NEED VOCAL COMPRESSION HELP BAD

Posted on Dec 27, 2004 06:12 pm
cm4deep
Member Since: Dec 26, 2004

i know how to limit my vocals but i have a rap artist that changes the volume in his voice one minute he raps laid back then he starts almost screamin as intesity gets higher, and u can really hear that, i wanna know how to keep the whole voice recording at one volume level , in desperate need of advice on that

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Noize2u
Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Dec 27, 2004 08:03 pm

Well the limiter is the part of the compressor that will be doing what you need. The compressor section will actually help bring the softer sections of the vocals and pump them up a bit. It sounds like you need to just set the limiter to a decent level to keep his outbursts down a bit. There are no rules set in stone that can help that out, other then finding the limiting amount that will shut it down so his loud parts do not go over the rest.

Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Dec 27, 2004 08:07 pm

Understanding how a compressor works will allow you to set the controls for almost any compressor. Check out the house article on dynamic effects:

www.homerecordingconnecti...story&id=13

Jason H.
Jack of all trades master of ___
Member
Since: May 28, 2004

Dec 28, 2004 12:29 am

I use whats called "hard limiting"...to kinda even things out...

MinkusMaz
Bane of All Existence
Member
Since: Mar 27, 2003

Dec 28, 2004 11:00 am

if i were you, i'd trim the vocal tracks and have them grouped into what seems like two tracks based upon your description. trim up it up, then drag the screaming sections onto a second track, then compress either track listening to what setting sounds good for each. then adjust each track's EQ and volume to sit in the mix nicely.

hard limiting will definitely work and it will save you some time, but i think that it's a bit of a quick fix in this situation unless i am misinterpreting your post.

Jason H.
Jack of all trades master of ___
Member
Since: May 28, 2004

Dec 28, 2004 11:27 am

thats an option...in my case of rap vocals the vocalist flux's up and down so much that its like a roller coaster...I find hard limiting can make it a pretty even waveform without diffusing the sound and the more boastfull parts are still that

to me and my ears the hard limiting does nothing more than even out the waveform...

JBryant398
Member
Since: Dec 27, 2004

Dec 28, 2004 10:16 pm

In the case of hip-hop vocals, I would suggest using a fairly high ratio (10:1+) with a threshold set about halfway in between the volume of the loudest portions and that of soft portions (not silence, of course). I generally use at least a -24dBFS or so threshold.

I find hard limiting to be a bit crunchy for my tastes, but it does depend on the sound you want. If the tracks you are cutting are of a more dirty and vinyl type sound, a crunchy limiter may suit the mix better.

Jason H.
Jack of all trades master of ___
Member
Since: May 28, 2004

Dec 28, 2004 10:52 pm

heres the thing...

when I hard limit I dont find anything crunchy...my limiter on AA 1.5 can gather the statistics of how much will be clipped from the wave file before I do my actual hard limiting...I never like to have the limiter clip it more than 1% of the total wave form. I set the threshold so to speak at the level I want which ranges from -10 to -18dB, pending on the wave itself...and then I process it...
it bring it all up to a nice evenly form wave yet the vocal flux's are still there without it going off the chart...

Thats how it runs on my end

Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Dec 29, 2004 11:14 am

The thing with hard limiting is that it is much more noticable because of its very nature. It's basically a compression ratio of infinity:1, which means that it instantaneously cuts the input signal to the threshold level. With compression, it eases the input signal down to the threshold level, which is generally less noticeable.

I only end up using limiting on a mixed down .wav file, just to trim off any peaks and make sure that my mix doesn't clip. I leave the input level alone and set the threshold to about -.25 dB.