Multiband compressors are great problem solvers, but they can be difficult to master. They have many uses that we’ll cover one at a time in an ongoing series of articles. This time around, we’ll just hit some general points.
Most compressors operate in full band mode where the whole signal is manipulated by a group of controls (threshold, ratio, release etc). A multiband unit splits the signal into 3-5 bands and compresses or expands each band separately with it’s own controls. Often a gain makeup is provided as well as an overall limiter, which is placed last in the chain. They can be used on final stereo mixes, mastering or individual tracks. They’re useful for reducing plosives on a vo track, taming an aggressive instrument, knocking down an offensive frequency…you get the idea. Anytime you need compression in a defined area as opposed to the entire signal, the multiband can be a great choice. A sidechain compressor is another way to go, but that’s another article.
Let’s say you have a drum loop with a hi hat, kick or snare that’s jumping out. Using solo buttons on the compressor, find where the aggressive frequency lives. Then zero in by adjusting the band range to the harsh area, and hit with some compression until it smoothes out. Sounds easy but it can take some time to use multiband compression precisely so you’re not affecting sounds that are better left alone. Also, listen to a narrow band is weird at first. Your ears have to adjust to hearing your audio in a very different way. In the future we’ll give specific examples and settings to help you get the most out of your multiband compressor.
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