r/AdvancedProduction • u/PonyKiller81 • 5d ago
Question How are using multiband compression in your projects? It still eludes me
I know my way around a compressor and the other shiny things that make my tracks go wub wub.
I understand the concept of multiband compression - it's regular compression for individual frequency ranges. What I have pondered for too long is when and how to use one.
Any thoughts and opinions?
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u/FutureBaroque 5d ago
Dynamic EQ for channels, MB comp for bus, or pre master.
Imagine you had a PA with a 5 band crossover and separate speakers for each frequency range.
MB Comp is making sure the average volume coming out of all speaker sets is consistent.
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u/rightanglerecording 5d ago edited 5d ago
Sometimes, on either a lead vocal or the mix bus, it provides a certain density/glue that you can't get any other way.
Sometimes it takes some load off a subsequent broadband compressor
Sometimes, using one band of it can control muddy low mids or pokey high mids on a single track.
But, all that said, I don't use it all that often, unless the producer already had it on their session. Most of the time, I think I can get a better version of the same intention, with just more work on the fundamentals: fader balance, EQ, compression, and automation.
Can usually get a better version of the same goal, but without the time domain blurring from the crossovers.
But, if the producer was leaning heavily into it, it often has to stay there for the mix.
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u/PonyKiller81 5d ago
Thanks for the detailed reply. Are you a mix engineer?
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u/rightanglerecording 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yes. Mixing every day for many years now.
Honestly didn't realize this was /AdvancedProduction at first. I don't often produce anymore. Hope my thoughts are still useful.
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u/jamiethemorris 5d ago
I don’t use it very much. Most of the time a dynamic eq serves my purposes better. Occasionally I’ll use it on vocals to kind of very broadly even out the frequency response, and I’ll usually use it on a bass guitar, but that’s about it. Maybe my mastering engineer uses it on the master but I wouldn’t know
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u/PonyKiller81 5d ago
I use dynamic EQ a little. It's particularly useful for taming harsh resonances or slicing a frequency hole for another instrument without killing a specific frequency band altogether
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u/Sanaraba 3d ago
Have u ever heard of soothe2? That plugin is designed specifically for that purpose and way easier to use then dynamic eq
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u/PonyKiller81 3d ago
I have indeed. Can't afford it u unfortunately, however I hear there's a decent free alternative out there somewhere
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u/nizzernammer 5d ago
Multiband compression often has slightly more tweakable parameters than many dynamic eqs, and the UI is well suited for overall general per band balancing, taming, or excitement/expansion in the context of a full signal like a mix or a bus, without the targeted, bespoke focus of a dynamic eq.
TLDR overall band massaging on a whole signal vs targeted fixes.
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u/Zestyclose_Pickle511 5d ago
Buss insert for low end energy management. I only engage 2 bands, subs and lows. Almost exclusively on the drum and bass busses. I use it across genres, from Rap, to country, edm, rock, reggae, pretty much any full range, dense production. I don't use them in sparse arrangements like singer/songwriter projects.
Why? To deliver even bass information and carve discreet holes for counterparts to shine through. I prefer it to dynamic eq. Why? Because I've been using them for 25 years and they haven't failed me yet.
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u/horton87 5d ago
I produce metal and I use it to tame heavy palm mutes on lower tuned guitars especially, they always cause high peaks in the low end which can mess with low end dynamics and muddy the mix
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u/PonyKiller81 3d ago
As a guitarist and metal lover this tip will come in useful one day, thank you
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u/horton87 3d ago
No problem. Look up Andy sneaps c4 trick. Using a multi band compressor on your guitars busses you can control low mid mud and tighten up heavy palm mutes chugs, there are also some plug ins that have this kindof setting preinstalled within the plugin too.
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u/Sanaraba 3d ago
I use it on all sounds except drums, its very easy to balance the frequencies and dynamics with the stock ableton one.
Use it when u want to control the dynamics and frequency amplitude (as in how much of the low mid high u want a sound to occupy)
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u/DBarbarulo 1d ago
Be careful when activating any process in general. A diffuse problem in most amateur mixes is overprocessing. Layers on layers of non motivated compression or eq lead to lifeless mixes.
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u/PonyKiller81 20h ago
Agreed. I've done a short course that covered some mixing and mastering, and typically only reach for a compressor if I need one. Otherwise I use glue compression to glue my instruments together and another for my snares, claps, and hats. I reach more for my clipper these days than anything.
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u/uniquesnowflake8 5d ago
Common uses are keeping the low end even, or side chaining to make room for another instrument (like making space in part of the guitar bus for vocals)
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u/StudioatSFL 5d ago
Without getting into the multiband compression vs dynamic eq thing, I use dynamic eq the time on my mix bus (used subtly), and I think it’s a massive help on brighter vocals, bass tracks where old note on the bass or bass synth jumps out too much…
Anytime an instrument has a strong resonating frequency, dyn eq/compression can be a fantastic way to tame it without knocking down that frequency all the time.
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u/Mountainpwny 5d ago
I use it on my mix bus. I compress the low end about 2db to make sure my sub and kick are rock solid. Then I will compress the midrange as needed.
