A Compression Kickstart

by Ken Lanyon (Slider)

Compression has to be one of the most confusing and elusive effects out
there. Its easy to know you need it just by watching your meters, but
what does each knob and button really do and how does it all work? This
article should answer those questions, and will touch on the whens and
whys of compression.

Let me first start by explaining the basics of dynamic ranges in recording.

First, we have the noise floor. This is the lowest level, where tape hiss
and electrical hum reside at. Next we have the nominal level, which is the
level that is best for recording your incoming signal in order to minimize
distortion and overcome the noise floor. The distance between the noise
floor and the nominal level is called the signal-to-noise ratio. Next is the
maximum level, which is where distortion occurs at when your incoming
level reaches it. This is the highest level in the total dynamic range.
Distortion is something that you definitely want to avoid unless you are
versed in the skills of good tape saturation (sometimes engineers will try
to slightly distort the signal by pushing it over the maximum level
because this will give a stronger sound to an originally weak one.
However, in digital recording, any distortion due to overpeaking is
distasteful.). Now the difference between the nominal level and the
maximum level is referred to as your headroom. This is your safety zone,
and this is needed to account for some stray peaks here and there without
hitting the maximum level. And to wrap this upthe whole thing, from
noise floor to the maximum level is called the dynamic range.

Okay, lets cover how compressors work. Imagine a recording scenario

where you are starting to record some tracks on your multitrack recorder.
You have set a good recording level for your instrument which is at or
near the nominal level, but you notice that the incoming signal
occasionally jumps up into the red. That is typically going to be the
nature of either the instrument, your playing, or both. So, you dont want
those distortions going to tape and ruining an otherwise fine performance.
This is where the compressor comes in handy.

The Alesis Company a while back issued a brochure on how compressors

work, and it gives the analogy of the compressor acting like your own
dedicated engineer for that one track. It will monitor all the incoming
signals and then act like it is pulling down the fader the instant that high
volume peak occurs. In a more technical explanation, what the
compressor is actually doing is reading the incoming signals, and then
according to the compression ratio that you set, it knocks the hot signal
down by that ratio. This allows you to keep the level down to one that is
manageable and recordable, without the wild peaks.

Compression ratio you ask? Well, let me explain the 5 main controls.
First, we have the threshold. Think of this as the decibel level where the
compression will start working. I visualize the threshold as a line that is
lowered onto the offending noise peak, and the lower the threshold level,
the more the incoming signal will be compressed. This is because more
of the noise peak is now ABOVE the threshold level so there is more to
squash.

Next we have the ratio settings. This knob has different ratios on it like
2:1, 3:1, 4:1, and usually any combination in between. Okay, assume you
set your ratio to 3:1. What this does is that for every 3dB your incoming
signal goes over your threshold line, the compressor will allow only 1dB
to pass. The level still goes over the threshold, but assuming that you set
the threshold low enough and used an appropriate ratio, the peak will
never reach the maximum level and distort. This is also due to the
amount of headroom you have. Typically, I set my ratio first, and then
use the threshold knob to find the point that the incoming levels are being
compressed. This is done while watching the meters on the mixer, and
you will see the offending peaks all falling within the same lower range
which is nearer to the nominal level. Keep in mind that if your incoming
signal is lower than the threshold level, (or the threshold is set too high),
then none of the signal will be affected.

Next we have the attack parameter. Think of this as how fast the
compressor acts on the peaks once they pass the threshold. Some
instruments have a really quick attack sound as soon as they are played,
and most peaks arise from this attack. Therefore, on instruments like bass
and kick drums, you would want to set a quick attack.

The release parameter works by setting how fast the compressor lets go
of the incoming signal once it has gone below the threshold level (where
the signal doesnt need to be compressed anymore.) You could set the
release to fast and cut off a signal quickly, or set it to slow which results
in a longer sustain. Many guitar players use this to sustain their notes.

