FET Compressorsįield effect transistor (or FET) compressors use transistors to emulate tube-style compression behaviour. Here we’ve exaggerated the effect to make it easier to hear. Our mix is a little more punchy and lively thanks to the VCA circuit. Leaving the knee soft, we choose the Medium thrust detector setting, and put the output into auto makeup. We set the threshold to +4, leave attack and release the same for transparency, and dial the ratio to 3. Let’s see what a VCA compressor can do on a full mix. And here we’ve exaggerated the effect to make it easier to hear. Lastly, we put the output into manual and adjust to taste. We leave the feedback setting on feed-forward for more precise compression control. We set the detector thrust setting to Hard-this inserts a high pass filter at the detection input, cutting 15dB at 20Hz and boosting 15dB at 20kHz to avoid low-frequency pumping, which is perfect for drums. Let’s go with Soft based on how it sounds. Knee controls how quickly the compressor transitions into gain reduction, and the API2500 has three settings. VCA comps can be complicated, so let’s take a look at some of the other functions here. We also want a fast release so we avoid squashing the mix too much, so we set it to 0.5, the fastest setting, and slam the ratio all the way to 10:1. We need a fast attack to avoid clicks, so we turn it down to. We crank the threshold clockwise to about -4. We load up Waves’ API2500, an emulation of the famous VCA-style compressor, and get to work.įirst, we make sure the compressor is in full reset (init) mode, set the meter to monitor output levels, and flip the Analog switch for analogue emulation. The drum programming is fine but the overall mix sounds a little lifeless. Let’s see how VCA compressors can shape a sound. Don’t hit them too hard though, as they’re known to distort when pushed, and thorough plugin emulations will retain this characteristic.įamous VCA compressors include the SSL Buss Compressor and the API 2500. They also have a large number of controls, meaning they’re versatile. Given their love of drums, most buss compressors are based around VCA technology. They’re fast and punchy on rhythmic material so they’ll smooth out peaks without squashing everything in sight. VCA compressors are what you want when you need transparency. Click on any image to see a larger version. The compression in some of our examples are rather subtle so we recommend listening carefully on headphones. If you find yourself scratching your head, please take a look at this tutorial and then come back. Note that this tutorial assumes you are broadly familiar with how to use a compressor. It’s also important to know what kind of compressor to use and when. Even if you’re a compressor master (see our interview the with Ambivalent) and know how to properly use attack, release, and threshold settings, this often isn’t enough. Originally made for leveling out voices for radio broadcast, today compressors are employed for everything from taming peaks to adding colour to nuking as an effect. We’ll also run the same audio file through all of them to give you an idea of just how much each compressor type differs. In this tutorial, we’ll go through the main types of compressors and show you when to use them.
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