Pdf compressor settings for vocals

One of your main goals when compressing vocals is to avoid over compression. How to set a compressor for vocals collaborate worship. These are by no means fixed rules you must adhere to, but rather good starting points. Dynamic range compression and the semantic descriptor. Audio compression compressor settings on vocals how to. Mixing vocals how to not compress vocals in the chapters below, im going to show you how to mix vocals step by step, with images and videos. Hi everyone, in your opinion, what is the best live vocal compressor. Compress two or three wide frequency ranges individually. As the output of maximus is limited to 0 db the post gain can only be decreased. Nov 20, 2019 these settings will work well for the lead vocal part. Its all about the vocals a complete tutorial on mixing.

You can continue to revisit this makeup gain setting as you change your compression settings to keep your vocal volume in check in the full mix. If you dont have a pre amp that allows you to set the compressor, you can always get an external compressor highly recommended or not use one at all. The ultimate guide to compression black ghost audio. It will bring up your vocals so that if you are talking too quite it will make you louder, this is very useful for people withe low quality. Use the two floating bands for pinpoint dynamic processing such as deessing or depopping, using a narrow q if desired, use the unique frequency and q control to reach the area you want. Mar 22, 2020 the threshold is another important parameter fo compressor. The threshold setting dictates the level where the compressor starts to act on the signal. For this article we will give you a few tips on how to compress a. So, if the threshold is set to 10db, it will compress anything louder than 10db. For vocals, you generally want this number to be low between 5ms and 20ms.

The best way to grasp the concept of the sound of mixbus compression is to mix the same song twice. Before i dive into advanced stuff and the plugin chains, allow me to say that you need some basic of knowledge of what compression, eq and reverb is. The threshold sets the height of the loudness ceiling. How to process vocals for an amazing professional sound.

There is of course the possibility of processing the vocals too much with a signal chain like this. You need to tweak these settings as per your own need. Mixing vocals how to eq vocals, compress them and use. In other words, it decides how loud the signal has to be to activate the compressor. Depending on the genre, the amount of compression you apply to the vocal can vary, but i would usually start with fairly lowkey settings such as 2. Compression quicklook guide a useful table of compressor. This is a form of compression that reduces that harshness of sibilant s sounds in the voice. The more ratio you apply, the more compression takes place. For modern sounding vocals, you need a crazy amount of dynamic. Jul 27, 2016 how the dbx 266xl compressorexpandergate works.

Discover the best plugin compressors for music production and postproduction work. Guide lets see how to properly eq and mix vocals along with some great compression settings. Its a good tool for mixing vocals but use it with caution. Only when the sound hits the compressor threshold its all about the threshold. The compression settings then depend on the effect youre trying to achieve and what else is going on in the mix. How should i set up my compressor for recording vocals. Let start off with the basic vocal eq settings and the details behind them.

Threshold of the compressor is the level of the signal at which compression starts. My secret audacity recipe for great audio compressors. Because music compressors are used and abused so frequently in home recording, it might be helpful for you to have some basic settings for vocals to get you. A multiband compressor can be a great tool to make a dynamic controlled boost in the high frequencies for instance.

Whatever settings you apply in rap vocal compression, always listen and tweak. Following our generic eq settings, we thought it would be nice to include a generic compressor settings table. The complete guide to mixing with compression pro audio files. The compression settings for the lead and backing vocals wont be the same.

Also, be sure sure to grab the free pdf cheat sheet below which will help you get your vocal compression right every time get vocal. You cant set up the compressor without listening to everything else going on, but if you would like some ball. The simple guide to compression recording revolution. A compressor in its compression area has variation in output level, depending on the input level. The human voice, as an instrument, is probably the oldest, most dynamic and sonically diverse sound source in existence. By simply adding a multiband compressor with the same compression settings over each frequency range you can add energy to the vocal. Cla vocals can impart a nice subtle presence to lead vocals, and a sense of depth and width to background vocals thanks to its tight reverb and stereo spreaderdoubler. There are actually a couple of ways to use multiple compressors when recording or mixing vocals. Vocal compression settings and tips now that weve got some nice eq going or not depending on the source its time to use some compression to make our vocals and vocal phrases cut through. It is also, in terms of sound reinforcement, a signal that needs a substantial amount of reinforcing. The results from this study show compression settings.

