Mastering Compression Settings

[@Cake_Doge]

Very interesting tips out here, not that I’d use all but it is the first time I am hearing detailed explanation about tempo dependent dynamics and the mimicking of the compression of our ears after spending months looking for videos about mastering compression on YT. Thanks!

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome thanks Cake Doge! I figured not every chapter would resonant with everyone, but so long as you found something of value that's great!

[@Cake_Doge]

@@sageaudio No harm is done by more information. The tools we are using are designed for a purpose in mind but I think they are far more capable than what we think they are, so it is good to push the limits of these tools with creative implementations

[@diyez5bemol9]

OMG! All the great tips are only in one video? This is amazing. Thanks

[@Peeziejizzle]

I learned exactly what I had been wondering how to question in the first three minutes. Thank you! I needed the math of the logic in attack and release timing.

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful

[@magneticpitch]

excellent info & no-nonsense presentation. thanks much!

[@sageaudio]

Awesome thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[@AngelGabrielMusic]

This video had so many good nuggets of info that I had to take some notes! Thanks for the Sage advice!

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Glad it was helpful!

[@dunzo_mixit]

This video really helped me understand Various types of Compression with great detail, yet easy to follow!!

[@CaldoHits]

Thank you for this tutorial. Working on releasing more music, mastering is something I want to get better at and this will help Please may you also do a tutorial on how to best use Tone Projects plugins like their Unisum Compressor and Kelvin plugin when mixing / mastering.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and great to hear this will help with your project! I haven't tried those plugins, but they look great!

[@CaldoHits]

@@sageaudio It's always a pleasure. You should check them out. Their Kelvin plugin is an interesting saturation plugin.

[@williammontgomery8194]

The soothe tips actually helped me a lot. thank you.

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching

[@jakobkoprivnik6372]

very professional and useful video! tnx!

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving a comment!

[@evngeo8126]

You outdid yourself with this one

[@sageaudio]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anoyingnomad]

Second video i'm watching, instant subscribe! I've been craving to this more experienced kind of information!

[@sageaudio]

Awesome thanks for subscribing! Cool to hear that the more in-depth videos we've been making are useful.

[@monog___]

any details on how to set the attack time in glue compression? Great video !!

[@avationmusic]

Unbelievably good video, subscribed

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thank you for watching!

[@brucemillar]

Comprehensive and highly informative. Thank you for the education.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Bruce! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@kiekomusic]

Probably the best show and explanation video I’ve ever seen. I learned a ton and I can really hear the difference. Especially on the ‘how our ears hear sound’ compression. It’s really uncomfortable. I don’t know if you know but Weiss DS has additional settings menu under the input meter on the left. The two arrows. You can set attack and release and more there too. Dope video! Subscribed

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and it's great to hear that the video was helpful! I have seen that - it's definitely helpful when setting attack and release times to either smooth out the sibilance or make it as transparent as possible, really cool plugin.

[@Criomancer200]

I have some questions related to the tempo dependant compression: 1-How do I know when to use 1/16 or 1/4 note? Or a whole note? , I was kinda lost in that explanation :( 2-Does the attack time need the same calculation process as the release? 3-Waves glue compresor doesn't have a variable timing for attack and release (well, there is auto) , what are your opinion about using it? Better try other of your options for a more professional sounding mix? Thats all! Thanks for your time teaching us those good juicy secrets about mixing and mastering 🙏

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! 1) I use whole note timing when trying to glue the sound together, and 1/16th note timing when trying to create quick and transparent compression. 2) Better not to set the attack time using this calculation. Instead, subtract the attack time from the release time. 3) I haven't used this plugin, but auto settings can be helpful! I'd try it out and see if you enjoy the sound, since that's what's most important.

