Do We Want & Need Audio Compressors?

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  • čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
  • Why do we need audio compressors? Is not using a compressor more or less natural sounding?
    Dave Rat's video "Why Do We Want & Need Audio Compressors?" explains the concept and importance of compression in live sound and recording. Compression is needed to control the varying levels and limit the dynamic range to prevent distortion and ensure the sound is balanced and clear. The distance between the microphone and the sound source can cause volume differentials and bleeding from channel to channel, leading to unnatural sound. Compression can mitigate these issues and bring consistency to different instruments' sound levels. Analog and digital consoles also have different sound qualities that can be softened by using tube compressors or other methods. Ultimately, compression is an essential tool to achieve a consistent and balanced sound in live sound and recording.
    00:00:00 In this section, Dave Rat discusses how microphones and the way we mic things can alter the Dynamics of the way things sound, adding noise and distortion that we normally wouldn't hear with our ears. This altered Dynamics is why compression is an important tool for recording and live sound. When an instrument is captured with a microphone, compression is needed to control the varying levels and limit the dynamic range to prevent distortion and ensure the sound is balanced and clear. However, there is a debate between using too much compression to get more level on recordings versus using compression in the live environment for reinforcement.
    00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the issue of volume differentials in audio recordings caused by the distance between the microphone and the sound source. The volume increase when a sound source moves closer to the microphone is magnified when the sound is amplified and played through a sound system, leading to unnatural sound. Mic distance can also affect the ratio of the instrument to the room, causing an undesired re-amplification of the room sound. Compression is a solution to mitigate the excessive volume differentials and low-end proximity effect caused by micing close to the sound source, and EQ can be used to adjust the excessive low end.
    00:10:00 In this section, the speaker explains the benefits of using audio compressors to achieve a consistent sound by reducing volume differentials. While compressors can bring up the background noise in quiet parts, they can also reduce the transients of loud instruments and make them sound more realistic. The amount of compression needed depends on the system's dynamics or the design of the enclosure. The speaker also discusses how compression can help deal with inconsistencies in playing, such as bass players who have varying volumes in different notes.
    00:15:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the difference between analog and digital consoles in terms of their sound quality. He explains how digital consoles are known for sounding clinical because they are good at maintaining all of the dynamics and transferring them in numbers that stay intact throughout. On the other hand, analog consoles tend to bleed from channel to channel, which softens the sound and gives you multiple versions of the same signal. This is why there is a desire for tube compressors or other methods to make digital console outputs sound more natural. The speaker then plays a slowed-down audio clip to demonstrate the alteration of dynamics and how sounds are captured, even with just a small change in proximity.
    00:20:00 In this section of the video, the speaker explains that the proximity of a microphone to a sound source can have a significant impact on the balance between reverberation and direct signal, as well as distort the audio in unnatural ways. Compression is one way to deal with these issues, and the speaker demonstrates a test using a "sharp transient" tool to illustrate the effects of different microphone positions on the sound.
    If you like this and other videos I do, please join this channel to get access to more videos, early access to videos as well as to be able to join my weekly zoom chats:
    / @daverat
    Also check out:
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    www.soundtools.com

Komentáře • 165

  • @regortex3364
    @regortex3364 Před rokem +12

    I did live sound for 15 years and worked with a guy also named Dave who I consider a genius, just like you. Can’t thank you enough for these tutorials Dave.

  • @alcraig1
    @alcraig1 Před rokem +11

    When I first started out (nearly 45 years ago), compressors were not something typically found in an effects rack. Therefore, we (my monitor engineer and I) would depend on the musicians to control their dynamics by what they were getting back in the foldback speakers. Any singer worth their salt knows how to work the mic to get the dynamics they were wanting to express. Same went for the horn players. One reason I put MD441 mics on the saxes was so that they could see the mic and work it accordingly. Back then, drummers understood the difference between pp and ff. Guitarists typically had a compressor stomp box and controlled themselves based on what everyone else was doing at the time. We rode the faders to get dynamic emotion. If I did have compressors in the rack, I would insert them across the sub-groups and use sparingly. I get the feeling that many of the younger live mixers these days would benefit greatly by having to learn how to mix without compressors. I have heard too many horror stories of shows ruined by mixes that pander to the bottom 3 octaves at the expense of the rest of the frequency range. Too many seem to mix from the bottom up (kick, snare, bass), where as I always mixed from the top down (get the vocal mics righteous first and bring the rest of the band into a supporting role).

