Old 01-08-2016, 12:22 PM   #1
vejichan
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Default Parallel compressing drums for more punch?

Ok I want to do parallel compression with ez drummer 2 in reaper...can anybody give me clear step by step instructions with compression settings and reverb settings to make my drums punchy , meaty and bigger? Btw I play hard rock and metal music.

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Old 01-08-2016, 12:45 PM   #2
bladerunner
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(Assuming you know the routing) Compress the parallel signal pretty heavily then bring it up into the mix. Experiment with different compressors and just see what appeals to you. A tip is to use high or low pass filters on the parallel signal if the low end or high end is becoming a bit overwhelming in the overall drum mix.
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Old 01-08-2016, 01:37 PM   #3
serr
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That's the ticket! ^^^

As for routing, simply send to two or more buses.

There are no "presets" for compression or reverb any more than there are "presets" for what song you want to listen to right now and/or what volume do you want to listen to it at.


The only technical thing to watch out for is a plugin (a compressor plugin in this case) that reports its latency to PDC incorrectly and would thus cause phase issues by being a few samples out of alignment with the other track.


Also, don't be afraid to try an amp sim or distortion box instead of (or in addition to) a comp on a parallel bus!
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Old 01-08-2016, 01:58 PM   #4
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Tip for have fine control on parrallel tracks' faders:

When sending from DRUM BUSS to PARALLEL BUSS try turning down the send level (how much signal is being sent) by just a bit. It will make you adjust your threshold on the parallel channel's compressor more than you may be used to due to less signal, but moreover, it will allow your parrallel buss fader to be used a bit easier and with finer control when blending that sound back in with your original sound. (i.e. Send -4dB to -8dB signal instead of the full 0dB.)

Another option to that is to play with Reaper's MIX knob. I prefer the fader mention for easy automation purposes.


Serr already mentioned distorition. That's a good trick.
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Old 01-08-2016, 06:39 PM   #5
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I'd like to add that you might want to make sure the VSTi's internal reverb settings are disabled in each copy. Then add verb after you've mixed the two channels together.

That's what I do anyway.
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Old 01-08-2016, 06:48 PM   #6
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I just picked up Disto by SKNote and many people were asking for a wet/dry knob to do parallel compression. It was mentioned that Reaper includes that for every plugin, but the developer stated that oversampling causes phase-shift in the filters so external wet/dry isn't ideal and it needs to be within the oversampling portion of the plugin code for best results.

I just thought I'd mention that as I hadn't heard it before. Most decent comps will use oversampling, and on something as important as a drum bus you definitely don't want phase issues. I've always gravitated to Reaper's mix knob, but will start using the plugin's one when provided until this issue is clarified...
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Old 01-08-2016, 06:55 PM   #7
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Also check out Boz Manic Compressor

http://www.bozdigitallabs.com/product/manic-compressor/

I have used parallel compression (using a bus) for one purpose or another on every mix for years. This is all I use now. The customer reviews on his site are sincere.

Good youtube video demo on the product page too.
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Old 01-08-2016, 08:01 PM   #8
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Another common technique is to cut a lot of midrange ahead of the compressor.

Generally, go for quick release and bring the attack time up slowly until you get the right amount of punch out of it. Also, don't be afraid to have the compressed channel very quiet, as sometimes it's better to feel it than hear it clearly.

I tend to send bass drum, snare and toms to the same parallel compression channel, but many people treat them separately or send the whole drum bus for parallel compression.
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Old 01-08-2016, 08:53 PM   #9
serr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PitchSlap View Post
I just picked up Disto by SKNote and many people were asking for a wet/dry knob to do parallel compression. It was mentioned that Reaper includes that for every plugin, but the developer stated that oversampling causes phase-shift in the filters so external wet/dry isn't ideal and it needs to be within the oversampling portion of the plugin code for best results.

I just thought I'd mention that as I hadn't heard it before. Most decent comps will use oversampling, and on something as important as a drum bus you definitely don't want phase issues. I've always gravitated to Reaper's mix knob, but will start using the plugin's one when provided until this issue is clarified...
I just use multiple tracks. Easy to adjust/balance with the channel faders.
If there's any question or hint of phase shift, I'll render a little test item and zoom in and compare the waveforms with the original. If there's any phase shift (or latency if you prefer), you'll see it and you can correct for it exactly. (The JS time shift plugin lets you dial in negative samples of delay for example.)

Most plugins play nice but there are a couple that are off a little. Keep a text document for notes on that stuff for reference. You can also save plugin chains with the time adjuster inserted. You can use any plugin you want for parallel work. It's one of the big strengths of DAW mixing actually because you can see and correct for any phase issue.
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Old 02-22-2016, 05:32 PM   #10
Sebastian Vera
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What I like to do with drums with metal bands is to make an aux of the toms kick and snare (aux+send of the track gives you parallel procesing) all together high pass it (around 1k, to give an idea) then hard conpress it, add distortion (saturn twintube etc.)

This will give you the "metal" snap or clic of the drums plus it will levelout it also. Some drumers tend to hit hard when playing slow kicks and hit soft doing fast hits. This compression will help leveling the snaps so wont do much when they hit hard and will pump when hit soft

And gives you the ability to control the amount of snap with the send volume so you can easily automate to lower or increase the effect as desired
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Old 02-23-2016, 02:21 AM   #11
RobU
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There's a great video on parallel compression by Kenny G, available from the Reaper home page

http://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#uznFOBJzOvs

Cheers
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Old 08-21-2017, 09:52 PM   #12
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Good heavenly God- thanks for that link. I've always appreciated Kenny G, but now, it's about to become an obsession.
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