[@AnandSharmaMusic]

then how do we set the attack time? you just explained how to set the release time but for that value you are telling me that you need to subtract the attack time , no explanation on how to set attack time bro@@sageaudio

[@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579]

Great info. My Pulsar Mu is used to great effect to compress a bit, and color the sounds. I'm very OK with how it does this. FWIW the compression ratio is a base of 1.5:1 in the compress mode, while the limit mode has a base ratio of 4:1. Just remember, its unique algorithm varies the ratio from there. I also have the free versions of TDR Nova dynamic EQ and the Kotelnikov, and then the base version of the Melda compressor. For free versions, they're all very good.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and sharing the info about the ratios! That's definitely good to know when using it.

[@xeno.s248]

another incredible tutorial. huge thanks to you

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@Walid.OnTheTrack6725]

I looove details, you nailed it

[@thamilanban]

Thank you for this.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Thamil!

[@Hassan_Omer]

Hi, thanks for the useful tips. At 1:48 you said multiply the release time (quarter note) by 4 to get a whole note and subtract the value of our attack time to get the release time. Q 1 - Why didn't you subtract the attack value to get the release time for a quarter note ? Q 2 - When do you decide you need the compression to be set to quarter note, whole note or 16th notes ? Q 3 - Do you always rely on setting these values mathematically or doing it by ear is also fine ? Thank you!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! You should subtract the attack in that instance as well if you choose a quarter note as the final setting - I think I was just going to end up using the whole note so I showed that info at that point. I usually use longer settings when try to get glue compression and shorter when I'm trying to create a more transparent or less noticeable change. I don't always rely on these settings! Using your ears is always best, but I like to offer this type of info regardless, since I think it offers a more objective way to introduce processing. Thanks!

[@psysword]

Only Allah knows

[@xerxesblythe7848]

Damn too much info Amazing video!

[@sageaudio]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@federicgubsburn]

What a great channel!

[@sageaudio]

Thank you so much!

[@uwimanasamuel447]

Nice lesson

[@sageaudio]

Thank you for watching Uwimana!

[@khashayarheidarimusic]

Wow, all in once mastering compression techniques.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@Dunmunll]

In regards to the calculations you were using to get the correct timings for the BPM of the song, there is a website that calculates delay & reverb, and I use it all the time for this specific purpose.

[@richthisguy1215]

What is the website?

[@LaRana08]

i didnt really undertstand a thing but i still watched the entire video

[@sageaudio]

Haha thanks for watching!

[@twenny7]

Great Video! The C2 only allows an Release about 2500ms So when I wanted to time my 90bpm song, my in-time release would be 2666.6 -attack (60k/90*4=2666ms) What should I do in this case to time right? Push the Release until 2500ms or just time less than a whole note? (like 60k/90bpm *2 or *3 ? Thank you.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! I'm sorry but which C2 are you talking about? I can't find info on it. I'd say less than a whole note would be fine - try a half note and see how that sounds.

[@twenny7]

@@sageaudio Thank you! I'm talking about the FabFilter C2 - I'll try a half note!

[@RocknRollkat]

Excellent presentation, thank you. It's amazing the extent to which you can go to 'fix' bad performances. Ella Fitzgerald didn't need this stuff, neither did Mel Torme. But that's just me. Bill P.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! I hear you - they relied on rehearsing a lot before performing. One cool example is watching Frank Sinatra sing - he moves around the microphone to balance dynamics, reduce sibilance, etc.

[@RocknRollkat]

@@sageaudio Exactly. Back in 'the day', real musicians were much more aware of their instruments and their effects on the overall performance. That's why we had outfits like "The Swampers", the "Wrecking Crew". the "Funk Brothers", etc., who were brought in to play the actual tracks on endless 'pop recordings from the Beach Boys to the Beatles.

[@ReaHu]

Great

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!

[@osvaldodomingos9041]

Perfect video, except for one thing: It was expected in the end to show the song before and after the whole master chain, so we could hear the whole result of this master techniques.

[@sageaudio]

I see what you're saying! In this instance I only wanted to show how each individual type of compression or compression technique affected the sound, but showing it in the context of a chain would be helpful too. Thanks for watching!

[@osvaldodomingos9041]

@@sageaudio ❤

[@remsounds]

amazing my bro ♫

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!

