No other industry romanticizes the past to such a great degree. Publishers don’t do shootouts to find the best version of the Guttenberg printing press. Sure, it was great for its time. But today, we have the internet. If you’re trying to find the best replica of an ancient compressor, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Many modern compressors blow the classics out of the water. They’re more versatile and sound better. Are you looking for them? 2. Your Attack Time Is Too Fast Fast attack times are seductive. They cause compressors to clamp down quickly, which can make tracks sit evenly in a mix with minimal fuss. For this reason, many mixers dial in fast attack times by default. So what’s the problem? Fast attack times destroy transients. These are the short bursts of sound at the beginning of notes—the bright pluck of a pick hitting a string, the thwack of a drumstick on a snare, the consonants in a vocal performance. Transients add energy and life to music. Removing them can make a mix sound flat and unexciting. This is likely why Bruce Swedien avoids compression altogether. To him, the risk of sacrificing the transients isn’t worth the benefits. But there’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of avoiding compression, just slow the attack time down. This will cause the compressor to let the transients pass through unharmed. The result? You’ll get all the benefits of compression, while retaining the punch and impact that makes music compelling.
3. You Compress Without Context When you’re tweaking a compressor, it can be hard to hear subtle changes. To hone in on difficult decisions, many mixers solo the track they’re working on. This makes changes easier to hear. Without the distraction of other tracks, you can be more discerning. The right choices seem more obvious. So what’s the problem? The solo button removes the context you need to make good mixing decisions. In solo, you’ll be guided towards choices that make tracks sound better on their own. But these decisions often don’t hold up in context. At best, they’ll need additional tweaking. At worst, they’ll lead you down the wrong path. For example, tracks often need a lot more compression than you’d ever apply in solo. Excessive soloing can lead to under-compression, which can make tracks sound shaky and unstable in a mix. It doesn’t matter how a track sounds in solo. All that matters is how it fits within the rest of your mix. Avoid the solo button while compressing. Force yourself to make decisions in context, with the rest of the tracks playing. This can be difficult at first, but it will lead to better compression decisions. 4. You Put It On Everything I like ketchup. In fact, I like it a lot. But some people love ketchup. And their passion for ketchup extends beyond burgers and fries. They put it on everything . Eggs, bacon, onion rings…
Compression is not ketchup. Put in on every track, and you’ll end up with a small, lifeless mix. The secret? Always have a reason for using it. And don’t be afraid to leave things alone. Many tracks—including distorted guitars, drum samples, and virtual instruments—will sound fine without it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 5. You Monitor Too Loud When you crank the speakers, it’s easy to hear everything. Tracks sound clear and impactful. And you feel like a pro. Turn the speakers down, however, and a lot of that detail will disappear. When the singer dips into her lower register, she’ll get drowned out. That dynamic guitar part will sound shaky and inconsistent. And suddenly, you don’t feel like a pro. But you end up working a lot harder. And compressing a lot more. This is a good thing. It will lead to a mix that sounds great at any volume. Force yourself to mix at lower levels, and your mixes will improve. 6. You Use It As A Crutch Rely on compression exclusively, and you’ll continually come up short. You may not have to move any faders, but your tracks will often end up sounding flat and lifeless. The trick? Get 80 to 90 percent of the way there with compression. Tracks should sit evenly without moving any faders. Then, flip on the automation and bring it home. Ride up the words and phrases that get lost. Bring up any details that the compressor missed. Even the best compressor won’t replace a fader. They’re both essential. Use them together.
7. You Use Multiband Like It’s Going Out Of Style Mastering engineer John Scrip has a nickname for multiband compression. He calls it maul-the-band compression. While many mixers use multiband compression liberally, I find it works best as a problem-solving tool. I avoid it unless necessary, because it’s got some serious downsides. Splitting a track into multiple bands and processing them independently can create artifacts and phase problems. And in most cases, single-band compression will do the job just fine. My advice? Try single-band first. And if you’re using a multiband compressor, have a reason for it. More knobs don’t mean better results. 8. You Apply It All At Once Ever hire a painter? The best painters apply several coats. First, they cover the walls with primer. Then, they add a few coats of paint. And finally, they touch up any areas they missed. Compression works in the same way. For best results, apply it in stages. Many mixers try to do too much at the end of the line. If they want a louder mix, they add more compression and limiting to the mix bus. The result? A wimpy, distorted record. Instead, compress in stages. Shave a few dB off tracks. Take a few more off your group busses. And finish it off with some gentle mix bus compression.
