AKARSH SHEKHAR
PRO TIPS FOR MULTIBAND COMPRESSION
If you are a user of your DAW ’ s included multiband compressor plug-in or you use a third-party plug-in like Waves C4 or FabFilter Pro-MB , you ’ ll definitely need to familiarize yourself with its interface in order to quickly tweak parameters . Similar to a broadband compressor , you ’ ll spend most of your time adjusting attack and release times , threshold levels , ratio amounts , and makeup gain values and you should aim to adjust these fast without needing to search them for minutes .
Start from a Completely Initialized State
Just like with a broadband compressor , it ’ s best to set up a multiband compressor from a neutral state ( with no compression being applied ). Raise all thresholds to 0dB ( or higher , if needed ) so that no compression is occurring , and turn off makeup gain until you need it . By starting with a clean slate ( no processing ), you ’ ll be better positioned to make choices that help your mix instead of hurt it .
Solo Bands to Analyze Specific Frequency Ranges
The whole point of a multiband compressor is that it allows you to compress specific frequency ranges of an audio track , as opposed to the entire audible spectrum .
By placing a multiband compressor plug-in set up in this manner on your master bus , you ’ ll be able to quickly analyze the lows , mids , and highs of your audio simply by soloing each band without any compression actually occurring . Using a multiband compressor in this manner can actually be more useful than using a spectrum analyzer , allowing for sonic analysis instead of a visual representation .
Don ’ t Use All the Bands at Once
One of the reasons you may be discouraged from using multiband compression is that things can quickly get out of hand when you ’ re dealing with multiple bands , each being compressed differently . The best way to avoid this is by only using a single band at a time . Instead of thinking of it as a multiband compressor , think of it as a band-specific ( or bandpass ) compressor . Bypass all of the individual bands except for the frequency range you want to focus on .
Use Multiband Compression Like a Dynamic EQ
Let ’ s say you ’ d like to add some weight to an acoustic guitar track without making it sound boomy . Set up a single band of your multiband compressor plug-in to work in the guitar ’ s lowest octave , 80Hz – 160Hz , then start with a mild ratio around 2:1 . Lower the threshold until you ’ re achieving a few dB of gain reduction , then adjust the makeup gain to compensate . The mild compression will help accentuate the low fundamentals of your guitar tone , giving it a stronger low-mid character without sounding boomy or uncontrolled . And , because it ’ s responding to the dynamics of your audio , you ’ ll avoid the inconsistent results a static EQ boost could create . Just like with a broadband compressor , a soft touch can make things sound big and full , while heavier compression can suck the life out of your audio .
Fix Sibilance and Other Troublesome Sonic Artifacts
If you ’ ve ever used a de-esser plugin , then you ’ ll have experience with this concept of band-specific compression . A de-esser is a compressor tuned to the frequency band responsible for harsh sibilance . In the case of de-essing , set up your compression to cover the range between 2kHz and 10kHz , roughly . Solo that band then adjust the frequency range to really zero in on just the most troublesome frequencies . Once you ’ re focused on sibilance and little else , adjust the threshold and ratio controls to achieve whatever level of gain reduction your situation requires — 5dB – 10dB of gain reduction would be a suitable starting point . You can apply this same principle to other common mix issues , like loud finger squeaks in an acoustic guitar track .
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