compression quest.

hey what up everyone, i have a couple of compression questions, i have had my mp for about 5 months and my beats are ok but my drums sound weak, i know about layering but it still don't have that punch, i am thinking of purchasing a compressor but i have tons of software like sound forge,cool edit pro,logic are the compresors on those any good and how much compression?

alesis 3630 is a good starter hardware compressor. you can get much better ones (but they cost alot more). that would only really allow you to compress your whole beat (or everything coming out of the mpc) all at once. I'd check out the compressor in logic (it should have one built in). either way you go (hard or software) you can read up on how to use compression here

http://www.getimo.de/linkpage2/html/link.php?id=279

and some other basic mixing tutorials and articles here

http://www.getimo.de/linkpage2/html/tut ... mixing.php

hope that helps. compression is a great tool, make friends with it.

HHB Radius 3 Fatman is a nice low cost tube compressor.

I got lucky when I bought my HHB Radius 30. I got it for crackhead prices some kid needed loot to go to Europe so he wanted 350 for it cause he was leaving in 3 days. I got lucky on that one.

I like the 30 better than the 3 fatman but the 30 retails for like twice what the 3 fatman does. i dunno.

another good compressor for a decent price is the FMR Audio RNC 1773 (Really Nice Compressor). Check http://www.humbuckermusic.com/.

Or if you know someone who has t-racks which is a software tube compressor emulator try and get that for free. If you are strapped for cash.

Hardware vs. software is a tough call. It depends on the way you work really. I use both, but most times i prefer the hardware unit because you can instantly hear the changes in your song. That's easier than processing samples one by one for me.
But if you record and monitor through your seqencer, you could also do that with vst effects.
It only takes a minute to download them and see if that works for you so i suggest you try that first.
Some vst compressors i use a lot are :

Blockfish (this one is for free!) - http://www.digitalfishphones.com/

Waves C1 - http://www.waves.com/htmls/prods/indi/c1.html

Compressor X - http://www.sonictimeworks.com/p_compx.p ... c3bec2f417

Mouse -

If you really wanna make your drums craccn, you MUST begin with good samples/sounds. Using a compressor on mediocre sounds will only yield slightly above mediocre results, although there will be a difference. Keep experimenting with layering differents sounds and tweak on your filters and attack and decay settings. Remember that, for the most part, you're manipulating sounds that were already tweaked to sound good in the first place!!! With a little patience, you'll eventually get them to work together for that sound you're looking for.

I'm not sure what they're going for currently, but the dbx 160x is a KILLER compressor for punching up kick and snare drums. It is one of the few cheap units that is consistently found and used in the big studios in LA and NY. It is my personal favorite for hip hop and metal/hard rock drums.

p.s. I'm not tryin' to start any crap, but the Alesis compressor is the absolute most horrid piece of garbage ever. Brutal on your signal. Then again, 20 years from now, some cat is gonna make it cool and it'll sell for $5000.

good points Freq, on the tweaking your original samples. That's what I try to do cause I really don't have much equiptment, so I try to make my sounds as good as possible with the mpc alone.

I'll look for that dbx, cause I'd like to pick up some kind of eq and compressor. Actually, what would you suggest picking up first to help shape sounds(hardware wise)?

i have to agree, the dbx is a better compressor (at 4 times the price). spend 4 times what the dbx costs and you can get a much better one.

mouse if you are recording into the computer you are going to have alot more flexibility if you add effects, compression and eq in the computer. remember once you record your 'compressed' kicks into a track on the computer, then do the same with the snares. if you decide you over compressed the kicks, you will have to re-record them with a different setting (and remember what you set it to the first time around). if you do it in the computer you can just dial up the compressor assign to your kick track and tweak from there, while listening to how everything works together.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... gory=23793

better hurry!

Counterspace -

Hardware wise, I think that the best thing that you could get would be either get a decent tube mic-pre, or maybe, maybe, get a stereo compressor to run your whole mix through. The stereo unit can also serve as two mono compressors if you want. Unless you can afford a rack of Distressors, 1176's, LA2A's, and the like, don't really trip on hardware compressors. Brainwashed (j/k!) is right about the computer thing. If you're on a budget, use the computer. Those programs are gettin' sicker by the minute. No question.

A digital board like the schMackie d8b have dynamics processors (compressors, eq, gates) on every channel. It's another good (great)option if you save your cheese.

Yo Brain -

TWO TYPE "A"s MEET =

'preciate it.