While the above method of master bus compression is effective, it also presents potential problems. The T-Racks Bus Compressor from IK Multimedia, set with a slow attack and quick release for gentle master bus compression. There’s plenty of time for that later at the mastering stage. Adjust the thresholds to get them triggering a DB or two of gain reduction. A ratio of 2:1 at this stage is subtle and transparent. This determines how much the signal will be compressed once it crosses the threshold. Whether you use one or two, the trick is to use a gentle ratio setting. And the second, a VCA based model with a slower time constant to even out the levels more generally. When working with multiple compressors, the first is often a FET style compressor, set with a very fast attack to catch transients. Release time determines how long it takes for the signal to revert back to its original level once it falls in level and no longer crosses the threshold.
![t-racks bus compressor t-racks bus compressor](http://getthatprosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/mastering-tips-headline-graphic.jpg)
The attack time determines how quickly the compression kicks in once the signal crosses the threshold.
T racks bus compressor series#
Some people feel strongly about using two (or more) compressors in series on the master bus, each set with unique attack and release time values. That way you are always working with it and it won’t suddenly change your sound, as is likely to happen if you only add it on at the end. If you do choose to mix into some master bus compression, it is a good idea to set it up early in your mix.
![t-racks bus compressor t-racks bus compressor](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-bdgtlp/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/22041/66465/HERITAGE_AUDIO_SUCCESSOR_lat__61355.1595852978.jpg)
![t-racks bus compressor t-racks bus compressor](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vUuHqTncR1g/maxresdefault.jpg)
T racks bus compressor full#
A subtle amount of track compression (if necessary) into subgroup compression into master bus compression is a great formula for a full yet still dynamic sounding premastered mix. The more stages in your signal flow you use compression, the less hard any individual compressor needs to work, and the more natural it will sound. Used conservatively at this stage, it is not about maximizing level, but more about taming peaks and subtly evening out the dynamics. Regardless of whether we master our own music or not, mixing into some master bus compression has become a common and accepted practice. Downward compression does this by lowering audio above the threshold setting, upward compression by raising the audio below it. Both types of compression achieve the same results, reducing the distance between the loudest and quietest parts. In this case, no makeup gain is required. Upward compression does the opposite and processes the quietest part of the signal by raising the audio below the user-defined threshold. The harder you set compressors to clamp down on the audio, the more headroom you have to raise the overall level. In other words, compression makes your music sound louder. After taming the loudest parts in the signal, the overall level is then raised via a make-up gain knob, effectively increasing the perceived volume of the overall signal. The more commonly used downward compression achieves this by attenuating the amplitude of the signal, based on a user-set ratio, once it rises over a user-defined threshold level. Put simply, compression is a tool to tame the dynamic range of an audio signal. There are multiple points to influence the signal before these stages in the signal flow, so it’s important not to paint yourself into a corner here with anything too extreme. It is tempting to over-process the Master Bus and subgroups at the beginning, in order to get easy-win mixing improvements quickly.
![t-racks bus compressor t-racks bus compressor](https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/include/tr/GUI-REF/tr5_module_stealth_limiter_lgr.jpg)
This is achieved by starting with processing at the top layer of your signal flow. The main principle of top-down mixing is to get good results quickly by minimising unnecessary processing on individual tracks. Here we’ll continue by putting some effects in place. In the last article, we looked at setting up a flexible top-down mix signal flow and adding some broad low and high pass filtering.