How To Achieve Really Punchy Drum Tracks Using Doubled Up Compression

Drums, basses and other sounds can really shine and stand out when you apply the correct amount and type of compression. Joe Albano shows you how this works in practice.  

Compression is an essential part of recording, mixing and mastering. But it can be one of the lesser understood processing types, especially for newer producers. Using it too little or too much will result in a less than perfect result, and even if you know how much to use, there are many other tips and tricks to get even better mixes. In this short video from the course Audio Mistakes 101: 10 Common Compression Mistakes, expert producer Joe Albano lets you in on one of the industry's best kept secrets - doubling up on compression.

Audio Mistakes 101: 10 Common Compression Mistakes

While one instance of compression on any given sound is often enough, there are situations when it's not. When tracks are grouped or subgrouped for example, the signal can be passing through several compressors at different points in the chain, like in a multitracked drum recording.

Using a practical example of just such a multitracked drum part, Joe demonstrates how the different compressors applied at different points - on tracks, busses and groups - make a real difference to the eventual sound that you get. In fact, doubling up like this is a key technique used to get a punchy and energetic drum sound. He also shows how using two compressors on the same individual sound - in this case a bass - can tame and enhance different aspects of the sound by each instance using different settings. Learn much more about compression and its many dos and donts by checking out the whole course using the links below!

Watch the course Audio Mistakes 101: 10 Common Compression Mistakes in the Ask.Audio Academy | macProVideo | Ask.Video

Hollin Jones was classically trained as a piano player but found the lure of blues and jazz too much to resist. Graduating from bands to composition then production, he relishes the chance to play anything with keys. A sometime lecturer in videographics, music production and photography post production, Hollin has been a freelance w... Read More

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