The last main function is the output setting. Typically, when you lower
the threshold and the compressor kicks in to squash the signal, your
nominal level will be lowered slightly depending on the amount of
compression being used. You can then use the output knob to bring the
input level back up to nominal. Be careful though, because by raising
your signal back to the nominal level, you are also increasing the noise
floor due to added noise from within the compressor itself. You may want
to increase the trim on your channel or master fader so more pure signal
is getting to the compressor instead. Everytime you patch your signal
through another pathway (such as another processor), you are also adding
the inherent noise of that pathway.

There is one other feature that not all compressors have, and this is the
option to compress with hard knee or soft knee. Hard knee is where
the signal is compressed the moment it goes above the threshold to the
full extent of the ratio that is set. Soft knee is where the compression is
applied more softly so as not to sound so abrupt. This is similar to using
the attack knob, and I use hard knee compression on signals like bass and
kickdrum.
Hooking up a compressor is a simple procedure involving an insert cable.
This is a Y configuration cable with one 1/4 TRS connector that splits
out to two 1/4 connectors. One of these connectors is an RS and the
other the TS. (I should mention here that TRS stands for TIP -RING-
SLEEVE, with the tip being the send and the ring being the return. This
way, the TRS connector allows signals to go both ways, and the TS
connector allows on signals to send FROM the compressor to the mixer
while the RS connector returns the signal from the mixer to the
compressor.) The TRS end is plugged into the insert jack on one channel
of your mixer, the TS to the compressor send, and RS to the compressor
return. This creates a loop where the original signal leaves the mixer,
goes to the compressor, is then compressed, and finally returns to the
mixer.

As for using compression, that is a matter of personal preference. I use it

only when needed. Unless I am going for a certain type of effect by heavil
y compressing the signal, then I use it only for stray peaks, since putting
a signal that isnt peaking through a compressor will only introduce more
noise. Some people think that even though the signal is peaking out
during recording, they can compress the signal in the mix and it will be
the same. I used to think that myself but I realize now that when you put a
distorting signal to tape, the damage is already done to that signals
sound. The track is already saturated with distortion and no amount of
compression during the mix will make it sound as if it were compressed
during tracking. That is why you should definitely fix stray peaks with
the compressor when recording. Also, final mixes may also need a little
compression even if you used it on tracks during recording. This is due to
the summation of all the track signals.

The following are just suggestions of where to start setting your

parameters for certain instruments. As I mentioned earlier, how YOU
want to use compression is your personal preference.

Bass: Try starting out with a ratio of 4:1, and a fast attack and release. I
usually use the hard-knee type of compression here since bass is such an
attack-oriented instrument. But if you were playing smooth jazz bass,
then you may want to try soft-knee. It depends on the sound you are
trying to get.

Guitar: This depends on the type of sound you are using, but a good
general place to start is 2:1 on acoustic, and maybe 3:1 on distorted guitar
(although you may need 4:1 here.) To get a good sustain, try a 4:1 ratio,
use a fast attack and slow release. Then play the note you want to sustain,
and raise the ratio until the sustain is as long as you want it.

Drums: Drum signals are often compressed due to their hard-hitting

attack volumes. If nothing else, compress the snare drum, because each
hit will likely peak higher than other hits. Try starting out with a ratio of
3:1, and use a fast attack and release. If the signal is still peaking, try
using a ratio of 4:1. This method could also be applied to the toms. As for
cymbal hits, try starting with a 2:1 ratio (moving to 3:1 if needed), using
a fast attack and a slow release (to preserve the natural decay time of
cymbals).

Vocals: As with drums, compression is also commonly used on vocals.

The ratio to start at varies for each singer, since some may be very strong
and loud singers, and others quieter, having a smaller dynamic range. Try
starting out with a 2:1 ratio, with a fast attack, and medium to slow
release. Keep increasing your ratio until you get your peaks under
control.

Compression is not typically something that can be heard. You can hear it
if you really spank all the knobs to full-on, but usually that technique is
used more for an effect, rather than to control the level of the individual
signal. Compression should be applied and monitored by using the peak
display meters on your compressor or mixer. As I mentioned earlier,
compression is something of an art, and you will have to play with it to
find your personal preferences, so dont be afraid to tweak all the knobs
to find out how they affect your sounds. Just remember that mastering
compression techniques will help to make all of your recordings sound
more professional.