How to Parallel Compress EVERYTHING: A Comprehensive Guide

Justin Colletti offers his tips on how to use parallel compression and processing on practically everything, from drums to bass to vocals, pianos, 808, mix bus and more.
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#compression #parallelcompression #audiomixing #audioengineer #musicproducer #musicproduction #limiting #limiter #EQ #AudioEngineer #mixing

[@SonicScoop]

►Like this video on compression? You'll love Compression Breakthroughs. Try it risk free for 30 days at compressionbreakthroughs.com

[@sidious501]

Having a good teacher break down the concepts and principles on why you do something helps me understand this stuff a ton. Thank you man.

[@kagaro99]

Dude. This is awesome. Love the talking without examples. Get people the info quickly and let them play with it!! Thanks so much!!

[@laalpanda5805]

I've seen this type of podcast video first time. And this is the best.... I understood, it's not parallel compression, It's a Parallel processing. Thanks

[@jokku]

This is probably the best video on parallel processing. Pure gold! Thank you Justin!

[@fancha831]

priceless information on here

[@DAP-TV]

Very well done. I appreciate your “discussion” approach to this topic. Sometimes listening is better than watching.

[@SonicScoop]

Awesome to hear! So many are already taking the “showing” approach. I prefer to focus more often on sharing prices concepts that you can test through your own examples. Glad you are digging it! -Justin

[@AlexeySolovievMusic]

Really love your videos Justin! Learning so much from you all the time and special thanks for all of your great videos on PA channel ;)

[@julianokechukwu1405]

Thank you so much for this podcast Justin. You've been of tremendous help. 👏🏾👏🏾

[@MiracleDee]

Thankyou so much ! One of the BEST parallel compression videos !!!

[@StratsRUs]

Fantastic explanation and so descriptive.Thank you.

[@dangenoirartist6450]

Justin's favorite subject, he's so passionate about it, that it is ultimately contagious.

[@liquidsolids9415]

Thanks, Justin! This was a fantastic rundown of parallel processing. I’m definitely saving this video for future reference. Well done!

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

I can see why there are 100 tracks on a DAW now, I am mixing Drums, Bass, Guitar and Vocals and I am up to the 60's, and I see I have to add a few more.

[@JohnWallsrockmusic]

Thank you so much Justin. Great video as always.🎸🎸🎵

[@caspermaster-com]

A COMP-rehensive Guide

[@dannycancino3614]

No.

[@sundamusik]

It's never deep or far enough, when it comes to the information. Great post again Justin, bless.

[@vedantbhatia01]

Pol

[@vedantbhatia01]

Pol

[@Ryan-rn3cf]

I don’t know how much of a secret this is but the Eventide Omnipressor is fantastic for this approach. Put your mix on a send to it, choose the preset Drum Attack Enhancer as you start and tweak from there. It hits so hard.

[@SonicScoop]

Indeed, that is such a fun compressor! -Justin

[@KirtanFi]

What a fantastic tutorial. Thank you so much for explaining this so simply 🙏🏽

[@chizzulwinduh1941]

This is really, really cool. Thank you Justin!

[@davidcamarda8723]

Excellent. Fully understood the concept of parallel compression but I kind of hit a wall what else I could be doing.. The techniques outlined in this vid are gold, thank you so much. Going to spend a few days trying them out, and then rebuild my mix template once I get it nailed. Thx for the hugely informative session. More plz

[@CRXTIANMUSIC]

Very insightful! Amazingly informative, thanks a bunch!!

[@fancha831]

great as always, very helpful thanx

[@carltontriplett4947]

Outstanding video and content! Thank you!

[@808_dream]

Really appreciate this man this helps a whole lot

[@michaeldelacruz6370]

As I've mixed both rock/acoustic & edm based music I've observed that both do heavily benefit from the use of parallel processing but both for completely opposite reasons.

[@undercrownhiphop9422]

Wow! Absolutely amazing information. Great. Well done!

[@tyeezy5460]

Thsnks for the info!! Loved the story about combining the separate mixes!

[@lightafluident.9950]

My Mbox Pro 3rd generation has Focusrite preamps. I never knew until recently that it does. I've had it for 7 and a half years and it's a Tank!!! Still working like clockwork. I love it.

[@fabio_mucci]

Great topic and great video!

[@HJ-mx2rt]

Sooo helpful. Thank you!

[@lucmuller906]

Mr. Parallel Compression, thank you for the great video!

