 33609C. Fairchild 660 & 670, Manley Variable Mu Stereo Compressor, or API 2500+ Stereo Bus Compressor. That's another thing. Make sure the compressor you're using is a stereo or mono instance in plugin format for mono or stereo sources. If you put a mono instance of a compressor plugin on a stereo instrument or group, you'll lose the left and right stereo sound and it will become mono - so listen for that. As far as settings go for vocals, try starting with the ratio set to 6:1 or less, attack 5, release 4 and adjust the input to produce anywhere from 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction. Try setting the input to 6 to start but that all depends at what level you recorded the vocal or instrument in at. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'd love answer any questions you may have about anything.
@@LesVegasMusic good morning, first off just wanted to say thank you for even taking the time to respond to me I know it takes a minute out of your way and I really appreciate everything you mentioned, I know about compressors pretty well but still like to get opinions from others since I can’t see and it’s a little difficult to understand but at the same time I have been producing a lot and a lot of my productions have come out pretty damn good. I just don’t understand the distresser, I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers, as far as tracking a vocal so I can place it in my unison slot what would be the right setting that you think would be good for me? I am a singer and I am very dynamic so just wanted to get a few pointers on that, and as far as a vocal Bus what do you think would be a good to glue them?setting can you let me know?
Of course! A tube compressor like the Fairchild 660/670 or Manley Vari Mu might be a good pick for the vocal bus because the warmth the tube sound will give the vocals. And yeah, on the vocal track, try starting with the ratio set to 6:1, attack on 5, release on 4 and adjust the input so that it's getting a good 6 dB of gain reduction. Push up the input to get more gain reduction/compression. That's all that's to it! Hope that helps!
@@LesVegasMusic OK so you don’t recommend it on a vocal bus I do have a Fairchild compressor so that will be just fine, what I don’t understand is the game reduction can you explain that a little bit to me when you were telling me to bring up the input level I get that but do I need to do anything with the output knob?
One of the most surprising things about the distressor is the sheer amount of compression you can bring in without artifacts. It's a go- to. There's nothing like it.
Again, enjoyed this video. Had another look at my Distressors. Absolutely one of my favourite channels on RU-vid. Please keep delivering us this magic.
@puresoundstudios Thanks so much! Oh good, I'm glad it made you have another look at your Distressors. They really are so verstaile. It's one of those pieces you definitely want to hang on to because the minute it's gone, you'll be wishing you had it. I will. The latest Rupert Neve Designs Master Bus Transformer is up next!
This is awesome. Unlike many RU-vid audio people, you seem to actually know what you're doing and know what you're talking about. It's obvious just listening to some of the small details that many will gloss over that you added to your intro spiel.
Hi Timedog! Well, I appreciate that. Thank you! It's true. I definitely don't do these videos for the money or notoriety. I've honestly been obsessed with gear and recording music since 1994 and I just love to share my knowledge with others hoping to save them time and money so they don't have to spend 30 years figuring things out like I did! Of course, the longer I do this, I realize all of us are just lifelong learners and it really never stops. 🙂
@@LesVegasMusic yes, there is a very apparent thoughtfulness and intelligence to your work that many channels lack. Excellent stuff. I'll watch any new video you make.
I'm using the Antelope Impressor plugin and was looking for a video to explain how the hardware version works and this is by far the best video I've found. Thank you!
Hey @PRTLND! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment! I'm so glad it helped! Feel free to contact me here or at lesvegasmusic@gmail.com with any questions you might have. Thanks again!
@7thDay Awe man. Thank you! I really appreciate that. So glad you liked the demo. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to leave a comment. Your support really helps keep me motivated to make more videos like this one. Thanks again!
What a video! Really shows the range of the distressor in great depth! Would love to know how you record your guitars? Both electric and acoustic sound phenomenal out the gate!
Thanks so much James! I appreciate that. So glad the video was helpful. You definitely won't be disappointed. It really is a great choice in the sea of compressors. It will do exactly what you want in any situation. What more could you ask for? 🙂
@KillerFridge Oh, that's so good to hear. I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a message. I really appreciate it. I hope you have a good day! ✌🏼❤️
Hi James! Thanks for watching! You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to share a few new things with you. If you have any questions about the hardware or even the Distressor plugin emulations, please feel free to contact me anytime! You can contact me anytime about anything related to music production. Thanks again!
