And finally, you apply another coat to polish things off. You start with the primer to cover up the previous color. If you’re trying to paint a wall in your house, it’s usually best to apply several coats.
Syncing the release to the tempo will not maximize the volume and intensity of your drums as much as approach #1 will, but it will add a stronger rhythmic pulse to the performance.ĭownload my FREE Drum Mixing Cheatsheet Tip #3: Compress In Stages It works well in tracks with a strong and stable rhythmic foundation - like EDM, R&B, or soul. This approach can enhance the groove of your song by adding a subtle pulse to the drum performance. When you do this right, you’ll see the meter bounce in time with the music, almost as if you were bobbing your head to the beat. Adjust the release so compressor’s meter pumps in time with the music.įor example, you might see the meter pull back when the snare hits, and then return to zero just before the next snare hits. The easiest way to do this is to use a compressor with a gain reduction meter. Using this approach, you set the release so the compressor pumps in time with the music. Approach #2 – Sync The Release To The Tempo I typically find myself using them on drums in harder genres, like rock or EDM. This approach will add volume and density to your drums by bringing up low-level details, like the decay of the drum hits and the room ambience.įast release times can make drums sound bigger and more aggressive. There are two approaches to setting the release time on drums: Approach #1 – Set The Release As Fast As Possible If you don’t set this control properly, your drums can end up sounding small and far away. The release time on your compressor is also essential to get right when compressing drums. Don’t worry too much about the exact number you land on. Just tweak the knob until your drums have the punch you’re looking for. My best advice is to listen closely to the punch in your drums when adjusting your compressor’s attack knob. A 5 millisecond attack on one compressor can sound vastly different than the same numerical value on another. What’s a slow attack time? I wish I could give you exact numbers, but it varies depending on which compressor you’re using. In short, unless you’re deliberately trying to remove punch from your drums, you should use slow attack times when compressing them. This will make your drums sound energetic and larger-than-life. This can make your drums sound flat, lifeless, and unexciting.Ī slow attack, on the other hand, will tell the compressor to retain and enhance the punch in your drums. It’s important that when you’re compressing your drums, you don’t mess this up.Ī fast attack will tell the compressor to reduce the punch in your drum tracks.
It’s what makes the kick feel like it hits you in the chest, and the snare poke out of the mix.
Punch is what makes drums sound exciting and impactful. The attack control will determine how much punch the compressor will add or remove on your drums. When it comes to compressing drums, there’s one control on your compressor that you should pay extra attention to.
Download my FREE Drum Mixing Cheatsheet Tip #1: Slow Down The Attack Time