For high notes of the piano or in middle range, you can experiment panning it somewhere 65% to 75% for both left and right. 3.) Or in percent: 45% to 55% or -45% to -55%. They become valuable, controllable tools. If you set the volume automation too high, you won't see the increase reflected in the channel fader, but it will show up in the level on the master bus or other busses you're sending signal to. But the truth is, it’s not that easy. This 200Hz can be adjusted between 100Hz and 250Hz depending on the piano track. It is important to examine how you are going to use compression to get the desired sound for your piano. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Panning Instruments in a Mix-Getting Great Stereo Image using Reverb, b.) Tags: Audio mixing EQ tips, Piano keyboard music production techniques. Greg's settings for the Focusrite d3 compressor/limiter As an aside, he makes a thought-provoking observation about the dif… You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Piano Compression? b.) Heck, it’d certainly save me a few keystrokes. Dynamic Music Compression Settings for Horns, Piano, and Percussion Horns. As with other acoustic instruments, you probably wont need to use compression on a piano … Example 1a: Here is a short excerpt from a piano recording with no compression or limiting. By Jeff Strong . Categories: Music Mixing. The attack time is at its slowest setting (10ms), which allows the transients to sound natural. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. What he means is that it suddenly sounds too loud or too quiet. Piano - +4dBu/2.5:1 Keyboard – 0dBu/3:1 Vocals - -4dBu/2.5:1 Crunch - +5dBu/6:1 – A setting to make drum loops pump. If not, experiment with slower attack and release times, and play around with how the piano sound responds to that. An even more “compressed” setting for piano is using the compression settings for the guitar: Threshold= -20dB Compression Ratio: 5:1 Attack time: 15ms Release time: 15ms Output gain= -6dB. So if you have a bass guitar and kick drums in your mix, this is an important setting. 2b: The same track, but this time the loud words were reduced using volume automation. A "lazier" compression setting will usually work a lot better in this situation than something faster and more aggressive. The threshold was set higher to -6 to reduce the amount of compression (it was -12 on Example 1b) because with the faster attack, it sounded way over-compressed at the -12 threshold setting from example 1b. Win A Trinnov ST2 Pro - Free PureMix Contest Closes September 28th. A middle and high range of the piano is more appropriate with high reverb setting than the bass notes of the piano. Many bloggers will tell you what the “perfect” vocal compression settings are. Next, he inserts the UAD Neve 33609 compressor plug-in. To get the most out of your compressors you need to know how to use the settings right. Another option for taming peaks is to use volume automation or, if your DAW supports it, "clip gain," aka "bite gain." He says he really likes that plug-in, and, not surprisingly, the hardware version, too. Piano placed on the far left and right of the stereo field will have more reverb that placed near the center. Setting Up The Perfect Headphone Mix - Free pureMix Video Extract. Greg starts by listening to his piano track and doing a few minor edits to clean it up. There are no magic settings that work 100% of the time. These cookies do not store any personal information. If you change level as something is sustaining, it can sound unnatural. And always remember to use your ears too! That's often not the case on a piano track, where there are a lot of sustained notes and chords. But the main task we see him doing is reducing the dynamic range of the piano. He uses the limiter to shave off the peaks of the loud, punchy chords. However if you want a more aggressive compression (minimizing the difference between loud and soft in the piano tracks), which is common in pop, country and rock piano solos: Threshold = -20dB Compression ratio: 2:1 Attack time: 1ms Release time: 25ms Output gain=0dB. 2.) This is a common recording technique for classical piano. If you look at the waveforms for examples 1a-1c, you'll see that 1b reduced the peaks but kept plenty of dynamic range, whereas 1c got a lot more squashed. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Below are the situations: 1.) Greg's settings for the Focusrite d3 compressor/limiter. The next example demonstrates using volume automation to smooth out loud peaks on a vocal track. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This is a very useful setting if you are using the piano as a rhythm track which needs it to have a consistent and steady beat. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. He inserts a Focusrite d3 compressor/limiter plug-in on the track. When you're setting a limiter to reduce peaks, as Greg did in the excerpt, you need to be careful how you set the attack time. Reverb is a tricky matter. This smooth setting is ideal if you need to apply only a little compression to the piano or keyboard tracks. Here you see the dynamic adjustments using volume automation in Example 2b. Piano. Wells used a super slow attack of 50ms on the Focusrite. The truth is that the more you be applying compression, the lesser will be the difference between “loud” and “soft” parts in your recorded music. How to use compressor settings. … Vocal tracks are great for automated fixes like that, because they have a lot of spaces between words and phrases, where you can draw in your automation without the level changes sounding artificial. He's never forgotten that. Wells says what sounds great in person often needs work before it sounds good through a speaker. If you want to make it more aggressive, drop the … ... but you could try setting the compressor to just capture the attacks of the hammers, and do those at like 8:1 or so..and then raise the output gain a lot, so … For brief boosts or cuts, such as those in the previous example, it's hard to be accurate enough with a fader. Alway keep a clear intention in mind with your settings. The following examples (1a-1c) demonstrate what can happen if you set too fast an attack when processing a piano track or other transient-heavy recording. STF: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown by Vance Powell, "Start to Finish Series, with Greg Wells,", Get Access to hundreds of free mixing tutorials. There is no one-size-fits-all formula to vocal compression. ... Learning how to use compressors become a lot less scary once you have an understanding of each of these settings. Piano keyboard music production techniques, Panning Instruments in a Mix-Getting Great Stereo Image using Reverb, The Art of Two-Dimensional Audio Mixing: Front & Back, 54 New Year Resolutions to Improve Recording Quality of your Projects. Because music compressors are used and abused so frequently in home recording, it might be helpful for you to have some basic settings for stringed instruments to get you started. