Really Nice Compressor: Latest Addition To Our Volca Setup (FMR Audio RNC 1773)

In this video I describe how we use the FMR RNC compressor in our Volca Setup. Specifically, I explain how we use compression on the master mix and how we can use side-chaining to achieve a specific type of compression.
Some notes:
- I recommend wearing headphones to properly hear the effect (and artifacts) of the compressor.
- This discussion contains very useful information on how to use the RNC on a mix bus: www.gearslutz.com/board/elect...
- Here's a great visual representation of a compressor works: codepen.io/animalsnacks/full/...
- Yes, the chords are inspired by Twin Peaks’ “Laura Palmer’s Theme”: • Laura Palmer's Theme -...
If you have questions about how everything (Volcas, effects, controllers) is connected (power, audio, MIDI), check out this video: • Our Volca Setup: How I...
FMR Audio RNC 1773 + Zoom MS-50G
Tascam DR-05 (for recording my voice)
Korg Volca Sample
Korg Volca Bass + Strymon Timeline
Korg Volca FM + Chase Bliss Audio Thermae (not used) + Source Audio Ventris
Korg Volca Keys + GFI System Specular Reverb V2
Arturia Beatstep Pro
Arturia Keystep
Miditech MIDI Thru/Filter
Retrokits RK-004
Mixer: Behringer XENYX UFX1204
Power: Strymon Zuma
Overview video recorded with iPhone 7, compressor video recorded with Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam and Macbook. Audio recorded with UFX1204 in "standalone" mode, recording directly to USB HDD.
You can stream our music from Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and other streaming services, or download our music from Bandcamp: slenterendebeer.bandcamp.com
Follow us on social media for frequent clips and updates:
- / slenterendebeer
- / slenterendebeermusic
- / slenterendebeer
- / slenterendebeer

[@Septimius]

I think a lot of the things you're doing with the EQ can be fixed if you up the attack time. Higher attack time means that the transients of your kick is allowed through, but your bass will be compressed. a place between 10-50 ms might be nice. The issue with the EQ-ing is that it gives the bass a sudden boom in the 30-70Hz range when the volume is going down. It fuses with the next kick, and makes the mix sound muddy. The compressor is already doing a good job of maxing the mix sound more cohesive, but I think it's overpowering in the 30-70Hz range. The higher attack will allow the transient of the kick through, and give it the rhythm controlling quality kicks are for. Hopefully, this means you can step back the post EQ, and drive the threshold a few dB lower to get even more cohesion in the mix! As always, fantastic music!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Septimius : Thank you so much for the elaborate comment!! This was exactly the type of feedback I was hoping for. I’ll definitely experiment with your recommended settings. Cheers!

[@seemeister9599]

Thanks for the video! Also looking for a affordable mix buss compressor. One addition to septimus really good explanation: When sending the whole mix to the mix buss compressor set the release time so that the compression never drops completly to zero. It makes the sounds glue perfectly and you get even more cohesion in the mix.

[@sithconsole]

Those sound like the chords from Twin Peaks. Really good showcase of the effect!

[@calicoskyband]

Go!

[@Claidheambmor]

I've never heard a Volca setup sound good before now, the RNC is a godsend!

[@MSHRadio-dj5zn]

volcas can sound amazing. Most people just don't have the RNC or skills :-)

[@exi8550]

@@MSHRadio-dj5zn skills more so than anything else haha. I've seen people come up with amazing tunes with just tiny korg machines

[@franky47]

Another trick that might be worth exploring to have only the kick trigger the compressor, is to use the Drum gate from the BeatStep Pro into the sidechain input. Whenever that part triggers, the pulse should (theoretically) be enough to trigger the compression. This way, even if you have a bass synth which overlaps with the kick's spectral response, you only get triggers from kick hits. Also, it lets you do some "silent pumping", where you mute the kick on the volca, but the compressor still pumps the rest of the mix as if it was there.

[@macpaz]

That is excellent advice. Thank you.

[@genepozniak]

Thank you. I've never seen this explained so clearly before.

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Gene Pozniak : Awesome, happy to hear it was useful. :)

[@seppip]

I ran into your channel a few weeks back. As a volca user, this channel is amazing. I love the free jams and I love the videos where you explain your setup, etc. Keep up the great work!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Seppi P : Thank you for the kind words!! :)

[@calicoskyband]

The RNC is a great little box! It's been a permanent part of our signal chain even before we were making synth music. Cheers to Mark McQuilken for making them so affordable. He could easily charge twice as much!

