Help Explanation Compressor

[Leozdj]

Have Someone Noticed that when using compressor some sounds low their volume... ?

Of course. That's why you have the make-up gain option. Depending on the nature of the sound and your attack settings make-up gain may not bring-back all of the original volume. With limiting (instant attack) you won't have that issue and you can go as loud as possible.

Compression is a tool, and like a hammer it's a lot easier to break something than to build or improve something.

I've never used compression for "remastering".... I LIKE dynamics and I don't like music with the life compressed-out of it. If feel something needs remastering I use EQ, and if it's a digitized LP I'll use a couple of different kinds of noise reduction.

I'll only use compression/limiting if I have a "problem" I'm trying to fix. (And I don't do much original production... I'm mostly working with stuff that's already compressed.)

So how can I use the EQ. Im just trying to Boost a bit some Quality on old music to be alike those new tracks, because there are some files that the waveform is so shrink and have above much Peaks so almost new music come Remastered with no Peaks and the waveform is wide and high beside there is no distortion no matter how much to increase the volume, but old files are different Story :s

[Leozdj]

I can relate to your issue remastering songs for fullest and loudest sound, but I can tell you using a compressor is not the way to go especially using a free audio editing app and its compressor.

Take advantage of Audacity's 32 bit floating point processing and sound shape your songs with an EQ to get them to sound the way you want AFTER first applying Amplify to max out to 0db peak. If the song is not loud enough while applying EQ increase hardware volume through your system.

I set my OSX Mac Mini volume slider in the middle. If the song is already at max peak, I just push volume slider up on my system menu (not Audacity) and work the EQ to get the best sound. Make sure those high frequencies are not too crispy because most audio systems with only earbuds or headphones will be very uncomfortable to listen on where an EQ can be used to adjust on regular speaker home/car systems.

Now that you've sound sculpted your songs with the EQ with proper analog set listening volume, apply Amplify to either raise or lower max peak to 0db and don't mind the clipping. 32 bit floating point prevents damaging waveforms working this way.

Then apply a Limiter to raise file volume by 6db or so. I use George Yohng's W1 Limiter http://www.yohng.com/software/w1limit.html

...but Steve's Audacity plugin "Limiter..." is just as good but on some songs I've gotten some odd artifacts so I just stick with George's.

Compressors are way to hard to predict or control how it affects the nuance of detail when trying to make the song louder. I've found it just takes too much work to get it to sound right.

Thanks and anyone knows which could be the best Settings for the Plugins Chris Dynamic Compressor and George Limiter those are different than Audacity´s effects

[Leozdj]

By the Way Can Anyone Explain me about the Compressors about Noise Gate, Floor and Noise Floor the Settings on Audacity are -40DB while on CHris COmpressor Noise Gate 0 and Floor -32 ?

[Leozdj]

Have Someone Noticed that when using compressor some sounds low their volume... ?

Of course. That's why you have the make-up gain option. Depending on the nature of the sound and your attack settings make-up gain may not bring-back all of the original volume. With limiting (instant attack) you won't have that issue and you can go as loud as possible.

Compression is a tool, and like a hammer it's a lot easier to break something than to build or improve something.

I've never used compression for "remastering".... I LIKE dynamics and I don't like music with the life compressed-out of it. If feel something needs remastering I use EQ, and if it's a digitized LP I'll use a couple of different kinds of noise reduction.

I'll only use compression/limiting if I have a "problem" I'm trying to fix. (And I don't do much original production... I'm mostly working with stuff that's already compressed.)

At the beginning of mastering some tracks I just Used the Amplify and then Limiter but the sound I got was the sibilances so loud that hurt my ears .. so I guess Im figuring out how to Use compressor even with the default settings -12 db Threshold the sound is so much clear and loud that hurts my ears at special tones and sibilances

[Leozdj]

I can relate to your issue remastering songs for fullest and loudest sound, but I can tell you using a compressor is not the way to go especially using a free audio editing app and its compressor.

Take advantage of Audacity's 32 bit floating point processing and sound shape your songs with an EQ to get them to sound the way you want AFTER first applying Amplify to max out to 0db peak. If the song is not loud enough while applying EQ increase hardware volume through your system.

I set my OSX Mac Mini volume slider in the middle. If the song is already at max peak, I just push volume slider up on my system menu (not Audacity) and work the EQ to get the best sound. Make sure those high frequencies are not too crispy because most audio systems with only earbuds or headphones will be very uncomfortable to listen on where an EQ can be used to adjust on regular speaker home/car systems.

