Onboard compressor on qu16

[Dado]

Hey guys, I am dedicating a shure ksm 137 to my hihats and I want to go to compression there in order to even out the difference between a rather lower volume of closed hihat vs roaring sound of them when played open. So, using the onboard compression, how would you set up the qu16’s compression parameters in order to even these two sounds out?
Thanks

[Giga]

If you multitrack yourself and playback through your Qu you can experiment as long as you like 💡

Good luck !

Giga

[Dado]

It’s actually for rehearsals with heavily isolated headphones…

[Mike C]

Without actually being there are no one can give specific numbers to set up a compressor.
In general I would guess a longer release time, soft knee, 5 to 1 ratio. I would go with RMS, Opto could be a worth experimenting with.

[volounteer]

@Dado

Others will disagree but you should look at New York compression aka parallel compression to do that.

https://blog.reverbnation.com/2019/11/20/how-use-new-york-compression/
tells how to thicken your drums
The article has details of how to do it.
By applying the steps outlined above, you can add this form of parallel compression to your drums and make them stand out in the mix.

This tells more about compression
https://blog.reverbnation.com/2019/10/16/how-use-compressor/

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/parallel-compression
Info on parallel compression with good diagram to help grok it.

[Mike C]

Others will disagree but you should look at New York compression aka parallel compression to do that.

He only wants to tame down the hi hat input. Parallel compression is not that tool.

[SteffenR]

I rarely use compression on the Hi-Hat

[volounteer]

@SteffenR

apparently Dado plans to use compression.

There is a reason NY compression swept through the audio scene when it was imported and people liked it

[Mike C]

There is a reason NY compression swept through the audio scene when it was imported and people liked it

Yea, as a full mix buss compression.

To do true parallel “NY” compression on a QU would take some tricking routing and use up an mix or two or groups to do it.
Keep in mind you can not have input channels assigned to the main LR mix and assigned to a group or groups that are also assigned to the main LR mix.

The QU16 does not have groups.

Like Steffen, I rarely if ever use compression on a hi hat.

Keep in mind that sometimes a dynamic mic will work well on a hi hat.

[volounteer]

@MikeC

True, it would take some work but if you have the channels then it should not be that tricky.
It would really be nice if AH made a plug in to do it.
There are a number of plug ins that do it one channel automatically.
I just found another one when I searched for the links to post for @Dado

I merely note what @Dado wanted to do. I gave him links to read to help him decide if he likes that NY approach or not.
If you and @SteffenR do not want to use any compression that is certainly fine with me.
I would never try to tell you what you had to do or even should do, although I might mention something you could do if you chose to.

[Mike C]

It would really be nice if AH made a plug in to do it.

They do, the comps in the SQ will do parallel compression.

If you and @SteffenR do not want to use any compression that is certainly fine with me.
Speaking for myself, I use compression of various types quite often…when needed.

[volounteer]

@MikeC

Alas, Dado and I use the Qu.
I guess they wont add anything to that line if SQ has it.
Nice to know that they do offer it.

Now, could our church afford an upgrade ??

[Dado]

Sooo, can I do anything here or not?

[volounteer]

@Dado

Yes. Use parallel aka NY compression as I suggested.
Start with the settings shown in the links I gave.
Smash one channel down and then mix in the dry or slightly compressed channel to taste.

Or just insert compression into the channel with that mike and adjust that.
If that fails then go to plan B = NY compression.

Are you asking how to put an fx for compression into the channel strip.
Look at the block diagram
Read the manual
Then come back if that is not enough.

[Mike C]

Sooo, can I do anything here or not?

You would do best to try just using the compressor on the hi hat channel, finding the right
threshold setting to stay out of the way of the softer closed hi hat and yet clamp the compressor
down on the bashing open hi hat will be the trick.

If you wanted to try the parallel compression on your QU16 about the easist way would be
to take a Y cable and split the hi hat input into two channels, use one channel for straight
through input and the other to apply the compression to, mix both of them together and see
what that does for you.

Setting the gain the same on both channels and mixing them equally into the main mix will in effect
bring up the softer closed hat level due to the two channel being summed together in the mix, when
the comp on the one channel clamps down on the open hat louder playing (try a fairly high ratio)
it will more or less close that channel down resulting in overall lower level on the hat, only
you can tell if it’s enough level reduction.
If you are using a stage box you can do the Y slit to two channels in the IO set up.

Parallel compression can have a place in overall buss compression for drums or the entire mix
for that matter, it’s more of a studio thing but can be applied to live sound.

All that said keep in mind ‘Volunteer” post lots of suggestions about lots of ideas he reads about
but has not or does not know how to apply to a in this case a QU mixer.
But he is always first inline every chance he gets to complain something that a QU mixer
can not do.

[Author]

Posts