[@theleastsignificantbit4794]

Excellent tutorial!

[@emobruno5572]

Amazing work!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

emo bruno : Thank you!! :)

[@LamontStigler]

Great one!

[@dercrispmeister]

Realy nice tutorial !

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Kristof Pierco : Thanks!! :)

[@RandomNoise]

excellent tutorial and music. subbed

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Random Noise : Thank you, and welcome!! :)

[@Daeman116]

Wow thanks for going into the RNC! I've been searching all around for something to glue up my mix and I've narrowed it down to the FMR RNLA and EHX Platform Compressor :)

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Daeman : Interesting! Can you explain why you prefer the RNLA over the RNC? Thanks for watching :)

[@Daeman116]

Slenterende Beer from what I hear the RNLA is a little more colored in its output. I want a little bit of drive and saturation as a result of putting my mix through a compressor/limiter :)

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Daeman : Cool, I’ll check that out as well. :)

[@mikaellarsson8609]

Great music!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Mikael Larsson : Thank you!! :)

[@apislapis]

The Really Nice Compressor is exactly that, it's great sounding, at a 'really nice' price for those on a budget. It has sufficient knobs to improve your sound - sometimes less really is more. The RNC is a clean, transparent compressor. Should you wish to add colour to the sound then it's brother the 'Really Nice (Stereo) Levelling Amp' may well be a better choice, always do some research, don't just take one person's or my word for it. All in all SB, a 'really nice' video with fantastic reverb, demonstrating that you can get amazing results with cheap synths like Korg Volcas. Thumbs up.

[@Mrs_Heyman]

Lplppp

[@eberling6735]

realy good addition! you'v got a much smarter sounding now

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Eber Ling : Thanks!! :)

[@puljones9571]

Very super really nice ^-^

[@LeoGuerreroMusic]

I use this compressor and is great, You can use the compressors as a send FX and apply more or less compression to individual channels. Nice Tutorial

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Yeah, we're happy with it too! Unfortunately our mixer's FX send-return is mono, so we can't use it the way you describe it.

[@slowgaffle]

Dang, nice video. Thanks!!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

slowgaffle : Glad it was helpful! :)

[@TederMusic]

Thanks for sharing this comprehensive compression tutorial! I love the rnc for compressing / cleaning up the total mix, and am also using it before the mixer to sidechain specific synthesizers (then you don’t to worry less about messing with your kick sound). Really Nice!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Teder Music : Thanks Peter!! :)

[@DarkSideofSynth]

Nice. I've got the 1604.

[@ionianechoes]

You use the attack so that the compressor doesn't reduce the kick

[@Middlestepofficial]

Try using sidechain compression with your kick and bass. Because of overlapping frequencies, you better use either a multiband compressor to leave the cymbals alone and just take the kick to trigger compression on your bass.

[@girlinagale]

The RNC layout looks very similar to my Alesis Nano Compressor. I suppose the RNC has a sweeter sound although I'm enjoying trying out the Alesis on my mixer out.

[@Tobes1100]

Great vid as always, I've just picked up an RNC too but really struggling with the connectivity. I know it will only work with unbalanced signals, it looks like you are using Y/insert TRS cables from the ALT 3/4 ports on your mixer rom how you described it. Does this mean Alt 3/4 actually works like a channel insert but for the whole mix? I wanted to use the RNC on the mixer's output going into my interface to nicely (no pun intended) glue everything together but that doesn't seem possible now, your method seems like a great workaround.

[@kimgaugemusic]

If your running the RNC across the whole mix bus, then you really want to be in Supernice mode, NOT normal mode. Supernice mode is a multiband compressor, whereas Normal mode is just a single band compressor that you run just on a single channel. To do the job you want to do, ideally you should have a compressor on the drum mix only, you can run your bass signal into the side chain if you want to get different effects for different styles of music, or run the bass into a separate compressor for ultimate control. I use three different compressors going into the mixer, plus the onboard compressors on the Behringer mixer, plus the compressor in my MC 909. The ultimate setup for me, is to have separate compressors on all instruments, on all effects sends and then a good multiband compressor (RNC Supernice mode) on the mix bus, then you can achieve anything.

