on?Compressing a Drumstation Kick

TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- on?Compressing a Drumstation Kick

Posted by Dogeh on Aug-14-2008 10:24:

on?Compressing a Drumstation Kick

HI all, is it common to compress a kick from a Novation Drumstation/D-station, these kicks arnt samples.

Posted by Sonic_c on Aug-14-2008 11:33:

Re: on?Compressing a Drumstation Kick

quote:
Originally posted by Dogeh
HI all, is it common to compress a kick from a Novation Drumstation/D-station, these kicks arnt samples.

compression is no only for samples dude its for controlling the dynamic range of a sound.

Please dont ask me to explain I am only just about getting my head around compressors myself/

Posted by Dogeh on Aug-14-2008 11:41:

I know that. Ill try to clarify.

Do people with Drum machines, be it Rolands 303,808,909 ect compress there kick? when i say these arnt samples i meant these machines use analogue modeling and the sounds produced arnt samples. So wil they need compressing?

Posted by Sonic_c on Aug-14-2008 12:00:

Yes they will if for instance you want them to pump with a bassline or if they are not punchy enough or they are not loud enough but turning the volume up makes them clip or distort the mix.

Posted by G-Con on Aug-14-2008 12:58:

quote:
Originally posted by Dogeh
I know that. Ill try to clarify.

Do people with Drum machines, be it Rolands 303,808,909 ect compress there kick? when i say these arnt samples i meant these machines use analogue modeling and the sounds produced arnt samples. So wil they need compressing?

I believe in the instance where you are creating kicks yourself, you will always need to compress them.

Posted by Dogeh on Aug-14-2008 13:22:

Ok, thats all i needed to hear, thanks guys, appreciated.

Posted by MrJiveBoJingles on Aug-14-2008 13:26:

quote:
Originally posted by G-Con
I believe in the instance where you are creating kicks yourself, you will always need to compress them.

Why?

Posted by dannib on Aug-14-2008 13:40:

quote:
Why?

+1

I barely ever use compression unless its to tame peaks and control a live performance. Even then it may just be better to re-record the part, expecially if the compression is audible. I sometimes use compression on kick drums for emphasizing the transient attack though.

to the original poster: if you need to ask whether to use compression, you probably shouldn't be using it as you obviously dont understand the process fully?

So many beginners think they NEED to put compression on everything and in the end they wonder why their productions sound poor.

Posted by G-Con on Aug-14-2008 14:52:

quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
Why?

I could be wrong as I've never synthesized (is that a word ) my own kicks but I have read numerous times that when creating your own kicks this way, it is always necessary to compress to give the kick the energy and thump it needs. Obviously with samples, there is no reason to always compress.

Is this wrong? Can kicks made by yourself from a synth NOT be compressed and still sound punchy enough?

Posted by MrJiveBoJingles on Aug-14-2008 14:57:

quote:
Originally posted by G-Con
I could be wrong as I've never synthesized (is that a word ) my own kicks but I have read numerous times that when creating your own kicks this way, it is always necessary to compress to give the kick the energy and thump it needs. Obviously with samples, there is no reason to always compress.

Is this wrong? Can kicks made by yourself from a synth NOT be compressed and still sound punchy enough?

If your synth has a precise enough amp envelope -- and therefore you can get the volume contour you want from the start -- then there isn't any reason at all you would need compression, since all compression does is change the volume behavior over time...