Should you EQ parallel compression?

EQ Your Compression Often when using parallel compression you may only want to bring out certain frequencies. This is because parallel compression can sometimes amplify problem frequencies in the vocals that you don’t want to hear. The solution is to add an equalizer plugin either before or after the compressor plugin.

How do you compress a parallel mix?

How to use parallel compression

  1. Start by creating an aux return channel in your DAW’s mixer.
  2. Add the compressor plugin you want to use as an insert on the aux return track.
  3. Create a pre-fader send on your source track to route to the compressor on the aux.
  4. Select the send from your source as the input of the aux track.

Is Sidechaining the same as parallel compression?

Parallel compression adds focus and contrast to a signal where as side-chain compression is used for dynamic control of a specific element in a signal.

When should I use parallel compression?

Although most commonly used on drums and vocals, parallel compression can be used whenever you need to increase the presence and punch of an instrument, but still want to keep the dynamic quality of the original audio.

When should you use parallel compression?

What instruments are used to compress parallel?

A very common use for parallel compression is on drums. If you are trying to tame drums in a mix and insert compression on every channel, you’ll likely destroy all the dynamics and end up making them sound very tiny once all the other instruments are played over top of them.

What does parallel compression do?

Parallel compression uses a send and return setup similar to how you would send a signal to an effects processor. It is the combination of the dry signal mixed with a compressed version. In a parallel setup, you can use heavier compression to pull more depth out of the source signal.

What is sidechain compression?

Sidechain compression is when the level of one instrument or sound triggers a compressor to act on another. We’ll get into a bit more detail later in this article about common methods of use, but one common use of sidechain compression is in electronic dance music (EDM).