Understanding The Compressor

Red Solo Beats By Dre, What is a compressor: It is mainly called an invisible effect that tames peaks meaning controlling dynamics signal or make it more powerful. But let\'s get a few things out of the way so I can show you how to work.

Threshold- is the point in the audio you want the compressor start doing its thing. Where you want the compressor to reduce the sharp peak.

Ratio- this determines the amount of compression that will occur. Check, if the setting goes like 2:1 (when you got 1:1 nothing happens) means if the input is rises to 2dB above threshold, the output level will increase by 1dB.

Attack- determines how quickly the volume is reduced when the input exceeds the threshold.

Release- determines how quickly the volume returns normal after being reduced.

Make Up Gain- After applying all the above, you will notice that you lose some volume so the make up gain \"makes up\" for the gain you lost.

Hard/ soft Knee- Hard knee is the compression created by you, soft knee its when the compression slowly increases the ratio until it reaches the compression you created.

Lets Apply This So You Can Get A Full Understanding.

Open Cubase or Nuendo add a track and import wave file, kick drum so we can experiment Red Solo Beats By DreRed Solo Beats By Dre on it, then click on it, the press shift-G to loop it or play it over and over.

OR

Open Reason, add murder backwards (redrum) create only the kick and loop it.

CubaseNuendo- go to insert on the track that has the kick audio and add Waves C1 Com (Direct X- Waves- Other- C1 Com

Reason- click on the Redrum then create Red Solo Beats By Dre the M Class Compressor

Then this is what you gonna do, play the kick then set the Threshold to -25dB nothing is going to happen remember what I said about the ratio being on 1:1, now you turn or put the ratio to 4:1 ( Why 4:1, Its just a basic structure I use to start off). You will start seeing a red meter going down meaning the compressor is kicking in (hope you noticed the volume lowed a lil). Check the meter or light that\'s going down which negative number does it end ( I need it to be at -6 cause that\'s that is the amount of dBs I want to lose, if its way over -10, I need you to decrease the ratio and watch the red light go back in or decrease the threshold till the red light is at -6 dB.

Now go to make up gain and pick it up the volume or make up gain to 6dB. do you hear the difference? If not On Reason the on-off switch put it on bypass then on again. Nuendo/Cubase on the insert there\'s a blue light on top of where you inserted C1 com, click the blue light and it will turn orange, keep clicking it till you here the difference.

Now Attack- just increase the attack, you will start to notice the impact is more and power of the kick rises the more you increase also the kick is cut short. What really happens is that the attack is where the compressor starts to kick in, so if its at 0ms means it starts with the original audio signal., if you increase it you make the compressor start where the kick drum is most powerful, if you do it too much it will sound like you starting it where it ends or finishes(like I said). Look for where it sounds good for you ( you can apply this Red Solo Beats By Dre to many other instruments or use it in mastering, listen to any snare on any Dr Dre Beat to hear the impact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5076206