This approach will yield more musical results. And the kicker? You’ll often be able to achieve louder levels without distortion. 9. You Don’t Level-Match Most compressors have a control called makeup gain, which allows you to turn the track up after it’s been compressed. This control can be dangerous. Add too much makeup gain, and your track will end up louder than it was originally. This can make it difficult to determine whether the compressor is actually making the track sound better. Flip the bypass button in and out, and you’ll probably prefer the track with compression. But is it really better, or just louder? It’s hard to know. In some cases, your compressor might not be compressing at all. It may even be making things sound worse. To avoid this trap, always adjust the makeup gain until there is no change in level when you hit the bypass button. This is the only fair way to evaluate your decisions. Get this right, and you’ll always make the correct call. Conquering Compression, Once And For All Steer clear of these nine mistakes, and you’ll be on track to conquer compression for good. But if you’re looking to dive deeper, I put together a bonus cheatsheet with tips and tricks for compressing common tracks. I also included a list of my 5 favorite plugin compressors, so you can make sure you have the best tools for the job. This cheatsheet will give you even more clarity, so you can approach compression like a pro in your next mix. It’s attached to this PDF, and I hope you find it helpful!
7 Reverb Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making Reverb is one of the trickiest tools to master. Use it right, and your tracks will sound deep, wide, and three-dimensional. But mess it up, and you’ll be on the fast track to a flat, muddy mix. These seven mistakes will hold you back from using reverb like a pro. Avoid them, and you’ll be on your way to crafting clear, immersive, larger-than-life tracks. 1. You Use It To Mask Problems
Some mixers use reverb to obscure out of tune vocals, sub-par performances, or tracks that get in the way. While this can seem like a good idea, it often creates more problems than it solves. It can lead to a muddy, murky soundstage that lacks clarity and depth. It can create ambiguity—which will cause listeners to wonder if the decision was a mistake. Don’t use reverb to avoid making a decision. Instead, approach problem tracks head-on. Ask yourself—does this really need to be here? Can I re-record it? The best solution may be the mute button. 2. You Put It On Everything
To create depth, you need contrast. Certain tracks need to feel close, whereas others need to feel far away.
This image has depth because the chess piece in front feels close, but the blurred pieces behind it feel far away.
You can use reverb to make this happen. It only works, however, when you use it selectively . If you drown everything in reverb, there will be no contrast. Everything will sound far away, and nothing will sound close. Hence, no depth. Instead, be selective about which tracks you add reverb to. Use it to make some tracks feel close, and others far away. This is the key to creating depth. 3. You Don’t Time The Decay
When it comes to reverb, timing matters. Reverbs that ring out too long will trample over the rhythm of a track. This can quickly lead to a muddy mix. Short reverbs can be problematic too—specifically in downtempo tracks, where there’s lots of space between notes. If the reverb decays too quickly, it can leave holes in the soundstage, which can make a track sound thin and unpolished.
So how do you nail the perfect decay time? Set it so it covers the space between notes, but gets out of the way before the next note hits.
This means that decay times are largely tempo-dependent. Faster tempos will usually warrant shorter decays, because there’s less space between notes. On the other hand, ballads and downtempo tracks will normally need longer decays. 4. You Ignore Pre-Delay
Adding reverb to a track will make it sound farther away. This is often helpful. But sometimes, it’s not what you want. Take vocals, for example. Most of the time, you want them to sit front and center. So how do you add reverb without pushing them back? The trick is to add pre-delay. This is a parameter that you’ll find on most reverb plugins. It will separate the dry vocal from the reverb with a short delay. This will cause your brain to separate the two sounds, instead of fusing them together.
The effect? You’ll hear reverb, but the vocals will remain up-front. 5. You Use Too Much
Unless you’re trying to recreate the sound of the 80’s, a little reverb goes a long way. Reverb takes up lots of space. Use too much of it, and you’ll run out of room for other tracks in your mix. This can lead to a record that sounds muddy and unclear. Use less than you think you need. A good rule of thumb is to turn up the reverb until you can hear it, and then back off a bit. Most of the time, you want to feel reverb, rather than hear it. You shouldn’t notice that it’s there, but you should miss it when it’s gone.
