Limiting, Compressing and Equalizing

[horacejesse]

A solo instrumental I recorded a while back has some notes that stick out uncomfortably. At low volume they are not disturbing, but as the volume goes up they disrupt the serenity they were meant to serve.This piece is hard for me to perform and I pretty much nailed it on this take except for the notes that stick out. It is played on guitar using artificial harmonics technique, which means looking down steeply at the fretboard at all times. I have a disablity which makes this unpleasant and, after a while, downright painful. To re-record it, I have to re-learn it, reconstructing each step. This takes a while, and so does recording it, since it has to be done in one continuous take, and there are always a lot of non-perfect takes playing guitar harmonics. One ugly click instead of a chime, and it is back to square one.What I mean is, I suspect this track can be made to sound the way I want it to with proper handling.The harmonics are meant to feedback over each other without distortion and sustain a long time. The notes in question simply do their jobs too enthusiastically, peaking offendingly above their communities.Many of you folks on the forum could solve this one. I've got to do it though, so I would appreciate any helpful advice.I understand in theory how I should be able to go after those peaks with a compressor or possibly a limiter on mixdown and squash them back into the mix where I want them, but so far my efforts have not cut them back sufficiently and I can't figure out why.Any suggestions, anyone?

[aubreyz]

Quote:A solo instrumental I recorded a while back has some notes that stick out uncomfortably. At low volume they are not disturbing, but as the volume goes up they disrupt the serenity they were meant to serve.This piece is hard for me to perform and I pretty much nailed it on this take except for the notes that stick out. It is played on guitar using artificial harmonics technique, which means looking down steeply at the fretboard at all times. I have a disablity which makes this unpleasant and, after a while, downright painful. To re-record it, I have to re-learn it, reconstructing each step. This takes a while, and so does recording it, since it has to be done in one continuous take, and there are always a lot of non-perfect takes playing guitar harmonics. One ugly click instead of a chime, and it is back to square one.What I mean is, I suspect this track can be made to sound the way I want it to with proper handling.The harmonics are meant to feedback over each other without distortion and sustain a long time. The notes in question simply do their jobs too enthusiastically, peaking offendingly above their communities.Many of you folks on the forum could solve this one. I've got to do it though, so I would appreciate any helpful advice.I understand in theory how I should be able to go after those peaks with a compressor or possibly a limiter on mixdown and squash them back into the mix where I want them, but so far my efforts have not cut them back sufficiently and I can't figure out why.Any suggestions, anyone? Try inserting the compressor on the individual track rather than the whole mix. Try a soft-knee ratio of 2 to 4, a fairly fast attack and a medium release and set the threshold so that on the peaks the compressor are causing from 3 to 6db of gain reduction.Another way to handle this, though much more time consuming, is with volume changes. If your software allows you to draw in "fader" moves, you can manually lower the offending "attacks".Hope that helps.Aub

[andreh]

Horace-Can you post an example of the problem track? Aub's is right; you should be trying to solve this problem on the problem track, not the whole mix...but it sounds like there may be only one track in this mix anyway.However, based on your description of the problem, this might be a real challenge. If you're playing several notes at the same time and some are too loud compared with the others, it's gonna be pretty hard to bring out the notes you want to hear more.A multi-band compressor or some selective, automated EQ'ing might get you close to where you want to be, but it's hard to say before hearing the problem track.Andre

[horacejesse]

I have been trying to solve it only on the problem track. Remember, I don't have any software. I am all hardware. There is no such thing on my system as drawing in fader moves. Everything is done by hand. There are too many instances to catch them all by hand, and I guess that is why I need to do it with a compressor.The compressor is already between the HD24 and the Masterlink I mix to. I will try the suggestions with soft knee and attack & release ratios.I want to try fixing it again before I post anything. I am a caveman with the equipment and could easily have overlooked something simple.In theory this thing ought to work it seems to me.

[nickbatzdorf]

Sometimes compression is the answer - in fact it's a good thing most of the time when used well - but you want to use it when you want its sound. If it's just a few notes that need backing off, then I'd recommend finding someone with a DAW who can fix it for you. Why suffer needlessly when it's easy.Are the sustained notes distortion? If so, the distortion is recorded, and the only way you can minimize it is to spot EQ it out in a DAW.

[horacejesse]

Nick, the sustained notes are not distorted and they are not supposed to be, they simply come out too loud in comparison to the notes that surround them.I don't even know what a DAW is (digital audio __?). But I have to give this my best try before I go that route. I feel pretty sure it can be acheived, and suffering is no problem since I do that all the time and am very practiced. Other problems of this nature come up frequently and I have to know how to solve them with the equipment in my possession. I don't want to run to someone with a DAW everytime this happens.I will implement the suggestions made so far when I go to the studio tomorrow and see waht happens.Thanks Andre and Aub also for the suggestions.

[aubreyz]

Quote:I don't even know what a DAW is (digital audio __?). Can I buy an O.Yes there are two O's - Quiet please. Pat. I'd like to solve the puzzle. Digital Audio Workstation!

[horacejesse]

The guy we bought the studio from had a DAW, by wag. But it was not part of the deal.

[horacejesse]

Well, gentlemen (because no ladies have responded),Duh...nothing I tried seemed to work. I know I am doing something wrong, possibly to do with the dials (pots) on my mixer. I have some more ideas, if that is what they are called.Duh...When I turn a channel up that has reverb on it, I get more (heavier) reverb. Does it work the same way with compression? Do I get more compression or does it just get louder? This missive could confuse anyone. I had better stop. Duh...

[ernstinen]

Quote:The compressor is already between the HD24 and the Masterlink I mix to.In theory this thing ought to work it seems to me. I own a Masterlink, and it also has a compressor function built in. So it sounds like you have two compressors to experiment with. Why they aren't doing the trick for you has me baffled.How about this --- why don't you hire a recording engineer to come over to your place for a couple of hours and help you figure it out!? That would be the most cost-effective answer, IMHO!Ern