WTF is a Compander?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- I answer the question in the first minute. But stick around for the more interesting question, why do we still bother with it?
Once again, a method used to solve a technical problem with analogue recording has survived as a creative option in our modern DAW mixing environments.
The star of the show is U-He Satin, with its very useful companding features, but the principle can be used with other non linear plugins as well.
Here's the older video I refered to, Emphasis and De-emphasis EQ:
• emphasis and de emphas...
If you like this type of content and you want to see it more often, consider signing up for Channel Membership: / @danworrall
Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using one of the links below I'll get a small commission. You won't pay any extra.
U-He Satin (Gear4music)
tidd.ly/3DMykXq
Video edited with VEGAS Pro 17:
{affiliate link)
www.vegascreativesoftware.com... - Навчання та стиль
I've added affiliate links to the video description. If you make a purchase using these links I'll get a small commission, and you'll be helping to encourage more such videos in future.
And so I shall. I know this video is a bit old now but you've finally sold me on it. Was on the fence for a while. Love your videos. You sold me on the Tokyo Dawn stuff many moons ago and I still love them. Cheers! And happy new year!
This man is David Attenborough of audio community!
I thought that was loopop
For geeks like ME in the Music / Production /sound design \engineering .. This Guy Dan Worrall Is The GOD Of Audio :P
damn i just wanted to comment that hahahaha , my thoughts exactly spot on !
I literally fall asleep to these videos at night and learn from them during the day 🙃
He makes Attenborough look like a guy who's never even USED a compressor before.
It's a combination of a computer and a panda
That makes too much sense. LOL
PANDA OR was that Prada Loll
I laughed way too hard at this than I should.
Hahahaha
I've been a Satin user since it launched. A few years ago a friend asked me to help him transfer some 16 track 2" multitrack tapes from a session originally done at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studios in Englewood, NJ back in 1972. I just happen to have a 16 track 2" Scully machine. So he was excited that I could help him. The problem was that the tapes had dbx Type I NR on them. My machine came with 16 channels of dbx Type I NR but only eight were working.
Enter Satin, which had just come out at the time. I transferred the tapes into my computer raw and then applied the decoding in my DAW. It worked perfectly.
Thanks for the great video on companders. They are fun to play with and I agree that no other plug-in offers that functionality, as far as I know.
I flat out brickwalled and then clipped the like button.
Thank God... that you didn't saturate it....
You're just another soldier in the likeness war. 🙃
Dan. In the first damn minute of this video you've given me a Eureka moment. I've been at a music studio to try using analog gear, in my early training in audio engineering, I've never understood why compression was so prevalent in general, but particularly why the owner of that music studio kept telling me to always apply 2 or 3 dB of compression when recording any kind of drums. I understood that you (almost) always apply some compression anyway in order to get the sounds to sit nicely in the final mix, and that it's very rare that you don't apply any compression at all, particularly in a rock context. I had accepted this idea as a rule of thumb for recording while keeping in mind the targetted shape of the signals for a final mix. But you've reminded me of a day I've never known (at least, I never took interest in audio engineering in that day because I was a small child): recording to analog tape. And now finally I understand that anyway a compressor is required simply to not hit analog tape too hard. And this was probably where this audio engineer who was training me was getting his habit from (he is an older guy), and I couldn't understand why he recorded this way since it looked to me he was sending his signal to a great AnalogDigitalConverter anyway and probably could record his takes clean in ProTools. And now even more I understand why people rave so much about analog compressors and how important they are, and I also understand even more that when you are working with these restrictions, you are forced to keep your signals within a more constrained dynamic range. I have the opposite issue: being a digital kid, I have so much dynamic range I struggle to find the right balance for my signals that tend to come in and out of the mix if I'm not being careful. I know all of this sounds super obvious, but because I've never seen a recording studio digital tape in my life and never experienced the hassles of analog recording of the old days, I never put 2 and 2 together, for me tape is an effect, not a medium. And finally, now that I've had this eureka moment, I'd like to try to do a mix by applying tape emulation on every track, as an exercise in discovering how mixing with these restrictions in dynamic range can maybe train my ears to get used to their sound, and later mix without tape emulation but with my ears attuned to what a sensible dynamic range is, for a classic record.
The compander + saturation trick is incredible. It sounds nuts, because you can absolutely crush the sound and still get the dynamics. I love to hear that kind of sound in recordings (arctic monkey's AM, for example) and I had no idea how to get it. Thank you so much !
your videos are ridiculously informative. edit: hip hop producers have never dialled anything back in our lives XD
Wtf is a compander + satin + drum mixing tips ( 3 tutorials packaged in ine )
Dan you clarity in explaining things is profoundly unique.