6. You Never Use Short Reverbs
Short reverbs are massively underrated. They can add a convincing sense of depth without the space-sucking side effects of longer verbs. Try the small rooms or short ambience presets on your favorite reverb plugin. Often times, these can get the job done, while taking up almost no space in a mix. In general, the larger the session, the more helpful shorter reverbs are. Don’t discount them. 7. You Forget About Delay
Reverb isn’t always the best tool for the job. If you’re looking to create depth and space, delay is often a better choice. It can accomplish a similar effect to reverb, while taking up much less space in the soundstage. This will leave more room for other tracks in your mix. Delay is my first choice for dense pop tracks, where sonic real estate is often at a premium. Sparse, open tracks can usually handle more reverb, but may still benefit from a delay-centric approach.
9 Mix Bus Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making I felt like the commander of a spaceship. There were so many knobs. And when I automated stuff, the faders actually moved . I’ll never forget the first time I mixed on an SSL. It was so cool. But the coolest thing? That SSL mix bus compressor. From the moment I kicked it in and watched the meter dance, I was hooked. In the year that followed, I became obsessed with my mix bus. I piled on every plugin I could find. I copied the chains of my favorite mixers. “What’s on your mix bus?” became my favorite ice breaker. But along the way, I made every mistake in the book. I crushed, slammed, distorted, over-compressed, and over-EQ’d nearly every mix I made. When I listen to these tracks today, I cringe. The good news? You don’t have to repeat my mistakes. Avoid these nine pitfalls, and you’ll sidestep some of my biggest mix bus slip-ups... 1. You Think The Mix Bus Is Where The Magic Happens
When I first discovered you could add processing to the mix bus, I was pumped. I thought—this must be what’s separating my mixes from the pros!
Oh, how wrong I was. The truth? Mix bus processing is like the cherry on top of a bowl of ice cream. Will it transform a crappy flavor into a killer one? Definitely not. Is it even necessary? Eh. You can certainly get by without it. The mix bus is not where the magic happens. Crafting a great mix takes a lot more than proper mix bus processing. I wish it was that easy… 2. You Add Processing Too Late
Add mix bus processing at the end of a mix, and you can easily destroy the delicate balance you’ve spent days crafting. For better results, add it early and mix into it. This way, every decision you make throughout the mixing process will be shaped by what it’s doing. The result? You’ll get all the benefits of mix bus processing without messing things up at the end of the line. 3. You Try To Fix Problems On The Mix Bus
Many problems within a mix are caused by only one track. For example—if your mix sounds muddy, there might be too much low end on a synth. Or maybe the lower midrange on a guitar is too thick. Either way, when you make a move on your mix bus, you affect every track in your session. Cut the low end there, and you cut it from every track in your mix.
Why do this if only one track is causing the problem? This is a surefire path to a thin, wimpy mix. Instead, find the source of the problem and fix it there. The mix bus should be your last resort. 4. You Don’t Gain Stage Properly
Many plugins sound different depending on how hard you hit them. So to get the most out of your mix bus, make sure you’re hitting it at the right level. A good rule of thumb? Aim for around -18 dB on your DAW’s meters (this is average level…the peaks can jump above -18 dB). This will put you in the sweet spot of most plugins. Get this right, and you’ll optimize your mix bus for peak performance. 5. You Use Fast-Attack Compression
Fast attack times are deceptive. At first listen, they can make a mix sound smoother and more controlled. But there’s a downside to using them… They destroy transients. Transients are the short bursts of sound at the beginning of notes. They add energy and life to music, and taming them can make a mix sound flat and unexciting.
Since slower attack times preserve transients, they’re usually a better choice (especially on the mix bus). 6. You’re Too Heavy-Handed
Sometimes, aggressive mix bus processing makes sense. But most of the time, subtle is the way to go. Be gentle. Low-ratio compression and broad, tempered EQ curves often sound best. If you find yourself digging in deeper, make sure you’re not trying to solve a problem that can be fixed on an individual track (see #3 above). 7. You Don’t Use Gain Compensation On Your Limiter
Limiters are the most dangerous tools we’ve got. Why? Because in our quest to make things loud, we regularly destroy the mixes we’ve created. But often, it’s not our fault. See, most limiters have a major flaw. As you add more limiting, your track gets louder. Louder always sounds better. And this makes it difficult to determine when enough is enough. The result? We often end up crushing the mixes we worked so hard to create. But there’s a solution…
Gain compensation. This feature links the limiter’s input and output gain. When you turn the input up, the output turns down. So as you add more limiting, there’s no change in level. Gain compensation makes it easy to determine the right amount of limiting for any mix. Just crank the input gain until the mix starts to sound smaller. Then back it off a bit. Problem solved. 8. You Pile On Specialty Processing
As modern mixers, we’ve got all sorts of fancy tools. Saturators, stereo imagers, multiband compressors… But the truth? They all have their downsides. Saturators can make a mix sound harsh and edgy. Stereo imagers can cause phase problems. Multiband compressors can create artifacts between bands. (There’s a reason why mastering engineer John Scrip calls them “maul-the-band” compressors…) Do you really need all this stuff on your mix bus? Probably not. Instead, go back to basics. It’s amazing what proper balance, EQ and compression can do. Get this stuff right, and you’ll find you can often craft better mixes without these specialty tools. 9. You Never Touch The Fader
The master fader is a fader . Yup…just like any other track in your mix. Don’t be afraid to automate that puppy.
