Compression: Glue On Top of Glue

[EsotericSound]

I'm building a replacement for the MClass default mastering suite combinator. I'm using the McDSP Moo Q for EQ and the Moo Tube for compression. I'm still using the MClass Stereo Imager, and I've replaced the Maximizer with the Ozone Maximizer.

When I mix, I don't mix into the Master Bus Compressor in the mixer. My trend lately has been to use the Master Bus Compressor during the mastering phase in combination with a mastering suite combinator for gentle EQ boosts and stereo imaging. In this configuration, I bypass the compressor in the mastering suite combinator.

Now that I have bought the McDSP compressor, I want to use it in the mastering suite combinator, but I also want to continue using Reason's Master Bus Compressor. I'm wondering if I should use it at the end of mixing. What I mean by that is, once I have my mix determined, should I then apply the Master Bus Compressor when I render the audio in preparation for mastering? If I did that I would deactivate the Master Bus Compressor during mastering, allowing me to use the Moo Tube Compressor in my mastering suite combinator.

Or, does it matter if I use both the Master Bus Compressor and the compressor in the mastering suite combinator during the master phase? Doing it this way makes me think I'm applying glue on top of glue.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Thanks.

Cheers!

[Exowildebeest]

Serial compression is great for mastering, by all means do, just make sure you're only hitting about 1-2 db gain reduction per compressor. The cumulative glue is good!

[EsotericSound]

Serial compression is great for mastering, by all means do, just make sure you're only hitting about 1-2 db gain reduction per compressor. The cumulative glue is good!

Thanks for the reply. I'll keep that in mind and try it out.

Cheers!

[selig]

Serial compression is great for mastering, by all means do, just make sure you're only hitting about 1-2 db gain reduction per compressor. The cumulative glue is good!

+1

Serial compression has been done for decades, but isn't often discussed or understood. One example - tracking with compression and then adding compression during mixing (serial compression). Another example, using the SSL quad compressor (aka Master Compressor) when mixing, and adding compression when mastering.

So why not use two compressors at the same time! Keep in mind that the order of processing always makes a different (sometimes subtle, sometimes not) when using any non-linear processing. So that means you should probably switch the order when setting up the compressors and see which sounds better to you.

[EsotericSound]

More great advice. Thank you for chiming in.

Cheers!

[cosignsessions]

This thread proves the cringe-worthy 'should I EQ before or after compression' question is irrelevant. Every sound goes through multiple stages of EQ/Comp or Comp/EQ. The simplest being track/mix/master/device (usually eq only unless you are using a tube amplifier on your hi-fi system!).

[EsotericSound]

Thanks for the input.

Cheers!