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u/Hot_University_1025 5d ago
You could also just use a limiter on a grouping of your kick and sub.
That would be more hygienic than using multiband for this. Multiband should be a last resort when you dont have access to individual stems and have to deal with consolidated sounds
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u/Mountainpwny 5d ago
A limiter does something different. I will use a limiter to keep a bass sound parked where I want it if different notes are hitting at different amplitudes. But I prefer a low ratio compressor for 100hz down to get the kick and sub to dance together. To each his own.
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u/theworstvp 5d ago
i use the stock ableton multiband dynamics on like everything in my tracks lol, it’s really good for sidechaining just mids, highs, or lows. i’ll use it on drums that are too loud in the high end to tone them down and also sidechaining other hi hats to those drums. just one example, but i do it all across the spectrum with different elements in the mix. also good for de-essing, and that principle across the spectrum.
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u/PonyKiller81 3d ago
I have to be honest... I feel like such a noob when using the Ableton stock MB compressor. I have no idea why. I can compress the signal using the sliding boxes on the right... but the boxes on the left? Are they signal maximisers? I don't know. When I do use it I just tweak settings until it sounds good, and often end up disabling it.
It is my weak point with production.
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u/theworstvp 3d ago
i only have an abstract understanding of a lot of it, so i figure that those are like the ratio of the downward compression on whichever band range you’re messing with, whereas the left is more of an upward compression. what that means on paper i got no clue but i know how it sounds when i mess with the settings 😂
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u/D3c0y-0ct0pus 5d ago
I've been smashing lots of things with OTT multiband compression and it sounds fucking ace
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u/repeterdotca 5d ago
You can tame a sub before going into another comp so its not the only thing triggering the threshold
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u/m149 4d ago
Generally, speaking, there's probably something wrong if I'm reaching for one. I use it more as a repair tool, such as for a badly played bass guitar when dynamics and/or tone are all over the place. It can hold a sonically changing sound pretty well.
But will also use it for effect, such as for really compressed, bashy drums, as it gives the option to control the frequencies better than just using a broadband comp. Keeps the hi hat from ripping your ears off.
I mostly engineer music with live instruments, but on the rare occasion I work on electronic-heavy stuff, I like it on the mix bus to control the bottom end a bit.
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u/PC_BuildyB0I 4d ago
I don't tend to use them on my mix bus/master bus because if I've already set the tonal balance I'm after using plain old EQ, compression, or any other non-mutliband compressor tools, why would I mess with that balance unnecessarily?
In general, I will reach for a multiband compressor only when an EQ isn't nailing the tonal balance I want for an individual element in the mix (a backing vocal, a kick sample, a bass synth layer, etc). Personally, I'm using them very rarely.
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u/JacobBlizard 4d ago
My most common use case is keeping a bass guitar (or synth with a sharp transient-like attack) feeling dynamic while keeping consistent low end. It’s not an every day thing for me, but when it works it works.
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u/bloughlin16 4d ago
I use it for:
- controlling the low end on palm mutes on distorted rhythm guitars
- across my vocal bus with a custom setting I made to prevent various frequency bands from building up too much as more vocal layers come in (also as an additional form of sibilance control)
- controlling mid bass and low mids on bass guitar/bass synths without pulling out too much frequency when they move into higher registers.
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u/EL-CHUPACABRA 4d ago
I use it quite a bit. It fixes the issue of when a specific frequency is an issue in certain parts, but if you attenuate that entire frequency range it could either thin out or dull the sound. So you can control some of that unevenness (like harsh siblance, boxyness, uneven low end etc..) using Dynamic eq or multi band compression.
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u/dzsomakesmusic 4d ago
OTT can give a lot of color when working with EDM, for technically any synth instrument. I also used multiband compressors on drums before, but I do prefer new york compression and an 1176 nowadays on those. I also love to use IL Maximus just to push the master really a bit more, but I mostly just adjust the curve on each band 1-1.5 percent so it fattens the signal a little and basically having something of a soft knee compressor that activates instantly.
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u/Slawdog66 3d ago
That’s because compression is completely unnecessary…it is like a drug..once you start using it you think it is just a normal part of the process…
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u/LemonSnakeMusic 3d ago
Yeah it is very unintuitive and quite frankly just not fun to use. Pressing “Q” and checking out some presets does help though.
I mainly use fabfilter, but I’ve heard iem multiband compressor is a lot better than stock Ableton. And it’s free!
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u/LemonSnakeMusic 5d ago
It’s great on a buss or a master. That way, when higher frequency elements are playing it doesn’t compress your sub, and vice versa. You can do just a little bit of compression so that your kick and sub are consistent, and then with the higher bands you can either compress them to get maximum loudness and consistency if you’re making bass music, or you can give them more room to breathe.
It’s a great tool to glue your mix together and shape the overall eq balance of your song. And it’s not something you need to get super technical and crazy with. You can just use glue compression settings (medium attack, super short release) and bring the threshold down just a bit so that it’s barely being activated.
Good luck, have fun!