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Kim Gauge : Thanks for the feedback!! Your tips are very welcome. We have already noticed an improvement on our when using compression on the total mix, but I get what you’re saying about using the Super Nice mode. :)

[@LoVeAmBiEnT]

Maybe try hooking up all your delays and reverbs to your auxiliary sends then you can just use them on any channel but I don't know sounds good regardless

[@YouTubeSupportTeams]

lower the gain of your kick and adjust settings so that it is compressing the bass spikes to match the level/punch of the kick and that will glue/level the mix so that the kick is not compressing the whole mix on every beat. That's another way you can do it. Compression is very versatile. Better mixing will mean less extreme compression settings.

[@lucacycles8623]

This is really helpful, thank you. Not sure if you still use this channel, but I was wondering why you went for the RNC over the RNLA? Not that I have any idea which is better for what, just curious of your reasoning. Thanks again

[@carlosmeloribeiro7588]

Hello, thank you for your video. Have you ever heard some interference from the kick sidechain, with rnc? Thank you for your time

[@fiestabob6]

Where can I hear more of this song !?

[@macpaz]

What's your opinion on one-knob compressors such as the one on the Behringer Xenyx, which I believe you owned up until you purchased the larger compressor? I know it doesn't compress the entire track, but would you consider one-knob compressors for at least the drums on the Volca Sample?

[@breadwarandcircus]

You could mix a dry kick, in phase back in. Just add it back to taste. Then everything drops back but the kick

[@dillipphunbar7924]

nice demo and explanation..are ya gunna get another volca?..maybe the modular?

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Thanks!! The sound of the Volca Modular doesn't really appeal to me... From all the demos that I've seen there's just a few that I like. However, I've ordered the Volca Drum, so that will make its appearance soon! :)

[@dillipphunbar7924]

@@SlenterendeBeer oh yes...can't wait for that jam!

[@grzegorzkielma7098]

Hi dude :) I was using 3.5 out of Beatsteo Pro right into sidechain. Try this out :)

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Grzegorz Kielma : Yeah that works as well! The only downside is that you’re just sending a trigger, instead of audio, so it won’t follow the sound of your kick. But generally that shouldn’t be a problem. :)

[@grzegorzkielma7098]

@@SlenterendeBeerIn that case sound following is adjusted by comp release :) Smooth as hell.

[@jahroma1337]

Ty a Lot! I will buy one now 🥳 Do u ist the RNC in a master Insert Slot? Or master Output >> RNC >> Soundcard?

[@daniel_mana]

I would like to know the same thing

[@raddyz]

Awesome! any chance you could spend a little more time talking about the routing and cables used. I am trying to hook it up to an apogee 88 but have'nt had any success.

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Rodrigo Zapata : Could you be a little more specific? What isn’t working - getting the audio in or out, or using the sidechain input, or...? :)

[@Claidheambmor]

Aaaaand then the guy vanishes... Typical. :P

[@raddyz]

@@Claidheambmor I'm here baby, don't worry.

[@khoasome]

@@SlenterendeBeer having issues getting a pump. Using a volca kick to trigger. Someone said dont plug into the sidechain port completely?

[@sjememe]

thanks for this Abel! the only thing i can't wrap my head around is: if you send the master out through chan3/4 into the RNC and back into the mixer, don't you get a blended wet/dry compressed signal on your master output? How do you make sure only the compressed signal gets to the master-output (and your headphones)?

[@sjememe]

never mind, the Mute button on the Mackie sends the channels to the 3/4, which you can route back into the mixer and out to the master. BUT, now my fx sends/returns don't work no more on the separate channels! It only works on the returned 3/4 channel, but that means the effects are affecting either everything or nothing in the mix... what now?

[@SlenterendeBeer]

@@sjememe Yeah using the mute buttons is the solution. With my mixer (UFX1204) I can use the onboard FX sends per channel. Maybe you can change something in how the FX sends / returns are routed?

[@sjememe]

@@SlenterendeBeer i'm afraid my mackie 1202vlz4 sends/returns the fx after the sound is sent to OUT3/4. So dikke pech voor mij. a solution is to use dedicated pedals per synth before they go into the mackie (like yo do), or put the compressor between the main out and my monitors. but then i can't hear the compressed sound on my headphones... oh well.. thanks for answering!