The best vocal compressors for studioquality audio. A picture of a compressors different ratio settings. The first thing you have to remember is that it is not about where your knobs are set, it is about what the gain reduction lights are telling you. This rant was intended to solve many of your questions. How to use a compressor on rap vocals adg mastering. When you want a really natural vocal sound, you might just need 3b the subtle tube compressor and 6a pultec for basic tone control. Basic question about using a compressor on vocals live. Its possible to quickly dial in the right vocal compression settings, if you know what to listen for. It is to be used for massively varying vocal styles from soft falsetto to belt and will obvs be accompanied by mic technique, but need something to help as i cannot be at the mixing desk all night. Ive explained how i use compression in general and especially in vocals on my rant section above you can click it in case you scrolled your way. This is a fine way to start with a comp on vocals, and will let you actually hear much of whats happening as you dial it in and hear the way the compressor works with the voice. This test should give you a great indication of how mixbus compression affects the overall cohesive balance of the loudest and most important parts of your mix.

Aug 25, 2015 though its officially designated for vocals, this plugins classic sslmodeled eq and tasty 1176style compression would benefit most acoustic instrument tracks as well. Load up a compressor and send your lead vocal to this new aux. Vocals are often the most important element in a song, and their place in the mix should reflect that. For a multiband compressor to work, it needs to use crossover filters to separate your audio into different bands. Instead of making one single compressor do all the heavy lifting, try two or more compressors throughout your plugin chain. The settings will be a bit exaggerated so that the harmony vocals dont overpower the lead or jumpup in other parts of the mix. Target specific frequency ranges to either enhance or reduce them. You can narrow the q value for notch reduction, or. The second compressor is there to thicken up the tail end of the vocals while leaving the transients untouched. Okay, so the compressor s on the track, and you want to start putting the squeeze on those vocals. On vocals, i have found that they begin to sound lifeless and overcompressed when compressing more than 6db. Many bloggers will tell you what the perfect vocal compression settings are. Ratio decides how the compressor reacts to the input audio signal.

Jun 22, 2015 the plugin chain outlined above is pretty complex. The second episode covers organizing your mixer, setting up your signal flow, and understanding the essential plugins eq, compressor, reverb, and delay. However, the only steadfast friend you have is knowing how much your compressor is working. Dynamic music compression settings for vocals dummies.

For rap vocals you should set it 15db to 20db so that whenever the vocal crosses the threshold compressor starts to work. A good compression setting has a fast attack to catch the stray transient, a quick release so that the compression doesnt color the sound of the singer, and a low ratio so that when the compressor does go on, it smoothes out the vocals without squashing them. Find out the steps for blending backing vocals that sound like a cohesive unit and sit in just the right spot in the mix for each song. Mixing vocals how to eq vocals, compress them and use effects. Stop struggling with mixing vocals behind the mixer. When youre searching for the perfect vocal compression settings, theres. The best thing to do is to get a feel for what the mix is going to be about early on, set the bus compressor then, and leave it be.

But, as soon as the sound hits 24db, the compressor will kick in and reduce the volume. There are two ways to use multiband compression on vocals. If the number is too high, the beginning syllables may come out too strong and sound a bit odd. The complete guide to mixing vocals behind the mixer. But first, id like to have a little rant about some misinformation spread that confuses most people rather than helping them improve. The release setting on a compressor decides how much time it takes for the compressor to stop compressing. Nov 01, 20 i usually set the compressor on my preamp to a ratio of 2. So lets look at the main reasons to grab a compressor before getting into some of the more.

Download a pdf of this post for you to keep forever. Have you ever felt like youre supposed to use compressors in your. If we set the threshold to 24db, the compressor will not affect everything quieter than that. Get my goto vocal compression settings, learn the best compressors and nail the tricks for. In this guide, ill show you how to eq vocals, give you my personal vocal compression settings techniques and in general, youll see how to mix vocals and get them to sit in the mix properly. Compression is a tool that will solve problems in your mix. Dont be afraid to experiment often, a horrendously compressed piece of audio can give a very dramatic.