I randomly bought this Korg KEC-42 compander at a shop & I had no idea what it was supposed to do but this video helped a lot
I'm shocked. The B sounds exactly like I remember from my teens. I don't want drastic changes in EQ most of the time, but this tutorial has provided lots of options I hadn't considered. Dan, I'm a longtime fan, and I've joined the UA-cam membership to support your channel. UPDATE: Just retested the plugin on a master test using the compander. Why isn't that on by default? U-he would sell a LOT more licenses. SOLD! I'm able to get a really great profile that doesn't badly skew the source. This alone didn't impress me before. But with the compander... holy shit. A Type compander with NAB circuit. OMG!
Hi, can you explain what you mean to say? Maybe in a non-deeper way (sorry, im an in-depth in many of Dan's technical.terms)
@@scpk2246 he is saying why the compander feature isn't on by default when you load the plugin. And he thinks that would make u he sold more copies of Satin.
That piano sound you chose as the background music at the start is one of the best ones i've ever heard. Heavy yet filigree, a smooth shape with a deep reaching foundation
Dan's tutorials and lessons sound for me like songs of a band that I love....each video is a new hit...thanks for being that special.
They gave older recordings a nice "pump" that brought vocals out but in modern music, where the snare and kick are usually loudest, they don't quite sound as good. But if you want a great example of companders at work, "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney had one prominently in its final mix process because of how worn the tape was from recording in a humid, hot studio in Africa. Very "pumpy" mixes but still musical.
Comparing recordings from the early 70s with others through the middle and up to late 70s is like a time capsule of compression/expansion being used in more and more ways at once.
One that caught my ear in this regard was Hawkwind's Levitation album from 1980. Heavy (yet rather transparent) compression of tape mixed to 2-ch digital master.
interesting note, thanks
EMI Studio, Lagos Nigeria '73 (Engineered by My Great Uncle - "ODION IRUOJE")
@@Studio987RecThats awesome
Every Time Dan Worrall speaks: *My mind blown*
edit: I was literally trying to find some way to tame my distortion on a filter I had in my reason rack just last night and I couldn't find a transparent enough distortion to properly overdrive my filter
Jealous that I didn’t think of dynamics as another sort of emphasis / de emphasis technique. Really smart.
you're knowledge is amazing, and your easy way of showing everything makes us plebs able to grasp stuff!!
Brilliant. Thank you, Dan!
This was nostalgic, Dolby tape machines, Cassette Decks and the Walkman-s type B trick! 😭
Awesome tutorial once again! Thank You Dan! 🍻
Always excited for more Worrall heat! Bomboclart! Best audio pro vids on UA-cam! Thanks for your great work your videos are so interesting!
Wow, that made my day, thanks a lot. I've been using this plugin for quite some time and never thought about that, that's excellent !
Great tip! Satin helped me out a great deal when I was transfering analog recordings made using dbx noise reduction. Bypassing tape and EQ and just using the decoder made it possible to enjoy the recoding once again. Great plugin!
Thank you Dan. U-he Diva, Bazille, Zebra, Ace, Hive are all great but my absolute favorite from them still is Satin. I enjoyed a lot to step a little deeper into this amazing plugin. I'd be glad if some day you maybe do a video about Presswerk too :)
Whoa. I feel like this is going to be a game changer in me getting more lively sound out of drums machines and sequenced percussion parts. Thank you.
We just recently purchased some Dolby A cards with their Cat 360 units and oh boy, it is such a lovely effect. I used it onto tape encoding as part of the mastering process and decoding back into pro tools. I can’t wait to start using it on individual tracks soon too in a session. We also modded one card so we can individually bypass the 4 bands for some cool exciter effects. Great video, more engineers should know about this technique! Great watch as always :)
What an impressive variety of results that plugin can achieve! Added to my wish list.
I was 8 years old (now 55) already experimenting with this. Now later I still use these techniques but for FM clipping pre emphase for the endstage clippers in the play automatization, I use this plugin before it hits a leveler, but it adds some warmth in the digital DSP's for FM. My secret blackbox you could say. Love this stuff, Dan, thanks again!
Thank you so much. I own satin and new the basics of compansion from reading the manual, but that last trick sounded fantastic. And true iron as well. Been on my very short list of plugins to get for a while but haven't got round to it yet. Even with decapitator it gave a real deep, posh texture to the sound. Cant wait to experiment. Thanks again
this guy just makes you want to listen to what he says and do what he does!
"How cool is that?!" Indeed - thank you very much for this deep and helpful insight in Satin!
