Mix Buss Compression (The Right Way) - RecordingRevolution.com

If you've ever heard of engineers using mix buss compression to "glue" their tracks together but have no idea what that means or how to do it - this video is for you.

But many people mis-use mix buss compression and it actually makes their mix WORSE with it on, not better.

Today I'll break down my exact settings for using mix buss compression the right way so you get a punchier, more exciting, but still natural sounding mix!

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More about the song in this video:

[recordingrevolution]

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[d.miranda]

Everyone mixing at home needs to watch this, several times... it's all about subtlety, retaining dynamics, natural sound... slow attack, minimal threshold... excellent job, we need more videos like this out there.

[DudeMannn]

Dude this is the first video of yours I've seen and you are easily one of the best YouTube instructors on plugins because you don't rush your words. You explain everything concisely without making dumb jokes. You zoom in on the plugin so we can see what you are doing. The zoom in is very clear. At the same time you don't linger on the same point forever making your video a perfect speed to learn with. I'm checking out your videos for the next few hours and keep putting up more good context. Dude from New York City.

[elonthebass]

I own and use the SSL bus compressor quite regularly, Slower attacks & fast release is just one approach. True, It preserves the internal dynamics of the track. But the SSL also can grab transients with faster attacks too for that "glued" pop sound. I use .3 attack all the time and adjust the threshold so it only kisses the transients. Auto release is quite incredible too. As far as mixing into the SSL, yes slow attack fast release. But I seldom do that anymore because the SSL narrows the image so much sometimes that its difficult to differentiate a tonal imbalance in an instrument or an loudness imbalance. Things get squashed together nicely but normally small corrective moves have to be multiplied and exaggerated to hear them. It can get hairy. Bypassing it after mixing into it for a day can be downright scary.

[wwbelcher]

"No mixing trick should give you massive magical change" - So so true, thanks for the great video!

[danielmaher]

This is one of the simplest, clearest explanations of compression I’ve seen! Thanks man!

[akashchakrabarty]

Man! this is the best and I mean THE BEST explanation of how to use the SSL comp on YouTube.

Period

Big ups to you man!

[ghdrum]

Drummer of 20 years & 10 years of Jazz piano but new to production and new to your channel. Finding some really great tips. Thank you!

[HiggsMusicOfficial]

Another mixing save from Graham! I've been following your stuff for years and have learnt a ton, sir. Thank you!

[indyartmusic]

Thanks for the video Graham, i have just tried this on my latest piece that, to be fair, was near completion, but i stripped it back and removed all the effect plugins, in other words, started from scratch using MIX BUSS COMPRESSION and OMG!!!! the result is fantastic, it might be subtle as you call it but it is anything My track has more width, more punch, more air and sounds great. I have added some EQ and Compression in parts to a few of the tracks (NOT ALL!) and the final result is i have managed to remix my track from scratch to completion and mastered in the space of about an hour!!! Personally, i think it is the best mix etc that i have done so It also has help me sort some "go to" plugins now that i will use from now Graham, THANK YOU!

[JHVH]

How do you get that blarey high note on vocals?? is it a preamp, saturator on a bus, or what? I've heard this technique on a lot of pop vocals and can't figure it out!!

[inspir.edmusic]

What does the analog button do, besides add noise?

[kevinsturges]

Even when you set it “wrong” it still sounded amazing and had that classic album flavor. I love this compressor on the mix buss.

[jsserch]

I think this is a massive magical change, I've never used a mix buss compressor and today I followed this tutorial for one of my old recordings. Dude the difference is huge!. Up to this point, every time I listened back to my recordings I always felt the need to crank up the volume, it was specially painful when you do the "conversational volume" test. With this little trick here, I can hear all the details of my mix at a low volume. Well, maybe he is right, because I'm also applying other good practices in mixing and recording so they added up, this was maybe that little extra detail my mixes needed. I have so much to learn.

[Alberto_McClane]

Thank you very much for this tutorial. I have a question. How could I have so much more glue than this?

[kayway.mp]

should i add this on master track or on the voice?

[rickhorvath]

A Grammy award winning engineer states you should turn this on inly AFTER you’ve created your mix. I’d trust him.

[StevieBoyesmusic]

I'm starting to put mix bus compression and eq on just after doing a basic mono fader up mix, with perhaps some automation and subtractive eq. Then go and eq and compress/saturate and add extra automation to individual channels afterwards.
I'm liking the results.

[SergeyBerezovikov]

Thanks for the video. It does the explaining job quite well, but i still don't hear the difference. I have done the mixing and i don't like the sound. I think that i need to compress the mix but every time i do it i just don't hear any difference when i turn the knobs. I have to develop my ears.

[nicknolin]

Ok so will u do a video on the mix buss plugin chain so like how u stack and where u place comp eq, tape, ect ? In what order