About This Course

House legend Lenny Fontana shows you how to use basic compression and EQ on your low end. 

In this workshop Lenny works on the kick, bass, guitar and other elements from his track with Chris Willis: 'Top of the World'. Lenny uses external plugins from Waves to add compression and EQ and as a bonus he shows how to glue your kick and bass together. He uses Digital Performer but the techniques can be applied to any DAW. . 

In this lesson you will learn:

• The basics of compression and EQ: when to use them and how to apply them successfully. 
• How to use compression on: 
• A kick drum.
• A live bass recording.
• A live guitar recording.
• Conga’s.
• Horns.
• Rhodes?
• How to glue your kick and bass together with the Shadow Hills: Class A, Mastering Compressor. 

Lessons: 

1. Intro and Track Playthrough: 

Lenny introduces himself, what the lesson will cover and plays through the track that he will be working on. 

2. Compression on Kick and Bass:

In this chapter Lenny applies compression to an acoustic kick drum and then a live recorded bass guitar from his track. He explains the uses of compression, what to listen for and how to apply it to each element. He then adds fine tuning whilst playing the kick and bass together.  

• Bass compression using a DBX 160 (s). 
• Kick compression.
• Listening to the kick and the bass at the same time to add fine tuning.

3. EQ on Kick and Bass:

Using EQ on the kick and bass to accentuate the elements that you like and remove those that you don’t. Lenny talks you through eqing these two parts of your track, explaining what you are aiming to achieve and how to do it. Once this is locked in he plays them with the whole track to show how to adjust their volume levels effectively.  

• Eqing a kick using the SSL G-Channel. 
• Eqing the bass. 
• Listening with the rest of the track to adjust volumes. 

4. Compression and EQ on Live Guitar: 

Using compression and EQ on a live guitar recording to control it and bring out certain qualities, making sounds brighter or darker and which Hz responds to which part of the sound. Once again Lenny uses the DBX 160 (s) and SSL G-Channel.  

• Compression on live guitar.
• EQ on live guitar. 

5. Compression and EQ on Conga’s:

Using compression and EQ on conga’s to control the sound and bring out elements that work in your track. Using the compressor to tame the dynamics, Lenny then uses an eq preset and adjusts to bring out the slap of hands on the top of the drum.  

• Compression on conga’s. 
• EQ on conga’s.

6. Compression and EQ on Horns:

How to use a compressor to control the dynamics of horns and an eq to adjust the sounds to taste. Lenny shows how to bring the peaks of your horns down without squashing them and how to make them brighter but not screechy.  

7. Compression and EQ on Rhodes:

Controlling Rhodes in your tracks and emphasizing the qualities that you like and fit with the vibe. Lenny shows how to control their dynamics, eq to taste and then readjust volume so that your Rhodes fit in the mix. 

8. Live Q&A

Lenny answers Mixmasters members questions on basic compression and EQ on low end, other elements in your mix and other areas of music production.