# Anyone use Parallel compression (New York Compression) for Orchestral ?



## ManicMiner (Feb 10, 2019)

Ever since I found out about New York compression for my EDM tracks, I've found out that it really enhance my mixes.

I don't think Orchestral typically would use this approach, that my guess. But I thought that I'd ask you more experienced guys if you use a similar technique in orchestral/cinematic ? Just curious...


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## burp182 (Feb 10, 2019)

Not too much for orchestral work, since dynamic change is an integral part of the canon. There are always certain circumstances that call for dynamic reduction but in general, not a primary arena for compression, NY or otherwise.


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## Mason (Feb 10, 2019)

Alan Meyerson talks about using parallel compression on orchestral percussion in his Mix with the masters series.


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## Dietz (Feb 11, 2019)

While I wouldn't see the necessity for parallel compression in a classical orchestral context, I use it quite a bit in "hybrid" arrangements, where the orchestral parts fight with lots of percussion, electronic sounds, untypical solo instruments and all kind of effects. It helps to add density, stability and "power" to the orchestral elements without killing all the short-term dynamics.


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## MatthewHarnage (Feb 18, 2019)

Definitely in the more aggressive and rock-ish tracks. 

I write game music so I'm writing battle themes and things like that pretty often. I usually put a little parallel comp on my staccato med/low strings to beef them up some, and then some on my short brass. I try to use a pretty transparent compressor too with a med attack so the transient doesn't get squashed and you can't hear it working. I think it sounds damn good and better than it'd sound in real life for those situations.


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## germancomponist (Feb 18, 2019)

Dietz said:


> ... untypical solo instruments and all kind of effects. ...


Yeah, so you give them a chance to be heard. 
+ 1


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## thevisi0nary (Feb 18, 2019)

I think it's important to note that "orchestral music" is sort of an umbrella term, and there are many people here who are writing more classically inspired orchestral music, and in that context most people are not doing a lot of heavy processing. For the more modern bombastic orchestral type stuff you would hear in games (especially with hybrid sounds), I would guess that the majority of them are using tons of processing like parallel compression.

Almost positive this one would have something like parallel compression.


This one I wouldn't think so and it doesn't sound like it. Though I am no expert.


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## enyawg (Feb 18, 2019)

I have used NY compression on orchestral perc, brass and low string subs in the past. All had Ok results.
I almost always use an SSL Comp on my mix bus even when not using NY comp on my subs.


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## Beat Kaufmann (Feb 19, 2019)

Generally: In classical music, the New York compression is often used, because it does not touch (compresses) the loud dynamic peaks in order to keep the sound as natural as possible - specially with the _fff_ parts.

------------------------------------------------​
I think, it is less related to the music style than to the way the music is played.
If you *produce music with samples* you have rather the problem that enough dynamics (difference between loud and quiet) arises. The video examples above show a second case that classically oriented music can also be "puffed up" as one would never hear it in the concert hall. Any form of compression is welcome, the main thing is, it gets loud, louder, loudest - without any dynamic range of coarse.

When you *record* classical music, you often have too much of these differences between loud and quiet (dynamics).

For my recordings I usually use both types of compression: I amplify the quiet parts a bit (NY) and compress the loud parts a bit as well (normal compression).
Depending on the situation, I even do that twice (or more). However, I always do this very gently so that the listener will not notice anything >> example...
The fact is, nobody (and no PC-Speaker) wants the true dynamics of (for example) a symphonic wind orchestra in the living room.

Beat


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## DS_Joost (Feb 25, 2019)

Beat Kaufmann said:


> Generally: In classical music, the New York compression is often used, because it does not touch (compresses) the loud dynamic peaks in order to keep the sound as natural as possible - specially with the _fff_ parts.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------​
> I think, it is less related to the music style than to the way the music is played.
> ...



Great post as usual, Beat.

I use a lot of parallel compression on my sampled orchestras. Not only that, but I use Vitamin (sonic enhancer) for the higher stuff and MaxxBass or Nomad Factory's Cosmos a lot for the bass. I saturate, EQ and duplicate the hell out of everything. 

Reason for this is, to my ears, nearly all sampled instruments lose some of their liveliness compared to an orchestra. In my opinion, not one bass drum actually comes close to the sound of a real bass drum in a concert hall. This is of course personal preference. But for me, the more I used samples, the more I 'missed' something in them. This applies to all samples for me. I've never heard a sample library I didn't want to touch up if only just a bit.


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## Beat Kaufmann (Feb 27, 2019)

DS_Joost said:


> Great post as usual, Beat.


Thanks a lot for this kind reply
Yes. Because samples - from the flute to the bass drum - all sound equally loud, although in reality the instruments are never, it is so difficult to bring the reality back in the mixes with samples. Welcome compressors!

Beat


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## Abdulrahman (Feb 27, 2019)

Can I use PC to bring both the room and bow noise in my samples strings for the sake of adding the human factor to my classical music?


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## Beat Kaufmann (Mar 2, 2019)

Hi Abdulrahman
First of all: You can only get from the samples out, which is already in there. So if there is no bow noise you cant' do anything. 

The New York compression amplifies quiet signals. What might sound -30dB before is maybe -24dB after it. But then everything is louder, not just the wanted bow noises. You just want to have a specific noise louder... The bowing sound may possibly be taken out with an exciter that can be tuned for those "srrr" frequencies. One of the tools that presumably can do that as well is Noveltech's Vocal Enhancer (PlugInAlliance). I often use an Exciter on the double basses, because those "sirrrr" of the DB-strings is really nice. Examples: Holbersuite / Partita in E, arr. by Mangiagalli

And yes, the room is probably a bit more effective with the New York Compression. But above all, the compression generally brings more space to bear.

Beat


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## Abdulrahman (Mar 3, 2019)

Thank you, @Beat Kaufmann for these demos and helpful tip. Then I guess there is no need to use compression since I already have a room tone playing in the master bus. I'm the kind of person who avoids using effects he's not good at, so in this case compression. Plus from its impact, its better not to be used for the sake of realism in order to keep natural dynamics.


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## Beat Kaufmann (Mar 4, 2019)

Abdulrahman said:


> Thank you, @Beat Kaufmann Then I guess there is no need to use compression since I already have ...



As I mentioned earlier, when working with samples, one has rather the problem of having too little dynamics in the pieces. So compressors are more commonly used to give more pressure to the more distant instruments (Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion) so that they are not covered by instruments in the foreground. So: yes you do not really need NewYork compression for your music.
But, with real classical recordings this often looks different. There it makes sense not only to compress loud signals, but also to "raise" quiet signals.
Beat


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