Member Dana Nielsen
MemberForum Replies Created
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Hey Bar! Looking fwd to listening to these, and thanks @-PT for your excellent insights.
I’ll circle back when I’ve been able to check these out in the studio. 🤓
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Webinar Summary:
In this 90-minute webinar, I dive deep into the art of setting compressors by ear, focusing on practical techniques that go beyond just the numbers. This session is packed with hands-on demonstrations in Pro Tools, where I explore various compression settings, attack and release times, and different compressor plugins. Whether you’re a seasoned audio engineer or just starting out, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to achieve the perfect sound for your mixes. Plus, there’s a lot of interaction with our amazing community members, making this an engaging and informative hang!
Chapters:
- 00:00 Welcome and Introductions – Getting started and setting the stage for a fun and interactive Zoom sesh.
- 05:28 Importance of Compression – Discussing the role of compression in mixing and production.
- 13:26 Using Compressors in your DAW – A practical demonstration of compression in Pro Tools with various sound sources.
- 23:36 Understanding Attack and Release Times – How to manipulate attack and release to shape your sound.
- 33:10 Exploring Different Compressors – A look at various compressors like the 1176, SSL, Omnipressor, and others.
- 42:18 Advanced Compression Techniques – Pushing compressor settings to the extreme to find the best sound.
- 52:21 Parallel Compression – How to blend dry and wet signals for a balanced mix.
- 1:01:12 Compression for Drums – Specific techniques for using compression on drum tracks.
- 1:12:30 Compression on Background Vocals – Strategies for compressing vocal stacks and groups.
- 1:22:15 Wrap-up and Q&A – Final thoughts and audience questions.
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Nate!! Stoked you’re here, man – thanks so much for sharing this awesome track with us! And, wow, this has come a long way since I last heard it – excellent work!
I agree with lots of @-PT‘s instincts (tho I am not as anti-whistler as he, lol). The main overarching things I hear are:
- Heck yeah, louder vocals please! You sound great – let those vocals be loud and proud
- The delay on the vocal is cool, but you could probably a) automate the delay so it’s louder in some areas (based on featured moments and lyrics) and more subtle in others, just for variety and clarity; and b) like Paul mentioned you could try EQ’ing out the high frequencies of the Delay FX return so that the delay is darker/mellower than the raw vocal. This is a common trick to allow the vocal to remain clear and intelligible even when swimming in delay effects.
- The clap backbeats feel like they’re the loudest thing in the mix at the moment. I’d try turning those down and turning the vocal up.
- LOVE the low vocal bass stuff and octaver vocals – very unique production and sound!
- As Paul mentioned, I agree it’d be cool to experiment with a simpler beat or backbeat for the verses. I have some ideas but too difficult to type – much easier to demonstrate on video or audio (perhaps later when I’m back in town – on fam vacay at the moment w laptop trusty Audio Technica headphones)
- Also as Paul mentioned, the track might come on a bit too loud in the intro. I mean … loud is good! … as long as the arrangement can sustain it through to the end. What I mean is, just make sure IF the beginning of the song is hella loud, make sure the end of the song (or wherever the climax occurs) is EVEN LOUDER! For more info on how I structure loudness and build it into a mix, check out the “Find the Drama” tip in my 5 Mix Power Tips pdf. 🤘
Lastly, your one-mic drums are cool! Check out the replay of our recent compression zoom for some fun things to try, smashing those drums up even more, if u want.
Awesome work, Nate!
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Bar! What a beautiful recording, song, performance, mood, and mix! Brava, and thanks so much for being here and sharing this with us! I really enjoyed listening to this. I’m away from my studio on a quick family trip, listening to this on professional headphones and laptop while sitting on a balcony surrounded by palm trees. Not a bad soundtrack!
Here are my realtime notes I jotted down while listening. These are just “what-ifs”, not actual issues or anything like that, so as always, feel free to disregard!
