Concise and comprehensive instruction in language sufficiently technical AND easily understandable. Compliments to you Trey Mitchell on an excellent, most informative presentation.
Wow! I got to say, I've been watching videos on compression, trying to understand exactly how to use it, how much to use for different applications, and you and this video made the light bulb over my head finally light up. Thank you for this video. Your explanation was very clear. What really helped the most was using the Alesis and showing that more compression softens the output and most importantly you have to make it up with the output. I see how simple it is now. My band was only running compression on the vocals. I knew we needed another compressor. At least one more for the over all mix. It would be great to have one for the drums alone. Thanks again and keep coming out with these videos for guys like me who know some things but not everything especially the technical jargon.
Don't let the date of this upload make you feel it's obsolete! As a newbie' I learned a lot from this video in terms of concept and application, rather than anything to do with the specific vintage of the compressor. Too often, demo videos wrongly assume that you're already familiar with the controls and how they work. This video on the other hand, speaks to the basics of how, why, and when adjustment should be applied. Very useful stuff.
It has taken me weeks of watching many, many videos day and night... to finally find a fantastic tutorial for a beginner! You have made it easy to understand- the basics. None of the other vids even showed how to connect it to the "whatever" so I had no idea what to plug it into or to plug into it. It would be awesome to see a vid that shows the "path" or "flow" of what plugs into what, in what order. Mixer, compressor, PL-Plus II amps, 2-way/mono 3-way crossover, LTBLOX, PreSonus FilreBox- tnx
You're using your compressor as a side chain effect when you do it that way. You're also wasting an fx send & return path. Comps and eq don't usually need a wet/dry mix because you want the full effect of those devices in the signal path. The price of insert cables is money well spent because you'll free up your fx loops for things like reverb & delay, phasing, flanging, and stuff that requires a wet/dry mix to sound right. You can also insert patch each side of the comp. to a different channel.
I've owned quite a few of these 3630 compressors. Pros & cons are that they work perfectly when on just one instrument or vocal at a time, but they are not great on master mixes. Thats why i had to buy several. But as long as you respect that fact, itll make your mixes sound priceless.
Thank you very much for this video. I have been put in charge of setting up my church's sound system and had no idea how to connect and use the compressor.
ive owned 2 of these for years, they were 100.00 brand new back in 1992. they are sufficient compressor, not great, but not bad, they are just very touchy, you need to learn to dial it in perfectly to get great compression, there is very little lee-way, its an unforgivable compressor but a good one at that.
I agree they are touchy. I own two and use one just for level on my mains and the other one I just keep in the rack incase I need a gate. In small rooms it's very tricky to get it to breath right with a loud so to speak band. Other than that I'm fine with it.
I know this is an old video, but it helped. I've used other compressors (including software) and always came back to the Alesis 3630 for tracking synths and beefing up beats. Thanks
Thank you so much for making this video:) I look forward to watching more of your vids! I hope some of your other vids will apply to my equipment. I will learn all that I can:)
You can compress a subgroup out if it has a subgroup insert. If not you could run it inline. Either way you can take a group of channels and assign them to the subgroup than compress.
3630, I understand budget constraints. I know studio guys who crack jokes about it. but slap them on vocal Mic channels at the pub. just squash everything with it. Alesis made home studio recording more fun back in the 90s. The Dbx 266 now at a much affordable price.
I had one of these in my guitar effects rack, I found it to kind of be a pain in the ass, admittedly, back when I was using it, I didnt know too much about how to set it up properly.
@7000ironman Personally, I eq before compression when I want the compressor to react more, or react less, to specific frequencies. I eq after compression when you want the freqs you're pushing or pulling to actually move to the front or the back of the soundfield...Hope this helped!
You speak truth, my friend. It's the same mystery as why a guitar track with a. 50's Fender tweed Champ sounds like God shouting from the mountain top when it's properly mic'ed and eq'ed, with just the right compression from a good analog unit. It's 2012, this stuff is "obsolete", right? we ain't s'posed to be doin" this no more, but we do it anyway. At least I still do.
