Compressor on an auxiliary track

[smithju]

I'm pretty new to recording in logic studio and i'm starting to get into sending signals to auxiliary tracks with effects. From what I have read in the manual, it's meant to send effects like delay and reverb. My question is, should I use compressor on an auxiliary track? Or is it better to insert compressor directly into the track itself?

[brandondrury]

Both. Most "normal" compression is used as an insert. However, a more advanced techinique is parallel compression where you leave the dynamics of the real track in tact and then squash it on the aux send. It's very popular with rock drums, but it works on many sources. I'd be lost with out it.

Brandon

[smithju]

leave the dynamics of the real track in tact and squash it on the send? Does that mean only compress the send and not the track itself? or both?

[sparqee]

You compress just the send. Often times people compress the send in an extreme way and then mix it in behind the main (uncompressed track) just enough to add a kind of "thickening". It's a great way to use compression because it allows you to "add" certain qualities to a track without taking anything away. Your original track is untouched. You haven't lost any of the qualities that you typically loose when you compress with an insert. There's nothing wrong with putting a compressor on your insert, it's just a different technique. Sometimes I will do a bit of light compression on the insert and then slam the compression on the aux track. It all depends on the sound I'm after.

Another thing that can be fun to do is EQ the aux send to really highlight a particular quality of the track. Perhaps the raspy range of the voice. With extreme compression this quality (which ordinarily kind of comes and goes with vocal phrasing) becomes a more noticeable part of the voice yet still sounds natural (if not overdone).