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +4

      Yes! Years I mixed big band and all was well controlled by musicians.
      But now with bigger better sound systems providing high quality sound to large areas, even musician control is not enough

  • @deadscenedotcom
    @deadscenedotcom Před rokem +41

    You have a knack for stating the obvious in ways that stimulate critical thinking and cause me reevaluate their significance. Been enjoying your channel for a while. I'm glad you mentioned membership. Joined!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +4

      Awesome and welcome!
      Also there is a telegram channel where members can chat and I post additional info and such.
      I will repost a link soon or scroll back through the dashboard messages for members

  • @ftslater2456
    @ftslater2456 Před rokem +5

    How have I not seen this channel before?!
    I'm just a clueless hobbyist with a collection of studio gear in my basement that I play at being an engineer on and unlikely to ever do live sound but there's still a wealth of information for my needs in everything I've seen so far.
    Thank you feller!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Great to meet you thank you and welcome!

  • @sbroggie
    @sbroggie Před rokem +4

    Thanks for all you do!!!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Awesome and thank you Steve!

  • @PRCRSTNTR
    @PRCRSTNTR Před 9 měsíci +1

    that was very enlightening, as always : ) Thank you Dave to share so much with us.

  • @audioquest1
    @audioquest1 Před rokem +10

    Thanks for your awesome time Dave its worth to me to be part of all the precious hours and years of experience you share with us. Its definitely wort it. I Thank you!!!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      You are awesome Hennie!

  • @jameswalkerbassandkeyboard7644

    Adding my comments to the pile about Professor Dave. There's this interesting experience listening to Dave when he calmly lays out facts and ideas that are intentionally simple and obvious. Thats how he sets the trap! And then presents relationships and meaning that are obvious only after they are explained. So much pedagogical fun!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Truly honored and thank you James!

  • @dlcarburetor
    @dlcarburetor Před rokem +3

    Dave, I love it. Your videos are educational, confirming, entertaining, comfortable and just fun to watch. I like what you did with the sound of a spark at the end, even the rat exploding was just hilarious

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      Fun and yeah the sound for the extro was fun to do

  • @entrancemusicofficial8550

    Thanks Dave, much love mate!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Awesome and thank you!

  • @TomCee53
    @TomCee53 Před rokem +1

    Great analysis and survey of things to think about. Thanks so much for helping to improve my live sound environment.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Cool cool Tom thank you

  • @thomasconnors1987
    @thomasconnors1987 Před rokem +3

    Dave you are a legend and a fantastic teacher.

  • @randydaniels9218
    @randydaniels9218 Před rokem +1

    Awesome as always Dave! The effect of the room and the distance shows the importance of the positioning of the microphone in the Studio. Your visual methods of explaining the

  • @mikelicerio
    @mikelicerio Před rokem +2

    Best 5$ I’ve ever spent. Definitely worth all the knowledge/concepts etc. being dropped here. Telegram discussions. Zoom chats. Appreciate it Dave! 🤘🏼.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +3

      Mike you rule and thank you!!

  • @ladjkaoz
    @ladjkaoz Před rokem +1

    as usual great info... 🤘🤘

  • @jonkilowatt4442
    @jonkilowatt4442 Před rokem +1

    Thanks Dave! Your a scholar and a genius! Your videos are so informative! Always enjoying every video as I try to stay up to date! Thank you sir for your wealth of knowledge to share with others, even small PA guys like me!

