In practical terms, the VU meter had to go, since some parts of a digital multitrack could have the VU meters literally pounding against their end-stops, risking physical damage and providing no usable information. As engineers started to realise that the suggested 'average' levels for digital recordings were merely standardised recommendations (rather than technically justified ones), the trusty old VU meter went straight into the dustbin. The level, which is fixed and unchanging for digital audio equipment, is the maximum level, not the average one. Instead of having the combination of a fixed electrical (or magnetic) 'average' level, and an awareness of somewhat vague 'maximum' levels enforced by the equipment, digital audio technology totally reverses these concepts. It was part of the sound engineer's job to have a good feel, not only for the practical limits of their own equipment, but for the limits of the final playback media, such as vinyl records or magnetic tape cassette.Īs digital technology started to work its way through the entire recording and playback chain, the rules suddenly changed. The idea of a maximum level simply didn't apply back then because the maximum limits were arbitrarily enforced by the particular technology or piece of gear being used. The measurement of zero VU (Volume Units) represents a subjectively vague average sound level, which still has a precise electrical and - for tape recording - magnetic power specification. Remember that the goal of the exercise (in most cases) is to gain a good degree of automatic control over the volume levels without it sounding obvious to the listener that it's being achieved artificially.Īnalogue technology made the technical specification of musical loudness relatively straightforward, with the measuring device of choice being the beautifully designed and easy-to-use VU Meter.
It's worth noting that the settings on any compressor are a matter of personal taste, requiring a great deal of experimentation, and that the precise behaviour of every compressor tends to be different and unique (which is why some people swear by certain plug-ins and dislike others).
#Soundation tracks how to
The second demonstrates how to use EQ to work with compression rather than against it. The first walkthrough below is a quick guide to setting a compressor up correctly for a basic 'smoothing out' of overall volume levels, regardless of whether you're working on an entire mix, or just one element of it.
#Soundation tracks software
Stuck with some of the technical terms? Check out MusicRadar's hi-tech jargon buster for a comprehensive guide to music technology language.Īlthough it might seem that both tasks could be performed with an advanced 'multi-knee' software compressor (which allows different points to be graphically placed on a threshold curve), in practice these two techniques usually require very different attack and release times, and unless a compressor has an acceptable in-built limiter function then two separate plug-ins are required.Ĭompressors can be hard to understand and even harder to master, especially since the results are very much dependant on the type of sound source that you're trying to control. Such peaks, when untamed, prevent you from recording the final signal at a 'loud' level and, at their worst, can physically damage sensitive equipment such as tweeters. Limiting, on the other hand, is the removal of undesirably loud, transient peaks not considered critical to the overall artistic impression of the music. Although this is usually done in such a way as to sound natural, compression can also be deliberately abused to create a 'larger than life' sound, such as creating the impression of an elastic-sounding room ambience that responds to the playing of the instrument, like the classic 'big rock drums' sound. However, although both use similar (sometimes identical) technology, they serve different functions, and it's quite common for both techniques to be used simultaneously on the same section of audio.Ĭompression is the art of controlling volume levels such that the subjectively loudest and quietest parts fall within a desired volume range. The terms compression and limiting are often used interchangeably.
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