Using a Multi-Band Compressor in REAPER (ReaXComp)

how you doing I'm Kenny Joya welcome to another one my tutorials in this tutorial I want to show you the re ex comp compressor in Reaper let's open it up right over here I'll right-click go to this folder and choose re ex comp this is a multiband compressor that comes with Reaper if you're not familiar with compressors I suggest watching my compressor video first the Recon porn as I'm not going to go in with the basics of a compressor how a multiband compressor differs is its multiband in other words it's many different compressors compressing different bands and then combining it later so by default it opens up with four bands low frequency no mid frequency high mid frequency and high frequency but we can adjust it to taste we could delete a few bands we could delete all but one and then it's just a regular compressor well we could add as many as we want right here and the more bands the more separate frequencies were compressing let's go back to our default let's start off which is three bands so take this band here and delete it now we can move the bands around or the frequencies either from up here or down here we could just the top frequency so in band three it said the 24 kilohertz bring it down here go to band - it's at the 3 kilohertz we can adjust it here but notice the bands overlap so there's no space in between the bands so it's always compressing all the frequencies although we can bring down the top and then everything above here will not be compressed which is good if using for a de-esser what's delete one of the bands bypass the first band right here now just the second band is being used we can adjust it just for s's this range right here and create a de-esser that only compresses certain frequencies but for the most part multiband compressor z' are using a stereo mix even though they can be used to solve problems like a de-esser or for vocals to nasally we could set this to upper mid-range and just compress those frequencies but in this video I'm going to concentrate what we use it for the most so let's go back to the default preset what's delete one of the bands so it's a three band so if low-end mid-range and high-end now before I start playing the sound I want to show you the metering as the metering in this plug-in is very extensive which makes it very useful as a mastering plugin and to make it easier to see let's do it all the bands except for one so now it's just a regular compressor but check out the metering seventy we say two meters at the beginning the first meter is an RMS meter more of an average level in north of 65 and the second meter to the right is a peak near a couple of the books his guitar in the bed so notice it reacts a bit more you scared good solo with other reasons if we pull a threshold down we couldn't see none of that we see a yellow meter right here stars is that shown is how much game reduction is happening but we also have labelled verb or is blue meter right here for the lights and noise the city limits showing us how much makeup gain is being added on this band right now by default auto makeup gain is turned on so that's why we see it if we turned it off we don't see the meter and we're just gonna see it if we raised this higher or lower we can still adjust this read even if auto makeup gain is turned on one last breath this face went yeah so it's boosting by this much we can still just that afterwards did round two the settle down so auto makeup gain which is on by default tries to keep the frequencies equal to what's being reduced so the level shouldn't change as you bring the threshold down where if we turn this off we'll hear a difference in level as you bring a threshold down I usually leave it on as we could always control it with this gain afterwards so you can balance out each frequency and all these settings are separate for each band so the separate threshold ratio knee attack and release and the RMS let me show you how the RMS works let's put a threshold back to zero if I hit play 17 the peak meter is more active back to dreams and all this but we can adjust the RMS meter to the left 65 using this fader right here if we move it to the left to 0 milliseconds they look the same bring more to the right and it's more relaxed it's more average so that could also be adjusted on each band return and back again making it very flexible as a mastering tool one other thing to note is if you want to set each band to be the same just start out by deleting them set the first band how you want it like the knee could be up here the attack over here through these here and this here and then you can add your bands then and then each band has the same setting to start with so if you know you want to set each band the same this is a good way to start let's delete them although put them back to our defaults but double clicking and I should also mention that each band has a program dependent release as an option which makes it sound a little smoother as the release time is going to change based on the incoming sound or program so it's a faster song the release is going to react a bit differently let's start with it off but at some points I'm going to turn it back on so you can hear the difference let's set our ratio two to two one to start that's pretty subtle but for this type of approach as a multiband we want to start off pretty subtle now one of the big features of a multiband compressor is that you don't hear the pumping and breathing of a one band compressor because each frequency is compressing differently we're not going to hear that sucking in or pumping effect of a typical compressor so it sounds a lot smoother but it evens out our frequencies a lot better so our top and a low end and even the mid-range will be more even throughout the song which is why it's so popular as a mastering compressor so let's add a few more bands again I'm going to duplicate what we started off with two to one auto make up gain turned on an attack and release at the fault let's move these over here now if you don't want to look at all this stuff down here we could turn off the tabs and just adjust it this way let's put this all the way up but I'll leave it on Sookie what's going on just a few things in both places like a threshold or the frequency this back for now now the best way to hear the frequencies and adjust the bandwidth or what frequencies we're compressing is using this option down here so I'll current band if we choose this we're only going to hear that band at one time so if you choose the bass and we'll just hear that well mid-range or the top-end let's turn this off first let's hear the song we'll be working on 17 wait long enough back to dreams and all this stuff headed north up 65 nothing more than a couple of bucks his guitar in the bed of his truck he was scared good so loud now let's start off with the low end we'll choose this one and we'll solve it then we can just this to just feature that low end reasons for turning back do the stars in that's a pretty good spot there at about 250 Hertz there's a feature just that low end and will control it to give them a poly sound now let's check at the top end for the lights and noise the city limit signs of anywhere that set to about 5 kilohertz which is really gonna control the prettiness of a sound and then finally let's hear the mid-range small-town Alabama boy edit for the lights and noise the city limit signs of anywhere and again this will control the mid-range now if you notice the frequencies overlap so if we just this side or this side it affects band 1 and band 3 so they're all related to each other now tail it all together and slowly bring down the threshold turn this off small town boy it afore the lights and noise the city limit signs of anywhere anywhere stone's throw from the interstate fell asleep and sealed his fate when it crossed to yellow light red light splashed sirens wail one last breath his face went pale notice how much more polished or finished that sounds as each frequency is being controlled separately so when we hear the pumping but they're still being very controlled and we can adjust the level of each using the gain on each band this ghost throws into the sky ah drifted round to the settle down in a boarding house near the edge of town is that the way the wind was blowing told his momma he was gone even stand his body home but he says he's not going now tear it with the program dependent release we have to do this for each band now keep in mind each band is being compressed exactly the same way we have the flexibility of doing a completely different compressing the knowing the lot harder on the top-end harder as each band has own set of parameters but this kind of stuff I try to get too crazy with it what's here at the program depend release sounds like anyone anyway you will we share that blue when I came to town little noises in the dark when I'd sing my songs swear I can hear him playin his guitar now this setting is a bit too much I'm compressing about 15 DB but you could hear how controlled it sounds and how useful this type of compressor can be let's try it a bit more subtle we'll put the ratio back to 2 this weights not compressing so harshly and will bring up the threshold as well any word anyway he was scared good solo with only reasons for turning back he couldn't see none of that do the stars anywhere stone's throw from the interstage fell asleep and sealed his fate when it crossed to the other lines notice how weak it sounds in bypass red lights flashed sirens well one last breath this face went bill it sounds a lot more finished well controlled with a turn back on so anyway this is the reacts comp compressor in Reaper I hope you learn something hope you can use it and I'll see you next time thanks

Channel: REAPER Mania

Views: 42,419

Keywords: DAW, REAPER, Compression, Multiband

Id: e1gYrZxo384

Length: 15min 49sec (949 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 29 2015