BassComp/De-Esser
A common problem with small studio mixes is the low end, due to near-field monitors, improper room low-frequency absorption, beer, and demanding clients. Another common problem is the lack of enough de-essers to go around, and furthermore, the insistence of drummers bringing their full-size, heavy cymbals into the studio. The result is often a mix with a low end that is too loud, and/or an improper balance between the bass guitar and the kick drum, plus a high-end that might need de-essing and “de-cymbaling”. The most challenging of these situations has very bright guitars and cymbals and dull vocals. Of course, the best way to solve these issues is to de-ess in the mix, use very light cymbals, and, well, better engineering on the low end! This preset uses only 2 bands (the most common application of multiple C1’s), for bass compression/control, and de-essing.
Band 1 is set to 180Hz which covers the main part of the kick drum and almost all fundamental notes of the bass guitar or other bass line. Band 2 is a bandpass de-esser centered at 8kHz. Attack and Release controls are the critical controls. With a faster attack on Band 1, the kick can be controlled separately from the bass line with reasonable precision. Soloing the band will help in setting the Release time so that distortion is minimized (too fast a Release will cause the compressor to follow the bass wave itself, a form of modulation distortion that even multibands are susceptible to).It’s the same for Band 4; the Attack time (at 12ms) allows enough transients of the snare and consonants of the singer that there is not too much dulling of the sound, but the sustained high-frequency material, such as esses and cymbals, may be controlled quite well. Bands 2 and 4 can be used as EQ, as the Range is set to zero.
BassComp/HiFreqLimit
A variation on the previous setup, except that instead of a bandpass de-esser, the entire high frequency is a shelving compressor/limiter. Sometimes quite useful if there has been too much “air EQ” applied in the source material.
Too Much Limiting
Now what exactly should we say about this preset?
You can call it instant radio if you wish, as it does represent the type of processing that is applied by some radio stations in order to be as loud as possible, and they do so to recordings that have already been processed to be as loud as possible! Great for loops and remixes.
Setup with Auto-Makeup
If you haven’t tried auto makeup yet, go right ahead, grab a threshold for a band and listen to the compression rather then hear the drop in level. Try some more to see if this seems like a good way for you to work, rather then chasing overall level all the time, the auto makeup will not totally preserve overall level but it will focus you on the dynamics setting rather then the separate levels.