LOGIC PRO X - Compressor Types
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
- In this episode, I’m going to shed some more light on Logic’s Compressor plug-in, using it at the Stereo Output, 2-buss stage to hear how its various models work across a whole mix.
I’ll show you how Compressors work before we take an audio tour of the effect that each Compressor type can have on a mix, listening carefully to the ways in which different dynamic responses translate to different tonal results. I’ll explain a little of the background behind each of Logic’s modelled Compressor types but also remind you that these are all being used on the same piece of music, across the whole mix; whenever you’re applying Compression to your own single tracks, Track Stacks, or if you’re working in different musical genres, exploring what each Compressor offers your sounds and mixes is hugely worthwhile.
00:00 Intro
01:35 Track playback
02:11 Platinum Digital
03:03 What do Compressors do?
04:38 Unifying settings and exploring Platinum Digital
08:08 Studio FET
11:37 Vintage FET
13:03 Studio VCA
14:33 Understanding Attack Time
15:16 Classic VCA
17:03 Vintage VCA
18:54 Vintage Opto
20:14 Summary
![[ไฮไลต์] แบดมินตันหญิง "เมย์ รัชนก" ไทย vs เบลเยี่ยม รอบแบ่งกลุ่ม | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qfMROCoiKMY/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for another great video on your great channel.
I thought I’d share something i learned I didn’t see you mention here that’s helped me-using Graph mode instead of Meter mode (by clicking where it says Graph in the meter for anyone interested). I find it super useful for dialing in attack & release times especially if I’m doing it on a drum buss, high hats, or anything with lots of dynamic range with fast transients because you can see the the levels of the signal coming in along with what the compressor is actually doing. It feels like each of the compressors have slightly different curves on for attack & release so seeing it dip & recover can help avoid the pulsing & whooshing you can sometimes get with fast attacks & releases.
Cheers!
Thanks a great tip, James. Thanks for sharing it.
Jono ,I can't thank you enough for the knowledge you share so freely I am a professional composer for film and your knowledge makes me a better composer and logic user.
Thanks Sean, that's hugely appreciated.
Jono, your channel is a gift, thank you for everything you do for the Logic community.
That's extremely kind, thank you.
These logic compressors are AMAZING. I’ve been trying to find a way to use them on individual stems to add minimal to 0 actually compression but to use the SOFT feature they have for distortion. Putting them on multiple tracks and doing nothing else immediately feels like it connects them together in a pleasing way to me (genre based and subjective for sure but I like it) hoping to learn even more with this! The emulations are nice
That's a great use of this plug-in. You're absolutely right; those extra features for a little extra Saturation are great, even without any noticeable compression. Glad to hear you're finding them interesting.
Thanks Jono, I appreciate your content for its quality but also because it often gives a different point of view, for example to someone a bit seasoned as I am. "Never stop learning" is important in life.
Thanks so much, Donnie. You're absolutely right, essential advice for us all.
Great work, Jono. Nice to see viewer numbers up, too. Well deserved!
Many thanks Chris. Hope all's good with you.
Superb and thank you
You’re most welcome! Thanks Lee.
Amazing! Thank you Jono! There is a lot of respect for you!
Thanks very much.
this is such a valuable video..
This is how I learn with explanation of the tool & then a demo without being told what I have to be hearing!
I just got back into the studio after like 10 years of nothing.
& I am doing my best to not get back in to bad habits.
Vids like this help me make more informed choices. I love the Logics Compressors they have always been excellent!
Thanks so much and welcome back to music production! Glad the video was helpful.
Thank you, Jono. That makes much more sense now. 👍
Thanks Peter, that’s great to hear.
Id love to see a second “intermediate” part to this video!
Happy to add that idea to the list. Ideally, what would you like it to cover? Thanks.
I have most DAWS but you have reignited my passion - as a signed artist as El Retsof ( get it 🤣) I have had releases only after working on Logic . Complex yes but also can do what all the others do - big thanks JB
Great to hear, thanks!
the compreshhhion
Yesh.
Hey Jono, thanks for the great video! I recently watched your Logic Pro X Masterclass at Guildhall and it motivated me expand my understanding of music production.
