We are the music makers

Topic

Compression

  • Parallel compression on drums, vocals and the mix bus: a step-by-step guide

    Parallel compression, often called New York compression, blends a heavily squashed copy of a sound under the untouched original so you get density without losing the hit. This guide goes past the one-line definition: when to use a return versus a Dry/Wet knob, starting settings for drums, vocals and the mix bus, and the mistakes that make it sound worse, not better. Routing facts checked against the Ableton Live manual on 25 Oct 2026.

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  • VCA, FET, opto and vari-mu: the four compressor types and when to reach for each

    Most compressor plug-ins model one of four kinds of hardware: VCA, FET, optical or vari-mu. Each turns the volume down with a different part, and that part decides how fast it reacts, how it lets go and what it adds. This guide explains the four, checked against the manuals on 25 Oct 2026, and gives a simple way to pick one for each job.

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  • Bus processing and groups: how to glue a mix without losing control

    Groups and return tracks are the two ways most DAWs let you process many tracks at once. This guide explains the difference, how to set up drum, music and vocal buses, how sends work, and the habits that keep bus processing from flattening a mix. DAW details come from the Ableton Live 12 manual, read on 25 Oct 2026; the ideas carry over to any DAW.

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  • Multiband compression and dynamic EQ basics: when to split the spectrum, and when not to

    A multiband compressor splits a sound into frequency bands and compresses each one separately; a dynamic EQ moves a single EQ band only when that part of the spectrum gets loud. This guide explains both, gives a step-by-step way to set each up, and argues that most home mixes need far less of either than presets suggest. Facts checked against the Ableton Live 12 manual and FabFilter Pro-Q 4 help on 25 Oct 2026.

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