@jeffkercheval4010 You're welcome! Totally! But believe me, the Distressor doesn't have to be subtle. That's just how I tend to use it. Let me know if you end up getting one and how you like it.
Aye man great video - excellent back end work so we could hear so seamlessly. I have 1 Distressor. I use it as an send/return for mono busses. is this how you would use it if you only had 1 or how else is it typically used.
@amphetagrooves Thanks! Yeah man, that's how you do it on mono sources like guitars, bass, mono synths and vocals. But you can also use one on stereo sources like I did here in this video. You just solo the left channel first, dial in the settings you want to use, then print that track. Next, solo the right channel and print another pass of the right channel using the same settings. Now just pan those two tracks hard left and hard right and bounce them as a stereo file. Boom! It's like having a matched pair of Distressors. Great on the mix bus, synths, samplers, drum machines or a drum kit that was mic'd with stereo overheads or room mics. Give it a try for fun sometime! It's a bit of extra effort when you only have one, but it's really not that bad and 100% worth it to get the best sound possible. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
@@LesVegasMusic thanks so much man, that helps and makes sense, I hadn't really graduated to using the outboard gear too much, but this year I will. Also, I should try to keep the cables as short as possible, yes? I just did some tests and it's phase cancelling - apparently there is some delay going out & back in, but that aux is a long-ish run, I'm going do do 1 short run to the Distressor & short run back to in 4 on my Scarlett.
Oh, that's perfect. So glad it was helpful. Yeah man, it requires a little extra effort, but if you just do it to a few key elements, I find it really goes a long way. That's the great thing about being an independent artist, we can take all the time we want on our songs.
@thePunkRockMix Thanks brother! I didn't because at time, it wasn't an option for me. But I definitely plan to get a pair. I have Avalon Tube/Solid State Optical, Millennia TCL-2 Tube/FET Optical, SSL G Bus VCA, Universal Audio T4 Optical and FET 1176LN hardware compressors, but it's true for me as well. If I had to choose just one, it would be the Distressor because it gets as clean or dirty, or light or heavy as I want. In other words, it's the most versatile. It's perfect for everything in my opinion. Plus, it's cheaper than any of my other compressors by half or more! It's the one to get for sure.
@@LesVegasMusic yes it's also hard to decide for me since I also own an two 1176, an SSL Module comp the bus plus, tk audio bc1 (which is almost nicer than my SSL) and so on. I now have to decide between the distressor or the fatso. ...one peace of gear per year 😃
@@thePunkRockMix My video on the FATSO should totally help you decide. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sNjur9iortk.htmlsi=H4RrEwEB9DlAJ0In
Nice !!! I have a pair of elx8 distressors in test , and also have the uad plugins distressor. They sound quite similar don t you think ??? Please can you tell me what you would go between 2 distressors and an IGS TUBECORE ? Thanks ! ((i already have an overstayer svc comp , an acme 500 xlaii which is a cool mono ; an an IGS 576 also 500 module (kind of 1176). Thx !
@MELOPSMUSIC Thanks for watching and for the comment. Yes! I do think the hardware and UAD Distressors sound quite similar! Especially at lower levels of gain reduction. I find I can get a little more of the analog mojo I'm looking for out of the hardware, but I'm sure that's just the signal passing through the actual circuitry I'm hearing - very minor stuff! I would definitely go with two Distressors over the IGS Tubecore although I really like all the stuff from IGS! Sincerely. I just know the Distressor has a few more tricks up its sleeve and can be used for many different applications whereas the Tubecore I'd just use for mix bus and mastering applications. If you asked me if I would like two distressors or an IGS Tubecore for mix bus and mastering, I would say the Tubecore for sure!
Hey Nicky! Thanks for watching and for your comment. Good question! Since I only had one Distressor, for any tracks that were recorded in stereo, I processed and captured the left channel first, then processed and captured the right channel using the same settings. Then I combined the two processed left and right channels into one stereo file. This way we get the same result as if we had a matched pair of Distressors. Do you record with outboard hardware compressors? If so, which do you have? Thanks again!
@@LesVegasMusic Thank you for the info ! I have the distressor and rossetta 200 , I m trying to find audio interface to conect on my pc , to send the sounds from daw in the distressor !