[@dnel3000]

Thanks for the video. Are you sure about the Omnipressor chapter? My impression was that turning the function knob to the right engages compression, and to the left for expansion. Looks like you're simply compressing at 1.3:1 by 1db and adding make up gain of 1db. Sounds good nonetheless.

[@ErixSamson]

top quality video

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Eric!

[@LIFELONGTRUESOUL]

god bless you brother

[@sageaudio]

I appreciate it! Thanks for watching DZA!

[@anttikinnunen7904]

Nice

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Antti!

[@JulianSchmauch]

How is this not a feature in mastering compressors yet? Automatic timing settings for Attack and Release instead of using a calculator?

[@sageaudio]

That would make a cool addition to a compression plugin!

[@neilbiggin]

I was thinking the same thing. Why not a sync button and note length. To be honest I’ve never seen or heard of this calculation before. I’ve watched countless videos on compression and mastering and none of them mention this. Does it only matter when compressing multiple sounds at once or the full mix, or does it matter when compressing one channel?

[@sakkmattpeter]

I was bothered a bit by the second half of the chorus section as the snare was quieter and less present in the mix and this would def make u think there was a big difference or should rather say would make u focus on that rather than the actual issues u fixed :) Maybe loop the same 2 bars when turning the plugins on and off? :) Great videos btw. Not here to shit on them! :)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Egeto and for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate the feedback!

[@derEichorn_hochbegabteMeinung]

Please make a VIdeo about Loudness for Spotify and co and the right loudness between vocal and Beat. How loud should be every Part? Thank you :D

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Here's an older video we made about that topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bICpin6Gnq5gjrs Also, here's one on mastering a beat and vocals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGWyg3yMa86MZ6M

[@hendricksam]

Shoot for balance when it comes to loudness. RMS/LUFS meters will help with that. Don't worry about loudness for Spotify. Worry more about how good your mix sounds.

[@NoQualmsTheArtist]

DSEQ3 is a great alternative to Soothe. Cheaper and better at certain things.

[@sageaudio]

I'll check it out! Thanks!

[@Lilslugx]

Do a video on mastering chain, after mixing a 2track beat with vocals, I’m confused what the mastering chain should be like i end up overdoing or not satisfied with the end result

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! I think this one should be helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGWyg3yMa86MZ6M

[@ClaudioRowe]

the ny parallel where does it join the original frequency? they both go to the master track or does the parallel have a return somewhere in the channel?

[@sageaudio]

The NY Parallel compression technique uses an auxiliary track. So the original channel is sent to the aux track. Then the original channel and the aux track combine at the stereo output.

[@ClaudioRowe]

@@sageaudio it's the same as using the percentage of mix in the fabfilter c2?

[@ClaudioRowe]

@@sageaudio like not using parallel but just percentage of the compressed signal to the original stream?

[@Florian-cy6pm]

very good video!! i love your content :). just one question: would you recommend setting the release as slow as a quarter note also for more energetic genres such as hip hop or edm? i once heard that this approach for edm would damage the track more than it’d help so i usually settle for a 200ms release time

[@hildingvilding4618]

i also wonder this. but i would assume so. (seems logical)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! When working with EDM, it's best to use faster settings. So I'd use something around 50ms, since this is the quickest you can make the release without causing some distortion to the low frequencies.

[@afkmxtt]

Do you have to use all of these compressors or could you just use one u like?

[@sageaudio]

You can use which ones you like!

[@swgitsyo1210]

Would be useful some tips about making a vocal sound consistent during the mixing of an album. Mix an album made by various genres type of song is always difficult! Thank you for your work!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Swg Itsyo! Also, I appreciate the suggestion - that is challenging for sure!

[@mickaele4456]

Would it be wise to apply the needed compressors in order of appearance? Say a vari-mu then stereo expansion after in the mastering chain? Love your tutorials man :)

[@sageaudio]

I wouldn't recommend combining these steps - instead, pick and choose which compression type you'd like to apply when mastering. Thanks for watching!

