Member Dana Nielsen
MemberForum Replies Created
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Jezze!
I love that you’re diving deep into compression after watching that Zoom! And you are totally on the right track finding the best settings to lengthen sustain so that held notes don’t die away so quickly.
I think the best strategy (as demonstrated in the Zoom) is to go nuts with the settings in order to hear what each control has to offer. That said, it is easier to hear attack and release settings when applied to brief sounds with sharp transients such as drum hits, which is why I tend to use drums for compression demonstration purposes. Compression settings are harder to “hear” when applied to sustained sounds, so I’m not surprised you’re finding it all a bit more confusing as you delve deeper into sustained notes!
I love your practical example of using compression to lengthen the sustain of a held guitar note so that it doesn’t drop in volume so quickly. This comes up all the time in both the production and mixing phases of a record.
I find it best to imagine it a bit like an algebra equation (barf … I know … bear with me). Or better yet, think of the game show, Jeopardy, where you know “the answer” to the question and just need to work backwards to solve “the question.”
Here’s the same approach described differently:
Rather than wondering “how can I make the back-half of my guitar notes louder?” Ask yourself “how can I make the front-half of my guitar notes quieter?”
Here’s a 5-step approach:
- Find The Quiet: Ok so, park your playhead/cursor in the middle or end of a long sustained guitar note. Choose a position during the note where the level is sustaining nicely but it’s just too dang quiet to cut through the mix. (FUN FACT: you’ve just discovered your threshold! See step 2)
- Set The Threshold: Continue to play that quiet sustained section of the note (or loop it) while you lower the compressor’s threshold. Watch the gain reduction meter as you adjust the threshold and stop lowering the threshold when you start to see the tiniest bit of reduction registering on the GR meter.
- Make It Loud: Continue looping the quiet sustained “below threshold” portion of your note while you turn up the compressor’s make-up gain. Add make-up gain until it’s as loud as you like.
- Enter Launch Codes: Adjust the compressor parameters to the max, just for fun (and to protect your ears now that we’ve added a bunch of makeup gain). Try a ratio of 10:1 or higher; fastest attack, fastest release.
- Let ‘Er Rip: Now position your playhead just before the note and let ‘er rip! With these settings you should see and hear a TON of gain reduction during the initial Attack and Decay of the note. And due to the fast release setting, you should see no further gain reduction by the time the playhead reaches the Sustain and Release part of the note chosen in step 1.
From there, you can continue to adjust the parameters.
- Missing some of the plucky attack as the pick strikes the guitar string? Increase the compressor’s attack setting to let some of that through!
- Are you hearing “pumping” artifacts during the sustain of the note? Increase the compressor’s release setting to smooth things out!
- Want a super-sustained sound? Lower the threshold all the way down to just above the noise floor and turn up the make-up gain to 11!
- Love the way your compressor is controlling the dynamics but it’s starting to sound unnatural? Try a lower ratio! Or a “softer knee” if your compressor has it! Or if your compressor has a “mix” or “dry/wet” knob, blend back in some of the uncompressed signal!
Lemme know if these tips are helpful, homey! Thanks for the great question – keep em comin!
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So freaking gorgeous, Joe!!! Man. Great to hear this again — in STEREO no less, lol, after our mono Zoom meetup last week.
I love all these excellent observations and suggestions by @JLew and @shimmerisland – what an awesome, talented, creative, supportive bunch of badass musicians you all are here in this community. It is I who am humbled!
I have a bunch of thoughts and techniques/ideas that come to mind but all of them would be much easier to demonstrate rather than write about. Not much different from what Jesse commented on, but thought it’d be helpful to show HOW I tackle those things.
Is your mix session in Pro Tools? Feel free to DM me and maybe we can schedule a livestream event here on MP if you’re up for something like that.
👏 Regardless, your song is beautiful as-is – i love it! 👏
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James!
So fun to hear this again – such an awesome composition, performance, and soundscape. Bravo!!