[@SlenterendeBeer]

sjememe : Ah, jammer. Yeah I’m not sure routing the compressed signal back into the mixer is quite common, to be honest. For us it’s perfect, because it allows us to also record the compressed signal with the built-in multitrack recorder.

[@evansparks3478]

Blending the compressed signal back in with the dry is a technique known as Parallel Compression, and you can get great results with it.

[@khoasome]

i'm using a volca kick to trigger the side chain, but it's not working (no pumping effect). any tips?

[@scuwap]

how would you hook this up to an audient id4??

[@shookstylez]

why didn't you sent the signal from the kick that is going to your mixer, to a seperate (small) mixer first and then split the signal straight to your sidechain input (as a ghost) and one to your mixer?

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Yeah I'm doing something similar now: I'm just sending the drums to the side chain input of the compressor, and use the Zoom to with the low pass filter to isolate the kicks.

[@nicolakoumentas3305]

Hi I'm new with using compressors and just bought this. I am interested in recording male pop (high) vocals. I have a Grace M101 preamp , a Cloudlifter, a Focusrite Clarett 2Pre. My mic is the Shure SM7b. How do I connect the compressor in the vocal chain? And can anyone suggest some compressor settings to begin with?

[@SlenterendeBeer]

Nico Lakoumentas : I have no experience recording vocals with a compressor, but I think Google can give you tips on good settings for that! :)

[@Septimius]

Now, the issue here is that you want to run your compressor AFTER your preamp. I haven't recorded vocals with a compressor before the pre-amp before. The optimal way would be: Mic -> boost -> preamp -> compressor. To get this to work with your setup, you'd utilize both the inputs of your Clarett. You'd use one to input the mic, then a line output to output the first input, into your compressor, then out again into the other input. That second input has to be set at unity gain, so it doesn't further "pre-amp" the signal. 12 o'clock should be unity. That's the way it's normally done. The issue with going boost -> compressor -> preamp is that your signal isn't really hot enough yet for the compressor to work, even with the Cloudlifter. Your goal is to only compressing a few dB under normal singing. Your aim is to even out the level just a little bit, so you can add some dBs (~5) to the whole vocal track. This makes it tighter, and makes it sit better in the mix. You can go up to 4:1 ratio, and a threshold that takes out just the loudest parts. You want your compressor to engage about 5-10% of the time you're singing. You want an attack of about 20ms, and a release of around 200ms (0.2s on this) make-up gain up as much as you can without clipping. I'd recommend recording the vocal track without the compressor, because the compressor settings depend on the track. Some music allows for more dynamic singing that other, and other types require a more compressed vocal track. In this case, you could record your mic -> cloud -> clarett, then when you're mixing, use an output to output the vocal track into the compressor, then inputting it into input 1, and listening to that in your DAW instead of the 'dry' track. This means you can dial in the settings the way it works in your mix before "freezing" the track. It also means you can go back and change it later, which is why this is the way it's normally done.

[@nicolakoumentas3305]

@@Septimius than you so much ! You're information was super helpful . I'll do my best to get my results . If I have any further queries I hope you have the time to assist . Thanks again bro! I couldn't even find these specific details on Google ! 😉

[@Septimius]

@@nicolakoumentas3305 No problem at all! I felt like I was completely missing a step of your setup, the M101. Disregarding that you have a great preamp already in the Clarett, I'd just like to underline that the point still stands. Use the mic -> boost -> M101 -> Clarett to record in your DAW, then do the FX loop described before to use the compressor. It might seem good to go M101 -> comp -> Clarett, but the truth is that vocal performances vary so much that you'd want the ability to dial it in later. Working with the same singer, they may have a more powerful take, or stand just a tiny bit further away from the mic. You always want to see that your comp is reducing a few dB no matter the take, so being able to add the compressor later is key.

[@nicolakoumentas3305]

@@Septimius thanks again! This is awesome 😊 I can't wait to incorporate the compressor. I seem to get TOO MUCH gain when I use all 3 (Cloudlifter, M101 and Clarett). I guess I must work out the sweet spot and where each gain knob should be set on the different devices.

[@yungjan4754]

This is when you feel like ableton could help so much but you still want to stay DAWless :D

[@whytewavestudios3039]

Use reaper

[@filipwojcik778]

Set it on Master

[@JesusSanchez-pz1ii]

Ineed pream extra. Oh only fmr

[@untml]

good one, more practice less theory bullshit, btw, sounds like moby-go with swing