Multiband Compression
Compressing separate frequency bands independently so only problem ranges are controlled
Related
Multiband compression splits a signal into several frequency ranges, compresses each one independently, then sums them again. A kick in the low end no longer triggers the whole mix to pump; only the range that needs control is compressed.
It is common on the mix bus and on bass: tighten the lows while keeping the mids and highs open. The crossover itself introduces phase shift and delay, so the more bands and crossovers, the more carefully the summed result should be checked.
The usual mistake is to assume more bands mean more precision. Two or three bands cover most material; splitting too finely loosens the sound and makes it hard to tell which band is doing the work.
Sources
- 多段压缩的原理与分频，参 Bob Katz, Mastering Audio 与 Bobby Owsinski, The Mixing Engineer's Handbook；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.