I just love that you and your daughter work on these together – she sounds great! Her voice and stacked harmony style reminds me of a group @cmn and @kwas and I have been listening to lots lately, The Roches. 💜
OK, so here are the very few ideas that came to mind while rocking out to “Give It A Name”:
- 1:05 – gimme lots more sidestick backbeat!!
- Try turning up the Kick throughout so that it’s at least as big and loud as those rocking toms
- love those little electronic percussion elements!!
All easy stuff man! And only if you’re feelin it, too! Awesome work as always, “J-Cube”.
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It was so great seeing you on the Zoom yesterday and hearing a preview (in mono – thanks, Zoom 🥴)
Looking fwd to giving this a fresh listen (in stereo!) soon, man!
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Love, love, LOVE!!! This is so good for so many reasons, Paul!! The song and performance are great, the sounds are clean and clear and punchy and have a great sense of space and vibe, and the dad-son combo is the icing on the beautiful “stuff that really matters in life” cake! 🍰
“Gentle Weezer” 😂 – great observation, @shimmerisland! I love Weezer and Rivers’ solo “demos” albums are an absolute treat if you haven’t heard them. Working w them on their Red Album was one of my fav experiences as an engineer. They’re all so smart and fun and hilarious.
@-PT you know I was hearing all kinds of fun little bonus earcandy add-ons to lift diff sections lolol, but I absolutely appreciate this as it is – capturing a performance of great song played live by a great band! (That bass riff towards the end?! I was all, “woah!”)
My only mix curiosity that I would be keen to try if I were playing around with it would be to try muting the general room reverb to see what it’s like if the vocal and “regular rhythm instruments” are bone dry, vocal right upfront, no sauce; and the only saucy surprise would be those killing slide guitar parts that have the strong echo/verb on them. Basically, just upping the ante on the contrast btwn dry AF and surprisingly-verbed-out solo guitar riffs.
And there’s a good chance I’d try that and then be like, “nah, it was cool as it was”. But I would at least try it and see. 🥰
PS – looks like the tags on this thread disappeared! I was excited to see some clever/irreverant comedy gold, @JLew!
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Also, FYI, be sure to subscribe to the Events calendar to automatically add upcoming Mix Protégé events directly into your preferred calendar app! ⚡️🤘
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Hey Drew!
What a great question: To be or not to be – be – be – be… 🎤🎶
@-PT raised some great follow-up questions that might shed light on why delay isn’t working for you as expected (thanks, Paul!), and here are some of my own thoughts and suggestions:
1. The “Pro” Advice Conundrum
There are a million “pros” on YouTube these days, and their advice can be all over the place—some great, some… not. I love that you’re watching, learning, and spotting trends, but more importantly, that you’re testing things out for yourself and letting your ear and intuition guide you. That’s what matters.
Keep in mind, these so-called “pros” aren’t mixing your song. They might not even work in your genre. What works in Top 40 pop or R&B doesn’t necessarily translate to an acoustic, folk, or bluegrass mix. Dig?
2. My Approach to Delay & Reverb
Personally, I always have delay and reverb options ready in every mix session—across every genre. That doesn’t mean I’ll use them, but they’re available if I need them.
For a deeper dive, check out my 5-step approach to FX while mixing:
🔗 Dialing in Delay & Reverb—During vs. After Mixing
When mixing vocals, I usually settle into one of four categories:
1️⃣ With reverb
2️⃣ With delay
3️⃣ With both reverb & delay
4️⃣ Bone friggin’ dry!
And guess what? In acoustic genres, #4 is often my favorite.
3. Why I Love a Bone-Dry Vocal
A completely dry vocal can be a powerful choice, especially in acoustic, folk, or bluegrass styles. Here’s why:
🎙 Intimacy – A dry vocal makes you feel like you’re in the same room as the singer, like they’re singing just for you.
