Compressor/Normalize recordings

[Joe Delaronde]

I'm using PowerTracks pro 12 for my recordings.
Should I use a compressor on each individual track to level them out, or should the compressor be used on the finished product. i.e. wave file. and then normalized?

Thanks
Joe

[Dave Boothroyd]

I promise that this is not just a slick put-off, but while it is probably a good idea to normalise your final stereo mix before burning to CD, it might not be if you do actually want a variation in the loudness of adjacent track- if you have "Ace of Spades"followed by "Silent Night" for example!
Whether you need to compress individual tracks is something I can't tell you, because I have not heard them, and because I don't know how you want them to sound, on the continuum between modern, poppy, in-your-face, and unprocessed and natural.
It's easy to tell you how to do it, but impossible to tell you what decisions you need to make.
Cheers
Dave

[Buddy Lewis]

If you are far enough advanced then you can use compression on each track. Difference is that different instruments/vocals need different rates of compression and other such specific settings. If you wait until you mix the tracks then your compression settings will still be different. It's a question of how much work you want to put into the compression tracks (bass especially needs it) and whether your compression component let you dial in all the paramaters you will need.

[Joe Delaronde]

Buddy & Dave,

I can see where you could lose the feel or expression of the instrument and/or voice quite easy if not carefull.

I thank you for your reply. I have become wiser.

Joe

[Gary Shepherd]

I normally use a compressor/limiter on my vocal tracks. Not really on anything else.