In this video I'm going to be demonstrating a conventional way to use
multiband processing to compress across your mix buss for a typical pop rock
song.
I've got C6 inserted on my first slot on my mix bus and I'm just
going to do is play you back the song so you can hear how it sounds.
The way that I like to typically get set up when
using the processor is to start out by picking the frequency divisions
of the channels I'm going to be using.
I start out from the bass and work my up until the low mids, the
high mids and finally the highs.
To do this, I like to start on a part of the song where I have all the
instruments going.
So, I'm going to switch over here from past the
introduction to the next part and solo the low frequencies.
What I want to do here is find the frequency division where
I basically go up and include as high a frequency as possible for basically
just the kick drum and the bass.
Tighten the queue a little bit.
Here I'm starting to get some piano acoustic guitar that's too high.
That's great.
Next, I'll go up to the next frequency band.
This is the low mids.
Again, I'm looking for kind of the rhythmic elements
of the track, things like piano and electric guitar that are going to
be part of this frequency band.
Next, my high mids is where the acoustic guitars and cymbals are really
located.
Finally that really high brilliant or sparkle part of the track
and I'll usually just start off by focus on these four bands before I even
get into the floating ones that are part of C6.
Now, right now I don't have any compression actually going on.
What I need to do is change the threshold, change the
ratio and change the range.
So, what I usually do is start out with compression about three
dB decrease as the maximum possible, but the low frequencies, I'll use a
slow tack time and I'll use a kind of longer release as well.
Focus on this one to begin with.
Next up, the low mids.
For this one I'll use a slightly faster attack, slightly faster release.
High mids and we'll do a fast attack or a faster release.
Might have a higher range here, but set the threshold so it's not going to maximize the
decrease very often.
Finally, the really highs, very fast tech, very fast release.
Bring the threshold down and then what you can do is
listen back and then you kind of use the gain as an equalizer over these different
ranges.
So, what I've basically done now is just set up a simple
compressor across the full mix.
What it's going to do is really control the level of the overall song and
just add a subtle effect on it, nothing too dramatic just by using these
four bands of compression.