> Step by step
1. Serial compression with (mostly) CM Plugins
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Set your DAW’s BPM to 124 and add HouseMix.wav onto two tracks – one on bar 1 and one on bar 5. Loop both bars for playback and load Native Instruments’ Vari Comp onto each channel – we’re using the demo from native-instruments. com but you can use Violet CM instead. We’re going to compare five compressors giving 1dB of gain reduction, against one compressor giving 5dB of gain reduction. 2
Open the Vari Comp on our first HouseMix channel, pull down the preset menu on the top left and select Show User Preset Folder. Copy HouseMix1db.nifx, HouseMix5db.nifx and Smooth.nifx into the folder. Next, load the HouseMix1db preset in Vari Comp and duplicate the plugin five times. Open the second channel’s Vari Comp and load the HouseMix5db preset. 3
As the playback loops, compare the mix with five compressors against the mix with one. Our five-times compressed mix has given us a cleaner sound and has retained a more dynamic feel. Using multiple compressors won’t always give better results, of course – it depends on the source material, the settings you use, and the results you’re aiming for – but it’s a great technique to have in your toolbox. 4
Let’s try serial compression on a drum mix, this time using two different plugins. Import the other files beginning with “House” files from the Tutorial Files folder onto bar 9. Add a fresh Vari Comp onto the HouseDrums channel, and load the Smooth preset – although the compression has taken the unwanted sharpness away from the drums, there’s not enough snap now. 5
Let’s fix that using our own excellent SunRuysCM plugin – add an instance to the HouseDrums channel after the Vari Comp and load the Snap preset (found in the Tutorial Files folder). We’ve used gentle compression with a medium Attack and fast Release to accentuate the drum hits and complement the slower-acting Vari Comp, for a sound that’d be hard to achieve with only one compressor. 6
Finally, let’s look at how effects used in series with compression can affect the outcome. Add a KR-Reverb CM (or CMVerb if your host isn’t 32-bit-compatible) to the second House Mix channel before the VariComp – the overall sound with the reverb first is reminiscent of a compressed live room recording. Now move the reverb so it’s after the compressor, for a cleaner, more spacious sound.