I either use it on the FET or VCA setting. This channel strip offers a compressor that emulates VCA, FET, and optical compression (more on compressor types later). When I want things to sound closer I know I’ll need something that gives me plenty of flexibility, and a quick response to make sure there’s no pumping.įor this purpose, I really like the Waves Scheps Omni Channel. If a fast attack time means your guitar will seem farther away, a slow attack time will result in the opposite. You can use a high shelf to add presence, or you can use a transient designer, but you can also use compression for extra attack. Sometimes a guitar part I’m mixing needs a little help to poke through the mix.

Otherwise I would just be squashing the notes before they even start. When I get funky 16th note guitars I’ll go with a faster release time than when I get a guitar that’s playing quarter notes. I then set the release around 50 microseconds, or a little slower, depending on how many notes are being played. This will tame the transients very nicely. Again, I won’t compress more than 3 dB, because it needs to stay natural, but of course, sometimes you might need a little more. I usually set the attack time between 7 o’clock (close to 800 microseconds) or 11 o’clock (close to 500 microseconds). That’s microseconds, which is μs, not milliseconds. The 1176 is known for its ridiculously fast attack time of 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds, which is perfect for what I want to accomplish here. I typically use an 1176 emulation, such as the T-racks Black 76 by IK Multimedia. So let’s grab a compressor.įor this trick, I like using a compressor that has a very fast attack time. But if the part has a lot of pronounced transients that might not be enough.Īnother way to create an illusion of distance is by getting rid of that initial transient. You can reach for reverb, get rid of some high-end, or boost the mids and turn everything else down.

To make things sound like they are far away there are a few things you can do. While that can be just part of the song, other times it’s an issue that needs fixing. Sometimes I get guitars that sound like they are punching straight into your eardrum, or they sound like there is a mile between the cabinet and the microphone. What I mean by determining instrument placement is making things sound close by, or far away. Determine Instrument Placement With Compression The attack time of 30ms ensures that the first 30ms of the signal is not completely squashed, which basically creates a peak in the signal. This trick works because I’m artificially creating a transient. I typically compress with no more than 3dB of gain reduction. I set the ratio on either a 2:1 or a 4:1 ratio because I don’t want to completely squash the signal. I turn up the attack time to 30ms and set a fast release of 100ms.

I gravitate towards that compressor because it gives me a lot of control over the attack time, which is essential for this trick. I typically grab a VCA compressor, such as the SSL Native Bus Compressor. But that’s not what I want – I want my rock guitars to sound like they’re hitting you hard, so I use compression to do this instead. There are usually no distinctive transients thanks to the distortion as well. Distortion adds a boatload of compression to the signal, greatly reducing the dynamic range and making the waveform look very flat. When I mix a heavy rock track, the guitars are usually very distorted. However, the principles I share in this article also apply to the stock compressor that comes with your DAW of choice. Quick note: I’m mainly using analog emulations because that’s part of the feel and sound I’m going for. Let’s go! How Do I Use Compression On Electric Guitars? Often articles and videos that focus on compression for guitars will look at how compressors work in general, but not so much why you should use them for guitars.īut in this article, I’ll be showing you how I typically use guitar compression in my mixes, and why I make the decisions I make. You need to learn about attack and release times, ratios, knee types, thresholds, and then get a feel for how these settings affect your playing. Compression for guitars has always been one of those subjects that is hard to wrap your head around.

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