Parallel compression is a great way to add some energy and thickness to your drum kit, so let’s talk parallel compression, including what it is, how and why it works, and the settings I like to use when using parallel compression on drums.
What is Parallel Compression
Parallel compression refers to taking a duplicate instance of a track or bus, using unique compression settings on it, then blending it in alongside the “dry” original instance of that track or bus.
Also referred to as “New York Compression” given its origins in New York studios decades ago, parallel compression refers to absolutely squashing out the dynamics of that parallel compressed instance of your audio.
When you squish the dynamics, the audio receives a ton of energy as a product of slamming it with that compressor and outputting a uniform volume. While parallel compression sounds unnatural on its own, the real benefit comes from blending it in behind the dry/original audio, oftentimes at low, conservative levels.
Note that compression isn’t the only type of effect you can apply in “parallel” style; I did an entire overview on what is parallel processing, so refer to that for some more ideas. Really anytime you use a send qualifies as parallel processing, but it typically involves using extreme settings with whatever type of processing you’re using like in the case of parallel compression.
How to Use Parallel Compression on Drums
You can use parallel compression on individual pieces of your kit or on the entire kit via its drum bus (assuming you’re using a mixing template like I recommend).
Parallel compression works best with most types of audio compressors, particularly those with adjustable compressor ratios which allow for extreme settings like 20:1 or higher. Your DAW’s stock compressor likely has this functionality built in, and very likely has a parallel compression preset (or several) built in.
First you need to create a duplicate of whatever you want to apply parallel compression to. There are multiple ways to do this (as I again covered in my overview of what is parallel processing):
- Literally duplicating the individual track you want parallel compression on and putting the compressor on that track (doesn’t work with busses).
- Creating a “Group” in the case of some DAWs like my Ableton Live, then creating a second chain in that group to effectively give you two instances of the same track as an insert ON the same track, then putting the compressor on that second chain.
- Creating a new Aux/Return track, dropping the compressor on it, and using the send dial on the track or bus you want to send that parallel compression to.
However you get that audio ready to receive parallel compression, here are my recommended settings to dial into that compressor when you’re using parallel compression on drums:
Threshold
The threshold determines how much of the signal of the drums we’re feeding the compressor. With parallel compression, we want the entire practical dynamic range of the drums affected, so set this to just below the quietest section.
This is more obvious if you’re using parallel compression on an isolated piece of the kit, like the snare.
If you’re using parallel compression on the entire drum bus, you need to take the entire performance into account; this might be an intro fill with some lighter playing on the snare or hi-hat.
Don’t set this as low as it will go, otherwise you’ll be essentially boosting room noise with it. We just want to squash the drum performance itself, not bring up bleed from other instruments when the drums aren’t playing (if applicable).
Ratio
Normally we’re using more average ratios of 5:1 when it comes to compressing individual elements of the kit like compressing the kick or compressing the snare.
Again, the idea with parallel compression is to flatten everything out so that there’s virtually no difference in the output volume between the quieter and louder parts of the performance.
As such, we want to set the ratio to its max setting, essentially turning it into a limiter (see limiters vs compressors).
This flattens that parallel track into a sausage (as if you had over-limited the track).
Attack
I like a fast/short attack, meaning the amount of time it takes for the compression to engage once the threshold is met.
Considering we set the threshold to encompass the entire performance, the compression will always be engaged as long as the drums are playing.
Specifically, I like an attack time of 1ms or less, meaning it’s practically instant. It works just fine if you want to set that speed as fast as it will go.
Normally when I’m compressing audio, I like an attack of 1-5 ms on average so that there’s a short delay before the compression kicks in. This allows the transients of the audio to come through.
In parallel compression, we’re swallowing up the initial high frequency sounds of say the stick on the skin of the snare or metal of the cymbals because we know they’re preserved on the dry track, so instant attack works just fine to instantly yank the volume down and ensures everything is flat.
Knee
The compressor knee dictates how strictly the threshold is enforced. Because we’re again encompassing the entire practical range of the audio via the threshold position we set, I like a hard knee to strictly enforce the threshold and ensure that it doesn’t start compressing as the level APPROACHES the low end of our threshold or in our case room noise, which a soft knee would do.
Release
The release determines how long after the threshold is no longer met that compression continues. Leaving a bit of release in the case of parallel compression adds a little sustain, so I like 100ms as a kind of generous off ramp for the compressor.
Output
The output ultimately goes back to how you’re blending this track in. Basically I like to use the auto makeup gain feature, then set the level of that parallel compression relative to the original/dry track it’s supporting via whatever means the parallel compressed track is on.
In the case of a duplicated parallel track, just use the fader to get the proper blend you want. In the case of the Group duplicated chain I mentioned earlier, just use its respective fader to get the proper blend. In the case of using parallel compression as an Aux/Return track, just turn up the send dial on the drum track or bus you want to affect to get the proper blend.
The “proper blend” is subjective when it comes to any kind of parallel processing, including parallel compression on drums.
As I mentioned, some producers like to “feel” it rather than hear it, turning up the level of the parallel compressed drums until they can just hear it, then turn it back down 1-2dB. There’s nothing wrong with being able to heard the parallel compression, and I find it really thickens out my “dry” unparallel compressed drum bus in a pleasing way when I strike more of a balanced split between the dry and wet versions.
One last time, don’t forget parallel compression isn’t solely for the bus when it comes to drums.
I like to dial a little parallel compression into the snare to thicken its sound out, as well, which is why the Aux/Return method can be ideal so you can send parallel compression to multiple tracks or busses in your mix all from one Aux/Return track.
Just remember that as when using ANY kind of effect as a send via an Aux/Return track, make sure the Wet/Dry dial on the plugin(s) itself is set to 100% wet because the send dial for any tracks you’re sending that effect to are essentially acting as the Wet/Dry blend for that effect on that track based on how much of the send volume you’re blending in to it.