Your videos are amazing the best audio demonstrations on youtube.
Holy moly, thank you soo much for this excellent video. You got me totally excited about using this with Decapitator (I absolutely love this saturation plugin)
That True Iron plugin is terrific. Thanks for this. Very informative. It would be nice if U-He released some mini plugins with just these processes. A simple compander plug would be amazing!
First subscription on YT....i have been using internet since dial-up modems...Thank You DAN.
12:43 Yes sir it is!
Amazing!! Thanks Dan!!
Oh boy ! Dan , you have just sold a Satin licence to me with this video! The best videos on UA-cam!🙏
OMG Thank you! I ALREADY love my SATIN plugin, but DAMN 🤯 ...I'm even MORE madly in love with it NOW 🤔 You've opened up an entire Arsenal of NEW WAYS to contour dynamics in my tracks 🤩 I've been a fan of your tutorials for a while, but this SERIOUSLY has made me look @ ALL my Plugins with NEW EYES. You are one Hell of a FIND against the Ceaseless Ocean of Bad/Mediocre/Just Dead Wrong sound design Instruction on UA-cam. Respect! 😎👍⚡💥
I've learned a lot, even after recording/producing for 20+ years, from the You Tube Producer's Ball, as I call it. But boy... there is a lot of garbage at the Ball, more than a majority is garbage, so much parrotting of advice, much of which is bad! A lot. Still, these kids these days... if I had access to all this instruction (and all these tools) in my formative years, I might have actually been good!
When I look back at how long I pressed on, not knowing anything... *facepalm* with no access to quality gear/sound... I am envious of these later generations.
BUT STILL, that older music from the peak of the analog era... it still just sounds so much better than all of today's wizbangery, a lot of which actually leans towards painful... compared to that golden honey sound of The Day.
I think it has more to do with soul/spirit/mindset, than tools though...
Oh, I got distracted in my historical recollections, I replied here to say that Dan is the master of the Ball. He is holding the veil aside for anyone who wants to peer into the workings of our contemporary tools, and in the observation of the machinations of how sound is processed in these plugins, understand better and more fundamentally (without getting into code) the base concepts of sound engineering with the benefits, then, of tips, tricks, and hard earned knowledge of how to exploit the capabilities of our plugin tools.
What a don this Dan is.💯💜
Really interesting - thanks Dan.
13:07 this trick only makes the whole video worth it. Amazing
Wowwww….
Back in the days when this plug in was released, I used Satin only a couple of time and decided to use another tape emulation with less options.
This video is a gift, i will give another try soon as possible
Amazing and very interesting, thanks for share!
Definitely gonna experiment with this. Thanks!
Sweet baby Jesus, this is pure gold! :) Much love for sharing the knowledge!
First! Thank you Dan! I’ve learned so much about dynamics, phase and eq thanks to you and your work
Another great tip! Very creative - thanks so much!
Ah yes, the "But Wait, There's More" school of dispensing audio wisdom.
Great stuff, thanks Dan
You never disappoint, Mr. Worrall.
I grew up in the 90's with a cassette in my hand and I have to say that this video enriched me a lot. Although I didn't enjoy it much at first. But the ending is amazing!!! I have to try it. Thanks for the inspiration!
uhx type II is my favortie, sounds incredibly smooth and spacious while maintaining optimal detail in the very high & very low end
I don't like that blinking bypass button. At first I was like why the hell is Dan toggling the bypass so rapidly! I realized pretty quick but it still tripped me out every time. I've never seen a plugin do that.
Bit pissed so will need to watch this again :P
Like button compressed, a brick now, I’d say haha. Great vid as always, keep it up Dan!
compress the like button XD really enjoying these videos, i'm a technical oriented person and i like all the detail, it's really helping me understand whats happening to the sounds more than well, i like it with these settings
Thanks Dan, I learned a lot
Thanks Dan for the tips
Great video has usual. Thanks ;)
Oh man, I think I might have picked the wrong hobby. Add the 2:00 minute section of this video to my ever growing list of 'couldn't hear the difference'! 🤣
Deeply appreciative for all of your excellent insights all the same, as always.
Cheers Dan!
Might be time to get your hearing checked professionally, you may have diminished high range sensitivity? I can't believe how good my top end still is after years of abuse..
Just love your vids, instalike even tho i dont know what its gonna be about lol
Also, Dan speaks in the tempo of the song, and usually a snare is exactly where he stops speaking :)
Approached chronologically, the entire decade of the 1970s is an education into more and more compression/expansion/NR.