Bump it up a dB in the choruses to add impact. Pull it down in the outro to make the song feel smaller. Do this right, and you’ll enhance the dynamics of your mix.
SSL console image by Audio Mix House ( CC BY 2.0 ) Cherry ice cream image by Javcon117 ( CC BY 2.0 )
EQ Cheatsheet
Acoustic Drums Be careful when boosting top end on close mic’d tracks. This can accentuate cymbal bleed and make the drums sound harsh. If you’re struggling to achieve brightness without bringing up the cymbals, try using gates to reduce the bleed between hits. You can also layer in drum samples (my first choice) and EQ them for brightness without bringing up the bleed. There are two approaches for EQing overheads. You can either: 1. Filter out all the low end and use them as cymbal mics, or... 2. Leave them as-is and use them to form the overall sound of the kit Option #1 will create a separated, sculpted sound that works well in modern genres. Option #2 will lead to a more natural sound that works well for folk and acoustic music. Try rolling off everything below 40 Hz on the kick. This can often tighten things up. Since each mic has bleed, you should always EQ drums with all the mics playing together. You can often filter the hi-hat aggressively. Try cutting everything below 500 Hz. Acoustic drums will often need lots of EQ. Don’t be afraid to boost or cut by 10 dB or more. Listen to a few modern records and notice how bright the kick is. The key to getting your kick to cut isn’t more low end, but more top end. Vocals When boosting top end, listen for harshness. Often times, this will occur when your boost extends too far down the frequency spectrum. If this happens, move the boost higher up or tighten the Q. You can also add a small cut to the upper midrange to counteract any harshness. High-pass filtering will often be necessary, but it’s not always needed. If you don’t hear a problem, there’s no need to fix it. You can high-pass female vocals much higher than male vocals without affecting the sound of the voice. Listen for resonances in the lower midrange. You can address and remove them using my sweep and destroy method, which I explain here.
Bass To add presence, boost higher than you think. The solution is not more low end, but to bring out the harmonics (start around 700 - 1200 Hz). Distortion will often do a better job at adding presence than EQ. Acoustic Guitars Don’t be afraid to roll off the low end. Often times, all you want is the sound of the pick hitting the strings. Watch for resonances in the lower midrange. You can address and remove them using my sweep and destroy method, which I explain here. Electric Guitars Listen to them with the bass. Often times, you can remove quite a bit of low end. The guitars may sound thin on their own, but with the bass, they’ll sound great. Watch for harsh resonances in the upper midrange (2 - 4 kHz). You can address and remove them using my sweep and destroy method, which I explain here. If electric guitars are recorded well, they often need little-to-no EQ. For presence, boost around 4 kHz. Synths Your approach should vary widely depending on what you’re working with. Many modern synths are ear-piercingly bright. Don’t be afraid to roll off top end. This can help them sink back into a mix. Often times, synths will fill up the entire frequency spectrum. In a busy mix, you’ll often have to whittle them down using high and low-pass filters. You can be aggressive when EQing synths, because we have no expectations about what they should sound like. This gives you more flexibility than when EQing an organic instrument, where you can’t stray too far from what the instrument sounds like in real life. Piano
Boosting 5 kHz can bring out the sound of the hammers hitting the strings. This will make the piano sound harder, which can help it cut through a busy mix.
My Top EQ Plugins #1 Choice: FabFilter Pro-Q 2
For me, nothing beats the sound and flexibility of the FabFilter Pro-Q 2. Its slick GUI is easy on the eyes, and the built-in spectral analyzer is invaluable. I rarely use anything else.