  • @jimpemberton
    @jimpemberton Před 2 měsíci +1

    I've found tools like parallel compression and multiband compression to be helpful. As digital consoles continue to progress, these tools are increasingly available for hardly any additional cost (you don't have to rack up additional equiment), but they can also be created if you have enough extra channels available. I use parallel compression for public speakers who are particularly dynamic so their quiet moments aren't too quiet and his loud moments aren't too loud. I can compress them down to a perhaps a 10 dB range and add an uncompressed signal back in so that the natural sound quality is restored. I can also start with an uncompressed signal and add in a heavily compressed signal underneath it so the combined signal is effectively compressed from the bottom up. This works as long as the processing latency is the same on each split signal so the modified amplitudes of the signal are additively recombined without any cancellation. I can do this with multiband compression where I might mic a cajon that is producing a bass drum sound and a snare sound. I can isolate the frequency ranges for each of those and compress them differently although they are coming from the same microphone. I picked up using these kinds of tools from the post-production processing side of the recording industry. Many of these tools they use have applications in a FOH setting.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 2 měsíci +1

      Parallel gating is something I found especially useful. Gated drums on 1 vca and non gated on another, now you have vsa control to slide between gates and open and anywhere in-between.
      Soft songs no gated, fast songs all gates and the rest somewhere between.

    • @jimpemberton
      @jimpemberton Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@DaveRat Oh, interesting! I can use that.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 2 měsíci

      🤙👍🤙

  • @themidiboss
    @themidiboss Před rokem +1

    You are my Hero Dave! :)

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Big smile and thank you TheMidBoss!

  • @brycejones8367
    @brycejones8367 Před rokem +1

    Awesome Dave, this is something I have been stewing on for the last few months . Great way of explaining it and it made total sense to me. One less thing to keep me up at night haha. Cheers from nz

  • @InikaRanna
    @InikaRanna Před rokem +1

    amazing info

  • @Edwin-van-der-Putten
    @Edwin-van-der-Putten Před rokem +1

    Very interesting! Thanks, Dave! 🙂

  • @Studio22mix
    @Studio22mix Před rokem +3

    Interesting and inspiring as always ✌🏼

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Awesome and thank you!

  • @corycoffin1777
    @corycoffin1777 Před rokem +2

    Great topic Dave! I never regret the $5 membership and neither does anyone else that comes to shows that I mix since it only gets better the more knowledge I can apply ;-)

  • @DaveKnepper
    @DaveKnepper Před rokem +2

    A fabulous explanation, Dave. This really helped in my understanding of how compression helps recreating something a little bit more natural. Thank you!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      You are awesome Dave!

    • @DaveKnepper
      @DaveKnepper Před rokem +1

      @@DaveRat right back at you, Dave!

  • @AdamGotheridge
    @AdamGotheridge Před rokem +1

    I always find your videos interesting, educational, and thought provoking. They are very much appreciated. Flip side is I don't always have time to watch them. :(

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      Got to watch at double speed!

  • @Dan-ii3oo
    @Dan-ii3oo Před rokem +2

    Always thinking outside of the box. You my friend are a world wide treasure. Love from Australia.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Thank you Dan and love Australia!

    • @pearldrumsets
      @pearldrumsets Před rokem +1

      That's Y he is that 🐐. I would love to seeing him work In a live stream

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      🤙👍🤙

  • @cowzinspace
    @cowzinspace Před rokem +1

    To anyone on the fence about becoming a member, I will say I have found it to be 100% worth it. The insights Dave provides are truly one of a kind and having access to the member content is absolutely worth so much more than the price of admission. Dave, thanks for another fantastic video!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Thank you Lucy and great to see you and hang at the zoom chat!

  • @Aio-Project
    @Aio-Project Před 8 měsíci +1

    love your cautious air towards bass di and bass players in general. I feel like a huge part of bass playing is being consistent AND dynamic. Accents create groove, and dynamics make a song cohesive

  • @simonbezek6382
    @simonbezek6382 Před 6 měsíci

    Funny how the sound of the stove spark at 2% speed sounded exactly like the sound of fireworks outside of my house with windows closed. Totally got me

  • @Ramt33n
    @Ramt33n Před rokem +1

    the recording of this video sounds great on a pair of ADAM A7s here! lovely and balanced sound!

  • @peehandshihtzu
    @peehandshihtzu Před rokem +1

    I too have a tiny dog in a blanket sleeping beside me in my chair, mine is currently snoring. Interesting how the decay of the reverb changes at different distances in a unique way. This character change definitely shows evidence to what you are talking about. Great content Dave! :)

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Thank you Peehand! I've been trying to fit the stove click into a video for a while now and I wasn't sure if it would work when I recorded it but theoretically it should have and then it surprisingly did present an audible version.