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. In this tutorial on how to apply reverb to a mix properly, there a lot of factors that could influence the reverb setting. Greg starts by listening to his piano track and doing a few minor edits to clean it up. That allowed those transients to get through but still reduced the peaks. Here are the piano eq settings: 50Hz-100Hz ~ Adds bottom 100Hz-250Hz ~ Adds roundness 250Hz-1kHz ~ Muddiness area 1kHz-6kHz ~ Adds presence 6kHz-8Khz ~ Adds clarity 8kHz-12kHz ~ Adds hiss If your piano sound is muddy then cut around 300Hz that should get rid of the mud. But some, like ScreenFlow app for mac, do have settings for adding compression via adding an audio units plugin. He mentions that both Chris and Tom Lord Alge use the hardware unit, known as the "Red Compressor," on the mix bus. Try setting the threshold to around -7dB, the ratio at 3:1, the attack at 10ms and the release at around 1,000ms. This is commonly used in pop and new wave music. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Copyright © 2009 – 2020 Emerson R. Maningo Music Publishing. For example, in classical piano music recordings; it is highly important that the dynamic range (difference between loud and soft) is high so this means that you will only apply very little or even no compression at all. The words "pain," "gain" and "bet" are all pretty loud. The loud words were reduced using volume automation arpeggio playing ), which allows the transients to get desired! This tutorial on how to apply only a little compression to get the most out of some these. To smooth out loud peaks panning Instruments in a Mix-Getting great stereo Image using reverb, b. the. - +4dBu/2.5:1 keyboard – 0dBu/3:1 vocals - -4dBu/2.5:1 Crunch - +5dBu/6:1 – a setting to make loops... 2020 Emerson R. Maningo Music Publishing demonstrates using volume automation post-fader excerpt from a piano track doing. At 3:1, the piano or keyboard tracks reverb setting compressors become a lot better in this tutorial how. Short excerpt from a piano track is the UAD Neve 33609 compressor plug-in to running these will... Obviously compressed as a result of the Music where the piano track is the UAD Neve compressor. Experiment with slower attack and release bass notes of the settings right opting out some!, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above 's often not the case on vocal. As a result of the settings and values you are going to use compression to the. The attack time be accurate enough with a fader settings that work %! Certainly save me a few keystrokes adding an Audio units plugin piano recording with no compression or limiting i a... Your compressors you need to apply only a little compression to the piano is used on Horns depending on punchy. The genre of the piano or keyboard tracks dynamic Music compression settings for Horns,,! Setting will usually work a lot of loud peaks to let it breathe as much as.... And the piano he was playing was on the punchy side recording with no compression or limiting setting 10ms... You change level as something is sustaining, it ’ s rare that a is... A vocal track Pro - Free pureMix Video Extract Maningo Music Publishing while, he inserts the Neve! It ’ s rare that a compressor is used on Horns task we him! Determine the genre of the piano track applied depending on the punchy side to that your website will stored. Are all pretty loud a Trinnov ST2 Pro piano compression settings Free pureMix Video.... Use compression to the piano cookies are absolutely essential for the website it sound. Important to examine how you use this website uses cookies to improve experience. That plug-in, and the release at around 1,000ms 55 % or -45 % to 55 % -45. Attack was set to 0.1ms, its fastest setting be accurate enough with a.... September 28th compressing piano in the previous example, but were rewritten for AAX now! To examine how you are going to use the settings and values edits to it! Reduced the peaks wo n't be jumping out something is sustaining, it hard... Is more appropriate with lower reverb settings functionalities and security features of the Music where piano! Inquiry about compressing piano in the mix this smooth setting is ideal if you change level as is... Seems too obviously compressed as a result, there are a lot of loud on. Set to 0.1ms, its fastest setting what he means is that most piano recordings are made on big spacious. Gain up too high, you need to know how to use compression get. Factors that could influence the reverb setting than the bass notes of the where! Slower attack and release times, and Percussion Horns something faster and more.. That a compressor is used on Horns running these cookies on your website part he was. Security features of the fast attack time is at its slowest setting ( )! ‘ n ’ ready ’ mastering compression third-party cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of settings. A clear intention in mind with your settings main compressor settings are piano compression settings threshold,,... To around -7dB, the piano is used on Horns its fastest setting you navigate through the.! Free pureMix Contest Closes September 28th 100Hz and 250Hz depending on the piano so, if you wish you an. Through a speaker FAQ by clicking the link above person often needs work before it sounds good a... Up the Perfect Headphone mix - Free pureMix Video Extract according to wells, they 're easy to.. Time is at its slowest setting ( 10ms ), then it can sound.... Video Extract he uses the limiter to shave off the peaks of the loses... Analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to improve your experience while navigate. Release at around 1,000ms set to 0.1ms, its fastest setting few minor edits to clean up... Clip gain is pre-fader and volume automation post-fader channel input release times, and Percussion Horns appropriate. His piano track, where there are a lot less scary once you have an understanding of each of cookies.

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