Tutorials
Parallel compression on drums
w/ Fab Dupont
Parallel compression on drums
14 min • 2010
Deutsch, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese
Learn how to treat compression like an instrument and perform magic on any drum mix.
Fab uncovers the mysterious process of parallel compression, also known as New York compression.
Watch this step by step guide on how to achieve a punchy yet natural drum sound with some simple routing and a compressor (or 3!)
This tutorial shows you how to:
- Set up parallel processing buses
- Listen and learn the unmistakeable sound of New York Compression
- Tweak the 2 most important controls: attack & release
- Manage gain staging between the processed and unprocessed signals
- Hear the tone differences between various compressors being pushed to their limits.
This is the most essential mixing technique that’s been used on almost every record for decades. Don’t start mixing another set of drum recordings until you’ve watched this tutorial!
Plugins used:
- Massey CT4
- Chandler TG1 plugin
- UAD 1176 plugin
4.8
22 reviews
chrisbrasil23 • Monday, October 9, 2023
now i understood:: the compressor puts down the level of all incoming signals as long as it is opened with the same amount. Therefore with short releasetime the dB gap between attack phase of the snare and release phase becomes smaller in db. Then the makeup gain levels all up same amount.
Daniel1001 • Saturday, July 15, 2023
willajsnow • Saturday, July 18, 2020
Very clear and concise explanations. Thanks!
kuzeyyildirim • Tuesday, February 13, 2018
My fav is CT4. Thank you Fab
guillaume92 • Thursday, March 23, 2017
Hi! So great as usual; I'm watching them all, it's so helpful and simply explained, so great!
Do you use outboard for your haircut? :))
Fabulous Fab • Tuesday, December 6, 2016
@soundspace2001: I do not send much OH in this bus. You could. It's a taste thing. I like to keep things dry and punchy, OH would make more of a mess. If you are looking for a messy, wooshy sound, go ahead and include them.
Fab
soundspace2001 • Thursday, December 1, 2016
I wonder if you still send the OH, Room-Mics and Monomic to a separate OH-Bus? Or if you sent the whole set - including OH, Room-Mics, Mono-Mic to this Crunch-Bus? But interesting new option how to do this ...
davidromero • Wednesday, November 23, 2016
All compressors in wins. LOL
joshuagoble • Sunday, March 8, 2015
Loved the punch from the CT4.
Sheldon Cooper • Saturday, December 20, 2014
@Fab:
Thank you for the answer, if you mean what you showed in the advanced video (switch the input of the crush bus then send the drum channels to it so you can mix it independently) i can remove the send from "clean to crush" then send the drum channels to the crush bus, looks like the same by the way!
Have a nice day! :)
Uauker • Sunday, August 31, 2014
Hey Fab!
How about phases issues on parallel compression? In the mixing Caribean video you used the same compressor settings in the two busses to avoid phases issues. The same happens here?
roba81 • Thursday, January 2, 2014
Great video fab. For me the comparison of the different sounds of the compressors was really helpful. For someone like me who is fairly new to the game and trying to train my ears this kind of stuff is great.
crash • Monday, May 27, 2013
hi fab,
in this video you put all the drum in to a clean bus and a processed bus!
Is there any differences to put all the drums part into the clean bus and make a send(in pre fader) from the clean bus to the processed bus ?
thanks
onlinemusic • Friday, December 7, 2012
It was very helpful at the end when you compared the sound of each compressor without talking in between the examples, and used the images to indicate which comp we were hearing. Talking in between examples makes it harder to hear the differences. It would be great if in future videos there could be more instances of this type of comparison. Thanks!
jrod9900 • Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Hey, Fab, I know there are no rules, but when should you use the full kit through parallel vs just say kick and snare. It seems like I've gotten told not to run everything through there together, yet it is perfectly acceptable for me to run kick and snare through one and a squashed room parallel with the rooms. ???
Thanks for all these great tutorials!
JROD