    • @peehandshihtzu
      @peehandshihtzu Před rokem +1

      @@DaveRat It made a lot of sense to me how you equated compression to volume as EQ is to tonality. Have a great week end Dave and I'd hate to see the other guy, LOL. :)

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      👍🤙👍

  • @Ratso_au
    @Ratso_au Před rokem

    I had a bit of a chuckle watching this. You were talking about the different types of enclosures being quite reactive and others "naturally reducing dynamics'. I've got an 802 in pieces replacing the shading circuit components at the moment

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Good stuff! I have not heard one of those in over 30 years. Sold my 901s to a friend with a crown d150 amp a few years back. That was a nice old school sounding setup

  • @shoveI
    @shoveI Před rokem +1

    I wish that there was a recorded music format that effectively delivers the music as stems (yes, I understand the I.P. problems that presents) and then the playback system could interpret and mix and master the music in realtime based on the mechanical characteristics or context of the playback. Got some big nasty home speakers in a quiet home? Headphones with good isolation? Mega dynamics! Listening in your car with a lot of road noise? Compress it so the quiet parts don't get lost! Little rinkydink speaker? Independently EQ and compress the stems to maximize apparent dynamics with limited power/displacement! Background music in a cafe? Independent compression per stem so it doesn't "pump" while maintaining comfortable background music levels.... etc

  • @MichaelNatrin
    @MichaelNatrin Před rokem +1

    This is the weirdest and most informative dog-petting ASMR video I've ever seen 🖤

  • @frankjamesbonarrigo7162
    @frankjamesbonarrigo7162 Před rokem +1

    I use compression as a effect. Never knew I’d love it so much

  • @Gomez561
    @Gomez561 Před rokem +2

    Another great video about the reality of recording and reproducing audio. I wish more “audiophiles” talked about these realities

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Awesome and thank you

  • @ridefast0
    @ridefast0 Před rokem +1

    Great content. I download podcasts and compress them in Audacity for listening in the car. I don't miss anything and I don't get deafened.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 7 měsíci

      🎛️👍🎛️

  • @clintkaster6269
    @clintkaster6269 Před rokem +5

    I reference "all this" fairly frequently. I've been super-impressed ever since the blog years at the information and perspective you share. There's a lot to be said for sharing and reinforcing good information with our peers and the public. I've been a fan since hearing Agent Orange in my favorite club on what I believe was a Rat system (whatever that was back in 1982/3!). It was the first time I'd ever heard the tone of drums and it set me on a life course that is still paying off today!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      So cool Clint! Where was the club and love Agent Orange!

    • @clintkaster6269
      @clintkaster6269 Před rokem +2

      @@DaveRat Seattle's Metropolis, just a stones throw from the Kingdome. A few years later I was the frat boy who offered Black Flag a basement to play in after the fire department shut down the show in Eugene -- they lined three walls of our basement with (what I might assume were your) cabinets and set up on the fourth. I stood between the band and the crowd linking arms with every big dude we could find and remember the sweat condensing on the ceiling and falling like rain during the set. I think we packed 400 kids into a 30' basement. Now I mostly do civic good with charity galas and awards ceremonies but occasionally get to have some fun with music.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Very cool and definitely was there. I remember that gig and the speakers down to the basement.
      Any pics? That would be amazing and great stuff!
      I remember the Met and well

    • @clintkaster6269
      @clintkaster6269 Před rokem +2

      @@DaveRat it sounds weird now but I don't think anyone took a single picture. I was black and blue from neck to toes the next day. Unforgettable.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Yeah, not a lot of pics from back then. Good times and great to meet ya again!

  • @666das666
    @666das666 Před rokem +1

    Yeah!

  • @DaveKnepper
    @DaveKnepper Před rokem +1

    Hey, DB! Thanks for enduring the stove clicking for knowledge and science 😂 20:50

  • @BarefacedAudio
    @BarefacedAudio Před rokem +5

    Really interesting stuff - explains why I always find it easier to get a good recorded drum sound with a Glyn Johns style approach, rather than lots of close mics.