💬 Honesty & Vulnerability – Even if the vocal has been comped and tuned (naturally, of course! 😉 See: Natural Vocal Production), leaving it dry makes it feel raw, exposed, and authentic. No fancy reverbs = nothing to hide.
🎭 Contrast – One of the most underrated tools in mixing is contrast. Dry vs. wet, loud vs. soft, clean vs. distorted. A bone-dry vocal at the start makes any reverb or delay you introduce later way more noticeable and exciting. Think of it like an EDM riser before the bass drops—it builds anticipation and impact.
4. The Right Way to Use Delay Without Losing Clarity
If you do want to use delay without muddying your vocal, here are a few key things to try:
✅ Use an Aux Send & Return – Instead of inserting delay directly on the vocal track (which forces you to blend wet/dry signals), route it through an aux send. That way, your dry vocal stays intact while you control the delay separately. Always set the delay plugin to 100% wet when using this method.
✅ Dial it in on Headphones – Mixing in headphones lets you hear the delay in more detail. It also helps you realize you probably don’t need as much as you think! A good sign you’ve nailed it? When someone listens and says, “You should try a quarter-note delay throw on that high vocal line!” And you just smile because it’s already there—subtly working its magic.
✅ Try a Long Pre-Delay on Reverb – If your vocal gets lost in reverb, try adding a long pre-delay (e.g., 250ms). This creates a gap before the reverb tail kicks in, keeping the dry vocal upfront while still giving you that spacious effect. No pre-delay setting? Just insert a simple delay before the reverb.
5. The Verdict? No Delay = No Problem
So, back to your original question—are you a heretic for dropping vocal delay?
Heck no! There’s no “one-size-fits-all” rule in mixing. If your track sounds better without delay, trust your ears. It’s not about what’s “common” or “expected”—it’s about what works.
Hope this helps, Drew! And hope you don’t mind the long (and delayed 😬) response—mixing is an art, and art deserves some deep dives.
mixprotege.com
Dialing in Delay/Reverb in Mix (During vs After)
Do you feel like it's better to add delay and reverb as you go, or getting a good mix without it and then sprinkling in…
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That’s so cool, thanks for the hip tip! I own RX Advanced but have never used the Spectral Repair module. Gonna check it out!
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Hey Paul – which RX Advanced module was able to do that? Inquiring minds want to know … 🤯
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Ah, gotcha! Hope your eyes checked out ok with the doc 👀. And yeah, small and conversational indeed – very nice 😊
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Wooo!! Love seeing MP fam releases in the wild!
Added “The Rush” to the Mix Protégé Member Spotlight Spotify Playlist!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Hur30TN833YNBj6auawtf?si=46d26c4558014b6d
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Jesseeeeee!! This is so freaking gorgeous, musically and visually – it came out amazing!!!
It sounds great, looks beautiful, love the creative vid editing, love all the cool things and hard work you put in on this audiovisual masterpiece! That solo section with once the groove is in with those sweet chord changes gives me a smile and goosebumps every time. 💜
Proud of u, brother! Keep em comin!!
PS – @-PT I’m just seeing your “freckles” tag hahaha. I gotta say, that quote of yours above about freckles and falling in love was genius and hit me right in the heart. I am on the same end as you of the freckles-love spectrum.
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🛸👽🦤😂
Very cool, @-PT ! All that is missing is some VO by David Attenborough (or better still given the UFO splash mystery, Werner Herzog!)
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Awe, we missed you, Paul! Sorry I didn’t email ahead of time about this one – was actually surprised/delighted anyone showed up! 😂 I scheduled it on the Mix Protege calendar for my own testing purposes and lo and behold Joe and James must have previously subscribed to the calendar and they were there right on time, which was a lot of fun!
That said, I’m thrilled the “subscribe to calendar” feature works, which means less emailing for me, yay! Gonna try to get into a regularly scheduled Zoom flow via that calendar so hit that subscribe button to sync it with your calendar app and I’ll see your handsome face on the next one!