#2 Choice: Waves REQ
This plugin is old school, but I like the way the shelves sound. While I can emulate its behavior using the Pro-Q, it's still a great choice.
#3 Choice: UAD Pultec Pro
A no frills, easy-to-use EQ. It’s hard to make this one sound bad.
For more mixing tips, visit BehindTheSpeakers.com.
Compression Cheatsheet
Vocals Think of attack time as a consonant-control knob. A slower attack will emphasize consonants, making the vocalist sound like they’re spitting out the words more aggressively. Faster attack times will shave off consonants, making the performance sound smoother and less aggressive. Think of release time as a low-level detail control. A fast release will bring up the tail ends of phrases, breaths, and quieter notes. This can make a performance sound more aggressive and urgent. A slower release will preserve the natural character of the performance, leading to more transparent dynamic control. If the sound of the compressor kicking in is distracting, a soft knee can make it less noticeable. Some compressors will give you the option to dial this in manually. Others, like the LA-2A, feature a soft-knee that’s always on. For more tips, read this article on vocal compression . Drums Watch your attack time. A fast attack can destroy the punch and impact of drums. In most cases, a slow attack is what you want. A fast release will bring up room ambience. This can make the drums sound bigger. Heavy compression can bring up cymbal noise on every track. If the cymbals are getting too loud, dial back the compression and use drum samples to augment the performance. You can compress the samples to get the punch you want, without bringing up any cymbal noise. You can use parallel compression to make the drums sound thicker and denser, which can help them sit better in a mix. For more details, watch this video on parallel compression . If you’re working with samples, don’t be afraid to leave them alone. They often sound great as-is.
Bass Optical compressors like the LA-2A and LA-3A often work well. Watch your release time—if it’s too fast, you’ll add distortion. This isn’t always bad, however, as it may help the bass cut through. Don’t be afraid to compress heavily—modern mixes generally feature a rock-solid low end. Guitars Distorted guitars may not need any compression, as the distortion will often round off any peaks. Don’t be afraid to leave them alone. For acoustic guitars, two-stage compression often works well. Start with a limiter to reduce short-term peaks, followed by a slower, gentler compressor with a soft knee to even out the overall dynamics. De-essing acoustic guitars can tame peaks and help them sit better in the mix. In most cases, you’ll want to time the release so the compressor fully recovers before the next strum. Keys/Synths Your approach should vary widely based on what you’re working with. Compressing a piano with a slower release can add sustain. Soft-knee compression generally works well on piano. Before you reach for compression, try adjusting the velocity of your MIDI notes. If your parts are programmed well, they often won’t need any compression.
For more mixing tips, visit BehindTheSpeakers.com.
My 5 Favorite Compressor Plugins
1. Slate’s FG-Grey (part of their Virtual Bus Compressors package)
Slate’s FG-Grey is a souped-up emulation of an SSL G-series bus compressor (perhaps the most iconic mix bus compressor of all time). It’s got a bright, snappy sound that pairs well with most modern genres. The added high-pass filter and mix knob can be a lifesaver.
2. Sonnox’s Oxford Dynamics
Sporting an algorithm originally designed by world-renowned engineer Paul Frindle (known for creating the legendary SSL G-series bus compressor), the Oxford can nail nearly any compression task with grace and musicality. It’s got an incredibly transparent sound that enhances mixes without adding any color or tonal shift.
3. FabFilter’s Pro-C 2
Known for its gorgeous interface, flexible sidechain filtering, and wide variety of compression styles, FabFilter’s Pro-C 2 is the compressor of choice for many modern mixers. While I don’t find it to be as musical as the Oxford, its auto-release function can deliver better results on tracks with complex dynamics (like acoustic piano).
4. McDSP’s 6030 Ultimate Compressor
The 6030 features 10 (yes…10!) compressor modules in a single interface. The modules range from emulations of studio classics like the 1176 and LA-2A, to custom creations like the FRG 444 and iComp. The 1176 and LA-2A are spot on, and a bit more hi-fi than those in Waves’ CLA Classic Compressors bundle. Also, nothing beats the Over EZ on drums.
5. UAD’s Fairchild 670
The Fairchild’s uber-slow release time can works wonders on downtempo ballads. It’s also got an incredibly colored sound that will add heaps of character to any mix. This one’s a bit of a one-trick pony, but when it works, there’s nothing like it.
For more mixing tips, visit BehindTheSpeakers.com.