@morninggloryseed "Use your Ears" can be pretty much used in every aspect of our industry. Try it, play around with different settings and your figure out any piece of gear. Thanks for the comment MGS.
There is no one way to set up a compressor. Compressors themselves can work very differently from one another also (optical compressor vs VCA) so settings on one may not correspond to another. Best thing to do is ask yourself why you are using a compressor. Figure out what you want it for, and then go after that sound. Dynamics is less of an issue in tracking with 24b resolution, so the musicality of a compressor is the main draw.
I owned a 3630 back in the early 90's. It sounded horrible. It always seemed to distort the transient no matter what the settings were. I've since gone on to work with a lot of great outboard gear from Summit, UREI etc. The 3630 belongs in the dustbin and getting compressed by a crusher.
@thatniggbeme7 Hardware compressors have up until recently been the way to go...Now, if you spend the money on some good plugins you will have a great outcome using either.
informative video, thx for uploading :) a small inquiry if you have a little time what do you think about compressing an electric violin before its recorded? i was advised by a guitarist to do it, but as far as i know, e violin has a stable signal and is "naturally compressed" depends on the person playing it ofc, but somehow i dont see how a compressor will increase the quality of the recording, if it were an acoustic violin id see the logic thx
Great video, I am a newbie and this made sense to me. Would also recommend these basic setting for a mobile DJ running jbl prx 715 and jbl prx 718xlf? I have the BBE MaxCom Dual Compressor.
Excellent video! I'm using this rack unit for my guitar, which can be confusing at times because I want to have a quiet picking part to be as equally loud as a heavy strumming sound. Are there any quick suggestions as far as what sound settings on this unit that I should use? I own this exact unit, but overall it seems to work quite well. Thanks again for the video!
hello sir i want to ask about a most recommended setting in most compressor&gate,cause i have used to set my unit but i think that i do not set the unit correctly,so i really thank you if you will teach me how to properly set my compressor the right way thanks a lot,,
I watched this video and was interested in buying a 3630, then I read a lot of bad reviews. Thinking of a dbx 266xl now. What's your experience like with this unit? Thanks in advance
most compressors come with a built in Gate which could help with back ground noise. Give me a call at 239-458-3408 Creative Sound Solutions...Should be able to find a fix for ya
Sir thanks for you Video .. I am new to this and i need to set it for out crusade coming on 29th march 2017 .. we have dbx 234xl crossover and 2 full range speaker and 2 subwoofer and 2 amp... we use one amp for the 2 subwoofer .. and with the full range speaker also with one amp.. but we're confuse if we should connect the high to the full range or the mid or high mid .. from the crossover to the amp please..help or how to set up 2 stereos ..
Congratulations on a very good video presentation. Quick, succinct, well organised, not laborious, not vain; what more can I say? Lots, but I won't. The only criticism I have was the premature shut off when discussing gating. I particularly appreciated the way you described hook-up and the unit in operation. This will be shared on my FB page.
why are you using hardware instead of software when software is cheaper? ($900 for Pro Tools 10 HD compared to $500 for each hardware piece for several hardware pieces) is hardware better?
Can I take the xlr outputs ( stereo) on my board, input to the compressor, output of the compressor into my power amp, output of amp into speakers? I'm just running vocals and keys. Thanks!
@MinistryOfSoundCSS ive got a line 6 modeling amp head and a fender rumble 410 cabinet,ive got a tech 21 rbi bass preamp on the way and ive just recently decided to buy a bbe sonic maximizer,do you think i need to buy this unit your demonstrating? take note im only playing in my house at the moment maybe i can get more expansive and start doin gigs
hi, nice vid, 1 question i have, when live mixing, eq, comp and effets to kick,tom, vox, snare hi hats are different, soto have diffrent eq and comp, do i need to have multiple externel eq,comp for each chnnel to kick, tom, snare, hi hats,tom, vox????
best 3630 guide on youtube, and great overview of compression in general
Concise and comprehensive instruction in language sufficiently technical AND easily understandable. Compliments to you Trey Mitchell on an excellent, most informative presentation.
