Vocal compressor settings FOCUSRITE TRAKMASTER PRO
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Posted on Aug 10, 2010 09:46 am
shotsofredmist
Member Since: Aug 10, 2010
Hey guys I'm using a Focusrite Trakmaster Pro.
Can you help me what is the best setting for vocal recording?
Please do email me or reply here.
[email protected]
I really need some awesome advice!
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cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Aug 10, 2010 11:35 am It really depends on the mic and room n things more than anything. Focusrite makes really nice sounding pres so u really cant go wrong off the bat. For vox id start with the low cut/high pass filter on but leave everything else flat. Dont use the compressor on the unit either, coz compressing vocals on the way in is problematic nowadays plus the reviews for this unit's compressor have been kind of lackluster.
Basically flat is always best, play around more with mic position, room and such rather than settings.
Aug 10, 2010 12:40 pm Saving my general thoughts on the TMP... No doubt, flat. I wouldn't even engage the EQ or dynamics circuits. Everything off or at unity, nothing but straight gain at the head amp and unity at the output. Try to hit peaks shy of -10dBFS or lower and go.
After that - The settings you need are the settings you need. No one can tell you what you need. Learn the tools, learn to listen - The sound will tell you what it needs.
Aug 10, 2010 01:24 pm I don't have a good acoustic room or something.
The problem is I can't get the good sound for vocal recording, I'm using a Behringer B1 Condenser mic.
Please let me know what is the best settings for Rock / Metal and Pop genre.
Aug 10, 2010 01:27 pm When you say flat it means 12 oclock settings? Sorry :)
Aug 10, 2010 01:28 pm What peak do you advice for rock vocal recordings?
Aug 10, 2010 06:06 pm You said: Quote:
Please let me know what is the best settings for Rock / Metal and Pop genre.
But we already went over: Quote:
No doubt, flat. I wouldn't even engage the EQ or dynamics circuits. Everything off or at unity, nothing but straight gain at the head amp and unity at the output. Try to hit peaks shy of -10dBFS or lower and go.
"Flat" as in "don't use anything but straight gain from the head amp" -- Don't engage the EQ, don't engage the dynamics. I don't remember if there were switches (I sort of remember a way to engage the EQ & dynamics circuits - If so, "off" or "out" is where you want to start).
[quote]
I don't have a good acoustic room or something.
The problem is I can't get the good sound for vocal recording, I'm using a Behringer B1 Condenser mic.[/quote]
Those are your two biggest problems -- An overly-sensitive condenser in a bad space -- Forget it. Ain't gonna happen. You need to either properly treat the space or use a mic that's more friendly to the source (preferably, both).
I'd imagine you're getting recordings with a lot of "room rumble" and extraneous noises along with a vocal that sounds far too dynamic and detailed... Which is precisely what you should be getting from an overly-sensitive LDC in a poorly (or "non") treated space.
The problem is that the mic is picking up what's actually going on - as opposed to what you want to hear.
Quote:
What peak do you advice for rock vocal recordings?
The same I'd suggest for anything else. Assuming your interface is calibrated to -18dBFS (typical), peaking at -12dBFS is going to be double the voltage the circuit was spec'd at. Keep the "meat" of the signal around -18dBFS and allow for occasional peaks that might hit -12(ish)dBFS here and there and you'll be fine.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Aug 10, 2010 08:49 pm thats almost the exact setup i used on some of my albums vocals, a focusrite trakmaster and Behringer B1
again flat is the setting u start off with, like MM said, everything off. Since u have the B1 u dont need to use the low cut on the preamp, use the one on ur mic.
Even if a room is not acoustically sound throughout, it will still have small areas that are "usable", or can be tampered with on a budget. Be mindful of wat is behind u and to the front of u and try to get alot of space on the sides so u dont sound boxed in. Behind u should be space is possible, with some absorbent or diffusing, so that sounds reflecting from behind the mic dont quickly seep back into the recording. Infront should be about the same if not more so, u want the front of u to be quite dead so taht ur vocal is not slapping back. Experiment wiht ur room and find places that fit these qualifications AND sound good. Micing a vocal isnt different from a guitar, u have to position it correctly, it will actually save u a ton of heartache while EQing and such.
Also mic technique, this will save from having to compress a ton and even on using reverb. Move back and forth from ur mic and see how it sounds, use this, if ur going very loud see how far back u can go before u sound distant but dont create major peaks, maybe sometimes ull even want to sound distant.
There is alot u can do that has little to do with gear, both those units r on the budget end but ive found them to suffice perfectly fine if u take the time to make the most of them.
Aug 11, 2010 12:55 am Thank you guys, you guys help me big time. I'll experiment and explore my setup hahaha. I'll get back at you guys soon. Thank you guys!
Aug 11, 2010 03:38 am If you guys want go give more tips feel free to post :)
Tim NUh, at least one more time . . .Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007
Aug 11, 2010 11:54 pm Listen to Massive, shotsofredmist--it's all about the gain. Crux is right too. I use the B-1 too--I do exactly as MM says about the gain, never use compression or EQ, and I get great results. I've been recording vocals in my bathroom lately, using a pop filter (a Stedman Proscreen), with sound-deadening panels that I made (2'x4' screens, 4" thick, insulation-filled, cloth-covered) placed overhead (on the shower curtain rod and the mirror-frame{!}), with a wool army blanket directly behind the B-1, draped over the curtain rod. There is virtually no rumble, and I've manged to control the environment to a point where I need very little "post-production" treatment with EQ. I still rarely use compression--never while recording. You know what took the most time? Familiarizing my self with the various gain stages on my equipment, and getting these various pieces to interact in a good way.
You have to control the environment, and you gotta get the gain staging right. Do what MM says, and you won't be sorry. Always record with back-ground noise levels in mind--I have to use the bathroom; it's hotter than hell out right now (Chicago), and when I close that bathroom door, it becomes a little semi-quiet room, even with a window air-conditioner 15 feet away in the "control" room. I eagerly await winter . . . .
Aug 12, 2010 01:03 am Thanks Tim N! and your bathroom idea is awesome! hahaha I wish I can do that sometimes/soon!