    • @HazeAnderson
      @HazeAnderson Před rokem +4

      I remember my first audio engineering course, our instructor drew a drum set on the board and said "Let's mic it!" and drew one mic over the drums. Then he said "Oh wait we paid for all those mics so we gotta use them too ..." 😆

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +5

      Yes for recording in a dead room fewer mics at a distance works well and can give a desired sound.
      For making a drum set live in rooms that are even remotely reverberant and in situations where there is a reamplification of the drum set in the same room, making it a distance is one of the worst things you can possibly do

    • @jonahollstein
      @jonahollstein Před rokem +2

      @@DaveRat would you say there is a valid use case for methods like Glyn Jones in a live setting? Or would you prefer to always close mic no matter what?
      Thinking of smaller venues, bars and clubs…

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +7

      Close mic'ing reduces reamplification of room sound, reduced out of time bleed for m other instruments and monitors from being picked up and Increases gain before feedback. For scenarios where the room is well damped, stage volume is low and there is minimal bleed from the room or other instruments into other mics, increasing the mic distances will have minimal negative impacts.

    • @kidcupid07
      @kidcupid07 Před rokem +2

      @@DaveRat awesome info!

  • @studentjohn35
    @studentjohn35 Před rokem +1

    At the 8 minute mark: A really good room, recorded by fabulous mics with "reach" like the Flea 50, produces a wonderful sound. Mics 20 to 30 feet away from a full orchestra.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      As long as there is not a reinforcement sound syst n in the same room as is what happens with live shows, far mics work or can work.
      But if the sound of theic is reamplified in the same room, then much of the sound a far mic pics up is a regeneration. That is the big issue

  • @HazeAnderson
    @HazeAnderson Před rokem +1

    Thank you for sharing this! (and dogs! 😆)

  • @duncan-rmi
    @duncan-rmi Před 11 měsíci +1

    I've always liked to wide-mic a whole band playing live, & have them get it right... my stems are filthy. 😂

  • @MFKitten
    @MFKitten Před rokem +1

    it's amazing to me how you can record a mic's direct output, and comparing it to what you heard through the PA it'll sound really shoddy and inconsistent a lot of the time. You hear a singer through the mic very well regardless when amplified, where listening at bedroom levels it sounds super weak.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      So many variables and too many assumptions will lead us astray

    • @MFKitten
      @MFKitten Před rokem

      @@DaveRat one thing that's clear from live sound, that I've discovered to be very true even in just video game sound design, is the massive difference that sheer VOLUME makes. You think a lightswitch sound, or a footstep, is too bass heavy and thumpy. Then in the game, at the appropriate level, it sounds just right. When designing the sounds you're hearing them dry and at s loud volume. Turning it down and adding the reverb, things change so much.

  • @TomCee53
    @TomCee53 Před rokem +2

    Hello to your canine assistants.

  • @dougaltolan3017
    @dougaltolan3017 Před rokem +2

    And then there is the club dj.... So far only 1% that I have met really understood "red light makes you sound bad"