This has to be the best compressor and gate tutorial I have ever seen. Thank you!
Quality instruction and has made my 3630 actually usable having been on the shelf for many years.
I've had this compressor for a year and had NO idea how to use it!! Thanks!!
Wow! I got to say, I've been watching videos on compression, trying to understand exactly how to use it, how much to use for different applications, and you and this video made the light bulb over my head finally light up. Thank you for this video. Your explanation was very clear. What really helped the most was using the Alesis and showing that more compression softens the output and most importantly you have to make it up with the output. I see how simple it is now. My band was only running compression on the vocals. I knew we needed another compressor. At least one more for the over all mix. It would be great to have one for the drums alone. Thanks again and keep coming out with these videos for guys like me who know some things but not everything especially the technical jargon.
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Don't let the date of this upload make you feel it's obsolete! As a newbie' I learned a lot from this video in terms of concept and application, rather than anything to do with the specific vintage of the compressor.
Too often, demo videos wrongly assume that you're already familiar with the controls and how they work. This video on the other hand, speaks to the basics of how, why, and when adjustment should be applied. Very useful stuff.
This is by far the best video I have seen on compressor and gate functionality! Keep up the awesome videos!
It has taken me weeks of watching many, many videos day and night... to finally find a fantastic tutorial for a beginner! You have made it easy to understand- the basics. None of the other vids even showed how to connect it to the "whatever" so I had no idea what to plug it into or to plug into it. It would be awesome to see a vid that shows the "path" or "flow" of what plugs into what, in what order. Mixer, compressor, PL-Plus II amps, 2-way/mono 3-way crossover, LTBLOX, PreSonus FilreBox- tnx
You're using your compressor as a side chain effect when you do it that way. You're also wasting an fx send & return path. Comps and eq don't usually need a wet/dry mix because you want the full effect of those devices in the signal path. The price of insert cables is money well spent because you'll free up your fx loops for things like reverb & delay, phasing, flanging, and stuff that requires a wet/dry mix to sound right. You can also insert patch each side of the comp. to a different channel.
For self study hobbyist like me, your tutorial is exactly what I need.
I am using the compressor mainly for vocals.
Thanks.
GREAT EXPLANATION ON COMPRESSORS and how they work!!!! Before I knew what I was doing... I used to just turn knobs until the mic sounded good.
I've owned quite a few of these 3630 compressors. Pros & cons are that they work perfectly when on just one instrument or vocal at a time, but they are not great on master mixes. Thats why i had to buy several. But as long as you respect that fact, itll make your mixes sound priceless.
Ebb
This is very true, I too have discovered that.
Many thanks from a newbie to the compressor world.
Thank you very much for this video. I have been put in charge of setting up my church's sound system and had no idea how to connect and use the compressor.
ive owned 2 of these for years, they were 100.00 brand new back in 1992.
they are sufficient compressor, not great, but not bad, they are just very touchy, you need to learn to dial it in perfectly to get great compression, there is very little lee-way, its an unforgivable compressor but a good one at that.
I totally agree...
I agree they are touchy. I own two and use one just for level on my mains and the other one I just keep in the rack incase I need a gate. In small rooms it's very tricky to get it to breath right with a loud so to speak band. Other than that I'm fine with it.
This is the stuff !!! Thanks Man!!! I've been hearing problems with the inconsistencies of my Kick Drum, with micing.
Excellent video. I know I'll be watching this over and over. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for this tutorial. Great demo for Alesis 3630...I like this unit
I know this is an old video, but it helped. I've used other compressors (including software) and always came back to the Alesis 3630 for tracking synths and beefing up beats. Thanks
best compressor tutorial that I've seen yet!
Compressors have always baffled me. Thanks for the great explanation. This requires repeated listening. 👍
Thank you so much for making this video:)
I look forward to watching more of your vids! I hope some of your other vids will apply to my equipment. I will learn all that I can:)
Excellent video with an inspirational message! Love it!!!
