Yamaha EMX5014C Owner's Manual - Page 18

Mixer Basics Making the Most of Your Mixer Compression Have you ever wondered why professionally produced recordings sound so different from your own? There are numerous reasons, of course, but one important factor is the judicious use of compression. One form of compression known as "limiting" can, when properly used, produce a smooth, unified sound with no excessive peaks or distortion. Compression can also be used within a mix to make a voice or instrument seem to come forward, or simply to even out level differences. Compression can be used to make a mix seem bigger and louder by producing a more "saturated" sound. Professional compressors have numerous parameters that need to be carefully adjusted: attack, release, threshold, level, and sometimes more. A professional sound engineer might need to spend a considerable amount of time, based on a considerable amount of experience, to set each of these parameters to achieve the desired sound. OUTPUT (Min) (Max) The EMX compressor makes achieving great INPUT sound much easier. All you need to do is set a single "compression" control and all of the pertinent parameters are automatically adjusted for you. The engineers who designed this fine compressor paid careful attention to achieving the best sound quality possible so that you can quickly achieve pro-quality compression without having to worry about a confusing multitude of settings. A common example of the use of compression is to "tame" a vocal that has a wide dynamic range in order to tighten up the mix. With the right amount of compression you'll be able to clearly hear whispered passages while passionate shouts are still well balanced in the mix. Compression can also be valuable on bass guitar, producing a smooth bass sound that stays solid through the tune. Compression can also be applied to guitar tracks to add extra sustain. Too much compression can be a cause of feedback, however, so use it sparingly. Music First-Then Mix In any case, the music comes first. Think about the music and let it guide the mix, rather than trying to do things the other way around. What is the music saying and what instrument or technique is being used to drive the message? That's where the focus of your mix should be. You're using a high-tech tool to do the mixing, but the mix itself is as much art as the music. Approach it that way and your mixes will become a vital part of the music. 18 EMX5014C Owner's Manual