Are you fed up with compression?
Are you convinced it’s not for you?
Even though compression IS a powerful tool in audio engineering, there are certain situations where it may be best to avoid or use it sparingly.
In this video you’ll learn 3 reasons why you might choose not to use compression, and what tool you can use instead.
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Compression is an essential tool in audio engineering, it offers several benefits to enhance the listening experience and impact of audio recordings, if that’s what you’re going for.
Here are 3 reasons to avoid using compression.
Reason #1: Preserving Natural Dynamics.
Some musical genres may prioritize maintaining the natural dynamics of a performance. If you want the listener to experience the full range of dynamics, avoiding compression can have its benefits.
By adjusting the dynamics only when necessary, you retain as much of the live feel as possible.
This approach is often favored in genres like classical or jazz that rely on live ensembling.
By using minimal compression, or clip gain as an alternative, you can help retain the natural dynamics and liveliness of the recording.
The dynamic fluctuations and interplay between musicians can create a sense of live authenticity that may be better preserved without heavy compression.
This ‘live feel’ is desirable In certain recording scenarios, such as live performances which aims to capture the natural energy of a band playing together.
Example 1. – Use clip gain for specific notes or sections
In our first example, we will manually adjust the problem areas of a vocal with clip gain, instead of slapping on a compressor.
Look for any loud spikes in volume, as well as breaths, sibilance, or harsh consonants which can be attenuated with clip gain.
We are going to isolate and attenuate these areas manually instead of relying on a compressor to catch these areas.
Because the compressor is going to react to the loudest spikes, we can turn those down ourselves, and by adding makeup gain at the end were just turning up all the mouth sounds and unwanted bits so by going in and clip gaining all of these down manually you’re going to get a much cleaner performance, even if you do choose to end up compressing later.
Another thing I sometimes find is that a vocalist may trail off a lyric as they run out of air.
So you can Boost the end of the phrase with clip gain to prevent losing the vocalist in the mix.
This clip gain tricks also works great on delicate instruments like acoustic bass. Where compression may also affect the tone of the instrument.
This way you can preserve the natural dynamics as much as possible by using Clip gain.
Reason #2: Maintain Dynamic Contrast
The second reason to avoid compression is to Maintain Dynamic Contrast,
A lot of music can benefit from contrast between different sections or instruments.
Now Granted this is kind of an arrangement thing but compression can really mess it up if it gets over used.
If you want to maintain a stark contrast between soft and loud passages within a mix, using less compression or employing it selectively can be a great way to help preserve the impact and excitement of those dynamic shifts.
For more about using contrast in mixing, check out this video.
Example 2: Verse / Chorus of Patience
Verse – a lot of percussion layers, uncompressed natural
Chorus – Drum Kit, Compressed and punchy.
Notice the impact of the drums due to the Dynamic difference.
The chorus hits so hard because of how the dynamics shift up from the verse.
If I had compressed everything in the verse to match the chorus level it wouldn’t have had the same impact.
So by using compression selectively, you’re able to enhance the dynamics of your overall mix.
Reason #3: There’s a Better tool for the Job
But maybe you want to be more specific about how you’re affecting the dynamics of a track. Sometimes a compressor is too broad a stroke, and you may require a tool with more nuance in your dynamic control. Which is the 3rd reason not to use compression, There’s a better tool for the job.
Here are 3 tools you may consider as an alternative to standard compression.
DeSser – While both a de-sser and a compressor affect the dynamics of a sound, they operate differently:
Example 3a- Vocal Sibilance
With a de-esser you can cut vocal sibilance in the high frequencies
A de-esser is specifically designed to address excessive sibilance in vocal recordings by targeting a range of high-frequencies (usually around 2 kHz to 10 kHz).
Choose the range you want to target, set the threshold, and the amount of gain reduction (don’t go to hard or you’ll end up sounding like daffy duck)
This tool is designed to target a range of high frequencies, Whereas, a compressor usually affects the entire range of frequencies in an audio signal. Unless your talking about Multiband compression
Multi-Band Compression/Dynamic EQ, – Multiband compression is different from normal compression in that it divides the audio signal into multiple frequency bands, each of which can be compressed independently
Example 3b- Boomy Bass
Select a band around 150Hz (this part gets really boomy on ear buds)
Set a threshold to duck this band during the loudest notes
(Dyn EQ no attack and release)
– Transient Designer – A transient designer specifically targets the transient portion of a sound, which is the initial, sharp attack of a sound.
A Transient Designer allows you to shape and manipulate the transients while leaving the sustain and overall level of the sound relatively unchanged.
A compressor on the other hand, is more universal, is gonna affect both the transient and sustain portions. Which can take some careful adjustment, but with a transient designer, you’ve got 2 knobs to adjust the amount of attack and the sustain of your sound.
Example 3c- Kick Snare length and punch
Need more punch for your snare? Turn up the attack,
need a shorter sustain for your Kick drum?
Turn down the sustain so that the length of the kick is shortened.
So I hope these examples give you some ideas to work with. Leave a like if this video helped you out, and remember that these reasons should be considered in context.
Ultimately, the artistic intent and specifics of a recording should guide your decision of what tool is needed to get the result you desire.
There are many great uses for compression, and you can learn 3 reasons compression is commonly used by watching part 1 of this video.
Thanks for watching and happy mixing.
