Compression and dynamics and why

[Scarlett Rose]

For a long time Ive had trouble wrapping my head/ears around why to use compression. I get what it does, I know what the controls do etc....its the Why factor I cant grasp. My view behind the mixer has allways been Im trying to amplifie whats happening on stage and even it off, not alter it, just bring it out without obnoxious peaks. In my own system I have several compressors Klark Tek Square one, Bss dpr-404 and Dbx 166s.
Pretty much I use the Klark Tek as a gate to tighten up drums it does so much BS its just a PITA to use as a comp(for me anyways) and bss on vocal channels set very very light like 2:1 and back threshold down till I get 2-4db attenaution and that about it.
I usualy mix small live bar/club shows and occoasionaly get to mix on a large system if a band has me as a walk in for an opener or something. I dont get a chance to do any studio mixing and learn that aspect. But I do know I tend to not like the modern recordings sound were everything sounds fat and like one big unit. I tend to like older rock recordings were things have a bit of seperation and breath.
But I here guys all the time talking about glueing the mix together and fattening things up. Compressing drums and guitars and stuff. Not sure I get that. Compress drums live? I mean Ive compressed electric guitars if they are just sounding thin or a clean guitar were notes are boinking out at you or to even off between clean/dirty switching.
Really It all harkens back to one gig I did on an unfamiliar system, a Yorkville system with a Soundcraft console, minimal line check and start multi band thing. The band I was working with brought me to mix thier set. They start and before even looking at the compressors Im trying to get the girl singers voice to project using the channel strip,, the system just sounded weak and thin no balls(kept think the amps were backdown or something). And the system owner is sitting in a lawn chair breaking my balls "OH GOD why are you not compressing here voice" Im sorry but the system should project period!! As far as Im concerned, then Ill play with the toys. Its weird cause that guy,s mixes(as I here allot on a small level) the vocals were flat and mushy not live and exciting and projecting.
Not sure why allot of guys are using so much channel compression on everything live, are they going for a differant sound than I am? If you compress every channel isnt that kinda altering the natural dynmics of the band itself?

 

[Paul Johnson]

It’s because some sources simply don’t retain their ability to cut through in a mix, live and studio. Bass is a good example. A repeated rhythm maybe 8 in a bar with a bit of emphasis on beat one. This sits very well in the mix, but then the player plays a twiddly bit with the sides of his fingers. On the meters, this is well down, compared to the main riff. It gets lost in a busy mix, and especially on a loud stage. The singer has her lips on the mic for most of the time, but sometimes, she turns a bit towards one of the band, and even gets excited and moves away a bit, and these get lost. Maybe the drummer sometimes plays heavy, busy bits on the big toms that overpower everything, but he doesn’t do it every time, or even at the same places. You just cannot manage this yourself with fader pushes. By the time you notice, it’s over. Compressors can manage these things pretty well. They’ll let something get louder until it’s too loud, then grab the level and stop it getting higher. Too much sounds bad, but too little means it gets lost. The trouble is so few people can hear compression until the magic eureka moment when you suddenly do, and realise you didn’t notice before. I didn’t use it for the first 25% of my music career. Now, bass gets a little almost automatically, usually vocals benefit too, but now I recognise when pressing the on button will make a source better.