KVR Audio

lurch101 · Post by **lurch101** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:40 am

Hey all. I'm looking for some info on how to do a little upward compression, specifically with the Waves C1, but any info is good info. I have a recording of an artist who does some beatboxing in the beginning of his set, and at the end does full songs. I'm trying to make the quieter songs come up in volume, while leaving the louder songs untouched. The quieter songs peak out at about -18 to -15, whereas the louder songs are about -12 to -9. The easy way to go would be to say just give the quieter songs another 6dB of gain, but I want all the crowd noise brought up at the ends of the louder songs too.

The method I'm using is to use the Waves C1 comp/gate with the gate in expander mode. I move the threshold to just around where the quieter songs peak out, and I set the floor to add 6dB. From what I could make out of the manual, this would allow sounds under the threshold to come up 6dB, and those above the threshold would be untouched (with regards to the attack, release and hold settings). However, I'm still adding some 4dB to the louder passages.

I'm completely new to the method of upward compression, though I think I have the idea of it pretty well.

???

Killvehicle · Post by **Killvehicle** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:56 am

YOUr trying to MASTER something it sounds like,, UPward compression is usally when you mixed a Compressed file with its uncompressed counterpart. NOt really leveling of indivdual songs. Although what you are doing may work in some ways.

lurch101 · Post by **lurch101** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:14 am

What I'd read on it said it was used widely for classical music where the soft passages need to be brought up without squashing the louder passages. Essestially, that's what I'm trying to do. Later in the chain I'll compress the tops and send to the L3.

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:15 am

The simplest thing (in theory) would be to try and manually ride the gain. It won't be perfect, but neither would most of the alternatives. Plus it's amazing what one can do nowadays with automation.

The Chase · Post by **The Chase** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:25 am

Here's my take on terminology in this thread. I could be wrong, but am pretty sure I am not.

My take on definitive upward compression is compressing a signal with a negative ratio (for instance 0.5:1)

Killvehicle wrote:YOUr trying to MASTER something it sounds like,, UPward compression is usally when you mixed a Compressed file with its uncompressed counterpart. NOt really leveling of indivdual songs. Although what you are doing may work in some ways.

I've been taught to call that "New York compression" (though I don't know why). Basically mixing wet and dry signals of a compressor.

What would bring the quieter parts of a signal stronger but not effecting the louder parts is an Expander.

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 11:18 pm

What would bring the quieter parts of a signal stronger but not effecting the louder parts is an Expander.

Wrong. An expander literally expands the dynamics, so the quiet parts become softer. A noise gate is an extreme expander.

What is needed here in this case can be achieved by about any compressor with some extreme settings: set the ratio very high (1:10 or even max), the threshold very low (lower than the volume on the soft part) and the release very long.

But I'd prefer to adjust the main volume by drawing an envelope curve in CoolEditPro or Adobe Audition.

The Chase · Post by **The Chase** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:43 am

hehe I told you I might be wrong

hoffy · Post by **hoffy** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:47 am

why not make the louder parts softer, and then bring them all up to the same volume?

Upward Compression