When should I parallel compress?

I typically employ parallel compression when working with signals that have clear transients, but quiet, low-level information that seems to get lost among other instruments.

Does parallel compression cause phasing?

Using parallel compression can add punch to drums, but can also cause phase problems if you aren’t careful.

What is the difference between compression and parallel compression?

Serial compression is when the compressor is inserted in the signal chain and you use 100\% of the processed/compressed signal. Parallel compression is when you set up a separate bus for the compression and you blend in the compressed signal with the original uncompressed signal.

Is parallel compression good?

Using parallel compression on drums can help keep all the dynamics of the original source material but add volume, depth and power to them without crushing dynamics or adding too much make up gain that will overdrive the mix bus.

How do you use parallel compression?

How to use parallel compression

1. Start by creating an aux return channel in your DAW’s mixer.
2. Add the compressor plugin you want to use as an insert on the aux return track.
3. Create a pre-fader send on your source track to route to the compressor on the aux.
4. Select the send from your source as the input of the aux track.

Should you parallel compress vocals?

Parallel compression involves minimally processing the main vocals and applying a more obvious compression to the same source on another track. You are then able to lightly blend in the overly compressed vocal with the natural sounding track.

Does parallel processing cause phase issues?

5. Avoid phasing issues. Sometimes, phasing issues can become a problem when you set up parallel treatments. Effectively, you’re duplicating an audio stream so that it plays back on top of itself and, depending on which processors you use on your parallels, phasing can be an unwanted by-product.

What is parallel compression drums?

Parallel compression, sometimes referred to as New York Compression, is one of the most powerful mixing techniques available come time to work with drums. Essentially, instead of putting compressors directly onto drum tracks, those uncompressed drum tracks are routed to a bus that has a single compressor on it.

What is parallel compression for drums?

With parallel compression, you duplicate a sound and only compress the duplicated version. So you end up with two different channels. Both of them are playing the same sound, but one’s compressed and the other isn’t.

Should I use compression on every track?

It can be easy to get in the habit of throwing a compressor on every track because we assume we should. But not every sound needs to be compressed. If you want to highlight the aggressive parts of a sound’s transients or to tame its dynamics, compression makes sense.