  • @RAILWAY_FILMS
    @RAILWAY_FILMS Před rokem +1

    I love compression. but also don't abuse it.. and I have been evolving in how I use compression for 30 years.. if I feel like I a following my own equation, I take a break for a while then come back fresh after I forget my settings then I sit there and "re find" my new refined settings for each instrument. but anyways, the reason why I love compression is ( and this holds for live and studio for kind of different reasons ).. but live, proximity matters a lot because live, we want each channel to be as isolated as possible and so naturally, we place the mic as close to the source as possible which removes the natural "damping" factor that volumes of air create for sound and certain frequencies which tend to be much louder at close proximity will be picked up much louder than frequencies which tend to survive the distance.. ??? that's sort of what my brain tells me anyways, that's probably not true.. but some stuff just is way too loud in the signal and some stuff is there but not loud enough so I feel like I try to use compressors to "add in" the volumes of air which were removed without adding the time-delay due to the speed of sound. and then I finish the sound off with EQ. But see : this is a super fake way of capturing sound but for me???? that's okay. Now there are purists out there who don't want all that treatment and oddly enough many of those are in the "Punk" scene. anyhow when I do my own music, I am intentionally going for sounds which no instrument makes. I'm trying to create the illusion massive instruments at low volumes. Most of my recordings are only a few tracks. Drums being the bulk of them. I have one plan to use just 1 mic on drums, 1 on bass, 1 on guitar, and 1 on vocals : a 4 track recording that sounds HUGE and use effects to make it stereo. (probably mono drums). I think it would be cool if albums had one song that was a 4 track recording. (think of how your knowledge could make this sound HUGE by using a stereo pair to capture the band in a live-ish setting) and you would have two tracks left to stack vocals or To do a stereo vocal capture of the band and maybe the whole band could stand there like a choir in close proximity.. so much could be done to create a variety of outcomes with just 4 tracks but with modern microphones and preamps and tools... I think it is just a cool exercise. the rest of the album could have 400 tracks if you want. anyways.. as always I watched this whole video and really enjoyed it.

    • @RAILWAY_FILMS
      @RAILWAY_FILMS Před rokem +1

      I HOPE YOUR HAND/WRIST GETS BETTER QUICK. the stove lighter demo was super cool.. you're pointing out things I've heard but never thought to describe to anyone before.. I think there must be some "compression" algorithm for the tascam recorder because you'd think the reverb in the "room" should be relatively the exact same regardless of the proximity to the stove (when you're only moving a few inches) but the "snap" should be much louder relative to the reverb at close proximity?? I need to listen some more--> BUT if there is a built in auto level or compression (because even if you have controls, I have noticed some devices also have some degree of automated management controlling their inputs).. but this recorder would be closer to a digital console would it not?? like a cheaper one?? anyhow there is another reverb happening here which is the Steel frame of the oven itself !!! that arc creates a vibration which comes from the stove itself ( a plate verb ) which should be louder at close proximity to the stove.. but as you pull the device away it would be picking more of the room-verb up. obviously , it is always picking both up but this is why I am asking about the built-in automated portion of the controls--> Certainly a cellphone has that. the quality difference from a recorder app to a video camera in a cell phone is huge usually, probably because of decades of refinement of the automated level controls working in the video app have really dialed up the level management.. but the recorder apps seem to be more crude because they don't let you set your own gain and they have it sorta hyped up such that it doesn't take much to clip the inputs and it doesn't sound warm or nice.. so the phone has a ton of dsp power on tap to process these levels. that tascam recorder probably has much less available and I'm asking a question or sharing what I am thinking more than claiming this is happening. but since I have sat there and listened to this sound before, I am aware that the metal itself will vibrate to the snap (and you can FEEL IT if you touch the stove while its happening, you can feel the taps of the arc) at least on mine you can... I have a Sony recorder. it was cheap and "okay". I love tascam stuff though. I have a tascam cd burner. I believe the arc is caused by a sudden "switching off" of power and since you can never have an "instantaneous" change in current, the sudden switch off by a transistor causes an open circuit and the voltage "needs to " arc the closest gap to correct the situation where as just a moment before, everything was fine.. so strange how that works. I think its even a low voltage getting turned off that causes that super high voltage build up at the point of the arc.. I know you can picture this or correct me on it.. but a relatively low voltage built up over a few seconds is still quite a few electrons.. and when it is suddenly opened instantaneously, then those electrons hop the closest gap to equalize nature....mini lightning. the correction for this is a bunch of de-bouncer circuits around switches. but you know it happens even with big amps.. when you throw the switch off, often there is a nice big blue arc that comes out of both sides of the plastic power switch cover that your finger just pushed!!!

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      I had all the compression and limiting turned off. It's probably more of a metering thing where there's the same amount of energy occurring in a certain period of time whether you're close or far and when you're close the energy all occurs early and as you get far the energy occurs over a longer period of time.
      We see this with meters in averaging and RTA and measurement gear

    • @johnstuchlik5828
      @johnstuchlik5828 Před rokem

      Cowboy junkies whites off earth now and Trinity session.calrec ambiosonic mic into 2track stereo live.ive been chasing that sound for a long time and every now and then I get close.

