Parallel Compression on the Mix Buss

Watch Graham Cochrane of the Recording Revolution show you the parallel mix technique he learned from mixer Andrew Scheps – the so-called ‘rear buss’ technique.

In this video, Graham goes through the steps of setting up a ‘rear buss’ in your DAW and shows how to use this technique in your mixes.

Any compressor can be used for this technique, but in this video Graham is using the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor.

Using a parallel ‘rear’ buss allows more elements in the mix to be heard, without having to turn up individual tracks and without reducing dynamics so much that the sound is too compressed; instead, you can use this technique to add energy to a mix in a smooth and natural-sounding way.

To set up a parallel rear buss, Andrew Scheps sends every channel in his mix (except the drums) to a separate stereo mix buss, post-fader and following the main pan, so that his existing mix is preserved side by side with this second mix buss (nicknamed the ‘rear’ buss).

Next, he adds compression to the rear buss and blends it with the main mix to taste. The parallel-compressed rear buss can also be automated to make important sections of a song stand out with more impact and ‘pop’ in a subtle, effective way.

Watch more mixing tips & tricks from Graham Cochrane.

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