[@matheusmukuve3660]

What DAW should we use for the sample we want to send for mastering?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! It doesn't matter - a WAV file with 48kHz sampling rate and 24-bit depth is a good file format to send over.

[@gughffhhghgghghgg1690]

I was wondering...when lets say a quarter is 100ms....would that mean that if i put an attack of 10 ms the release would be the remaining 90ms or would the compressor be synced with the daw ms meaning those 10ms would be included in the releases 100ms...so would i always have to calculate the amount of time the attack takes or not

[@drrodopszin]

What would you do when the song has many parts, with multiple BPMs? Would you automate the release time? Or set up different compressors and bypass them for the various parts?

[@sageaudio]

Probably just do it by ear - at that point it would be too much of a hassle to be honest

[@HarshRyan]

are you explaining compression with a new unreleased song of harry styles ? The voice of the singer sounds exactly like harry styles even the pronunciation of words also sound similar to that of harry styles. Is it really his song ?

[@sageaudio]

It's from a band called 'The American Indie' so not Harry Styles, but I hear the similarities too!

[@daniramdani6621]

hello bro... I want to ask what fx I need for mixing

[@sageaudio]

Usually an EQ, compressor, and saturator are good fundamental processors to have. Typically, your DAW will include stock versions, which will give you everything you need to get started.

[@daniramdani6621]

thanks bro

[@Aaezil]

Subtracting the attack time from the release time won't do what you think it is doing. Attack time is pretty misunderstood. In compression attack time goes through a knee and it can go smooth or hard from 0% to 100% compression over time. Many people think 20ms attack means it compresses at 100% at 20ms but that is not true. Depending on the design of the compressor and the knee 20ms could be when it reaches 50%, 75%, 100%, most are different.

[@sageaudio]

True! The knee and ratio will affect when the majority of the compression occurs - that said, the timing between when compression starts and when it reaches the maximum amount of compression (when a soft-knee setting is being used) is minimal. For that reason, I'd still recommend this method, but I see what you're saying, and will look more into the time it takes for a soft-knee setting to cause the maximum amount of compression, and how that affects the timing. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@justwatch5970]

Hi guys. I wanted to ask a different question to this video. Do mastering engineers still normalize tracks to day before mastering? Is normalizing a track still a thing in 2023? I'm an upcoming mastering engineer I wanted to know

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching - to my knowledge most don't. Peak normalization might be done before processing, but if that's needed most engineers would just use clip gain to adjust the gain of the track.

[@stevenrodich9377]

Hi there! I need help. I am new at this. A label has accepted my track but I have a problem. They sent me a contract where I have to fill in my beatport and Spotify URL and I don't have a beatport or Spotify for artist. What should I do? Thanks guys

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Steven! I'm sorry this is outside my knowledge - I'm not sure what beatport is. Maybe reach out to them and ask if they could accept an alternative link or if you can come to an alternative solution

[@virginstudio120]

Why Sage stop saying"Welcome to Sage Audio" at the beginning of the videos? I think it was a kind detail. Anyway, thanx for the concepts. ;-)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Flavio! Just so I could get into the video quicker!

[@ninop.r489]

Substract Attack but how much is the attack if I only have the value in miliseconds for the release? I have 60,000 by 140 equal one quarter note and multiply one quarter note by 4 to get the value of the whole note in miliseconds but where is my value for the attack?

[@youtune_records_official]

siiiuuuuu

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching JD!

[@mixedbytc]

Be careful when setting attack and release times by the numbers (i.e. time in milliseconds)-- what these times actually mean varies between compressors.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Very true, the ratio and knee will play a role, but the timing should be pretty consistent most of the time.

[@ShaskaMakota]

Yes...

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@janglarvasparinglar243]

stereo line is better or 5.1 line which is better

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! I typically master in stereo since 5.1 playback is a lot less common.

[@moviesent1373]

Hi sage audio I have been following you since 2 years I have question request for you from india I am using dell laptop & recording my voice for beat from flstudio asio4all internal laptop mic on beat download from youtube Can you make video on how to make low quality internal mic through laptop on two track beat ?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and following us for a while! At the moment we don't have a video like that scheduled, but I'll work to create one with vocals recorded with a more entry level mic. For the time being, we have this video on mixing vocals with a 2-track beat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4q9i2WMZ5KmpNE

[@moviesent1373]

@@sageaudio ❤️❤️ Noted . Thanks for your reply .

