The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

huh? :) okay.. if you think so ;) i tried to make it as real as possible ...
but i forgot that i had connected a compressor directly to the outputs of
the AN1x , (pretty much compression, and the output to +18db) so it sounds
kindof different
alone, sounds more real with the compressor enabled ... but like i said, i
didn't notice i had the compressor on when i ta'week'd the patch .... :)
*ROFLOL*

Thomas Finegan wrote:

--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, mango <j.kolling@c...> wrote:

> i tried to make it as real as possible ...
> but i forgot that i had connected a compressor directly to the

outputs of

> the AN1x , (pretty much compression, and the output to +18db) so it

sounds

> kindof different
> alone, sounds more real with the compressor enabled ... but like i

said, i

Tom asks:
"...what exactly does the compressor do with my sound? What ratio, etc. do i choose for what result?"

Phil replies:
"Here's something I wrote up a while ago. It's not specifically in relation to your example, but it may be an interesting read if you've never used a compressor before. It will give you a bit of an idea on what the various contols do. Please post back if you have any further questions.

Cheers,

Phil."


====================================================

Firstly, a Compressor doesn't actually 'boost' a signal - quite the opposite.
Here's a summary of how it works:

The signal enters the Compressor and leaves the Compressor unchanged...

UNTIL

...the volume of the signal exceeds the level you have set as the THRESHOLD.
At this point, anything that exceeds the Threshold is restricted by a rate
that you have set as the RATIO.

For example:

If the Ratio is set at 1:1 it means that for one dB that enters the
Compressor, you have one dB leave. - Effectively there is still no
compression applied.

Now, as you start to raise the Ratio value, compression starts to take place
everytime the volume exceeds the Threshold. The way the ratio works is:

1:1 1dB In / 1dB Out

2:1 2dB In / 1db Out

3:1 3dB In / 1db Out etc.

This continues up to say 10:1 where you need to have an increase of 10dB at
the input just to have a 1dB increase at the output. This sort of
compression is called "Limiting". You would use it to protect PA speakers in
a Concert/Nightclub, or when recording to DAT and you can't afford it to
distort. In this case, you would set the threshold so that the compressor
ONLY starts to operate on the absolute peaks of your music, rather than
compressing all the time.

You asked:
"...When compressing, is it possible to get decent results by compressing
the whole track or do you have to compress one component of the track at a
time?"

The answer a combination of the above. I personally have quite a lot of
compression (ratio around 4 or 5:1) on my virtual-analogue synth leads to
level out their volumes, especially when making plenty of changes to your
filter settings which in turn affect the dynamics greatly and the pattern
won't sit nicely in the mix. A compressor helps level out the volume so that
you're not continualy adjusting the mixer fader levels.

And I also use a seperate compressor peforming mild compression (around 2:1,
and no more than say 4 or 6 dB of gain reduction incurred by the threshold)
over the Main Mix. Although the compressor is reducing the level of the
dynamic peaks, this allows you to turn up the main level, which in turn
lifts the volume of the quieter sections without increasing the maximum
volume.

This give the impression of things sounding louder when in fact the
compressor is simply reducing the volume of the peaks allowing you to turn
up the volume again to bring the levels to the same position.

It's a strange concept that you reduce the volume to 'get things louder'!

Keep in mind, that standard Compressor doesn't descriminate different
frequencies or sounds. If you have a continuous string pad sounding (for
example), then add a kick drum, as the compressor starts reducing the volume
of the peaks of the kick, this in turn reduces the volume of the pad for the
duration of the kick. A higher Ratio will emphasise this and while sometimes
this can be a cool effect, it is known as 'pumping' and is generally
undesirable.

There are compressors that in fact break the frequency band down into say 5
seperate bands and process each one seperately. This way you won't have the
deep bass frequencies modulating (or interacting) the other sounds in the
mix.

Hope this helps shed some light on the magic and mystery of compressors. Let
us know how you get on.

If you have any further questions (or debates) about what I've said then
please don't hesitate to post back.

Phil :)

--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, Phil <accession@o...> wrote:

> compressor before. It will give you a bit of an idea on what the

various

Hi Tom,

Glad to be able to help!

A "Finalizer" (isn't that a registered trademark???), is really just a multi-FX procesor that only contains the necessary processing tools considered useful for the 'final' production of your track. So, it would include your compressing features, some EQ facilities and maybe some other things. They're certainly not items that couldn't be found in other pieces of gear. One could assume that it is just a way to market a new product - that we all *must* have in our studio!