  • @deadave100
    @deadave100 Před 7 měsíci +1

    "To compress or not to compress...that is the question.."

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 7 měsíci +1

      🎛️👍🎛️

  • @mitas3484
    @mitas3484 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Hi Dave,
    Would you normally put the threshold at the nominal level before compression? Say -18 db?
    Do you always add some makeup gain?

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 9 měsíci +1

      Yes, in analog I would calibrate all the compressors with a 1k tone, such that all thresholds were the same at 0db (18 in digital), all output levels and all comps were matched.
      Then I would add make up gain to the compressors on things I want on top of the mix. And use that gain to set the desired mix goal balance.

  • @googe2312
    @googe2312 Před rokem +1

    👍

  • @MrPeeBeeDeeBee
    @MrPeeBeeDeeBee Před rokem +1

    I've given up trying to explain to audiophiles that compressors are vital in the recording, mixing and mastering process..... And that their beloved pre 1995 albums are full of compression.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      Audiophile is the astrology of the sound world. Science and facts don't apply. Emotion, hope and magical wonder are what matter

  • @DaveKnepper
    @DaveKnepper Před rokem +1

    Hi, Mr Bones! 5:48

  • @halidharis
    @halidharis Před 11 měsíci +1

    Hi mr.dave i wanna ask..say i'm sending a compressed signal to the amp...is the amp read it as a regular signal or compressed signal??? Cause sometime we add gain after compressing..our console say its not clipping but the amp say its clipping...any advice/best way to avoid this?? Thanks mr dave

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 11 měsíci

      Compression is just a really fast volume control that turns down the loudest parts.
      Compression won't prevent your amp from clipping
      Compressing a signal can reduce the amount of clipping but if you turn the signal up louder it will clip again

  • @DarkTrapStudio
    @DarkTrapStudio Před rokem +1

    Thanks Dave great talk ! I sampled the stove you recorded you don't mind if I make music with it ?

  • @ngfaentertainment963
    @ngfaentertainment963 Před rokem +1

    Would you have any tips for using compression with a system where the compression tends to exacerbate feedback issues? Do i just be more aggressive with my GEQ and Parametric? My experience so far with digital consoles sounding clinical is sometimes the compression seems to boost frequencies that can make a sound more almost brittle eliminating some of the dynamics of the actual sound.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +3

      Using compression will increase the average volume and often has the side effect of increasing feedback.
      Raising the threshold so that only the peaks are compressed and using a higher ratio and not impacting the average volumes will reduce the transients without increasing feedback

    • @ngfaentertainment963
      @ngfaentertainment963 Před rokem +1

      @@DaveRat I thank you sir for your reply

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      🤙👍🤙

  • @soundbeastin
    @soundbeastin Před rokem +1

    Oh my I hope that is a fire safe material!!😂

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Ha! Yeah,in the event of worst case scenario I could end up with needing to dump a cup of water on some things ny embers glowing on my stove!
      But, that said, this is R19 certified cotton house insulation so the odds of me ne ding to get that cup of water is minimal

  • @MixmasterMegz767
    @MixmasterMegz767 Před rokem +1

    Hey!! Quick question, I work for a audio and lighting company and there’s always an argument when comes to testing speakers going out and coming in from a gig , can anyone suggest me the best way to go about testing speakers

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      One good way is to use an amplifier that has the capability of measuring the speaker impedance like the l-coustics, PowerSoft and lab gruppen amplifiers.
      Combine that with Smaart for some analyzation software and a mic.
      Put pink noise or sleep into the speaker the amp will tell you whether or not it's acting similar to other speakers or its previous state and the analyzation software will tell you if it's putting out the proper sound.
      If you have a setup you roll the speakers in call up the parameters test and see if they're falling within spec

  • @G0ogs
    @G0ogs Před rokem +1

    In a live situation do you find vocalists like compression on their mic? I know some like to control it themselves with proximity .