[@frankharley442]

Multiply 429 by 4 to get who;e note then subtract the attack time to get release time? I thoght 429 was the release time

[@talgy2671]

Your tutorials are awesome, however they'd be even better if you'd do gain compensation for every plugin.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@randyfurlong6181]

Your videos are great but I strongly feel you need to use the same section of song to A/B. It's extremely difficult to hear subtle processing when differences in performance or arrangement are far more apparent. A/B tests should always be done on the same exact piece of audio, it makes a huge difference imo.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Randy and sharing your thoughts! I'll definitely take this into account when making future videos. All the best!

[@Rannument]

Looks like I need to train my earns a looot more because I can not hear the difference between the examples lol

[@sageaudio]

No worries! A lot of the examples are subtle, and KZbin's compression makes it worse. The differences are still there though, so maybe try some headphones.

[@IsHekiel]

Hi Sage can I send you a cover song I recorded and mix so you master it

[@sageaudio]

Hi Ezekiel, Of course! Please go to www.SageAudio.com and create an account to upload your song for mastering.

[@IsHekiel]

@@sageaudio thanks 😊 let me do that now

[@pargelium]

very and very

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@alchemistrpm82]

Plenty good tips in here. But compression release time absolutely does not have to be calculated by note fractions 💀 Sure, it could sound good on some material. But the explanation for that was just silly

[@AudioReplica2023]

" Why school gotta go so hard with math if we never gonna use that" Facepalm yourself now 🤦🏾‍♂

[@sageaudio]

Haha at least it's not super complicated math. Thanks for watching!

[@shutupgavin]

once he started doing math I clicked away.

[@sageaudio]

Lol

[@veryfitting]

Why do you take 60,000 every time you do the maths?

[@sageaudio]

Yep! There are 60000 milliseconds in every minute - that's why the number is used.

[@tzotchisz]

mmm. Time settings don't have a very precise meaning in compression. Or better said, they mean different things depending on the compressor and how it's made. I think it's absurd to set the release like a delay with precise time settings. Just listen how it behaves with the timing of the track. And if you don't know how to do this, just learn what to listen and how to listen it...

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and watching! True, the timing will mean different things depending on the knee, but in most modern digital compressors, the attack and release are very close to the beginning and ending of attenuation.

[@tzotchisz]

​@@sageaudio I may be wrong, and happy to have some insight about this, but I think the time settings of a compressor have different meaning depending on who is making the compressor. The time settings mean concretly how much time it takes to achieve a certain amount of gain reduction : but which amount ? A fixed amount (1db ? 10db ?). Or an amount set as full gain reduction (determined by the ratio and knee) ? Or something else ? I think each time it differs depending on the dev, even if of course a specific time setting may have vaguely similar behavior on different compressors. Don't get me wrong, it may be interesting to set the time constants according to the tempo, but you can't expect to have a compressor set like that to work perfectly in rhythm like a delay setting...

[@harryolive1853]

below half db of compression on a master? It's only academic instead of fitting anything noticeable with the real world on any device. When such nonsense is shown, I doubt the seriousness of the channel and it is better to unsubscribe.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Harry and sharing your thoughts! 0.5dB - to 1.5dB on attenuation when compressing a master is good advice if I'm being upfront with you. You don't want to hear the compression when mastering, you want to control the peaks prior to subsequent limiting. This way you can increase the level without resorting to aggressive and more easily perceived limiting later in the chain. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

[@epytaffskitchenstink]

Thank You.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@vladpetrovsky8674]

It seems . that you have a greater desire to level out a track already compressed into a brick with a multi-band compressor than to introduce phase shifts ((((You can hear this right away (((

[@kwm5515]

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[@sageaudio]

Thanks for the request, we'll consider doing this for a future video!