Shows how to improve the sound of a mix using compressors, limiters, gates, de-essers, and other dynamic processors.
Audio Foundations: Compression and Dynamic Processing
Overview
Syllabus
Introduction
- Welcome
- What you should know before watching this course
- Using the exercise files
- Using the "Get in the Mix" Pro Tools and Logic Pro session files
- What is amplitude?
- Measuring amplitude
- What is dynamic range?
- What are dynamics processors?
- Hardware and software dynamics processors
- Introducing compressors
- Understanding threshold
- Utilizing compression ratios
- Understanding makeup gain and gain reduction
- Understanding attack and release
- Applying attack and release
- Demystifying compression controls: soft knee vs. hard knee
- Get in the Mix: Using compression to even out a vocal performance
- Get in the Mix: Using compression to add punch and sustain to drums
- Intelligently using compression presets
- Recording with compression: Why or why not?
- Recording with compression: How to do it
- Introducing limiters
- Types of limiters
- Get in the Mix: Maximizing mix loudness with brickwall limiters
- Solving common mix problems with limiters
- Using layered dynamics processing
- Understanding and using de-essers
- Get in the Mix: De-essing a vocal track
- Understanding and using gates
- Understanding and using expanders
- Get in the Mix: Gating a drum track
- Understanding and using multi-band compressors/limiters
- Controlling frequency content with multi-band compressors
- Understanding and using transient shapers
- Effectively using side-chain inputs
- Using side chains creatively
- Keying gates and compressors (and/or ducking)
- Managing gain staging and headroom and fixing over-compressed tracks
- Compression first or EQ first?
- Understanding mix bus compression
- Get in the Mix: Using mix bus compression
- Get in the Mix: Working with parallel compression
- Working with "modeled" vintage compressor/limiter plug-ins
- Building healthy compression/limiting habits
- Goodbye
- A session with Brian Lee White
Taught by
Brian Lee White
