Creating a Parallel Compression
A parallel compression is another useful
technique that can enhance your mix. It
is also known as New York compression, because this technique was popular among
the engineers from New York.
A parallel compression can be used in many
different sounds, but it is mostly used in the percussive aux tracks, such as
drum sub-track. The basic idea of this
technique is to mix an unprocessed dry signal, or a lightly compressed signal
with a heavy compressed signal. The
concept in this game is to reduce dynamic range by bringing up the soft sounds
and adding details to it, rather than brining down the highest peak, which is
the normal way we do to the dynamic processors such as compressor.
Once you have drums recorded in your DAW program, do a rough mix to it. Try to get the balanced levels between each
drum tracks. When you have balanced
levels between all the drum tracks, create two auxiliary tracks, and then name
the each aux track as Drum Sub and P.C (parallel compression) Drum Sub.
Send all the drum tracks to Drum Sub by setting
the output of each drum tracks to the input of Drum Sub. On the Drum Sub, you can lightly use
compression on the insert if you feel like the recording has too much high
peaks, but try to use the minimum.
Then, you will send a copy of the Drum Sub to the
P.C Drum Sub in unity gain by using the send parameter on its track. Set the same bus on the send of the Drum Sub
and the input of P.C Drum Sub.
Now, insert a compressor that you will like to
use on the P.C Drum Sub. We are going to
process this compressor heavily to create vicious and nasty sounds. First, set high ratio, commonly 8:1 or
higher, then set a low threshold, which you can see more than -25db gain
reduction. The attack time should be
fast, but for the release time, you will need to fairly adjust it by listening
to fit the groove of music.
If you mute the Drum Sub and only listen to the
P.C Drum Sub, it will sound disgusting, because it is heavily compressed. Leave the Drum Sub track at unity and set the
P.C Drum Sub track to -∞, then slowly bring up the level of the P.C Drum Sub as you are
listening. This will be your wet and dry
control for the parallel compression. As
you bring up the level of the parallel compressed track, you will notice more
details in the quiet moments between each drum hits.
