Don't do this with multiband compression

[@Producelikeapro]

What are some of your favourite plugins to use?

[@slowmarchingband1]

Really like an old freebie called Protoverb.

[@davidallenhammond2777]

Klanghelm MJUC, Waves MV 2, R Comp..........

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

TDR Nova is one I use a lot. Sometimes, just to see what's going on with the waveform, then I'll take it off again. Sometimes, I'll use it as a dynamic equaliser, but not often. Most times, I'll use the hi and low pass filters, and perhaps some very soft multiband compression. Baby Comeback is another free plugin I use a lot, it's a nice delay, but often, I'll combine it with Waveform 11s' stock delay, and stock reverb.

[@shayanbakhtiari2552]

Recently I'm using Pro Tools Lo-fi in some occasions (on some snares and drums parallel for example) and it's working as hell!

[@sargetparrot]

Waves cla 1176. Defintly the plugin that sees the most use

[@slowmarchingband1]

I always remember someone on a recording forum saying "never use a maul-the-band on the master bus" Stuck with me 😁

[@Producelikeapro]

That sounds like a Pete Lyman thing to me!! Haha

[@gooneybird808]

I appreciate you’re reminders about preserving dynamics. Ive been getting better about it :)

[@DThompson55]

Again, smart advice.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thank you!

[@stephanstertz9823]

The hair looks good Warren !!!!!!!!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Haha thanks ever so much

[@painauchocolate2395]

I have been producing dubstep since around 2007-8, and I have come to learn the hard way when it comes to compression as a whole. My sound has gone from sounding organic and natural, to overcompressed walls if nothing, back to being organic again but with a tightness and a good dynamic range, particularly in the low mids. I know something, I rarely ever cut either. I’ll boost on a 560B and then turn down the output gain by half the amount. Seems to work :) Keep the shorts coming!

[@michaelcope9501]

Thank you for this tip!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Any time!

[@dsanj4745]

Everything stated here about the potentially negative impact of multiband compression on the 2bus can be said about single (wideband) compression as well. In fact, an opposing argument is made that wideband compression on the 2bus can be MORE detrimental to the mix balance than multiband. For example, when using wideband compression, the impact of a kick drum (or other loud transients) or low frequency content over the threshold will cause the ENTIRE mix to be attenuated. That is what makes sidechain eq a desirable feature on 'mastering' compressors. Whether or not you want that effect is an artistic choice. When multiband is properly used, kicks, loud transients and bass content won't alter the volume or soften the 'air' of everything else you've painstakingly tweaked.

[@KnasenDK]

Exactly my thoughts ✌❤🎶

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@Plauton66]

soooo true ;-)... Plugins: Fab, Soundtoys, Softube, SSL... and content Nuendo

[@thefamilyman4667]

it is never bad to use a multiband compressor, use it wisely, make a mix thats fun to hear, decrease when its overwhelms, increase when its underwhelms but also make it balance! and its also why mix is also influential to the multiband compressor

[@xoxb2]

After starting by trying out zillions of plug-ins, I'm now able to reduce them by modest experience - TDR Nova is the winner! I rarely have more than one of its bands switched to compression mode, and it's for nipping off a little excess. My voice is too woofly around 200. I don't want to scoop out 200, since it's a characteristic of being me, but Nova helps by shaving off a db or two when things get out of hand. PS, I have Kali LP6 v2s arriving tomorrow, largely (not only) on your recommendation!

[@robbodner3527]

The only compressor I ever mix into off the rip is SSL G comp on master bus. Generally, I'm going to put in on there anyway, so might as well pour on the glue

[@jorgepeterbarton]

Multi band buss use to me is when you for some reason only have a master file and can't separate individual instruments. In which case "mixing into" is nonsensical, because you inherently have access to the individual tracks where these changes can be applied! You can even use multi-band on individual tracks, that's fine for sure. Its quite effective for bass instruments where you want to push the lows and retain their midrange fidelity. Quite good as a less agressive sidechained bass from kick or even send kick and bass together to multiband. Hmmm i doubt it would actually flatten th frequency response unless you used extremely wrong settings. I find tracks can vary a lot of dBs and if you for example use 20dB gain reduction you'd probably need to revisit how to use compressors. A reasonable gain reduction, say 3dB isn't quite going to flatten everything but it will really skew how levels are adjusted and is totally counterintuitive for purpose for sure. A mastering limiter (maybe comp too) can b useful at a late stage just to guage, perhaps whether drums get attenuated by it so need more level...anything else in mastering, is a nope because anything else in mastering is basically only there to fix a mix error so you should fix the mix error! The mastering limiter check also useful for e.g. if itdistorting to get to desired LUFS it can tell you to revisit drum compression or use a clipper only on transient instrument so that the final limiter has less to do- all that on individual tracks is going to be preferable to slamming on master.

