How to use the compressor in GarageBand iOS (iPhone/iPad)

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Check out the complete GarageBand Quick Jams series here: kzbin.info/aero/PLc8Xg_23Wa56UTlzOg6CYtASLqyEeAaKi

[@Tom-en3ms]

Compression saved my vocals. 😅 One of the most succinct explanations of this I’ve found, thanks Pete

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Awesome! Thanks for the kind words.

[@scottybaby8246]

Hi Pete, I keep coming back to your 5 minute videos for a refresher on the basics that we often need to make sure we are using properly. IMHO Compression is most useful for percussion and specifically drums and snare. Second would be unclogging bass after EQ. Please consider a longer episode on this. I watched your longer episode on this but it’s still more vocal focused, so for the instrumental portion which is the foundation of every song, vocals or not, it might be worth your consideration. As a now seasoned GB user, thanks to you, please remember that not all of us will be migrating to Logic Pro. Thanks. You’re the best!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Welcome my friend.

[@anthonyrcoronaq]

This one’s a part of my audio prod iOS playlist. Thanks, Pete

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Nice one. Thanks for the kind words.

[@marctmoser]

I stopped at 1:56 to comment, you’re a boss for making such a detailed video. I like that you are explaining what each thing does so I can understand better. Have a great day keep it up

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks my friend! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. And I hope you get value form the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already.

[@iwcreativespace]

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO! Literally today, I was experimenting with the compressor, wishing there was a video explaining every function of it - and here it is!!! 🙏💓

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Excellent! Great to hear it is useful for you. I cover most of the functions in this series so hopefully if you have other questions in the future you’ll find the answer here too. 👍

[@royaljacobjohncy]

I’m literally taking down notes 😋... thank you Pete ....🙏🙏🙏

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Haha. Thank you my friend! Glad to hear it’s helping.

[@JesusOnaRampage]

You’re a godsend Pete😎

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍

[@Tom-fh9fj]

Super helpful, concise explanation! Thanks!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍

[@SubhenduBose]

Whenever I watched your video tutorial on Garage band..l learned something new, keep sharing your Good work!!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Nice one! Glad to hear it my friend. 👍

[@kimhardin-hudson]

Thank you, Pete! This helped me with a pesky backwards piano on my song! It really makes the song IMO so I didn’t want to get rid of it but it was hurting my ears bc I was doing it wrong before watching this.Thank you so much! Your channel is the best 😊

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Awesome! Very glad to hear it helped. 👍

[@americanpride9733]

I wish I could compress all this and just shove it in my brain cause I cant hear the difference much other than volume. I loved the way you explained things tho. The language u used specifically makes it easier to pick up

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks for the kind words. Check out my GarageBand FAQ here. studiolivetoday.com/garageband

[@princessl.d.g.]

You are an amazing teacher! I understand compression more much, thanks to you! I'm going to keep watching this video constantly!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Haha! Glad these older videos are still helping.

[@AndreaRossGreene]

Pete this is so helpful. I now really understand how compression works. This is invaluable info. Thanks!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Cheers my friend. Glad you found it useful

[@jondart5046]

Quick jam videos on how to compress common instruments would be very useful.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Cheers Jon. I like that idea! A series of quick jams such as “vocal compression”, “comprising drums”, “compressing guitars” etc. Good idea! It’s going on the list.

[@EYECPEOPLE]

Although this is a tutorial for iPad iPhone I get it. Very useful I've just recently began to understand compression this is a great help thank you Peter

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thank you for the kind words Forreal. Yes, these concepts are the same in GarageBand on Mac or any other recording platform for that matter. Glad it was helpful.

[@itsbeabella]

This channel is so so so helpful !!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Awesome! So glad to hear. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍

[@itsbeabella]

@@PeteJohnsMusic just subscribed yesterday!

[@derrikferguson3219]

Cool video. Thanks.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍

[@marco-xq5mn]

omg i liked both the intro and the outro😹

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

😎🤘🔥

[@xSunKissedRosex]

thank you this helped me a lot !

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Awesome! Glad it helped out.

