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Old 06-03-2017, 06:13 AM   #1
bloodbubble
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Norfolk UK
Posts: 136
Default Compressing a snare, masterclass!?

I'm working on a multi-mic'd kit which I didn't compress on the way in. The snare was played what quite aggressively on a few tracks, so much so that all I'm really getting is a loud cardboardy snap, no body no ring etc, its really mostly peak.
So obviously I'm thinking I'm going to have to compress this peak down with a fast attack, slow release to get more of the sustain out yeah?
But then I seem to lose the punch that's so popular these days, am I being too heavy handed??.

Or should I be aiming to set my compressor so finely that its misses the very first instance of the peak then clamps down, then releases for the sustain? OR...
set the compressor so it clamps down for the very first instance of the peak then releases super fast to leave the rest of the peak and sustain in place.

OR... should I compress the snare right down and lay the original uncompressed snare over the top for the punch??

I realise that a lot of my snare sound comes from overheads and room mics but the danger is always washing things out with cymbals/hats, which also increase on the snare mics as I compress.

I do not want to use samples, this is actually something I've laid awake thinking about for a few years now!! I am surely over complicating things
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