[@mariodario9033]

My point is that multiband compressor can add life to mix, but you have to know how to compress for life :) So the point is - use multiband ONLY IF you know what you are doing and have tooon of experience with standard compressors, you can hear what they are doing...so the next step is to compress in multi band areas of instrument/mix

[@splashesin8]

Good to know.

[@VinceWhitacre]

Can be a decent thing if you're mixing an album or EP - not mixing into it, though. If you only have, say, 4 bands (or three, like in the reasonably priced Drawmer multi-band FET comp) you can apply some SUBTLE shaping (seriously, like half a dB) across the whole project to give it a cohesive "signature." But totally agree that you shouldn't mix into it. And even my suggestion is probably more a choice for the mastering engineer than in mixing, anyway.

[@sansproductionlounge8083]

This is great Warren :) I love your content! What’s your go to on the mix buss for compression? Something to glue you track together? More of a sonic characteristic? Blessings from Australia 🇦🇺

[@brettmarlar4154]

I only use it, at this point, to tame the sub 50Hz frequencies.

[@GuttaontheBeat]

I've never used a multi band on my mix bus/master bus

[@Producelikeapro]

Well done! Ha Thanks ever so much!

[@SirRyan31]

Me too I feel it ruins my sound I've only used when I was learning to control the mid range frequencies

[@petefaders]

Having said that, the Master Works multi band doing a tiny drop of reduction on a mix is fucking gold. There's no "never" or "always" in mixing.

[@theboyinstead]

The temptation is so real. But what do you think of using it after your mix is complete in the mix buss? I seem to like my results.

[@hosmapl]

I don't think multibrand on a mix bus is definitely bad. The problem I see is how misleading could be every time you add an instrument. Multibrand compression is really good sometimes, but maybe just add it at the end if needed. Something to take into account is that a good mix also has a nice dynamic range, not too high, not too low. It's part of the story telling.

[@-.-._.-.-._.-.-._.-.-._.-.-]

You just described the sound processing of radio stations.

[@marcito12345]

I have to say, while that is solid advice, i partly disagree If youre mixing in a template you made based on experience with solid gain structure you can definitely mix into a multiband comp and get great results but its incredibly easy to absolutely destroy a mix by trying this without the needed experience and well structured template, as well as just overdoing it in general

[@Producelikeapro]

Hello! I’m confused haha you’re basically saying what I think and say all the time! Thanks

[@marcito12345]

@@Producelikeapro Sorry if i said something redundant! Im not familiar with your content yet, i just got this short recommended, and thought it sounds rather binary, but its probably out of context. no offense!

[@simeonmatthews4584]

I only use multiband for mastering

[@jReze]

So as far as vocals, is it suggested to use it on the leads and not the vocal bus?

[@mesirionyeemmanuel2842]

True

[@stangreene6663]

God particle has entered the chat…

[@firmans12]

Thanks Warren. I now use multiband compressor for bass to control the low end Ok it feels like cheating since i haven't found any traditional compressor to control the low end like multiband and makes it so easy lol or i have no idea how to set it up with regular compressor

[@hosmapl]

I don't think it's cheating, I think it's a really good solution, but if you want to try something different I would recomend using analog emulations, sometimes the transformer emulation would be enough.

[@FraenkFokken]

How about TDR nova? Somewhat of a multiband - eq mix

[@hosmapl]

@@FraenkFokken as a dynamic eq? That could work too but you might as well keep using a multibrand compressor. I thinks it's just a matter of experimenting and using what works, doesn't matter what it is. There's no cheating because there's no competition

[@jorgepeterbarton]

This is why i track real bass guitar with both a dark and bright mic-- then you compress the low mic. You can then compress both but compressing the low mic has this effect. You can also use a low passed DI for this alongside a mic that is capturing more midrange.