Using compression on your AN1x will add intensity to bass lines by leveling their dynamic range - making your sequences sit prominently in your mix, without jumping from too quiet, to too loud on each note. Also, using a heavy amount of compression will actually create more 'sustain' on pads. Don't guitarists use compression pedals for that purpose? Over a whole mix with drums, it will create the impression that your drums are 'punchier' without the need to push the levels up of the kicks etc. Basically, whenever there is a loud transient, such as your kick drum, then the rest of the mix will be 'pushed back' whilst the kick sounds, then return to normal after the kick has subsided - all without your overall levels being being pushed higher up the scale.

Have a go with the compressor FX in the AN1x. However, I can highly recommend investing in something like a Behringer Composer or Alesis 3630 that has LED's that indicate how much compression is taking place. It's always recommended to at least place some mild compression over your main mix. Plug-ins will work, but often they're not able to be used in real-time for instantly comparing the results of different settings.

Cheers,

Phil

And Tom,

Here's a link to the 'dbx' site which has some useful info on using compressors in different situations:

http://www.dbxpro.com/compress101.htm

Enjoy,

Phil

--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, Phil <accession@o...> wrote:

>It's
> always recommended to at least place some mild compression over

your main

> mix. Plug-ins will work, but often they're not able to be used in

real-time

From: "Phil" <accession@...>

> A "Finalizer" (isn't that a registered trademark???), is really just a
> multi-FX procesor that only contains the necessary processing tools
> considered useful for the 'final' production of your track. So, it would
> include your compressing features, some EQ facilities and maybe some other
> things. They're certainly not items that couldn't be found in other pieces
> of gear. One could assume that it is just a way to market a new product -
> that we all *must* have in our studio!

A/the finalizer is a mastering tool. You can divide the process of creating
an album roughly into three parts: composing/producing, mixing, and
mastering. All of these require quite different skills. Coming up with a
tune is one thing, but putting it all together into a well-balanced mix is
something else. I'm not saying that these are mutually exclusive, merely
that it's different.

After you've mixed a couple of songs together, they'd better be mastered.
This means swapping the order of songs, levelling the overal volumes,
applying EQ and dynamics. Mastering takes place over the stereo mix, not
individual tracks. In the professional world, it's done by highly qualified
people (meaning: not people like us) who won't worry about questions like
"should I spend $1000 more on monitors?". They also use equipment that is
way too expensive for mere mortals like us, and we'll have to do with a
Finalizer - a fine product nevertheless, but not the top-end.

I've been told, though, that having your tracks mastered by a professional
is really worth the end result, if you're any serious about your music - in
other words, if you intend to make money with it.

- Peter

Hey,
I've been out of the loop for a while...I recall seeing a thread about AN1x
syncing, but couldn't dig anything up.

Anyway, is there a way I can sync up my An1x arpeggiators/sequences with
midi clock? How do you do it?

Also, can a tempo delay be synced to midi clock as well?

Thanks so much for any help!

todd

--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, "Todd Gys" <tgys@b...> wrote:

> Hey,
> I've been out of the loop for a while...I recall seeing a thread

about AN1x

> syncing, but couldn't dig anything up.
>
> Anyway, is there a way I can sync up my An1x arpeggiators/sequences

with

> midi clock? How do you do it?

Decrease the Tempo on the AN1x below 40 until the display reads
'MIDI'. The AN1x Arp/Seq will now sync to MIDI Clock from an external
clock.

thanks for your help jon! Woo hoo!

todd (who now can't wait to get off of work to try it out)

-----Original Message-----
From: jondl@... [mailto:jondl@...]
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 1:11 PM
To: AN1x-list@egroups.com
Subject: [AN1x-list] Re: Arp. Syncing on the AN1x

--- In AN1x-list@egroups.com, "Todd Gys" <tgys@b...> wrote:
> Hey,
> I've been out of the loop for a while...I recall seeing a thread
about AN1x
> syncing, but couldn't dig anything up.
>
> Anyway, is there a way I can sync up my An1x arpeggiators/sequences
with
> midi clock? How do you do it?

Decrease the Tempo on the AN1x below 40 until the display reads
'MIDI'. The AN1x Arp/Seq will now sync to MIDI Clock from an external
clock.

>
> Also, can a tempo delay be synced to midi clock as well?

Yes, the Tempo Delay will sync to MIDI Clock as well IF the internal
clock is set to MIDI as described above. Of course you can always use
any of the widely available Delay Time calculators to figure note
duration delay times in .ms and sync any of the delay effects the
'old fashioned' way.

Try hitsquad.com or harmony-central.com for freeware/shareware delay
time calculators. My favorite is the freeware one at wizoo.com (it's
cross platform too.)

Too bad the AN1x LFOs don't sync to MIDI Clock :-(

regards,
Jon



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