Originally Posted by usedtohaveajuno ➡️

Got the LX20 for a hundred quid, and it's recently had a new transformer. Looking forward to posting my idiot music with it

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

Do you have an example of one of your mixes...that is real drums, bass, guitar and vocals? You simply can't get the same effect without using compression.

Originally Posted by recnsci ➡️

With what levels are you going in? I'm interested in this pedal, but was worried about headroom.

Another supercheap option is Zoom MS family. I have MS60B and DBX 160 emu is very nice. However, headroom is low.

Originally Posted by Scott Hallam ➡️

I don't write any of that music - all the music I ever write is Acid/Dub/Electro/House/Techno

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

Thanks for your reply. I didn't ask if you wrote any of the music...I just wanted to hear one of your mixes.

Until you mix 100 songs that are made of unprocessed acoustic instruments, you wouldn't know if you needed compression or not. House/techo music is made of sounds that are pretty much all processed and compressed already.

For me, it's the exact opposite. I Only mix unprocessed instruments. Have you ever heard a mix that is totally unprocessed....without any compression at all? It sounds weak with no impact. Having said that, I guess this thread is about electronic music. so....

Originally Posted by Karloff70 ➡️

That sort of implies you only need compression when you have unruly "real" instruments to tame, and that electronic stuff doesn't need it. Doesn't need it for control/even levels, but sure benefits from compression to ADD life and movement/groove/interaction.

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

Taming is only one facet of what compression does. For me, compression does about 4 or 5 different things at once.

1. it adds punch and impact.
2. It adds sustain.
3. It controls peaks and levels out the signal...'taming'.
4. It increases apparent detail....by bringing the loud parts and soft parts closer together.
5. It increases apparent loudness.

Too often I hear people attributing just one of these facets to compression when really it's giving you all of them..and however much you want of them. A lot of electronic stuff doesn't need compression...because it's already compressed (you could totally get away with no compression at all)....so it would make sense that someone that only uses these types of sounds...would say....'You don't actually need any compression'....when they should add "if you're using sounds that are already processed".

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

Taming is only one facet of what compression does. For me, compression does about 4 or 5 different things at once.

1. it adds punch and impact.
2. It adds sustain.
3. It controls peaks and levels out the signal...'taming'.
4. It increases apparent detail....by bringing the loud parts and soft parts closer together.
5. It increases apparent loudness.

Too often I hear people attributing just one of these facets to compression when really it's giving you all of them..and however much you want of them. A lot of electronic stuff doesn't need compression...because it's already compressed (you could totally get away with no compression at all)....so it would make sense that someone that only uses these types of sounds...would say....'You don't actually need any compression'....when they should add "if you're using sounds that are already processed".

Originally Posted by Karloff70 ➡️

You are missing an entire way of using compression. Electronic music in some ways needs compression more than live music. To make the quantised stuff move and interact more. But I'm not looking for a squabble so I'm out.

Originally Posted by NawwwwwSun ➡️

I do not know a single person who is making electronic music that other ppl care about who isn’t using compression. Usually quite heavily.

If you’re not familiar with the general methods, it’s fine just don’t speak on them.

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

The guy above just mentioned that he mixes electronic music and never uses compression; maybe some people like his mixes? I've been using compression quite a lot on mixes for the last 5 or 6 years. What methods are you speaking of?

Also, how could I not know the methods...if I just listed a list of what it does?

Originally Posted by NawwwwwSun ➡️

If you don’t understand how and why almost every electronic musician is using compression (and this is decisively the case since you believe “it isn’t necessary”), then you don’t know the methods.

Like your own post has proven my point.

Don’t worry about how or why ppl making electronic music are using compressors, it’s beyond you.

Originally Posted by NawwwwwSun ➡️

If you don’t understand how and why almost every electronic musician is using compression (and this is decisively the case since you believe “it isn’t necessary”), then you don’t know the methods.

Like your own post has proven my point.

Don’t worry about how or why ppl making electronic music are using compressors, it’s beyond you.

Originally Posted by usedtohaveajuno ➡️

Sorry if this is old. I want a compressor to stick on the output of my master bus, or maybe just from my drums sub mixer (a Boss BX16). Bit of character. Something I can hit hard. Ideally also with a sidechain

Can't decide which of the lower end ones meets my needs. I swear to god I've read and I've read, but a lot of the discussion is more about vocals/real instrument compression and I can't translate that into techno/electro/house.

Choices are really the ubiquitous pump-action Alesis (which isn't really my sound), one of the DBX range (1066 maybe?) or anything comparitive like the lower end Drawmer boxes. Or a pair of Boss CL50s. Klark Teknik?