[@nickepic1863]

This is amazing advice! Is this clip cut from somewhere or is this made for shorts?

[@Producelikeapro]

These clips are taken from our FAQ Friday playlists :)

[@nickepic1863]

@@Producelikeapro Thank you! I must watch it, I didn't saw that one.

[@freezingcathedral]

why would anybody put a multiband on a mix bus?

[@EdenEditz]

Pretty sure it's done a lot in dubstep and a lot of EDM in general, also i may be mistaken, but doesn't Ozone have a Multiband compressor section? If so, i'd guess it's actually pretty common. I think it probably really depends on what sound your going for in the end, but mixing into one may be treacherous. Also pretty Sure Dua Lipa's - New Rules has OTT on the mix bus, which is also a multiband compressor (that's one example i can think of right now, together with "Virtual Riot's - One 2017 remix")

[@BradsGonnaPlay]

To be honest, I don’t think he’s saying “never ever do this” and I don’t think most engineers would ALWAYS use one. That being said, I use one on a lot of mine, but in a different way. In a rock context, using Waves C4, I’ll find a mid-range frequency that contains a lot of the guitar and vocal information and bring the range up into the positives. Then I’ll use the gain reduction to bring it to where the guitars are ever so slightly pushing up and then the lead vocals punch up the rest of the way when they come in. It’s a great way to make the vocals stand out over the bass and treble of the mix but it has to be very subtle.

[@nickepic1863]

Because we have KZbin producers that give bad advice because they lack knowledge. Most KZbin advice is false and people don't know what they talking about, so they say stuff like use multiband compressor on master just because they need new content for KZbin.

[@boocackeedquackhead8454]

It's fairly common, though not necessarily mixing into one.

[@boocackeedquackhead8454]

​@@nickepic1863i think someone like you is more suited for a 2010s forum that knows everything and makes nothing. You'll be giving dated advice for muffled songs from the 2000s while the majority of modern music violates the rules you consider to be essential.

[@joel6633]

Ehh if you do it right it really can glue it all together in a very musical way, don't be so rigid and discouraging, people can mix however they like as long as it works for their purposes.

[@peen2804]

he said mixing into it specifically, meaning using it on the master while you’re doing a mixdown. don’t be so rigid and actually listen, yes obviously people use mb comps when mastering to glue as one method of glueing a mix together

[@joel6633]

@@peen2804 that's what I meant, I listened to what he said, you can actually mix into it and get good results if you know what you're doing dude.

[@dennischauhan_dc2964]

🤯

[@Submersed24]

I never know when to use a multiband compressor. Too many options

[@dm1943]

And it will often crush the dynamic range killing the overall dynamics of the mix.

[@peen2804]

so exactly what he said in the video

[@samharris6046]

I take your point, I really do. But Serban Ghenea uses a the McDSP ML4000 on his mixbus which gets put in at the start of the mix, and somehow he’s done alright!

[@Producelikeapro]

Interesting. When he mixed some tracks for me we talked about that, it’s there for correctional work at the end. Did he mix something for you and had it enabled from the beginning?

[@Producelikeapro]

Also, obviously if you have a pre existing template like he does from the get go where everything is going through bussing with compression and EQ he would have that multi band specifically to do a job that couldn’t be handled by other means. For someone learning to mix that doesn’t have a template they’ve created over a couple of decades then it doesn’t make sense for them to mix into a multi band

[@samharris6046]

@@Producelikeapro Oh wow that's interesting insight. If you've had work done with him then obviously that first hand knowledge carries more weight! The reason I though he puts it on at the start of the mix was because I was studying a gearspace forum with his assistant John, where john revealed that Serban has developed some sort of magic "proprietary" mix bus chain which he keeps to himself. The only thing he let slip on this forum was that Serban uses the ML4000 with some sort of "secret" setting that he's worked on for years that "Goes on at the start of the mix". I certainly take your point, however, a beginner would do well to leave if off, I certainly do.

[@samharris6046]

@@Producelikeapro Out of interest, what was the project(s) he did for you? I'm a fan of yours and his!

[@Jg-be7it]

How could anyone think mixing into a multi band compressor is a good idea?

[@gregmize01]

It literally doesn't sound good😏