I'm struggling to grasp what drives decision making when tailoring compression settings for a track. As a novice to compression with relatively untrained ears, can you shed some light on what sort of things you're listening for when choosing a compressor and dialing in your compression settings?
Hi Daniel. Thanks for your kind words.
Compression is certainly one of the more subtle audio processing techniques one can apply. Unlike the obvious spatial characteristics of Reverb or Delay, at more gentle settings, Compression can be so subtle, in fact, that it's almost inaudible, when comparing a compressed and uncompressed signal. At such times, it's helpful to remember what Compression is 'for'; dynamic range control. What a Compressor is designed to do is to control the loudness of signals which exceed the Threshold point by whatever Ratio you set. The higher the Ratio, the harder the Compressor works, and the lower the Threshold, the more of the signal is compressed. Start with just those two parameters and you'll hear what happens to whichever signal you're processing. The quieter moments will remain unaffected, but what will happen is that signals above the Threshold will - at high Ratios - begin to sound squeezed and more tightly knitted together. Now dial in some make-up Gain, to compensate for the volume you've lost and suddenly the whole signal will feel a little punchier and under control. Now back the Ratio down to something lower, so the effect is less extreme... and then bypass it to remove it altogether. Try to level match the compressed and uncompressed signals, so that you're comparing similar output levels and you should hear the difference between the two. It's hard to explain with words alone - this is something I'd be very happy to spend some more timing exploring on the Channel. But I hope that gives you some useful ear tests to try.
Thank you for the viddy Mr. Connery!😉😂
Ha! You're welcome.
Thanks Jono, another excellent video, ahhh but what’s your preference a single compressor or a multi band compressor at this stage, one other question, does the mastering assistant have compression within its logic.
Thanks so much. There's no 'magic bullet' answer to your question, I'm afraid; it very much varies from track to track. If the dynamics/frequency needs of a track vary from top to bottom, Multiband Compression will allow you to address those needs. If not, great results are available with stereo compression. And sometimes, both! Yes, Mastering Assistant's Dynamics dial is a kind of one-dial Compression treatment. It doesn't offer any more parameters, however.
Thank you for yet another great explanation. Is the “warmth” that some of these compressors related to the “distortion” option that some of them offer, and if is it only the compressed part that gets distorted or the quieter parts when they get raised? And is the “warmth” some kind of harmonics, or what is it? The more I learn, the more questions I get 😂
Great question! Remember that until 35 years or so ago (or thereabouts), if you wanted to apply compression, you needed a hardware unit to do it. Hardware compressors are input and output circuits, similar in that way to channels on a mixing desk. And so, if you drive Input hard, that circuit will, eventually, distort. In hardware compressors, exactly 'how' distortion was introduced to the signal depended on the components within the compressor - the lights of an Optical circuit, or the valves/tubes etc. So different compressors colour sounds in different ways. Producers have always enjoyed the fact that, as well as dynamics control, the tone of signals are affected by compression as well; many hip-hop producers use compression for tone as much as they do EQ and producers often choose vocal compressors for their ability to gently 'fatten up' a lead vocal. So even though Logic includes dedicated Distortion options within the Compressor, I deliberately omitted them from this video, as I hoped - as you have! - that viewers might start to make the connection between dynamic range control and Distortion and all of the sweet spots in between. I hope that answers your question. Oh and yes, 'warmth' and 'distortion' nearly always refer to a change (usually an enlargement) in the harmonic content as a result of processing. If this is a subject which particularly interests you, I've made a course on this very subject for FaderPro: faderpro.com/programs/the-science-of-sound-saturation
THANKS ! For orchestral music, as much as I use a compressor on the buses or tracks, on the stereo master I find it complicated to find a Preset/Model that suits all the instruments [example strings/woodwinds/percussions]
Hi Sophie. I completely understand - there's a lot of choice and no two pieces of music are the same, so it's not a surprise that you haven't found a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, I'd encourage you not to try! Keep using your ears on each piece you write and you'll make great choices. Often, difficulties come when we hope that what worked so well on Track A will work equally well on Track B. Part of the joy of Compression is discovering that there's a great sounding, usually unique setting which is different for each track.
thank you. is there a video about bundling a project on a mac to take with on ipad?
You're welcome. There isn't, yet! Something I'm happy to look at in future episodes, though.