I want something to add a bit of punch and glue the drums, or glue everything. I'm happy to buy a pair if they are cheap enough and I'd rather not spend anymore than 200 spondoolies - the cheaper the better.

I'd welcome your thoughts! I know I can do all of this with plugins, but i am not using the DAW for the D bit anymore - master mixer is my RME UFX - it's own compressors are recording-biased and I don't really like them - I want analogue.

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

Thanks for your reply. I didn't ask if you wrote any of the music...I just wanted to hear one of your mixes.

Until you mix 100 songs that are made of unprocessed acoustic instruments, you wouldn't know if you needed compression or not. House/techo music is made of sounds that are pretty much all processed and compressed already.

For me, it's the exact opposite. I Only mix unprocessed instruments. Have you ever heard a mix that is totally unprocessed....without any compression at all? It sounds weak with no impact. Having said that, I guess this thread is about electronic music. so....

Originally Posted by iamelohym ➡️

I would still say that the RNC while not being a color box is a pretty good choice for a Leveler on the Master. Certainly adds a little bit of warmth and roundness. Depends on personal taste of course.

Originally Posted by Scott Hallam ➡️

I won't be mixing any songs that don't contain electronic sounds though so that's a bit of a moot point.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1501336-Scott-Hallam

Have a listen to any of the tracks by all means.

The way I used to work (1993-2002) was to mix via a Soundcraft 32:8:2 desk straight to DAT so everything recorded was a 'snapshot' in time.

I would usually run through a track two or three times making adjustments as I went and on the final run record it - no editing, no compression (and to this day I still don't have or use a compressor - no need for one)

Electronic sounds aren't already processed though, I do run things through reverbs/delays/phasers/other effects and of course knowing a desk's EQ inside out is more important than adding compression as mastering engineers will agree with.

With modern DAW's it's become easier to record parts and then do a final mixdown when all the stems are EQ'd and mixed - the process takes three or four times as long as it used to as with multi-tracks it depends how many you have that you need to work with.

Originally Posted by martino_ ➡️

OP has made their choice, however for the sake of discussion I would also suggest the FMR RNC or RNLA - it is highly recommended to correctly use the side chain on these compressors so that you aren’t compressing all the bass out of your stereo mix. It makes the world of difference

Originally Posted by Pyeguy ➡️

mmmm ok....after I admitted to using it myself on certain electronic sources....and others not. I'm unfamiliar with the 'methods'. Yeah. Ok.

Here's the AI overview....I thought I would check as AI is touted to be so smart. You might wanna argue with it. Pretty much lines up with what I said as well!

AI Overview
Compression might not be necessary for electronic instruments if the sound is already stable and consistent, but it can be useful to fix certain issues in a mix.

Originally Posted by Servox303 ➡️

This logic is a pretty good example of why new shit doesn't sound as good as the old shit.

Sure, you stack a bunch of stems, bus them out, run each of them through saturation->compression->eq, the sum them again through compression/limiting on the 2 bus... and it will be loud.

Yeah, loudness is great, but nobody ever stops to ask if it sounds good... and most modern electronic music sounds like shit compared to the best stuff made in bedrooms in the 80's/90's.

I'll take old "909+101 on an ironing board" Robert Hood over new Robert Hood any day of the week.

edit: also, I'm not saying to NEVER use compression, its just that it's a bit over-prescribed for electronic music these days. There is nothing wrong with having a slightly quieter mix that actually breathes...

Originally Posted by NawwwwwSun ➡️

I keep an EHX platform pedal strapped across my drum buss at all times. I tweak it for each track but between its compression, its tone control, and its drive knob, it’s literally the best thing ever for drums that knock.

I plan to buy a few more to use on other things too. Super cheap, just do it and you’ll see.

Originally Posted by NawwwwwSun ➡️

Again I participate in this shit daily and talk to many people at many levels of professionalism about it all the time.

Originally Posted by usedtohaveajuno ➡️

It was actually my first choice when I started looking - but I "educated" myself out of it. Not ruling one out as a next purchase, after I see how I get on with the Drawmer!

Originally Posted by usedtohaveajuno ➡️

I want a compressor to stick on the output of my master bus, or maybe just from my drums sub mixer. Bit of character. Something I can hit hard. Ideally also with a sidechain

...one of the DBX range (1066 maybe?)

I want something to add a bit of punch and glue the drums, or glue everything... I'd rather not spend anymore than 200 spondoolies.

Originally Posted by James Lehmann ➡️

Your first instinct was correct imho.

dbx1066 ticks all those boxes for you and can be found used for under £200.