Do you actually drop a compressor on every single track?

[CrystalWizard]

Always! I put the compressors on each track even before the sources go on. /s

[swilow11]

As to the OP's original question - which actually was: does he need to use a comp on every channel.
The short answer is: no mate, you don't need to.
You CAN if you want to but you can make great sounding tracks with a lot less compression than that.
If you really are a beginner then the real short answer on what compressors do is: they make things sound louder. You squash the peaks down, then boost the end result up so that the peak volume is the same as the original but the stuff beneath it is louder. A comp is a louderizer. It does shitloads of other stuff but ultimately most people use comps to louderize and it's as simple as that.

I actually think this type of thinking confuses beginners because really the first and most apparent thing a compressor does is reduce volume (before you apply make-up gain). Obviously it decreases dynamic range which ultimately leads to an sense of increased loudness but I think looking at a compressor as a fancy sort of automatic volume fader is more useful.

[jethrobull]

If you know what a compressor does and how to use one then you have your answer.

[PatchAdamz]

It is not always necessary to use a compressor on every track but it depends.

If your using live drums, vocals, guitars and otherwise "REAL" instruments then compression will be useful.
If your tracks are mostly samples and already compressed or lacking dynamically, then compression wont be as necessary.

It really depends on your music.

[jamcat]

I put a console channel (comp+EQ) on every track, but I only use them if I need to. Most sit there doing not much of anything. This is how it would be if you were working on a desk. Doing this will actually train you to not over-process.

[Doc3g]

The only thing I don't use compressors on is UJAM guitars. I feel like whatever compression they get on the master bus is more than enough, and more than that makes them sound squashed.

[BONES]

This is quite clear about non-electronic music, recordings require dynamics control.
In electronic music you can control amp envelops and such.
Noticed in one interview with Boris Brejcha that he doesn't compress single tracks at all,
but only the mix bus, and he got a pretty damn good sound.

I'm with Boris, mostly. I put Puncher 2 on my drum mix (because I don't use separate outs from my drums any more) and FireCobra on my master and that's it, really. I use SSL's Vocal Strip on my vocals and it contains a compressor/expander but I don't use a standalone compressor. I do cheat a lot, though, by using saturation and distortion on a lot of things, which has the incidental effect of compressing the shit out of them.

As you suggest, it's trivial to tweak any synth sound to get it to behave how you want it to. That said, sometimes it might be easier to use a sidechained compressor on a synth to get a particular effect you're after. For the most part, though, I don't think it should be necessary.

I think a lot of effects that are basically designed to fix problems are overused these days. e.g. If you need a transient shaper to improve a sound, maybe just find a better sound that doesn't need a transient shaper? Of course a transient shaper will make pretty much any sound "seem" better, so it's easy to get into he mindset that you have to use it all the time but it really shouldn't be so.

[EchoEko]

i normally place a compressor only on my individual drum channels, to tame peaks

[unaufadox]

This is quite clear about non-electronic music, recordings require dynamics control.
In electronic music you can control amp envelops and such.
Noticed in one interview with Boris Brejcha that he doesn't compress single tracks at all,
but only the mix bus, and he got a pretty damn good sound.

This no compressor approach is a nice one - one I'd like to employ some day.

But for the most part, compressors are your friend. Probably not on every track though. They are automated level control tools. When you need level control on a sound, a compressor can help. If it sits in the mix well already, perhaps because you were conscious of how you played the part and the frequency of it in your production, maybe it can just be free.

[stoopicus]

You use compressors to make things louder and bring up the body of a tone in the mix. There will almost alway be use for a compressor somewhere on every track involving instruments that are not purely synthesized, and usually on synthesized ones too. They are invaluable mixing tools and my thought at first glance at the topic title was "of course I do. usually more than one."

Just having a compressor on a track does not imply you are squashing it and killing all dynamics. Taming some of the peaks and bringing up the body is almost always a good thing, even on relatively round/warm sounds.

Compression is actually one of the hardest effects to really master as when used properly the listener should not know it is there at all (unless you are going for a specific effect, such as vocoders).

Also, good luck mastering without a mastering limiter. You can, but it sucks.

[kritikon]

I use 4 on each channel. 1 for transients, 2 for the body, 3 for biggerising the stuff I've already biggerised, then the 4th just because I can and my dick's bigger than yours.
You should see my mixbus - there aren't actually enough inserts for me to get all the compressors I need onto my mix let alone all the limiters to get unity LUFS, so I have to feed the 2 channel mix out into several serial groups to get extra inserts before the final output 2 channel. TBH all the other stuff in DAWs, like arrange page, midi etc just gets in the way of all my compressor screen real estate. Music should be stamped flat like a snail under a hobnail boot.





Irony, just in case it's not obvious.

[lolilol1975]

No.
Compression has pros but also cons, so it's important to know when to use it, and the tradeoffs you make when you use them.

Usages or Pros:
- increase low level details, which adds life to the track
- make things "louder" as a corollary from the above point (after gain)
- tame strong transients
- "glue" things together due to the above qualities
- can "color" your sound (this can be a cons too, depending if the coloration was intended or not)

Cons:
- destroys dynamics
- unwanted colorations
- pumping effect if exaggerated (it can be used creatively, but it's generally an unwanted artefact)

If the dynamics of the track is pretty even, then there is no need for a track compressor. Most often, compression is best when it's used sparingly.

[roman.i]

If you know what a compressor does and how to use one then you have your answer.

It squashes the dynamics, and I know what every knob is doing and how to tune it.
Apparently, this is not enough to decide whenever a track requires a compression or not.

[Uncle E]

It squashes the dynamics, and I know what every knob is doing and how to tune it.
Apparently, this is not enough to decide whenever a track requires a compression or not.

Did you get the information you needed from this thread? If not, what else would you like to know?

[roman.i]

It squashes the dynamics, and I know what every knob is doing and how to tune it.
Apparently, this is not enough to decide whenever a track requires a compression or not.

Did you get the information you needed from this thread? If not, what else would you like to know?

There are plenty of answers in this thread.
Thanks everyone.