Oct 20, 2003 07:31 pm you're starting with wax paper sounding tracks? when it comes to vocals, you need to have your tracks sounding good from the getgo. make sure your EQ isn't wacky. try a limiter too, see if you like it.
Vocals and Compression when tracking
Posted on Oct 20, 2003 06:59 pm
Alanfc
Member Since: Mar 13, 2003
Hello-
I have a vocal question-
The waveforms on my vocal look like alot of triangles linked togtether with peanut shaped waveforms.
The question is mainly on the triangles-
I have my compressor after my preamp, at a 2:1 ratio. When I increase the threshold too much near -20 db it sounds obviously compressed. When I 'm around -10 db it sounds alot cleaner (better!) but the peaks are nasty. My Attack is at 20 ms and release is at 0.5 sec. (slow attack, fast release?)
Anyway, if I increase my ratio to something high like 6:1, and keep the threshold at the less effected -10 db, will I tame those triangular peaks without squashing the vocal into an obviously compressed sort of mess?
I've tried it without the compressor and it sounds like I'm singing into a wax paper bag. When I put the compressor on and have the threshold as low as -20 db, it sounds like I'm singing with my mouth full o' mashed potatoes.
Using an MXL V67 condenser into VTB-1 to RNC. I also have an SM-57 available, but that sounded too muddy.
Any comment would be greatly appreciated
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Oct 20, 2003 07:31 pm you're starting with wax paper sounding tracks? when it comes to vocals, you need to have your tracks sounding good from the getgo. make sure your EQ isn't wacky. try a limiter too, see if you like it.
Oct 22, 2003 09:15 am I agree with Minkus. The sound without the compressor should be a pleasing sound. The reason folks usually track with a compressor is to be able to get a hotter signal with out cliping. The thing you have to be careful of when using a compressor for tracking is to not over drive your preamp. You can easily over drive your preamp and still not register above 0dB in your recorder after the compressor, depending on how much limiting is going on in the compressor.
Blessings, Terry
Oct 22, 2003 11:16 am Thanks guys-
since I posted my question I've learned a ton about my mic, preamp and compressor working together. Things are good now. I'm basically using the compressor as a light sort of limiter. Not brick-wall, but taming the peaks without any obvious compressor effects/sound. Actually found that the SM-57 is great for my voice !
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