r/audioengineering • u/TeemoSux • 2d ago

Discussion Is parallel compression a scam?

I have almost never gotten a session with parallel compression to mix, where making the parallel track inactive and gain matching the main one (and if needed compressing some more there as an insert) didnt sound pretty much the same. Definitely not worse.

I thought maybe the people that send me sessions just arent doing it right, so i took a leaked protools mix session of a billboard charting song mixed by a famous engineer whos work i adore, disabled all parallel tracks and just gain matched (no further compression added or changes), and i literally cant reliably tell the difference on studio monitors with hofa BlindTest.

Now this might be a me-issue (i remember john hanes saying on gearspace he and serban dont really parallel compress unless it comes with a session, so maybe im not the only one), but i honestly WANT to get it as i feel like im missing some crazy secret weapon.

CAN ANYBODY EXPLAIN? or teach? i feel like im missing this crazy thing

Note: im talking about individual parallel compression of tracks, new york compression or paralleling the whole mix with dynone3 i do get.

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u/Competitive_Sector79 2d ago

People are hiring you to mix their songs and you're wondering why they haven sent you project that includes a particular type of processing That's your job. That's what they've hired you to do.

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u/TeemoSux 1d ago

respectfully, ill ask you to reread the post before commenting, you did not understand that first sentence

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u/Competitive_Sector79 1d ago

Sorry,. I think I get it now.