You can compress a subgroup out if it has a subgroup insert. If not you could run it inline. Either way you can take a group of channels and assign them to the subgroup than compress.
That was a very informative video....I learned a lot about my new compressor.Thanks for posting it..............
U'r the best! Real simple yet smart.
Alesis makes great audio equipment. I still use a vintage QuadraVerb GT that I've had since my earliest days in 1994.
just purchased this compressor. an your vid was just the answer an info i needed
Very informative video, thanks for explaining the use of a compresser in easy words
Perfect, simple, and not all that "i like to hear myself speaking - bla bla"!!!
Thanks...
Good Video! Clearly understandable, Thanks!
I just want to say thank you to your very intuite video now I can go shopping.
3630, I understand budget constraints. I know studio guys who crack jokes about it. but slap them on vocal Mic channels at the pub. just squash everything with it. Alesis made home studio recording more fun back in the 90s. The Dbx 266 now at a much affordable price.
If you don't have a main insert you could run it in line. Just try to keep unity and watch the amount of compression...you could kill your mix
Very much needed! Thanks for the help!
Yes you can, however, be careful how much you compress your main output. Also, make sure your compressor is set to line level.
Excellent Tony.
A very good and informativ movie. Thanks
I had one of these in my guitar effects rack, I found it to kind of be a pain in the ass, admittedly, back when I was using it, I didnt know too much about how to set it up properly.
@7000ironman Personally, I eq before compression when I want the compressor to react more, or react less, to specific frequencies. I eq after compression when you want the freqs you're pushing or pulling to actually move to the front or the back of the soundfield...Hope this helped!
You speak truth, my friend. It's the same mystery as why a guitar track with a. 50's Fender tweed Champ sounds like God shouting from the mountain top when it's properly mic'ed and eq'ed, with just the right compression from a good analog unit. It's 2012, this stuff is "obsolete", right? we ain't s'posed to be doin" this no more, but we do it anyway. At least I still do.
Excellent Video!
thank you very much this tutorial really helped me ...........
Good Work ! I'm french and I understood everything :)
thanks for the kind explanation.
Very good explanation & easy to catch up the point. TQ.
Good instruction, man. Thanks
@morninggloryseed "Use your Ears" can be pretty much used in every aspect of our industry. Try it, play around with different settings and your figure out any piece of gear. Thanks for the comment MGS.
There is no one way to set up a compressor. Compressors themselves can work very differently from one another also (optical compressor vs VCA) so settings on one may not correspond to another. Best thing to do is ask yourself why you are using a compressor. Figure out what you want it for, and then go after that sound. Dynamics is less of an issue in tracking with 24b resolution, so the musicality of a compressor is the main draw.
Why do so many Pro Audio Recording instructional videos have such shitty sound?
agreed
cause it dont matter, your hear to learn
Because they're audio guys not video guys, ba dum tss
wel done tony did 6 days review on this comp.. good man top marks.. kev
I owned a 3630 back in the early 90's. It sounded horrible. It always seemed to distort the transient no matter what the settings were. I've since gone on to work with a lot of great outboard gear from Summit, UREI etc. The 3630 belongs in the dustbin and getting compressed by a crusher.
Good tutorial! I really like Alesis stuff. Are you going to do a part 2?
@thatniggbeme7 Hardware compressors have up until recently been the way to go...Now, if you spend the money on some good plugins you will have a great outcome using either.
informative video, thx for uploading :)
a small inquiry if you have a little time
what do you think about compressing an electric violin before its recorded?
i was advised by a guitarist to do it, but as far as i know, e violin has a stable signal and is "naturally compressed"
depends on the person playing it ofc, but somehow i dont see how a compressor will increase the quality of the recording, if it were an acoustic violin id see the logic
thx
Great video, I am a newbie and this made sense to me.
Would also recommend these basic setting for a mobile DJ running jbl prx 715 and jbl prx 718xlf? I have the BBE MaxCom Dual Compressor.
