Welcome to sage audio. Today we’re talking about How to MultiBand Compress Your Master
But first If you have a mix that you need mastered send it to us at
SageAudio.com to receive a free mastered sample of it.
Understanding Crossover and Slope
When creating bands in a multi-band compressor, they can be separate from one another or overlap.
Delink bands for the most isolation, increase the slope between them for
some isolation, and lower the slope for the bands to crossover.
Isolation gives you more control but can sound a little less natural,
whereas crossover emulates natural musical dynamics.
Downward Compression
To create downward compression select the compression mode or create a compression ratio,
and use a negative range. When the threshold is crossed by the signal, attenuation of the signal
will occur, which helps both control dynamics and possibly balance the frequency response.
For example, if 200Hz is making the master muddy,
I’d use downward compression to attenuate it when it’s too loud.
Upward Compression
To create upward compression select the compression mode and use a positive range.
Whenever the signal falls below the threshold it will be amplified from the noise floor up,
adding body and power to that frequency range - while leaving the tracks peaks unaffected.
So say I wanted 800Hz to have more body - I’d use upward compression to increase it’s amplitude.
Downward Expansion
Downward Expansion is often called gating and doesn’t play a big role in mastering,
but it’s good to cover - if used subtly it can increase dynamics. To create it,
select the expansion mode and use a negative range.
So say I wanted the snare’s frequencies to be quieter until the snare hits - I’d
very subtly use downward expansion to decrease the range’s volume.
Upward Expansion
Upward expansion can be created by using the expansion mode with a positive range value.
Whenever the signal goes above the threshold the signal will be amplified,
which is great for kicks and snares.
If I wanted my kick to be more prevalent I could upward expand 80Hz.
Attack and Release
Attack and release play a large role in establishing the timbre of your
compression or expansion. For example, a short attack and long release causes
a smooth sound - while the opposite settings can cause increased clarity.
So if I wanted to smooth out the high frequencies,
I could use downward compression with a quicker attack and slower release.
Knee and Ratio
How much compression or expansion that occurs once the signal goes above or below your threshold
depends on your ratio and your knee, which work in close relation to one another.
A harder knee results in less compression but with a more aggressive sound when it does occur.
A softer knee will cause more compression
but the compression will be more gradual and less noticeable.
Mid-Side Imaging
Some multi-band compressors allow for mid-side routing, meaning you can expand or compress
just the mid or side, or both - in turn narrowing or widening your stereo image.
Typically mid-bands should be used on lower frequencies, and side bands on higher.
Say I want to increase the width of the stereo image, I could create a band on just the side
and expand some of my higher frequencies. Phase Settings for Multiband Compressors
Typically it’s best to avoid minimum latency filters when mastering since these will result
in phase changes to your signal, which can have a negative impact on the sound.
Linear phase results in the least phase changes, but can cause pre-ringing that smears transients.
Dynamic is a good blend of the 2 and reduces static phase changes with very modest pre-ringing.
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Thank you so much for watching.