Compression Tips

trancegodz

trancegodz

Fractal Fanatic
A while back Radley posted this very informative great post on Compression Tips.

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/ultra...ression-tips-including-new-9-02-features.html

It helped me a lot, but just gave generalities on how to set attack and release times.
I'd love to know more about this in particular.

What would all the settings be for compression used by well known guitarists and producers.

Like the compression setting for a sound like the guitarist for The Police.

The compression settings for sounds like you hear on Beatles recordings like Day Tripper, etc.

The compression settings on various Led Zeppelin songs.

The compression settings on various Jimi Hendrix songs.

The compression settings for country guitar and chicken picking.

Etc.

In all cases I'd like to know the exact Axe FXII settings to use, not just generalities like "use a fast attack and slow release".
 
To be honest, general rules are better.

The compressor is a dynamic processor, so the settings will vary a lot depending on the instrument (for example humbuckers vs single coils), the picking tecnique (for example: hard strumming versus legato), the part being played (for example and arpeggio made by 8th notes at 80bpm vs a fast punk rhythm guitar), and so on.
 
Try to decide if you want the compressor to alter the note attacks or not. Learn to hear a guitar track and tell if the compressor is affecting the note attacks. Experiment with the Axe compressor block in a basic Fender preset. Change the attack to min and max and learn what that sounds like.

Set the release time to be in tempo with the track. Old school, you would just look at the VU meters for gain reduction and get them in time with the track.

Last decide if the compressor you are going for is adding dirt to the track. Use the tape or tube drive (or another distortion of your choice) to emulate this in the AxeFx.
 
There really is no way to give you threshold settings because that is entirely dependent on the input signal and your playing.
 
I think its best to mess with the AxeFx compressor controls on a clean preset and train your ears to hear what affect the different slow / fast settings give you.

Then you can match that up with your favorite recordings by ear.
 
I suggest you start with no compression, then dime each parameter so you can hear what it is doing to the sound. Then dial in what you are looking for.
 
Radley's Compressor Tips post said; "Note: the AFX attack & release controls are as rates, not times, and therefore the higher
the setting, the faster the response (the opposite of many compressors)."

I'm confused. Does turning the attack and release controls to the right in Axe Edit make the times shorter instead of longer?
So the shortest attack and release settings would be all the way to the right, and the longest all the way to the left in Axe Edit?
 
Radley's tips from 2010 are referring to the Standard/Ultra. The respective II compressor settings are times (ms).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom