Mixing for the good of all

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:42 am

Here's a pretty good free dynamics processing VST that can do upwards compression (same as parallel compression, right des?) and upwards expansion:

http://www.platinumears.com/ (IQ4GUI)

You can use a combination of the two to simultaneously get the extra fatness of a compressed sound and still have a wild dynamic range.

-craig

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:38 am

starfinger wrote:upwards compression (same as parallel compression, right des?)

Hmm, I'm not sure.

I think of parallel compression as a mix of a dry track with a heavily compressed version of itself. The dry track preserves the dynamics in the recording, and the squashed track fattens things up.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:05 am

yeah..that's the same idea. it's called upwards compression, because the dynamic range is still squashed by doubling up the "quieter parts", thus raising them while leaving the peaks intact.

-=craig

Billy's Little Trip · Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:27 am

starfinger wrote:Here's a pretty good free dynamics processing VST that can do upwards compression (same as parallel compression, right des?) and upwards expansion:

http://www.platinumears.com/ (IQ4GUI)

You can use a combination of the two to simultaneously get the extra fatness of a compressed sound and still have a wild dynamic range.

-craig

I just read the notes on your link, it sound interesting. Although I'm really trying to learn this stuff with out fancy "do it for you" type equipment, but I do like to play with these plug ins to see what they are trying to achieve and the pre sets get me in the ball park. But so far, every plug in I've used, the factory pre sets don't appeal to me. I don't know if I'm just nuts, or my playing and recording style just doesn't fit, but what sounds good to me seems to be WAY off from the pre sets.

How do I download the IQ4GUI? I couldn't find a D/L link on that page. The web address on the page doesn't offer the IQ4. I'd really like to play with this plug. Thanks Star.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:35 am

IQ4GUI is here

Billy's Little Trip · Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:43 am

Thank you Sir.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:38 pm

Damn! The IQ4 has a conflict with Cubase or one of my other plugs. I'll turn off all my plugs when I get back and see if it's a plug in argument. I hope I can use it, because in the time I played with it, I was impressed. I can learn a lot from this plug.

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:12 pm

you don't need that particular plugin to get the effect - make a 2nd copy of all of your drum tracks, compress the tar out of one set, leave the other set uncompressed.

for extra credit, create two group tracks and put the compressed drums on one and the uncompressed drums on the other.

this gives you the extra benefit of "fattening" the drums by double-tracking as well as the parallel compression effect.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:27 pm

Blue, I think I get what you mean. But are you saying to use the compressed drums as the main and the uncompressed to adjust into the mix to recover the lost dynamics? Tell me more of your thoughts on mixing, using your technique.

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:33 pm

Billy's Little Trip wrote:use the compressed drums as the main and the uncompressed to adjust into the mix to recover the lost dynamics? Tell me more of your thoughts on mixing, using your technique.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_compression

that's the whole idea of it. it's not my technique, it's .. crap, now i don't remember who got credit for it.

i'm still 50% convinced most of the benefit comes from doubling the tracks more than anything.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:42 pm

New York compression? Those New Yorkers take credit for everything.

I'll play around with that. Thanks Blue.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:00 pm

I thought with the new york trick you were supposed to run the main buss (uncompressed) at a optimum gain and roll teh compressed version up underneath it until you heard the sound punch up.

Maybe I got that wrong... I dunno. Plus, I didn't check Blue's link, this is in response to your question there Billy.

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:10 pm

Leaf wrote:I thought with the new york trick you were supposed to run the main buss (uncompressed) at a optimum gain and roll teh compressed version up underneath it until you heard the sound punch up.

Maybe I got that wrong... I dunno. Plus, I didn't check Blue's link, this is in response to your question there Billy.

samesame.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:17 pm

one thing that iq4gui can do that is not easy otherwise is upwards expansion.

-craig

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:18 pm

Well, I can see how that will work too Leaf. I'll probably try it numerous ways just for shits and giggles. For instance, I might just use this trick on the kick, snare, hat and toms, but leave the overheads and room mics uncompressed. Just thinking out loud.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 6:44 am

leaf wrote:Maybe I got that wrong...

No you had it exactly right. Here, I put a sample together: Parallel compression

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:11 pm

Wow, that is great Des! Thank you.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:53 pm

Where has Hometracked been all my life?

WesDavis · Post by **WesDavis** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:12 am

deshead wrote:
leaf wrote:Maybe I got that wrong...
No you had it exactly right. Here, I put a sample together: Parallel compression

Holy crap des, this site is awesome. I've been poking around on it for the last hour and a half.