Awesome! Totally! You just need something with four outputs at the minimum. Something like an Apollo Twin would totally work. You can pick one of those up used for about $400 now. Lots of good options with 4+ outputs today though. Which interfaces are you considering?
Hey Daniel! Thanks for watching and for your comment. Good question! Since I only had one Distressor, for any tracks that were recorded in stereo, I processed and captured the left channel first, then took a second pass to process and print the right channel using the exact same settings. Then I combined the two processed left and right channels into one stereo file. This way we get the same result as if we had a matched pair of Distressors. Do you record with outboard hardware compressors? If so, which do you have? Thanks again!
PS. You definitely don't NEED two compressors if you want to compress stereo instruments or recordings, but no professional mix engineers who works on multiple mixes a day has the time to do what I did for this test so, they just buy two (or more). This works fine for independent recording artists like myself that can take as much time as they want with their music and not care how long it takes or if they ever earn a dollar with it. We're fine with taking the time to touch and get to know every side of every track.
@@LesVegasMusic yh i get the idea. But whats your suggest when I got to process a single track/stem thats already been bounced as in stereo? For example if i wanna run some drum bus (stereo) into my mono unit single outboard? And lastly this is just a personal wondering but have you ever seen anyone uses the hardware distressors on the mixbus? Ive been around in audio industry for a few yrs but I dont think ive seen any mixing engineers utilize distressors on their 2bus except for itb with the plugin. Distressors are the Swiss knives in compressors as a vca circuit so I personally think why not but you know. just wondering thanks.
@Daniel Kang Oh yeah, people have been using Distressors on the mix bus since they came out. It's a very versatile compressor that can do whatever you want or need it to. However, I will say they're not very well known for being on the mix bus (because there are better options for that) but I know people who do it. Dave Aude uses a stereo pair of Distressors on the mix bus. I know that for a fact. He told me and gave me his settings! 🙂
@@danielkang7789 Which DAW do you use? You just need a plugin that allows you to playback the left and right channels. In Ableton, I use a stock plugin called Utility to playback only the left channel. I process that and then take another pass with only the right channel. Now I have two tracks with the left and right channels processed separately. Then you just print or export those two tracks back into one stereo file.
@yaadiiboy I haven't compared them but I'm certain that this is a no-brainer decision. First it's not a fair comparison because as I'm sure you know, they're different kinds of compressors. The WA-2A is an optical compressor and the Distressor is a VCA compressor. The WA-2A is only capable of one style and sound of compression where the Distressors are capable of many. I'd choose the Distressor all day long over the WA-2A for any task. If you can afford it, go with the Distressor. You won't be disappointed. Unlike with the WA-2A, you'll probably be looking to trade or upgrade after a year or so. Once you get a Distressor, you'll never want to let it go.
why does no body start showing how to connect a distressor? - what the hell a "floating pin" is or whatever. All I know is, there's a cord and it plugs in. When my Distressor manual says "if you use a single-ended XLR ouput, leave unused pin floating," that might as well be written in the language of Martians. How does one leave an unused pin floating?
@merochingon1905 people don't show how to connect a Distressor and other gear because everyone's setup in their studios are different with different audio interfaces, mixers and patch bays. 'Floating' just means unconnected. This additional information is provided for people, engineers and studios who use custom cabling or make their own cables - it is not a foreign language to the people it is intended for. For all others, it is not applicable. Both inputs and the XLR output are balanced, so as long as you're using basic balanced cables then you're ok. Also, take a look at the Basic Wiring section on page 9 in the manual. It explains more there. Hope that helps. Have fun!
Haha. Just picture them like better looking, more expensive ATC near field monitors like I do. Works perfectly. I don't listen to those. They're just sitting there.
listening on audio technica ATH-M50 headphones, and I can barely hear any difference at all, for pretty much everything, except for the first drum part.
@jana20auskssl21 Thanks for watching and for the comment. Yes, that's what it says in the manual. I don't use them for monitoring. They just sit there for now, and I like the way they look better on their sides in my videos. Thanks again!
@user-xd7bs8rs3h Oh man. Sorry about that! I guess I'm just still trying to find that middle ground where it's exciting, entertaining and natural. I'll keep working on it. Thanks for the feedback!
