compressors

[billssupport]

Thanks philicorda, but this is live reinforcement work not recording,
I'm not sure how to relate your point to my environment. Obviously I'm
missing something, please be patient.

Thanks again,

Bill

[Scott Dorsey]

billssupport > wrote:
>Thanks philicorda, but this is live reinforcement work not recording,
>I'm not sure how to relate your point to my environment. Obviously I'm
>missing something, please be patient.

The technique is similar, except of course in the live reinforcement world
you need to know where your gain margins are and make sure that compressor
doesn't adjust the gain up near the point where the system will feedback.

I suggest recording a couple signals from the inserts on your board...
pick a vocal one day, pick a guitar the next day. Just record them to
whatever you have handy, even cassette is fine.

Then after the concert, sit down with the compressor, play the recording
back through it, and twiddle the knobs to get a sense of what they do.
Figure out what settings work best with what signals in your actual
environment.

I will highly recommend the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook for an
intro on how this stuff works, but there is no substitute for listening.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[cedricl[_2_]]

On Feb 1, 2:12*pm, billssupport > wrote:
> Thanks philicorda, but this is live reinforcement work not recording,
> I'm not sure how to relate your point to my environment. Obviously I'm
> missing something, please be patient.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Bill

In a live situation, I use compressors to protect the output gain
because, it's live and you really can't control the unexpected. In
recording they use compressors to raise the overall gain to a certain
level. I try to set the compressor so that it's barely affecting the
output when the singer/instrument is singing/playing at a normal
level. On a singer I'll put a 2 to 1 ratio about 3 db above their
normal level. So, if their input is hitting -8 db when singing
normally, I'll set the threshold at -5 db. That takes the peaks of the
singer back down to or just below their normal level. If you see and
hear that the compressor is really squashing the signal then you need
to reset your input gain and/or readjust the compressor threshold and
ratio. You might have to do the adjustments a few times depending on
if the singer/player gets louder as they warm up or gets softer as
they get tired. Don't worry about not hitting the compressor if you
able to control the levels just using input trim and fader position.
Sometimes compressors are used (in live situations) for effects too,
but, that will come later after you learn how to use them as a safety
net.

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

billssupport wrote:

> Thanks philicorda, but this is live reinforcement work not recording,

I've seen Phildo advocate parallel compression in a live sound context, I
think he knows what he is doing when doing live sound reinforcment.

> I'm not sure how to relate your point to my environment. Obviously I'm
> missing something, please be patient.

There is no difference, only the added caveat that compression leads to
increased gain when sound goes softer.

A simple tip: if you do not have time to learn how a given compressor works
and sounds with various options selected, then start out with all rotary
buttons at 12 o'clock.

Also, as Scott said: there is no replacement for using time to play with a
new contraption so as to learn what it can and can not do for you.

Some of the time limiting with a suitable attack and release - 30 and 300
milliseconds is not a bad bet - is better than compression when it is about
vox, your mileage may vary from zero to infinity.

> Bill

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[[email protected]]

On 2011-02-02 said:
>billssupport wrote:
>> Thanks philicorda, but this is live reinforcement work not
>recording,

>I've seen Phildo advocate parallel compression in a live sound
>context, I think he knows what he is doing when doing live sound
>reinforcment.

wOuld agree, but, Phildo is a true professional who's been
doing this awhile.

By the nature of the questions Bill asks and what I've
gleaned what he's looking for is a means to blending
background vox easier, which would mean a compressor across
a bus to which all bg vox are routed. Parallel compression
can be a good technique for live sr provided that:

1. THe operator really has an understanding of what the
compressor he's using does to signals fed to it, and

2. tHe operator is properly gain staging and tuning the
rest of the system.

THe nature of Bill's queries suggest to me that he not try
this one yet, until he's much more familiar with the
compressors he plans to use, and the remainder of the
environment as well. But, a compressor across the insert of
the background vox bus adjusted correctly (use of ears to
achieve good results required) could be a great boon to him.

YOur tips are well placed as well PEter. Bill, listen to
MEssrs Dorsey and PEter here. But, most important, listen
to what your compressor does to the program fed to it.


Regards,




Richard webb,

replace anything before at with elspider
ON site audio in the southland: see www.gatasound.com