Compressing synths?

[dubdub]

Random thoughts #564664: Do you ever compress synths? I'm talking non- bass or super crazy resonant sounds. I never really except for maybe some sidechaining to get a bit more movement into pads and other static sounds.

[over9000]

i compress everything.
not very much though on channels that need much dynamics though
dont know if thats good, but it feels/sounds just much better to have a punchy and defined synth sound.

[Lost to the Void]

Yep, I use creative compression for all sorts of sounds.

[CRDM]

Yes creative compression and compressing for tone on synths and all kinds of things as well.

[RWise]

All the time.

Creative compression for character and other effects and a little bit of subtle dynamic control compression, if needed.

I especially like recording in a synth with FX on it like some reverb and then slamming it into a compressor. Can get some crazy character.

[dubdub]

I especially like recording in a synth with FX on it like some reverb and then slamming it into a compressor. Can get some crazy character.

I did that earlier today, pulling reverb and delay tails together with a comp is pretty cool, never really did that on a synth.

What I'm just wondering though is, if you already compress most of the drums, doesn't it get a bit much if you also compress the synths then? Even if it's just a few db for character.

[RWise]

What I'm just wondering though is, if you already compress most of the drums, doesn't it get a bit much if you also compress the synths then? Even if it's just a few db for character.

Only gets a bit much if you think it gets a bit much.

Think about what youre going for with your track in terms of how you want it to sound and then do whatever requirements necessary to achieve that.

If it sounds good, it is good.

[dubdub]

What I'm just wondering though is, if you already compress most of the drums, doesn't it get a bit much if you also compress the synths then? Even if it's just a few db for character.

Only gets a bit much if you think it gets a bit much.

Think about what youre going for with your track in terms of how you want it to sound and then do whatever requirements necessary to achieve that.

If it sounds good, it is good.

You're probably right, I tend to a bit overly cautious with certain things sometimes )

[ZenoSupreme]

It totally depends on the sound, I Always wonder if it's gonna make things better, if the answer is yess, than I compress (see that little nice rhyme there )

[Merah]

A cool thing I did recently, if your synth has a noise oscillator or similar, inject a little into the signal, as you go on resampling and compressing the synth it will bring the noise out and generally make your synth sound fat.

[Lost to the Void]

Compression can be used to increase dynamics too.

[dubdub]

Compression can be used to increase dynamics too.

Obviously, but can't too much compressor movement get messy regardless of dynamic squash?

[CRDM]

Compression can be used to increase dynamics too.

Obviously, but can't too much compressor movement get messy regardless of dynamic squash?

Depends on what your compressing, which compressor and it's context in the mix no? Don't think it's a straight answer, do it and decide for yourself.

[Lost to the Void]

Compression can be used to increase dynamics too.

Obviously, but can't too much compressor movement get messy regardless of dynamic squash?

Well, too much anything can get messy in a mix.
Providing you are EQing to clean up any thickness caused by compression, or control wayward transients if you are using compression to enhance punch, then it shouldn't be an issue.

[dubdub]

Compression can be used to increase dynamics too.

Obviously, but can't too much compressor movement get messy regardless of dynamic squash?

Well, too much anything can get messy in a mix.

True! It's just that I never really used to compress anything for a long time and recently I've had tracks with like 10 or something compressors working ... feels like I'm handling black magic or something

[Lost to the Void]

10 compressors in the track overall or 10 compressors on a channel ?!?!?!?!

[dubdub]

No no, ten sprinkled throughout a whole track, I'm not that crazy

[Lost to the Void]

Haha.

10 does sound like a fair amount, but when I consider commercial mix projects I so, some big projects can get up to that. Just completed mixing down Israel Vines new album and I think the number was around 10 comps on some songs.

I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you are ramming the shit out of them.

For techno you are not looking for a massive dynamic range in a mix.

I tend to work as a standard, with techno, at an RMS of -12 to -10. A lot of the good to great mixes I master come in around the same. That leaves a very easy task for your mastering engineer to get a final level to -13 to - 10 LUFS

I know I am mixing measurement standards but that is how I work.

RMS when mixing, LUFS when mastering.

[RWise]

Haha.
Just completed mixing down Israel Vines new album and I think the number was around 10 comps on some songs.

How precise were the stems separated for you to mix? I.e, was each individual element bounced onto its own stems or were some stems grouped like some of the percussion etc..

And how raw do you want the stems sent to you in terms of FX processing on them? Would you tell the client to get rid of most EQ and compression or keep what gives a vital/drastic change to the sound and just work on top of the pre-existing FX on the stem?

Never sent stuff to be professionally mixed yet but just wondering about some of the details when it comes to the techno side of things of mixing jobs.

[Lost to the Void]

Haha.
Just completed mixing down Israel Vines new album and I think the number was around 10 comps on some songs.

How precise were the stems separated for you to mix? I.e, was each individual element bounced onto its own stems or were some stems grouped like some of the percussion etc..

And how raw do you want the stems sent to you in terms of FX processing on them? Would you tell the client to get rid of most EQ and compression or keep what gives a vital/drastic change to the sound and just work on top of the pre-existing FX on the stem?

Never sent stuff to be professionally mixed yet but just wondering about some of the details when it comes to the techno side of things of mixing jobs.

There really isn't a straight answer to this.
If it is non attended work where I am sent the audio, then I generally work to the competence of the producer.
If the producer is pretty competent then I am happy to work with a combination of stems and channels, generally with the last eq in chain switched off (a good producer always has their final mix tuning EQ at the end of their channel or bus chain).

A band I worked with recently I basically took the raw channels and did absolutely everything.

And then degrees between the two.

It all starts with a dialogue and me listening to the rough mixes.

In some cases I've advised against mixing completely, as the mixes were great, and got the client to go for stem mastering (usually 4-6 stems per track). Great for them, less money for me, but it's all about the results.