[@feklasogden523]

Very handy. Just hoping I can apply this, made a ton of 80’s sounding tracks and fearful this is where I ruin them lol. Messed around with automation too much and a couple of them clip when the bass is turned up until I put the bass so low in the mix it’s barely audible.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Yes, compression, like most things on mixing, is best used in moderation!

[@AS-pn5zl]

Thank You Pete this made suchhh a difference in my project! :)

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Great to hear! I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍

[@scottgibson5697]

Thanks for this very understandable video on compression your videos are very helpful

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey, thanks for watching Scott and for your kind words.

[@catdobegamingthoo3734]

good video! nice track and excellent vocals mate!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Cheers! Appreciate the kind words my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍

[@joshgatesmusic78]

Great video Pete! I think im starting to get compression now thanks!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Nice! It can take a while to sink in which is why I thought the double ep was a good idea. Glad it was useful.

[@Ponk_80]

a multi-band compressor would be nice to shape the sound, especially for those digital guitar instruments in garageband.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Good call as always Ponk. Multi-band would be great. I must admit I still haven’t perfected using it even in my DAW on the PC yet though!

[@Ponk_80]

Pete Johns it’s good for shaping the tone of the sound, i just watched a tutorial where someone used it for giving a distorted guitar a lot more personality :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZovCq6lvfruZqNk here’s a link to the video :) i hope it can be of some use

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Love it! I am as much the student as I am the teacher here.

[@lanciepie698]

Thank you for helping my out with this, I am surprised how many people also use GarageBand IOS to compose lol

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

There’s a heap of us! studiolivetoday.com/garageband

[@timstagray3680]

You really know your stuff Pete. Thanks for another informative video! You made a quick reference in a recent video (I think) that was either about getting a finished song that would be somewhat similar to being mastered or maybe it was being similarly limited to a level the professionally recorded songs. During this video my keen eyes quickly noticed the au limiter??? But maybe you were just referring to increasing the gain on all tracks?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey Tim. Pleasure to hear from you as always. Yes, very keen eye there! I did use the Audio Unit limiter plug-in on this vocal in the final mixdown to help the overall level. Limiting on a single track like this is okay, but is really just another form of compression in the end. What I have been ranting about lately (among other things) is that it would be good to have a master track to put a limiter on in GarageBand to quickly balance a whole song. Hmmmm.... maybe another video covering everything volume related is on the cards? Compression, limiting, automation, EQ. Might be interesting?

[@jezz260]

Good video! You really helped me!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey, thanks so much Jesse! Really appreciate your taking the time to watch and provide feedback.

[@marionannmacredie]

Totally awesome Pete!, can’t wait to play with this. Once again Thank you bigly for a brilliant easy understanding of the complicated! 👍🏼👍🏼👨🏻‍🎨🅰️

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hi Marion. My pleasure! Hope it helps you with your recordings, and thank you for your support.

[@mgsandz6489]

Love this thank you 💘💘💘

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

Hello Peter! I don’t quite get what does the Mix do? Thanks

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Mix is generally how much of the effect will be included - like a dry/wet knob. 100% means all, 0% means none of the effectz

[@stesmadeitlit]

This is precise

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks! I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍

[@lermabeats]

Great info!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Cheers my friend. Glad it was useful.

[@Ponk_80]

5 minuets seems great, for more detailed information :)

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks! Want to keep things snappy but a two parter didn’t seem like the right fit - would have been disjointed. Glad the timing seemed to work well.

[@glennjacksonofficial3001]

Whenever I compress my midi sounds, along with audio sounds in Garageband and upload to KZbin as audio with video (mp4), it keeps clipping and distorting in YouTbe and I had to reduce the volume of the music. How do I fix this?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Sounds like your overall volumes may be a little loud. Try dropping all your tracks down 25% - it can make a huge difference. Or you can use the trick I show in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZaVnpKhmdmGjLc

[@davidregan8152]

Thanks Peter

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks to you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@joshuajosiahcolumbus]

Do you know what the release time is on the GarageBand compressor?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there. Not something I’ve ever really explored or thought about to be honest. I tend to just dial in until it sounds good, or use a third party compressor if I need more control.

