Dynamics
Dynamics eller kompression er et uundværligt værktøj, der findes på individuelle spor, mixbånd og mastering-kæder i musikproduktion. Det er en af de mest populære effekter blandt musikere og lydteknikere og bruges til at styre dynamikken, ændre amplitude envelopes, peak limiting, sidechaining og meget mere. Men på trods af sin popularitet kan kompression være en gåde for både nybegyndere og erfarne, da forskelle i dynamisk rækkevidde ofte er sværere at skelne i forhold til andre soniske egenskaber som tonehøjde og tempo.
How to use dynamics in music
Compression reduces the overall dynamic range of a piece of audio by examining when it exceeds a specified level and then decreasing it by a specified amount. In other words, it narrows the difference between the highest and lowest parts of a track so that it becomes more uniform in sound level.
If you've ever drawn automation curves for the sound level on a track, you've probably unknowingly made some manual compression changes - you've probably lowered parts that were excessively loud (downward compression) and raised parts that were too soft (upward compression). Although generally less customisable, a compressor automates this process for us, which can save us a lot of time.
Compress your music
While there are always exceptions, most compressors share a common set of parameters. Understanding what each one does will allow us to use compression in our music with more intention and ease.
Threshold
A compressor's threshold, expressed in decibels (dB), determines the level at which the compressor starts to compress. Threshold can be set strategically to target specific moments in your sound. For example, if a drum groove's snare is too loud, you can set the threshold so that it's low enough for the snare to exceed it, but high enough to bypass the rest of the kit (the best way to do this is to slowly raise or lower the threshold until the meter only responds to the snare).
Ratio
Once the compressor realises that the input signal has exceeded the threshold, it starts to reduce the signal. The amount by which the level is reduced is determined by the ratio. As an example, if the threshold is set to -20 dB, the input signal hits
-16 dB and the ratio is set to 2:1, the output signal will be reduced to -18 dB. Because the input exceeded the threshold by 4 dB, the 2:1 ratio cuts this value in half, resulting in an output of -18 dB.
A limiter is essentially a compressor with an 'infinite' ratio (think 10:1 or more). While a compressor (especially one with a lower ratio) gently tames peaks, a limiter aggressively stops any level that exceeds the threshold (also called its ceiling).
Attack and Release
The compressor attack, typically measured in milliseconds (ms), determines how quickly it pulls the input signal down to the full ratio value when it crosses the threshold. Release is the opposite and represents the total time it takes for the signal to return to an uncompressed state.
Knee
The knee determines the nature of the gain reduction applied to a signal. It ranges from a value of 0.0 to 1.0, where 0.0 is a hard knee and 1.0 is a soft knee. A hard knee begins to reduce gain abruptly when the compressor exceeds the threshold, while a soft knee gradually introduces gain reduction as the signal approaches the threshold.
Make-up Gain
We often associate compression with making a track louder. However, we've learnt that compression actually reduces the level. Make-up gain is what allows compression to make a track louder. We can compensate for the lost level using this parameter and because we tamed the peaks, we can actually make the overall sound louder without running into clipping.
Why are dynamics/compressors important?
Compression is a very important audio effect to understand because it regularly touches every aspect of digital music creation, from sound design to mixing and mastering. It can be used in creative and musical ways, but it can also turn a dynamic and exciting mix into a flat and exhausting one if used irresponsibly.
This guide should give you a strong basic understanding of compression and its common parameters. That said, just as you can't learn to ride a bike by reading a book, you can't become an expert in compression by just reading an article or watching a YouTube video; now is the time to open your DAW and experiment with all the parameters yourself. This will start to give you a feel for when compression is helping or hurting your music.
Some of the best dynamics/compressors on the market are sold at Cyberfarm. We would like to highlight a few below:
McDSP 6034 Ultimate Multi-Band HD v.7
The McDSP 6034 Ultimate Multi-band is your versatile solution for multi-band dynamics processing. It includes award-winning compression, extension and gating modules from the highly acclaimed 6050 Ultimate Channel Strip plug-in, and they can be swapped in real-time for quick testing while maintaining relative settings.
AVID Pro Limiter is your key to audio optimisation. This AAX DSP/Native plugin can maximise the volume of your mix, including 7.1 surround, without sacrificing sound quality. Pro Limiter is designed to deliver a transparent audio experience, allowing you to significantly increase volume while maintaining dynamics and quality.
FabFilter Pro-DS is the smart and transparent de-esser plug-in ideal for processing both solo vocals and entire mixes.
The McDSP 6034 Ultimate Multi-band is a versatile multi-band dynamics processor with award-winning modules. AVID Pro Limiter is an AAX DSP/Native plugin that maximises volume without distortion. FabFilter Pro-DS is an intelligent deesser plugin for both vocals and mixes.
AVID Pro Compressor: Create professional audio recordings and mixes with this AAX DSP/Native plug-in. Use the intelligent "SMART" mode for flawless compression without distortion.
If you have questions about sound production or specifically about dynamics/compressors - get in touch with us at Cyberfarm.