Parallel compression (New York)

What it is and how it works

You blend the original signal (dry) with a heavily compressed copy of it. The dry keeps the transients and the dynamics; the compressed copy brings up the weak parts (tails, ghost notes, ambience, breaths). The result is a denser and louder sound without losing punch. Mathematically the sum behaves like “upward” compression: the peaks grow little (the compressed signal is low on the peaks), the weak parts grow a lot. It is also called “New York compression” because it was a typical technique of New York studios on drums.

Two ways to do it in FL Studio

1. With the Mix knob of the compressor (Pro-C 2; Fruity Limiter has no mix; Maximus does, with “phase-free” mixing between bands and master) or with the mixer slot's mix knob in FL Studio (every effect slot has a dry/wet mix control). Quick and always in phase.
2. With a parallel mixer track: from the drum bus (or from the source track) create a send to a new track (select the source, click the down arrow of the destination track and set the send knob). On the parallel track put compressor, EQ and saturation; set the fader to dose it. Advantages: separate EQ and saturation on the compressed signal, independent automation, routing to other buses. FL's built-in sends are post-fader; if you want a pre-fader send use Fruity Send in a slot. FL compensates for plugin latency (PDC), so the two paths stay aligned if the plugins report their latency correctly.

Parameters of the compressed copy

• Ratio: high, 4:1–10:1 or all-buttons on the 1176; some use 20:1 or a limiter.
• Threshold: low, up to 10–20 dB of reduction on the hits.
• Attack: fast (0.1–3 ms) to squash the transients in the copy (the punch comes from the dry anyway). A slightly slower attack (5–10 ms) if you want the compressed signal to have a bit of attack too.
• Release: fast or in time (50–150 ms), so the copy “climbs back up” between hits and brings up sustain and room. Long releases make the copy flat and the sum less lively.
• Make-up: high, to bring the compressed signal to a level similar to the dry; then it is dosed with the fader or the mix.
• Blend: typically the compressed signal sits 6–12 dB below the dry (mix 15–40%). Raise it until you hear density, then back off by 1–2 dB.
• EQ on the copy: often cut below 60–100 Hz (avoids bass buildup) and boost 5–10 kHz or 100 Hz depending on genre (“smile” on drums). Saturation on the copy for even more energy.

When to use it and on what

• Drums (drum bus): the classic use. Density, room, audible ghost notes, punch intact.
• Vocal: compressed copy 10–15 dB blended at 20–30% for constant presence without squashing expressiveness. Widely used in pop and rap.
• Bass: dry for the attack, compressed for constant sustain.
• Drum room mics: often compressed extremely (all-buttons) directly as a “natural parallel”.
• Mix bus: in mastering or on the master with mix 10–30% (Maximus, Pro-C 2 Mastering, Kotelnikov) for transparent density.
• Synths and guitars: for sustain and “fatness” without losing the pick or pluck attack.

Starting settings by instrument

By genre

• Rock and metal: very obvious parallel drums (explosive room); on guitars rarely.
• Pop: vocal + drums in parallel, fine and invisible dosing.
• Hip hop/boom bap: parallel drum bus with saturation on the copy for a “thick” groove.
• EDM: sidechain and clipper preferred; parallel on a short, controlled drum bus.
• Jazz/acoustic: light parallel (mix 10–15%) to bring up details without losing dynamics.

Combinations

• Light serial compression (2–3 dB) first, parallel after: the series stabilizes, the parallel thickens.
• Parallel + transient shaper on the dry: an even crisper transient, body from the compressed signal.
• Parallel + saturation on the copy (Fruity Blood Overdrive, Decapitator): energy and harmonics without touching the dry.

Common mistakes

• Plugins with uncompensated latency or different EQs between the paths: flanging/comb filter. Check with the correlation and listen in mono.
• Compressed signal too high: it becomes normal compression and you lose the advantage.
• Release too slow on the copy: no climb back up, just a “carpet”.
• Sub buildup: the compressed copy brings up the kick's low end and dirties the 808. Cut below 60–100 Hz on the copy.
• Audible pumping of the cymbals: use a slightly slower attack or an HP in the sidechain.

How to hear it

• Listen to the compressed copy alone: it should sound exaggerated (enormous room, long sustain). Then blend it in from −∞ and stop as soon as the drum bus becomes “bigger”.
• Compare the drum bus with and without parallel at equal loudness: with the parallel, weak hits and ghost notes are more audible, the peaks almost the same.