Simple explanation❤️
Thank you for the good info :)
thank you very musch good tuttorial...
Great Work
Were you talking about this as if it were to be used in a live application?
Live or studio this video goes over the basic functions of the compressor.
God work
GOOD VIDEO- THANKS
UNDERSTANDABLE
Excellent video! I'm using this rack unit for my guitar, which can be confusing at times because I want to have a quiet picking part to be as equally loud as a heavy strumming sound. Are there any quick suggestions as far as what sound settings on this unit that I should use? I own this exact unit, but overall it seems to work quite well. Thanks again for the video!
Thanks Bud!
Thank you. Very helpful :-)
good explantion
@kiko3212 There is a lot of info here, Take a look at the chart.
soundonsound . com/sos/1996_articles/apr96/compression.html
hello sir i want to ask about a most recommended setting in most compressor&gate,cause i have used to set my unit but i think that i do not set the unit correctly,so i really thank you if you will teach me how to properly set my compressor the right way thanks a lot,,
Would this master my voice without a beat ? And would this master my music on a 8 Track Tascam that I recorded my music on ?
I watched this video and was interested in buying a 3630, then I read a lot of bad reviews. Thinking of a dbx 266xl now. What's your experience like with this unit? Thanks in advance
Thanks!
Thanks for the Kind Words
this was so helpful. thanks! :)
How do you eliminate the noise from that compressor when using the Hate on vocals. Plz
and does a great job
Thanks that helped a lot :)
Basically I have a unit but electronically I have no idea how it works
good tutorial..
I am planning to buy compressor. How many compressors should i put in one mixer board(6 channel)? Thank you
Good job ; )
We are planning a whole series....Were hoping to have something out soon
most compressors come with a built in Gate which could help with back ground noise. Give me a call at 239-458-3408 Creative Sound Solutions...Should be able to find a fix for ya
Sir thanks for you Video .. I am new to this and i need to set it for out crusade coming on 29th march 2017 ..
we have dbx 234xl crossover and 2 full range speaker and 2 subwoofer and 2 amp... we use one amp for the 2 subwoofer .. and with the full range speaker also with one amp.. but we're confuse if we should connect the high to the full range or the mid or high mid .. from the crossover to the amp please..help or how to set up 2 stereos ..
Congratulations on a very good video presentation. Quick, succinct, well organised, not laborious, not vain; what more can I say? Lots, but I won't.
The only criticism I have was the premature shut off when discussing gating.
I particularly appreciated the way you described hook-up and the unit in operation.
This will be shared on my FB page.
Nice explanation thanks
need some help on how to do side chain ducking setup on that compressor.
Do you agree that this Alesis 3630 is crap? I have heard many reviews condemning it.
Hello..can we use a compressor on a vocal. Well I want to use for the karaoke? What do you think?
wow those Alesis 3630 were useless even back in the day.
@MinistryOfSoundCSS You can't post links so you need to put it all together....
hi can u tell me why use hardware compressors i notice they are in major studios because i dont want to over compress because i use Plugins to mix
@fencepro Thank you!
why are you using hardware instead of software when software is cheaper?
($900 for Pro Tools 10 HD compared to $500 for each hardware piece for several hardware pieces)
is hardware better?
very much informative
Can I take the xlr outputs ( stereo) on my board, input to the compressor, output of the compressor into my power amp, output of amp into speakers?
I'm just running vocals and keys.
Thanks!
@MinistryOfSoundCSS ive got a line 6 modeling amp head and a fender rumble 410 cabinet,ive got a tech 21 rbi bass preamp on the way and ive just recently decided to buy a bbe sonic maximizer,do you think i need to buy this unit your demonstrating? take note im only playing in my house at the moment maybe i can get more expansive and start doin gigs
hi, nice vid, 1 question i have, when live mixing, eq, comp and effets to kick,tom, vox, snare hi hats are different, soto have diffrent eq and comp, do i need to have multiple externel eq,comp for each chnnel to kick, tom, snare, hi hats,tom, vox????
for live mixing, yes, you need more channels