[@Cefshah]

Great video!! Thanks!!

[@paullucas4846]

Excellent video Thank You

[@paul_arntz_mixes]

Great video. Thanks!

[@nickracine]

Another great video from you! Thank you! Learning a lot from your channel! I'm now subscribed and look forward to watching more of your content.

[@SonicScoop]

Thanks so much, Nick! Remember to subscribe and hit that notification bell. You will see more from me whenever it comes out. :-) Thanks for watching. -Justin

[@normalizedinsanity4873]

As a hopeless amatuer (that keeps making the same mistakes) after deciding to learn about parallel compression, I started using on everything and while my mixes while still wanting, they are a lot less wanting. So I am very interested to hear what you have to say, (and then forget it as usual)

[@Yurkinz]

Thanks for a great video!

[@TonyArmitstead]

Thanks. Very clear explanation. Now, off to experiment ...

[@gonzalodominguez229]

precious info.

[@Tryall200]

excellent ! thank you!

[@kerose]

Just excellent.

[@teddinardo8944]

thank you really informative ,to keep the mix transparent ,drums and bass eq to keep it clean

[@BrianBiscione]

Me has aclarado millones de dudas. Muchas muchas gracias!!

[@KarasamaBeats]

Man you should definitely do some future additions to “Mixing Breakthrough” courses. Such as these concepts ! That’d be so dope . Btw this course is absolutely awesome . I’m loving every second of it .

[@gabrielrodrick248]

Really dope vid!

[@5RocksSparklingSoul]

Very good. Thanks

[@tigerboy4516]

Bless you

[@ilkeryasinyildiz]

Hello Justin, your explanations are so clear that you don't even need to see it in a DAW or a visualization to understand. Learned a lot from you. Thank you very much!! Greatly appreciated 👏

[@paulwalker1900]

Thanks 🔥

[@shottache]

I love this video

[@bedtimeread]

awesome 🙏🙏

[@vleevision7787]

Thank YOU

[@renudae]

Thank you! ~~~~ (good vibrations)

[@MrGST360]

I'm trying this on my next beat..

[@jorgedavidlopez744]

Really enjoy your postcast, not sure if you mention parallel compression on an electric guitars or any type of guitar, i suppose you can use the same principles that you mention. Definitely will check your 5 step mixing. Thank you and you got a new follower ;)

[@JameelDLS]

Awesome

[@JayBeBerg]

Lots of good info here, thanks. I like using Saturn 2 on bass. Is EQ induced phase shift not an issue on the parallel comp track?

[@Ingyar]

And so for me as an EDM creator the "punchline" was at the end - EDM does not require (that much) parallel compression... :D I get your point and agree. It seem nowadays everyone is doing some sort parallel processing in EDM. Sometimes it seems to me just out of "fashion", and because you can, and everyone is doing it... Your video laid it out very nicely WHY. Thanks for that. Now any ParComp i'll do will be from an informed standpoint and with purpose. Not because every mixing tutorial says you should. :)

[@surgerywithoutknives2353]

Justin ,thank you , this is a really helpful video , in regards to splitting instruments into low/mid/high frequencies where would you suggest the ranges for each individual zone

[@davegraham716]

Lots of people say different points but the best info on this that a I have is Lows=20hz-200hz. Range= 180hz Mids=200hz-6000hz (6Khz) 5,800hz Highs=6000--20000hz(20Khz) 14,000hz I put the size of each range to the side because it is very important for people to understand how much larger the frequency range (=space in a mix) is the higher up you go, and the smaller it is in the low end, this is why its so easy for the bass end of a mix to get "muddy", and why the low end content needs to be minimal, there is very little space for any conflicting frequencies in this range (only 180hz). The mids have a lot more space compared to Lows (5800Hz, so that's more than 30X the amount of space in the Mids than in the Lows. And the Highs at a range of 14000Hz have nearly 3X the range/Space as even the Mids, and a whopping 75X the frequency range/ Space compared to the Lows),and the Highs are even larger. This is why it's very rare to have issues with High frequency content clashing, there is plenty of space in those areas, the Mids have far more space than the Lows but still due to the fact that 200hz-6Khz is where most types of instruments/vocals will have the bulk of their frequencies, there is still a risk of frequencies clashing in the Mids. People tend to think that Lows/Mids/Highs are equal in their sizes/ frequency ranges and that's why you may find a lot of false info saying that Lows go from say 20-6000hz (Aprox. -1/3rd of the 20,000hz audible range)/ Mids at say 6K-12K/ and Highs at 12k+.

