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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Cliff Goldmacher
06/21/11 08:02 AM,
This exclusive article is provided by AudioFanzine. This is the first in a series of articles on eq and compression. View part 2. As an engineer/producer, one of my biggest early challenges was getting my mixes to sound as polished and balanced as the mixes of songs on my favorite albums. Living in Nashville, I knew the problem wasn’t the players (some of whom had even played on those same favorite albums). I also knew that I was happy enough…
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Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Karl Coryat
02/02/11 07:08 PM,
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Unlike an expander, which increases dynamic range, a compressor reduces dynamic range. In recording, running a signal through both a compressor and an expander can be very effective. Why would you want to reduce and enlarge the dynamic range at the same time? Actually, you wouldn’t. They don’t both come into play at the same time; an expander does its thing when signals are at their quietest (or nonexistent), and a compressor does its thing in the louder part of…
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Neil Thompson Shade
01/27/11 10:08 AM,
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Why should one bother trying to understand basic acoustics? The most simple (and correct) answer is that study of basic concepts enables one to sort through the truth, semi-truth, myths and flat-out errors that pervade the pro audio industry. The fundamentals of acoustics (and physics) do not change, although some “experts” try to prove otherwise. New equipment, toys and theories come and go, but the basic building blocks of sound and its related concepts do not. If university level training…
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Jason Corey
10/26/10 04:09 PM,
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This excerpt provided by Focal Press In addition to being a utilitarian device for managing the dynamic range of recording media, dynamics processing has become a tool for altering the color and timbre of recorded sound. When applied to a full mix, compression and limiting can help the elements of a mix coalesce. The compressed musical parts will have what is known in auditory perception as common fate because their amplitude changes share some similarity. When two or more…
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010
PSW Staff
10/13/10 04:20 PM,
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Before the modern era of packaged, off-the-shelf loudspeaker systems of virtually every type and size, most individuals and sound companies built their own enclosures, with cone and compression drivers (and often crossovers) acquired from specialized developers. Compression drivers were also a key component in “horn and driver” designs that, until about 15 years ago, were the most popular choice for public address systems in large-scale venues such as arenas and stadiums. Still, while times have changed, a plethora of developers…
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Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Dave Rat
10/06/10 03:26 PM,

30 Comments
A while back I was pondering mixing live shows, as I strangely so often find myself doing, and I began to analyze the varying aspects of dynamics in live reverberant fields. Is there something more legitimate than personal preference that would add credibility to using compression? The studio humans and mastering labs use a ton of it, but comparatively, we live engineers use fairly little. I know it works well to control the variations in a band’s playing, and also…
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Friday, September 17, 2010
PSW Staff
09/17/10 02:09 PM,
1 Comment
Dynamic range can be defined as the distance between the loudest possible level to the lowest possible level. For example, if a processor states that the maximum input level before distortion is +24 dBu and the output noise floor is -92 dBu, then the processor has a total dynamic range of 24 + 92 = 116 dB. However, the average dynamic range of an orchestral performance can range from - 50 dBu to +10 dBu on average. This equates to…
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Friday, July 09, 2010
PSW Staff
07/09/10 01:13 PM,
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What does an audio compressor actually do? Most types of signal processors, such as reverbs, equalizers, and delays, are designed to make an obvious change in the sound. But a compressor’s action is much more subtle; when used properly, most listeners won’t be aware that signal processing is being used. Only if you hear the original dynamic range of a signal and compare it to the compressed version will the effect be noticeable. A compressor/limiter is essentially an automatic volume…
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Tuesday, June 01, 2010
PSW Staff
06/01/10 09:10 AM,
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Engineer and guitarist Sean Gould works with some of the best up-and-coming and established acts in the music industry, with recent projects have that include Train Save Me, San Francisco, Boys Like Girls Love Drunk, Uncle Kracker Happy Hour, and much more. For his mixes, Gould relies heavily on Metric Halo ChannelStrip, a plug-in that combines equalization, dynamics, and delay, to turn out his known results on short deadlines. Gould, who prefers to mix in the box for portability, values…
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
PSW Staff
11/18/09 03:58 PM,
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ProSoundWeb has just launched the first in what will be a fast-growing series of instructional videos for audio professionals and neophytes alike.
The first program, Introduction to Compression, covers the necessary basics for success, as well as the keys to effective uses of compression, presented in 12 easy-to-digest entries.
All 12 installments are easily accessible via our video player here.
Don’t miss it!
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