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +2

      Tailoring your compression for the monitors that the singers here to each artist is important.
      I think dividing this up into two parts.
      Part one is the compression on the sound that the singer hears of themselves. And for that they might want none or some and they are hearing a combination of the in ears or stage monitors and their internal voice
      Then you have the sound that's being propagated to the audience two larger speakers that may need more compression and may require a different compression strategy to be optimized

  • @jsimone9745
    @jsimone9745 Před rokem +1

    "bass player that plays inconsistently" I feel attacked

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      I should have said extremely rare and uncommon event where the possibility that a bass player plays inconsistently

  • @TheTargetedScapegoat
    @TheTargetedScapegoat Před rokem +1

    You can really hear the room the lower the speed

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Yeah that worked better than I thought it would

  • @mvilla36
    @mvilla36 Před rokem +1

    Hi dave do you sell the RAT jackets (xxx)

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Yeah I think we do have some hoodies in that size. Give a call to 805-383-0777 the rat office and push the button for sales and they can look and see. Cool cool

  • @fredygump5578
    @fredygump5578 Před rokem +1

    I've been hearing people talking about "transients" for years...somehow I managed to not know what they meant. Transient sounds like "transition", so I had the wrong idea. I thought it was some subtle thing. Wouldn't it be more descriptive to say "attack"? I mean, synths and effects all use "attack"... Curious where the term "transient" came from? It feels like the wrong word to use.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Hmmm, transient as in occuring over a short period of time.
      Comes and goes away.
      Transient humans are constantly on the move.
      Transfer and transistor are relating to change.
      Short term fast changes in signal.
      Seems good to me for a a description

    • @7171jay
      @7171jay Před rokem +1

      Attack I think is a word used more by people who work with synths while transients is more of an audio/recording thing. I'd say you can use either word and someone knowledgeable would know what you were talking about. If you break out the old school big boy audio books you will see the word transient or transients thrown around more than the word attack. It took me a lot of years of reading and doing audio to really understand the stuff that Dave breaks down and describes so clearly in this video. Thanks Dave, this is the first video of your's I have seen and It is really really well done. I look forward to watching the rest of the stuff on your channel.

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Attack has to do with the beginning of the signal, release or decay has to do with the end of the signal.
      A transient is a signal or part of a signal with an extremely fast attack and extremely fast decay or release. -ish
      This is muddled by the fact that a square wave or other waveforms with sharp edges contain loads of hig frequency content needed to make the sharp edge.
      This HF content appears as burst of HF creating a transient.
      Adding a low pass filter reduces the transient.
      So another way toook at transients is as a burst of signal that has substantial high frequency content and lasts for a short period of time.
      When I say " high req content" that would be high FREQS in relation to the bandwidth at hand. So for subs, a transient will be much lower frequencies than for tweeters.

  • @peterling1422
    @peterling1422 Před rokem +1

    Bud, I hope your arm is ok. What happened? I'm hoping something with bikes or surf living life, I also hope it's not too bad

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Broken pretty good, metal plate snowboarding jumps. And thank you!!

  • @MrThacke
    @MrThacke Před rokem +1

    Dude my weineruahuah doggie looks so near exactly like yours! He’s my best pal 13 years now :) fantastic doggies :)

  • @paulthesimple7483
    @paulthesimple7483 Před rokem +1

    I skipped to the part with the cute doggy

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      Yes scanning the highlights is a valid approach

  • @pearldrumsets
    @pearldrumsets Před rokem +1

    Dave what you do to your hand take care of your self geesh

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Snowboard jumps went well. Snowboard jump landing went not so well

  • @Foderick
    @Foderick Před rokem +2

    What happened to your arm, Dave?

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem +1

      Thanks for asking, broke my wrist snowboarding and now I have a titanium plate in it

    • @Foderick
      @Foderick Před rokem +1

      @@DaveRat glad you are healing up! Thanks for the reply 🤘

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před rokem

      👍🤙👍

  • @mattiacenacchi726
    @mattiacenacchi726 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Ok I just wanna snuggle with your dog i can't hear you......

    • @DaveRat
      @DaveRat  Před 2 měsíci

      Pups!!!

    • @mattiacenacchi726
      @mattiacenacchi726 Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@DaveRat I don't understand , they saved my life and in the same time made me hate people more BUT i love you for those video, great job for numbs as me.