using compressors post-recording

[times-new-omen]

can someone please school me on the ins and outs of using compression on individual tracks that were already recorded?

i know you're supposed to use compressors WHEN recording, but if this is not an option.. what are your tips for post-compression of individual tracks (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, etc.) and in terms of compression of the whole final mixdown of the song?

also, if an individual recorded track sounds big on playback how would i go about making it take up less stereo space and thin it out? (ie. how everything sounds on The Strokes' recordings)

i'm thinking this also has to do with compression.

i'm clueless, so thanks!

[nillox]

well id depends if your using plug-ins then that would be the easiest

but if ur not then u have to do it track by track and i dont know wat ur set up was in the stuio or how it was set up so i cant really explain anymore than that

[times-new-omen]

Originally posted by nillox
well id depends if your using plug-ins then that would be the easiest

but if ur not then u have to do it track by track and i dont know wat ur set up was in the stuio or how it was set up so i cant really explain anymore than that

yeah, i'd be using plug-ins.

[asatbluesboy]

I wouldn't recommend it on tracks with too much ambience, as compression brings up what is fading out. The problem is, you want your reverb and such to fade out, and the compressor will bring those trails up, giving you a nasty, unnatural reverb.

[wren]

Yeah, definitely watch compressing drum overheads or something like that; the result is rarely pretty.

I don't like using compressors any more than necessary; I don't typically compress drums except for maybe a little on the toms once I bus them all down to one track during mixing or something like that, and I usually do my best to avoid compressors on guitar or bass; I rarely do unless I want to add some sag or soften the attack. I do typically add a little soft compression to the vocals just to smooth the high end out. Honestly, I think compressors are overrated as a recording tool, but I haven't had much experience with any really nice ones (aside from plug-ins) in a studio situation, so don't inherit my prejudice. Remember, though: to an extent, tubes act as compressors to begin with, so there's usually no reason to compress recorded guitar or bass unless you're not happy with the tone and you think you can fix that problem with compression. If what you're looking for is already there, don't feel like you have to compress it just because you can.
Originally posted by times-new-omen
also, if an individual recorded track sounds big on playback how would i go about making it take up less stereo space and thin it out? (ie. how everything sounds on The Strokes' recordings)

i'm thinking this also has to do with compression.It can be compression. It's often multi-band compression, but it can also be done with careful EQing/filtering combined with light compression. That one is kind of a learn-by-doing one. Also (and you may hate this), try recording direct if you can; that sometimes does it.

I apologize if that didn't make sense; my articulation is seriously down tonight for some reason.

[Moo]

also, if an individual recorded track sounds big on playback how would i go about making it take up less stereo space and thin it out? (ie. how everything sounds on The Strokes' recordings)

Could you expound on this a little more? I don't really know what you mean by 'big.'

If all your individual tracks sound good, but they're kind of overlapping on each other when played together, the answer's a bit complicated. Generally I go for EQ first, single out the dominant frequency bands for each instrument, and cut down the ones that are less important.

Also, what are you using to mix?

[veer chasm]

Although I like to record guitars with a little compression it's often better to compress after because you can't "uncompress" the track. It will leave you more options soundwise once you hear the other tracks against it. There's a tendency to try and get things full and compressed with initial tracking, but once all the guitars/bass/drums/vocals/bells/whistles are recorded, those once "big" tracks will begin to sound lacking in dynamics. I guess a weak parallel would be tracking guitars with reverb instead of adding them in post. All those spacious verbs can sound great initially but without the ability to adjust their levels later on the guitars begin to sound thin as you add more tracks. Again, there are no hard and fast rules, if a compressed sound is what you're going for, track with it on. Good luck and enjoy your recording!

[iaresee]

You can try reading a little about mixing. I recommend the following books:

The Mixing Engineers Handbook (http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Engineers-Handbook-Second/dp/1598632515/sr=1-1/qid=1167577289/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1238015-9602356?ie=UTF8&s=books) Mixing With Your Mind (http://www.mixingwithyourmind.com)
The S.M.A.R.T. Guide to Mixing and Mastering Audio Recordings (http://www.amazon.com/R-T-Guide-Mixing-Mastering-Recordings/dp/1592006981/sr=1-3/qid=1167577289/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-1238015-9602356?ie=UTF8&s=books)

Generally you get the kick and your bass line pumping and peaking around -3 db and then you bring you guitars and EQ and compress to taste. At least that's how I start 99% of all my mixes.

As for thinning out guitars. Generally I'd try and record them thin. How else are you going to produce the sound live if you can't play it that way in the studio? Post-tracking you can go for the telephone effect by putting a notch in your EQ at about 500Hz and boosting that notch +6db or so. If you want it more pronounced don't boost the notch more, instead cut everything above and below the notch. You can move the center of the notch and fiddle with the Q to get the effect to meet your needs.