It was the inevitable consequence of multitrack recording going from 2 to 16 tracks in the space of a decade. The higher the track count, the more gates and expansion is needed to manage the (potential) hiss&noise accumulation.
Satin is pure love. Such a simple yet powerful tool it's hard to believe at first glance.
As always, thank you Dan!
Never used Satin in any production....but now....i like it!
This is glorious!
Speechless...
Thanks dan!
Title is spot-on lol
With the Soundtoys in between, it went all Bonham.
Thank you, Dan, for that demonstration. I often use Satin for Lo-Fi productions. But I didn't know all this incredible informations. Thank you very much for that.
PS: Could you please enable English subtitles on your videos. I can understand some technical aspects better with subtitles. It's the difference between seeing and hearing when you're not fully bilingual. Thx. :)
Thanks Dan!!!
Damn that's a real nice trick with the two instances
All of this needs to come out in a 15 hour masterclass and I am putting down 100s of monions for it.
Thanks Dan...this is the goldmine of audio tutorials :)
Pristine! Thank you!
you sir, are a treasure
In fact, you deserve my subscription. #subscribed
Thankyou for the support :)
Great, dude
I haven’t seen many demos on a compander.Nice.
We still use the Dolby trick. The original Dolby A devices are still banging around quite a few studios because they are still used on vocal chains as a parallel effect (with dry signal mix). But you can recreate the Dolby A device in your daw with some clever busing and eq.
Thanks!
Very clever Thankyou
Thank you!
As a simple solution for saturation inside a compander, there is BoostX by Initial audio (comb-filters when parallel though) and Antares Warm with its Omni tube. For something more (too much?) tweaky, there is Melda's MCompressor or MDynamics where you can design your own compressor in one instance and a mirror expander in another instance and use an emp-deemph technique.
Thanks bruv.
I'd never tried Satin as I was happy with Reelbus, but you've just persuaded me :)
Well, Reelbus sounds amazing inside Satin's compander!
Reelbus also has the compander too, no ? In any case, a number of Variety of Sound plugins also work like that, as well as Klanghelm MJUC.
@@InXLsisDeoReelbus models tape compression, but no compander. No companders from Klanghelm or Variety of sound either I'm afraid. But, SDRR my favourite saturation/distortion plugin is from Klanghelm and also sounds amazing in Satin's compander! :)
@@MichaelToddFutureTodd They have an input and output sound too, though. The input sound compresses and the output sound restores the level. Looks like a compander to me.
@@InXLsisDeo They have a makeup knob, which is really just a volume knob post compression, and automatic gain compensation which tries to match the compressed output level to that of the uncompressed output level so your hearing the effect of the compression rather then a volume change, essentially its just setting the makeup gain for you. But, it's not the same as an expander which increases the dynamic range, like the opposite of a compressor.
I do not understand all of his tutorials, and do not have resources to try much of the techniques in them, but what I have tried works well enough to say this guy is brilliant. I would love to hear his thoughts on Kirchoff eq.
Your videos are so informative. Thank you. I don't know if you are payed for this but you should be.
If you subscribe to him, you pay him :)
@@InXLsisDeo not true but definitely helps
Companding also lends the E-mu Emulator II its lovely sampling characteristics.
Roland s-series samplers too like the s770 and s760
they also do emphasis de-emphasis (which Dan covers in another video)
By the way, the Audiority LDC2 appears to be a reveered compander plugin. I can't speak to its quality yet though, haven't demo'd it yet
2 words: THANK YOU !!
Hey Ensoniq heads: Dan just gave out the secret to their signal path.😉
Compander = (Comp)pressor + Ex(pander)
The encoder compresses and the decoder expands
ahh the great sound of dbx. always loved it although it’s less than perfect.
Love Satin... just wish I could afford it right now.
I used to work for STC and one of the trainers used to drive me nuts by saying "companding" and "decompanding". He was a nice guy and digital telecoms systems were on the way in so I didn't labour the point.
Decap style E ftw you know what's up.
Interesting! :)
Damn it Dan, now I have to buy satin
me: *barely hears a difference*
Dan: Those differences are pretty significant to my ears.
guess I won't make it into audio engineering lol
Even if you can't hear a difference it is possible to learn how to listen and gain discernment. Perhaps your setup is making it more difficult, and don't forget that Dan is presumably listening before any lossy audio transcodes.
With True Iron in between the sound becomes 3D :-o
i beg you for a mixing in mono video, ive been mixing in mono for ages now but im sure you got some tips n tricks that will make my brain explode haha also when i have a melody that is hard panned and its super quiet in mono i find it difficult to level what can i do against that
Top !!