From the course: Audio Foundations: Compression and Dynamic Processing

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Get in the Mix: Working with parallel compression

Get in the Mix: Working with parallel compression

From the course: Audio Foundations: Compression and Dynamic Processing

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Get in the Mix: Working with parallel compression

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Parallel compression is the process of combining an uncompressed version of a signal with a compressed version and blending to taste. This best of both worlds approach preserves the dynamics, openness, character, and frequency response of the unprocessed signal, while solving the issue of an overly dynamic track getting lost in the mix. When a compressed waveform is combined with an uncompressed waveform, the result is purely additive. The peaks of the uncompressed wave form are preserved, while the body of the signal is raised. Let's take a listen to these un-compressed drums. Now listen to the un-compressed drums inside a dense section of the mix. Notice how they have a little bit of trouble punching through the mix. The problem here is that the drums get lost in the denser parts of the mix, the chorus in this example. Well more stuff is going on. Simply turning them up will push up the transients and eat up head room. Compressing them will bring them out more, but will also eat up…

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