[@surgerywithoutknives2353]

@@davegraham716 thank very much for taking the time to give such a detailed explanation . Very much appreciated 👍🏼

[@oscarpatxot659]

Great lecture. What about release on the parallel track? Slow release?

[@audiospectra]

That really depends on the material you're working on and what you want to achieve from the parallel track. A fast release will give you a more aggressive and grittier sound on a percussive instrument but may cause pumping on a sustained sound (which may be unpleasant). A medium release will bring up the room tone and decay. A slow release will cause the sound to be smoother and more controlled. So, it depends on what you want from the parallel track. There's no one-size-fits-all.

[@alexandar5253]

I have one question on different topic please!!! When you do parallel compression on vocals, you duplicate original dry track and apply compression. When you process vocals with plugins do you group two tracks together or do you process only main vocal track?

[@dulla8469]

for the longest time parallel processing scared me, and now im here again, and i gotta say... IT STILL SCARES ME

[@nvme9335]

I love it

[@undercrownhiphop9422]

Do you have one on panning mono vs stereo reverb and their applications?

[@drrodopszin]

There are two different instruments that are great for songwriting but are totally incompatible with modern mixes: piano and acoustic guitar. No wonder that you explain that so much work must be done and so much must be cut off so it can fit somehow. Best to leave those instruments home in my opinion if you have drums, bass, vocals, synths and/or electric guitars.

[@utsavghosh716]

I have a question which is not relevant but still I guess you can help I am confused between two speakers eve sc307 and Focal twin 6 be Plz let me know which one you will prefer and why.plz I really need it

[@JasonMontgomery]

How about making 2 copies of the lead vocal, panning one hard left and one hard right, combining them into one buss, and hard compressing that with an 1176?

[@SonicScoop]

If you combine a hard left vocal with a hard right vocal, and that are both identical, all you get is a louder mono vocal :-) -Justin

[@alexanderewing3779]

Hi Justin. Just 1 question. When parallel processing, is it ok to have compression on both, or does this only work, when compression is only applied to parallel track? Keep up the good work! Alex

[@davegraham716]

Hmmmm...that would definitely be something worth experimenting with and would likely sound great in certain situations, but I think I'd call that running 2 compressors in Parallel, Rather than "Parallell Compresion", where it's ponit is to have both the compressed and uncompressed sounds together. But then that brings up the question of is it still called "Parallel compression" if you mix together 3 signals, first an Uncompressed signal then say 2 additional signals 1 thru a FET or Vari-Mu Compressor & the other thru a VCA or Opto Compressor each with different settings?? Lol maybe we can just call this scenario 2X OR Double-Parralel Compression. Ehhhhh and he didn't even mention the much more complex and superior Multi-Band Compression, where you split the signal into a certain number of freq. Bands (ie.4 Bands would be Lows/Low-Mids/High-Mids/Highs)(I've seen anywhere from 2-6 bands, there's probably some with even more than 6 bands) and then run a separate compressor on each freq. band. Allowing you to control the dynamics more or less on certain parts of the signal/ or even a whole mix. Where this all goes mental is the fact that Parallel Compression (lol, and 2X-Parallel Compression) is a completely separate and different process from Multiband Compression, meaning that it's technically possible to use something I guess you would call (2X)/or (Double) Multiband-Parralel-Compression. Which could be quite interesting using not only different Compresor settings for each frequency range, but also using different types of Compressors for each.

[@audiospectra]

Your question is not clear. When you say "both", both what? The parallel track and the original signal?

[@jesse9999999]

give it a try, no reason it wouldn't sound good. i do it all the time.

[@aricmeerbott3323]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@EL_N0IR_2201]

Does parallel compression raise the signal of we’re it’s being sent? For example If I wanted to keep my vocal at 18db will adding parallel raise my signal hence then causing me to use a trim or gain knob to lower it back to my original 18db signal, also I’ve noticed when I send the parallel signal to my desired vocals it will amplify my reverb and delay and most of the effects I have directly on the channel, is this good or bad? or should I be placing my reverbs and delays effects on send tracks?