You can set the attackrelease to auto or go to 12 oclock on either one. When you use a sound compressor to keep transients at bay during recording, you only want to compress the highest transient levels the ones that would overload your system or eat up your headroom and you want to do this so that you dont hear the compressor kicking in. Although having the right compressor settings for mixbus compression is important, you dont want to be adjusting the settings in the later parts of the mix. Not only does it sound sweet, but gentle harmonic distortion can also help your vocals. Get your free gift 5 pillars of recording studio quality vocals. Vocal compression cheatsheet many bloggers will tell you what the perfect vocal compression settings are. These are great for sung vocals, but sound unnatural on spoken word recordings. The la2a, which is an opto compressor, uses valves. Compression and limiting of the vocal track can help make that easier to achieve, but another trick is to slightly drop the levels of other mix elements when the vocal is present, and raise them again when the vocal drops out. You can narrow the q value for notch reduction, or even have two floating bands working together. The ability to use different settings across different bands. For a full guide on vocal production, and to learn how you can take advantage of compression while recording vocalists, refer to the step vocal production workflow. May 18, 2008 it is an odd song to have a very short loud portion of the vocals.

There is no onesizefitsall formula to vocal compression. The compressor is used to compress the dynamic range of your signal and is used in all the stages of recording. Jun 26, 2008 the process to eq vocals isnt hard when you look at the primary areas to change and proceed from there. However, compressing is an art and there is no hard and fast rule to apply the same settings on your vocals. So, lets go through the settings on a compressor one at a time and how to properly apply them to vocals. A master guide to voice compressionhow to compress voice. Ok, so im new to recording and commentating and ive already made a few videos, but in that time its become quite apparent to me that i need to sort out some kind of compressor settings to make the level of the audio commentary in my videos more equal. The distressor analog compressor remains one of the most highly regarded modernday compressor designs. Dial in some heavy compression aim for 6 dbs of gain reduction or more.

The third episode covers how to improve your stereo image and make your mix sound wider. How to compress vocals in 7 easy steps for pro results ledgernote. Sound compressor settings in home recording dummies. For vocals, i need it to set to 10db because more than 10 db in vocals is already very dominant in mix. Start with an attack time of 5ms and a release of 30ms and go from there. Its all about the vocals a complete tutorial on mixing vocals. Jul 24, 2015 in this video youll learn how to compress vocals using a very simple method that is repeatable and works in almost any project. Valve compressors work in one of the three ways described above, but use valves in the amplifier circuit to get that creamy sound. There are no magic settings that work 100% of the time. If the compressor has a knee setting, turn this up to make the compression more subtle. I really want you to know that watching these videos have done something special, and is that you have not only learnt me to listen, but more importantly to feel the music and go by feel and having to learn to feel, i know understand exactly what to do when compressing vocals, etc same with choosing vocal takes, i no longer look for the perfect pitch and timed comp, but instead feel for the. Featuring builtin harmonic enhancement, you can add 2nd or 3rdorder harmonic distortion to your signal to emulate vintage tape saturation and tube mojo. Not to insult any readers intelligence, but if one person hears this here then it. Deessing selectively limits the high frequencies in a sound usually vocals from exceeding an acceptable.

The idea is to use a faster compressor to control peaks and a slower compressor to more gently control the dynamics of the performance. Mixing vocals how to eq vocals, compress them and mix. This will cause the compressor to duck the music track. The first step to mixing vocals isnt mixing at all its editing. With a multiband compressor, you can set different attack, release, and threshold settings for the lows, low mids, high mids, and highs. Aug 08, 2016 but if shaping and controlling the timbre is your goal then go for the multiband, or even if you just want to change the character of the vocal. Mhh25 time for the third installment of the mixing rap vocals series.

They are popular for vocals and great for drum compression. Also, we covered how to use the essential plugins to mix kicks and snares, the backbone of a song. In order to understand what compression does we need to understand how it generally works. How to use compression to solve 5 common mixing mistakes. For a full guide on vocal production, and to learn how you can take advantage of. Learn the crucial work that occurs before touching an eq knob.