[@joshuajosiahcolumbus]

@@PeteJohnsMusic Makes sense. Thanks!

[@titusmcentee3580]

What exactly does the mix knob do?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Determines how much of the effect is included in the track. This video might help explain it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3-4lJegd9mol7s

[@joachim595]

Good simple explanation. However, shouldn’t you have used the mix slider to check so that the volume was the same as without the compressor?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, you can definitely do that too. Depending how you are using compression and the effect you are going for,, you may want to check the volume line this.

[@joachim595]

Pete Johns I guess it will sound more natural if the volumes match? However, I like your simple way of explaining. Two requests: couldn’t you do this with eq before the compression, and also a video on compression and eq+compression in Logic?

[@joachim595]

Pete Johns ? I’m also interested in if you have a video or could make one explaining the other components to common compressors: like knee?

[@DogCatRadio]

Hi Pete - when I playback the tracks I’ve recorded on GarageBand, some tracks drop a bit in volume (as if GarageBand) is auto compressing all the tracks as a final mix. How do I fix this? Thanks in advance for your advice!

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there my friend. This “pumping” is generally caused by the overall volume being too loud which makes GarageBand start trying to push the volume done to avoid clipping. Generally the answer is to reduce the volume of each track or the overall volume or the project. This tip will help you out - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJiqcmufr5WhmcU

[@flo3508]

Should I use the compression in every single midi or audio ?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there. It really depends on what sort of track it is, but in short - no, you don’t need to compress every track unless it needs it.

[@fernandolozano9898]

Would each recording line have compression or just the vocals?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

You can use compression on different instruments like guitars and drums. Not every track needs compression. Listen first and if you think it does, you can add it in.

[@RitoRRivera]

Whats the name of the song

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there. It’s my song “Drinking With You” from my 2019 album “Self(ish) Aware”. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpbCc5VtnNGpqsksi=GheOD25g04fet5tS petejohns.com

[@ricklisk3711]

Hmmmm I have a feeling I'm going to be rewatching this a few times, you wouldn't believe how crazy my automation has been... Lol

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Compression is the key my friend! Automation is still a must for those final tweaks, but let the compressor do the heavy lifting for you first. And yes, you will probably crush a mix too much when you start using it (like we all did) but you’ll learn where the settings sound best for your sounds soon enough.

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

When I record voice on GB its sounds so hissing and muddy I think this has to do with compression but what should I change? I use the phone mic

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hmmmm..... the hiss sound is usually caused by background noise and possibly having the input gain setting up too loud. If it’s sounding muddy you can start to adjust the EQ to remove some of the mid range frequencies that might be causing problems.

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

Pete yeah its definitely the background I'll try reducing the mid and the noise gate thx for replying anyway

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

Pete yeah its definitely the background I'll try reducing the mid and the noise gate thx for replying anyway

[@DefinitelyNotSwedish]

Pete yeah its definitely the background I'll try reducing the mid and the noise gate thx for replying anyway

[@bowerfilms]

A great explanation, but... I played a bit of this clip 5 times to try and see where you clicked to get the compressor up. I gave up in the end and used trial and error. If you click on an icon, PLEASE show us where it is. Cheers.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

This video will help - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmqYZWtnZrmlgrM

[@bowerfilms]

@@PeteJohnsMusic Brilliant... thank you, Pete!

[@melzgotthejuice7957]

How can I get the compression to match the beat

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Hey there. Compression is more of an “always on” type of effect. This is a method to “side chain” compression to something like a kick drum, however this sort of option is not available in GarageBand.

[@melzgotthejuice7957]

And also I want to hear my vocals a lot louder on the beat

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Yes, compression can help you get a more consistent and louder volume in your vocals so that they sit better in the mix. Just okay with the threshold and ratio until it sounds good.

[@kairos5707]

Pete Johns is there any apps which could sidechain cause I have trouble with finding one

[@peuptyhaha]

No release?

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Not on the stock compressor in GarageBand.