- 1:09 would be a great spot for a new element to enter (structural, subtle. Like single-note or two-note “chords” holding whole-note or half-note pads that u barely notice but that help the listener feel like the arrangement has become slightly thicker, more complex, even if they can’t pinpoint what’s been added. Could be a mellow electric organ or a pump organ or anything pad-y and unobtrusive)
- solo at the end – could have some subtle long spacey verb. like, mostly dry guitar in the mix but behind the guitar solo there could be some kind of wide spacious ambience to add a new flavor just for the solo to set it apart from the rest of the song.
I also love the mix and song exactly as it is right now! So, again, take these ideas with a grain of salt! 🧂👏👏👏
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Jeremyyyy! I listened to this on my earpods on my walk today and LOVED it! Bravo, dude! My one and only micro-thought that occurred to me was this lil nugget I always put into practice:
Make sure the very first word of the very first lead vocal entrance is clear and proud. Often times I’ll give that initial vocal entrance some extra fader love to ensure it’s not lost at all beneath the beautiful track production. This isn’t something the listener should notice at all like a wild fader move. But more of an assurance QC checkbox for me while im mixing: can I absolutely understand the first word, first line of the lead? ✅ Does the lead vocal make a grand, memorable, definitive entrance? ✅
Whether you decide to update your mix with this in mind or not, you have crushed this production, song, performance, and mix, my man! Way to go!
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Woomp, there it is! Hope you fabulous “stooges” can join us!
mixprotege.com
👂 How To Dial In Perfect Compression Settings By Ear
Come hang with Dana and your fellow Mix Protégé community members as we talk compression - specifically (but not limited to) stereo bus compression!
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I agree with the TX bbq philosophy – meats (all food, really) should be seasoned to perfection and unstoppably good, sans sauce. But like you, I ain’t no sauce hater!
For what it’s worth, here’s a link to my stems checklist I send to folks who are exporting their multitrack session from Ableton, Logic, etc. in preparation for me to mix it in Pro Tools:
https://dananielsen.com/stems-checklist/
dananielsen.com
Stems Checklist - Dana Nielsen
Time to prepare your mix stems! Stems Checklist Tempo (bpm) clearly marked on folder or files Stem name (instrument or instrument group) on each file, i.e. “Lead Gtr – Song Name – Mix Name or Date” Stems do not need … Continue reading
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Hahaha, love the BBQ analogy, which is dead ON! (And perfect coming from a Texan 😉🍖. TX is more of a “this Q don’t need sauce!” region of the BBQ map, if I’m not mistaken, right?).
As for saucy stems … I’ll always try to utilize the effects provided in a “wet” stem if I can, since that’s the way the artist/producer have envisioned the sound of the record. But if their sauce seems off, or is diminishing my creative/technical flexibility, I will immediately switch to a dry stem and do my own thang.
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Heck yeah, homey, my pleasure!
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Sure thing, Bar! Can’t wait to hear your progress!
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Yes, Nate!! Excellent work!
Here are a few final things that caught my ear:
- 0:35 check tuning on “inside out”
- 1:12 check tuning on whistle
- 1:36 when the live drums enter, try supplementing the backbeat with a snare sample (wanting to hear louder, more defined backbeat to match the ramped up energy/excitement of the track here)
Awesome stuff, man!
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Haha – excellent and true stuff right there! Love it, Obi Wan!
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Amazing – love it, man! So glad I/we could help! Can’t wait for this super hooky jam to be out in the world! Great work, homey!!
And heck yeah … the ear pod walk-n-listen is the ultimate test! No note-taking, no over-analyzing, just listening and experiencing in the wild … like an animal.
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@-PT I agree with @shimmerisland – I hope you’re writing and/or interviewing people publicly somewhere (in addition to Mix Protégé)! The wider world needs more of your spirit and turns of phrase.
And @shimmerisland, Vonnegut is right on the money 😂
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Hahahaha!