[@SonicScoop]

Unless you reduce the level of the original track, then yes, adding in some parallel compression to what you already have will make it sound louder. In general, I recommend using auxes for reverb for a variety of workflow reasons, this being one of many. But if you are going to insert the reverb directly on your tracks, then simply place the heavy compression BEFORE your reverb and you won’t be bringing up the relative amount of reverb with your compression any more :-) Hope that helps! Justin

[@EL_N0IR_2201]

@@SonicScoop I watched You’re video on sends and you made me realize it was a good idea, thank you for replying now I can get better at mixing.

[@georgev3256]

Intriguing title. will watch later.

[@miladbarikani3591]

parallel compressing is using the best of both world serial compressing is using other best of two world how about mixing these two thing into a manner that little by little we control all the good things we want out of our mastering channel like using serial compressing but as a parallel, we have all the things we want from serial compressing but it will be a division version of the main mix is there any bad side for this ? or it is only greatest things together?

[@kingkyoga9263]

Is compressing a signal in a general sense along with parallel compression a thing? Or Should the signal should be completely uncompressed for this concept to *ALWAYS* work?

[@SonicScoop]

Yes, you definitely can do that. Traditionally it would be taught with just compressing one of the parallel tracks, but there’s no reason having a more compressed and a less compressed track (possibly with different attack and release profiles) couldn’t work. If it sounds good it is good! -Justin

[@HumanBeingWithFeelings]

thanks Justin. Just two questions if anyone could answer I'd be very grateful! Parallel compression on electronic music doesn't make much sense in terms of getting consistency that real players don't have because everything is programmed, but how about to get for example more body on a snare or drums in general, etc? Would it make sense to use another technique to achieve the same result? And the second one, couldn't parallel processing in general cause phase issues?how could we avoid it? thanks!

[@maxuno8524]

I mix electronic music and I use parallel processing to add weight and colour to stuff. It's not to control the dynamics, but to add body and flavour. On your phase question: I share your concern, thats why I do very little - in that regard. This is my preference and not a hard and fast rule.

[@HumanBeingWithFeelings]

@@maxuno8524 thanks for the reply!

[@maxuno8524]

@@HumanBeingWithFeelings any time

[@HumanBeingWithFeelings]

@@maxuno8524 may I ask which compressors you use and if you EQ the compressed track?

[@dirkchurlish4074]

second question: to avoid any phase issues, don't use HPFs or LPFs, stick to bells and shelves. see Dan Worrall's f**k tha phase police video for reference. you might still get some phase issues, depending on the compressor, but usually not. first question: compression can be added to add movement/breathing as well as thickness/body, and that's a relevant goal for compression in EDM, for sure.

[@OCUBOX]

The name parallel compression is INCORRECT. Parallel implies two compressed signals in parallel. That's why I've been so confused. If this is just the New York thing where you blend a compressed signal with the original at about 75%, then call it a BLEND of some sort. In that case, I don't need to watch this video. Thanks for the overview at 3:20

[@SonicScoop]

Nope, this is just what the term parallel means :-) You don’t need to be applying the same type of processing to a duplicate of the signal for it to be parallel. Why would it imply that? If you look into what the terms “parallel” and “serial” mean in an audio context and it should make more sense. I’m happy to explain if desired! It’s not too complicated. Hope that helps, -Justin

[@EmmzBeats1zx]

really need help with my mix and posting my beats louder someone please help😭

[@SonicScoop]

Try this! :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2WxnYpriJ10qac -Justin

[@kye903]

That's at least twice you've said that the Scarlett range is PROBABLY the best selling interface range ever... Seems like between last week and now, you could have actually checked whether that was the case or not. Someone must have the figures.

[@AngelicStreak]

Wow, I find it funny how people call this "parallel compression" while they actually just reinvent the wheel. So take the original and mix it with the processed part you say? Well, that's exactly the definition of a wet/dry balance, which most good effects provide (reverbs, delays, etc.) The fact that compressors don't doesn't mean it's not the same thing. It is. Did you realize that? Anyone of you using those fancy names like "parallel compression", huh?

[@danielmulholland5869]

Wow you're so insightful

[@Karll541]

lol

[@gibson2623]

You don t show a single practical example which would be more interesting

[@SonicScoop]

Already got you covered here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp-umHd3ftKNqsk The podcast format isn’t really for audio/video examples. It’s meant to be listened to anywhere. Hope that makes sense! -Justin

[@gibson2623]

@@SonicScoop Oh man.... Thx for being so kind. Cheers mate ;)