Tape Log

Monolake and No Compression

by
Larry Crane
 on February 18, 2010 | | Comments (3)

Caro Snatch did this interesting online interview with Robert Henke from Monolake on her site. An interesting note is that he created this album, Silence, "without any compression." Well, yeah, uh, if you work in the box and want to draw/automate lots of automation then I guess compression isn't needed. Hell compression is really never needed - it just helps some elements stay in the mix (or it can be pushed to create different sounds, of course.)

3 Comments

by hello.my.name.is.simonAuthor Profile Page on February 18, 2010
I remember hearing (years ago) that the My Bloody Valentine album Loveless was recorded "without compression," and thinking to myself: well, the guitars are so distorted, they're basically compressing themselves.

The leader (a.k.a. lead singer) of the band I was in at the time insisted that we do the same, and as a result, there was a lot of automation-riding. It still sounded terrible, though. Being one of my first experiences with recording bands instead of making studio electronic art-sound, it was a great experience.

In hindsight.
by chrisharrisAuthor Profile Page on February 23, 2010
Dogma blows. I was mixing a pop punk band. The singer's voice sounded really thin. So, I started rolling in just enough Space Echo to thicken it without sounding like an echo effect. Then, I hit stop and you could hear the echo trail and the band freaked the fuck out. "No delay!!!! NO DELAY!!!!"... So, I took it off and they all started complaining about how thin the vocal sounded in the mix again. Rules are for losers.
by Arthur Nasson on March 3, 2010
I was very pleased to read this.I dont use compression either. Not in tracking,mixing or even mastering. I dont have any issue with it other than it seems to lop off a lot of transient response,and harmonic information,and makes sounds kind of lifeless if over-used.My latest "False Prophets" is a rock record that was recorded analog mixed to digital and mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless mastering we ran the mixes through a half inch 2 track it helped the digital a lot.There were2 short moments when we plugged in a limiter for a just in case section,but the goals at all times were to preserve the dynamic range of the recorded material. I love how drums and vocals breathe with out compression,most people squash these in tracking. Thanks best Arthur Nasson

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