Hi Jono, should the release time settings normally be set to allow the compression to go all the way back to 0db or is this subjective, eg is 1db ok or does it make that much of a difference. Or is a ‘use your ears’ kind of thing? Hopes this q makes sense. Cheers and thanks as always.
Hi John. It's a good question, though yes, the answer is completely subjective. Let's suppose you want an obviously-compressed drum sound, to produce a super tight, super punchy result. You might set Threshold to catch 5dB or so of gain reduction and high Ratio to ensure that all of that compressed portion of the signal is hit hard. You might set a quick Attack Time too, to ensure that those transients get compressed fast and also a quick Release to ensure that the Compressor recovers quickly and completely, before repeating that process all over again the next time the Transients are loud enough to be compressed. If you increase the Release Time, the Compressor won't quite have time to 'fully recover' before the next transient comes along and the result will be just a touch less aggressive - remember, as the needle can't get all the way back to 0dB, effectively, the amount of gain reduction is less. And if you increase Release Time some more, the Compressor has even less time to recover. In real terms, that means that not only are you producing a less punchy Compression setting, you're also turning the drums down in level, as they'll never recover to full volume. But it might sound great! And if you like that slower Release Time, you can use the Make-Up Gain dial to increase Volume to compensate. This example is just a hypothetical for Drums; entirely different settings might sound best on Bass or Lead Vocals... etc. I hope that answers your question and provides a little more insight.
Thanks a lot. Appreciate your videos. 💪🏻👍🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 By now at the latest I know I wouldn‘t have needed to purchase so many 3rd party plugins. Logic‘s ones would meet my needs and possibilities to 90 %. I would have saved a lot of money, really. So I‘m sure now, I wouldn’t have needed to buy 3rd party compressors, because these here are -as you say- very good for all possible situations. But as a beginner about 5 years ago I had no to little idea of everything. Now, if you would recommend a must have 3rd party plugin that Logic‘s is not good enough or not there at all, which one is it? Or let me ask it this way: Which is your absolute „must have“ 3rd party plugin, absolutely necessary for your mixing work? Thanks in advance!
It's certainly true that Logic's Compressors are capable of lots more than we tend to give them credit for! I absolutely wouldn't want to make a single third-party recommendation. There are lots of Compressors I use and like for completely different reasons at various stages of the mix, on different instruments etc. This channel doesn't have any endorsement from any manufacturers but I'd still like to avoid any possible accusations of bias! The most important thing with Compression is to close your eyes and carefully listen to the before/after treatment. Do you prefer the sound with the settings you've used? If so, great. If not, keep subtly tweaking until you hear something you like.
@@jonobuchananmusic I understand. I appreciate your videos very much! Thanks for every single one. 👍🏻👏🏻💪🏻
Hi Jono! A question: On the first compressor, Platinum, after you set the dials, when you moved along to the next ones, it appeared you didn’t set any dials on some of them. If so, were they set by the Platinum compressor? Need a little clarification please.
Thanks,
Gianni❤
Hi Gianni. That's right, as you move between the different compressors, Logic will, where possible, retain settings from one to the next, giving you a chance to compare the sound of each model sequentially. It's not a straightforward science however; some of the Compressors have different gain staging, meaning that they'll appear to compress more than others, even with the same Threshold and Ratio settings. So do keep using your ears to decide which models work best for you. Cheers!
Logic locked what you dialed in on any of the compressor algorithms so that you can compare the different compressor algorithms. You can do the same with the Logic EQ when you switch to Linear Phase EQ.
@@jonobuchananmusic Lovely! 👍🏼
@@about_schmidt Thank you! ✌🏼
Esto está en el
Mastering
En este episodio, solo estoy presentando los diferentes tipos de compresor de Logic. Sí, a veces se utiliza la compresión estéreo durante la masterización, pero he utilizado el compresor en este episodio para dejar claro cuáles son las diferencias sonoras entre cada tipo de compresor. Este no es un vídeo que recomiende tipos particulares de compresión para la masterización. Eso es algo que analizaré en un episodio aparte en algún momento.
El compresor va en el stereo máster
Puede utilizar la compresión en sonidos individuales, grupos de sonidos y en la etapa Stereo Master.