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Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes

The document provides practical assignment notes on using compression in music production, particularly for vocals and drums. It emphasizes the importance of automation for achieving natural vocal levels, while compression can enhance sound quality and control dynamic range. Examples of compressed and uncompressed audio files illustrate the effects of compression on various instruments and the potential drawbacks of improper settings.

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Enoque Pinheiro
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2 views8 pages

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes

The document provides practical assignment notes on using compression in music production, particularly for vocals and drums. It emphasizes the importance of automation for achieving natural vocal levels, while compression can enhance sound quality and control dynamic range. Examples of compressed and uncompressed audio files illustrate the effects of compression on various instruments and the potential drawbacks of improper settings.

Uploaded by

Enoque Pinheiro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Course

MODULE 05 PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT NOTES: Compression

Refer to the ‘Assignment Notes Audio’ folder

Vocals

It is common for a vocal to vary in level quite widely. Many singers cannot sing low notes loud, nor
high notes quiet. This leads to an imbalance in dynamic range that makes it difficult to find one fader
setting that works for the whole song.

The best solution to this is to use automation to correct the levels, rather than compression.
Automation will allow a completely natural sound that smoothes out the singer's voice. Compression
will work to an extent, but it can never be as natural.

Compression therefore is used to enhance a vocal. Vocals simply sound better compressed, or at
least more like we expect them to sound.

Here is a female vocal that is uncompressed…

Example file: female‐vocal‐uncompressed.wav

And here is the compressed version…

Example file: female‐vocal‐compressed.wav

The degree of compression is quite modest, but it produces a sound that is subtly better, and would
be easier to combine with the supporting instruments into a good mix.

Listen carefully and hear how the quiet sounds are now louder (after gain make up of course). Hear
also how the noise level in this recording has been increased too. It is an unfortunate side‐effect of
compression that the noise is always increased. Undesirable mouth artefacts are also boosted.

Here are the settings that were used for this example...

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


Controlling dynamic range

The compressor can be used to control dynamic range over a short period, or over a long period.
Here is a piece of production music that would be suitable as a music bed in a TV program or
commercial…

Example file: music‐uncompressed.wav

It is perfectly usable as it is, but if it is compressed then it will have a more consistent level and will
be easier to mix beneath a voiceover. Here is the compressed version…

Example file: music‐compressed‐good.wav

The compression in this example is nearly transparent, meaning that it isn't obviously compressed
unless you are listening out for compression.

Setting a release time that is too short however produces a sound that is obviously compressed
which is not at all pleasant to listen to…

Example file: music‐compressed‐bad.wav

Here are the settings for the well‐compressed version...

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes
And for the badly compressed version...

Here is an orchestral recording that has a ridiculously wide dynamic range. This would sound great in
the concert hall, but you can't listen to this in the car because the quiet parts are simply too quiet (or
if you turn up the volume then the loud parts are too loud).

Example file: dynamic‐range‐too‐much.wav

Once again, the best solution is fader‐riding through automation. It is impossible to tell that there
has been any modification, other than by comparing with the original.

Example file: dynamic‐range‐control‐faders.wav

If a compressor is used, the ratio must be low and the release time long to work even reasonably
well. Here is an example…

Example file: dynamic‐range‐control‐compression‐good.wav

During the quiet section, the sound is completely below the threshold, hence there is no
compression. During the loud passage there is considerable compression, but it is reasonably
inaudible. It isn't as good as the version that was controlled using fader automation.

If the release time is set too short, then the sound, towards the end, can be quite unpleasant…

Example file: dynamic‐range‐control‐compression‐bad.wav

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


Here are the settings for the well‐compressed version...

And here are the settings for the badly compressed version...

Individual drums

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


Compression can be used to enhance or alter the sounds of individual drums. Once again, if the level
of the kick drum, for instance, in a recording isn't consistent, then the best solution is to modify
individual beats manually.

Here is an uncompressed kick drum, extracted from a recording of an entire drum set.

Example file: kick‐uncompressed.m4a

And here is the compressed version ‐ a subtle but definite difference. Compressing drums doesn't
always lead to an improvement in sound ‐ you have to judge very carefully whether what you are
doing is of benefit. Notice once again how the quiet sounds, principally the spill from the rest of the
drum set, have been brought up in level.

Example file: kick‐compressed.m4a

Here are the settings...

Compression can go further. Here is an uncompressed snare drum…

Example file: snare‐uncompressed.wav

And here is the compressed version…

Example file: snare‐compressed.wav

This is a massive difference. The peak levels of both recordings are very similar, in case you were
wondering, but the second recording sounds massively louder.

The reason for this is that the signal has been allowed to clip. Clips of very short duration can pass by
unnoticed, allowing the 'body' of the sound to be louder. You have to be very careful about clipping

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


though ‐ even a little too much can sound dreadful, and it only works when the clip is of just a couple
of milliseconds or less.

Here are the settings...

The whole drum set

The purpose of drums is very often to make the music more exiting. So why not make the drums
more exciting still? Compression can do that.

Here is a recording of drums without compression…

Example file: drums‐uncompressed.wav

What you are about to hear next is something else entirely. In the snare drum example, some
clipping was allowed. Even more clipping was allowed here, and settings chosen that make the effect
of compression completely obvious. Whether or not you like this will be down to personal taste, but
it certainly demonstrates what a compressor can do…

Example file: drums‐compressed.wav

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes


Here are the settings...

Summary

The compressor is a powerful and invaluable tool. Sometimes it is used to control dynamic range
unobtrusively, sometimes to subtly enhance a sound. On occasion, the compression effect is allowed
to be completely obvious to add energy and excitement to an individual instrument or an entire mix.

End of assignment notes.

Module 05 Practical Assignment Notes

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