Now that you've sound sculpted your songs with the EQ with proper analog set listening volume, apply Amplify to either raise or lower max peak to 0db and don't mind the clipping. 32 bit floating point prevents damaging waveforms working this way.

Then apply a Limiter to raise file volume by 6db or so. I use George Yohng's W1 Limiter http://www.yohng.com/software/w1limit.html

...but Steve's Audacity plugin "Limiter..." is just as good but on some songs I've gotten some odd artifacts so I just stick with George's.

Compressors are way to hard to predict or control how it affects the nuance of detail when trying to make the song louder. I've found it just takes too much work to get it to sound right.

Yeah it is in the Compressor and I like it. The Sound is All Original without Adding EQ so I get High Treble when I use Compressor with the options below Checked, so I Guess my Issue is on the Compressor Because I got unwanted sounds like on some frames of waveform track the volume Ups and Down Automatically like the music on the Background goes down and up a Bit but not constant level volume as before Original, and if I set the levels too high I get crispy sound so high Even Sibilances. So the tone Im looking for is High Treble as if it was new Song that I can Hear every sound and voices so clear I dont like so much about the volume because too high can do Damages to my ears or the system. On some songs Using the compressor and Limiter sounds great but on anothers dont sound like as I Expected, Some songs doesnt sound the music background so clear or another the voices or another the chorus background as I expected, On the limiter on the Realease time if it set in Low level can be hear all Clear even the Silences to 1mt so I set it to 7Mts. And Anyone can tell me please if there is a better Compressor, I have Used Compressor Dynamics and the Default, those are Different Settings. My objective on some old tracks is that can be almost like newest wide waveform blue that can hear all like newest without Sibilances or getting the sounds low that before were High. But the Compressor Before Limiter gives me High Fidelity on almost all the track if it wasnt by that errors, would be fine. If I set Limiter too high it can brings Distortion.

[Leozdj]

I can relate to your issue remastering songs for fullest and loudest sound, but I can tell you using a compressor is not the way to go especially using a free audio editing app and its compressor.

Take advantage of Audacity's 32 bit floating point processing and sound shape your songs with an EQ to get them to sound the way you want AFTER first applying Amplify to max out to 0db peak. If the song is not loud enough while applying EQ increase hardware volume through your system.

I set my OSX Mac Mini volume slider in the middle. If the song is already at max peak, I just push volume slider up on my system menu (not Audacity) and work the EQ to get the best sound. Make sure those high frequencies are not too crispy because most audio systems with only earbuds or headphones will be very uncomfortable to listen on where an EQ can be used to adjust on regular speaker home/car systems.

Now that you've sound sculpted your songs with the EQ with proper analog set listening volume, apply Amplify to either raise or lower max peak to 0db and don't mind the clipping. 32 bit floating point prevents damaging waveforms working this way.

Then apply a Limiter to raise file volume by 6db or so. I use George Yohng's W1 Limiter http://www.yohng.com/software/w1limit.html

...but Steve's Audacity plugin "Limiter..." is just as good but on some songs I've gotten some odd artifacts so I just stick with George's.

Compressors are way to hard to predict or control how it affects the nuance of detail when trying to make the song louder. I've found it just takes too much work to get it to sound right.

I Like the Lmiter is Better than the Default although I dont have to figure Out about Soft or Hard. It´s Fine.

[Leozdj]

Now I more or less, figure out the Settings from the Compressor from Audacity can Anyone tell me please if there is a best compressor on High Quality as Plugins I understand Better the default compressor and I like it but depending on settings I have found out if I set the Threshold above -12 DB like -20 DB etc the result is louder or High Clearance and thats what hurts my ears on the sound of the backgrounds and brings Distortion too. There are many programs to remaster but those are not for free. I wonder how they use the EQ and Stereo width at the remastering process.

[Trebor]

...can Anyone tell me if there is a best compressor on High Quality as Plugins ...

There are multi-band compressors which operate in different frequency bands, e.g. G-Multi (free, Windows only)


G-Multi compressing bass only

[Leozdj]

Greetings here Practicing on the compressor can anyone tell me Please which setting could be the Best on the compressor to not sound so crispy but original, some songs sounds excellent but others so crispy at -12DB Threshold that is the Default.