Compression on the way in?

F

farmskis

New member
Should I use any compression on the way in while recording vocals? Or would it be better to record without it and add it later with a plug-in on reaper? My mg82cx has compression but I'm not sure on how good it is. I need to use the pre amps so that is my reason for running the vocals through it. Plus I use it to add reverb in the monitor headset.
 
Hey,
Some people like to track on the way in but what is done can't be undone.
If you use software compression you can undo/redo change.

If that luxury is important to you, I'd track dry.

I think the main reason to track with compression, these days, is that you have some damn nice hardware.
 
I go with Steen on this one. I started out using a compressor thinking I need to control dynamics going in, after a few months and understanding you can track at lower levels and then work with the raw track, the compressor went to the side. I actually replaced the rack space with a Nady headphone amp.

To Steen's point, I am not saying no, but if you don't have it, I would wait first to determine you need it. (2 cents).
 
I like the flexibility that doing nothing yields.

So I plug the mike straight into the interface and record without modification, allowing myself the convenience of being able to choose how much I want to modify the sound after the event.
 
As a rule , no-however a quality analog circuit in the signal path can sometimes add some warmth to a sterile sounding vocal even if its not actually compressing the signal. So if you have time to experiment or an extra track to record to, I would suggest trying takes with and without and comparing. Set the ratio as low as possible and set the threshold so the loudest peaks are just barely making the compressor react then decide which sound works best. Plus that way you can train your ear on the sound of the compressor and be able to use it as an "effect" rather than just something to tame dynamics. Knowing what our equipment sounds like makes it easier to choose what to use in a given situation.
 
absolutely, yes!

i've recorded this way for 20 years,
if you know what you are doing,
you can create very colorful sounding vocal tracks AND do some level control.

never sounds the same after the fact,
don't know why.
just know.
 
I like to get thing sounding the way I want them, and then record. Whether that means EQ, compression, echo, reverb, distortion, whatever... I like to record sounds that inspire. Sometimes I may tweak them a little later, but if they sound great to me when I record them, why would I change them later anyway?
 
farmskis said:
.. My mg82cx has compression but I'm not sure on how good it is..
Click to expand...
To add on to what's been said, this is also a one knob comp'- with it's own set of parameters. If and when those fit' a given need (or 'response) for a given track in a given mix, fine.
But compared once in the mix.. with a small selection of plugs that will go anywhere ('sound wise?).. Is No Contest.:>)
Try it, both ways for sure though.
 
Ha some differing opinions but absolutely I have a compressor in my chain for ALL instruments before the interface preamps. It allows me to open the preamps but protect overload. I also apply another compressor in the daw. Works great.
 
in reality to a professional knows what they are doing and probably where its going and has been listening to 1000's of tracks.

this subject is a favorite, and my current belief is the pro's often use comp going in but its almost invisible. 2:1 fast on and fast release, and its top quality stuff. Ive also realized theres a ton of stuff often done to the track by the Mix Engineer ...

HR trying to get that "vocal sound" and then tossing in comps in the path right away to get that sound is thwarted from the beginning.
Better to listen to RAW tracks, Im thinking? LEarn from raw tracks for tracking sounds and tones and gear.

what little I do on my DAW I can select Track 1 dry from the vocal mic...but also 9&10 has the plug/realtime compressed ect and record it on Track 2 and have both.
whats interesting after a few days or a week to go back the dry usually sounds better and the emotionally/smashed vibe fun jam track can sound like crap. the dry track during the jam always sounds dull and lifeless.

I dont know, I was reading some article Adeles Rollin in the Cash song was a ROde mic and 6176...simple. And it was kind of.
The Demo Home track was just that and it was used on the cash-board hit...but then reading deeper Elmhirst/Mix ENgineer used all kinds of stuff on the vocal track.... so again, what we hear as a final product can have so much done to it...wow?

the UA site makes it sound like all that was done is a mic and 6176, but the Elmhirst mix engineer shows a bunch of plugs were also all over it.

I couldnt find the settings on the 6176 but I will guess it was a subtle clean comp setting just taking off a high freq peak here and there.
 
Last edited:
I usually compress lead vocals, bass drum, bass, sometimes snare and in case of a crowded mix acoustic guitar on the way in. Most of the time just a tiny bit. Never stuff like shakers and hardly ever electric guitar or backing vocals.
I partially do it to keep tape hiss at reasonable levels, partially because I only got four channels of compression in a 16 track setup and my GL Audio 5021 usually ends up being busy doing parallel comp during mixdown. But also I dig how a more "finished" sound in the cans tend to make singers perform better if done right.

If I had a less noisey tape machine and more compressers I'd still be doing it on lead vocals and bass, the others would perhaps be more situation dependent.
 
all the "pro" articles I read seemed to say the same thing, "just a tiny bit" but its on the vocals, it is used.

thats when I tried that low ratio settings and couldnt hardly hear it. i couldnt really afford the cash for something set so lightly.
you think it more important going to Tape than DAW? a lot of the articles I read were decades ago.

listening to beatles Here Comes the Sun raw tracks, the vocals have compression almost sounding like a dessr, with reverb (from room or chamber?)
damn it sounds good. they tracked so well back then not a lot of time spent editing and tone shaping during the mix.
 
Two reasons to compress on the way in: signal to noise ratio and color. If your recording chain and environment is giving you the sound you want without a compressor, don't use it. Depending on the performers ability, the quality/properties of the equipment and environment to produce a consistent performance and the actual sound you are going for it may be best to go through a comp, though usually as stated at very low ratios (typically less than 2.5-3/1). As for color-the Beatles and every other recording prior to what, 1982 ish was done to tape which A: general limiting was the rule so as not to overload the tape (causing crosstalk and bleed from one track to that next to it , etc) and B: the tape itself was compressing the signal due to the nature of the medium. I tend to love the sound of tape when recording drums or bass and I find I can get closer to that, which is what sounds best to me, by running through either a transformer(direct box or some mic pre's) or some(not all) analog compressors. As previously stated I prefer the sound of a bass recorded through an analog compressor. Vocals, however, it's as I said, depends on the performer, equipment and room.
 
If I owned a hardware 1176 or Distressor I think I would almost always compress on the way in because those two units are awesome. :thumbs up:

I kind of want to try the warm 76 and see if it's any good.
 
I think part of the appeal of these "vintage" emulating preamps is due to the tiniest bit of compression that is happening. Admittedly, I haven't tried all of them, but the GAP Pre73 I'm trying out seems to have about .5dB less dynamic range in one, uncontrolled, non-scientific comparison so I suspect that's part of what I like about it. The result is just easier work with. (And it's not only that tiny bit of compression.)
 
^^^=1
Also pleasing harmonics are being added through the emulations. Usually pleasing. Sometimes not.
 
CoolCat said:
all the "pro" articles I read seemed to say the same thing, "just a tiny bit" but its on the vocals, it is used.

thats when I tried that low ratio settings and couldnt hardly hear it. i couldnt really afford the cash for something set so lightly.
you think it more important going to Tape than DAW? a lot of the articles I read were decades ago.

listening to beatles Here Comes the Sun raw tracks, the vocals have compression almost sounding like a dessr, with reverb (from room or chamber?)
damn it sounds good. they tracked so well back then not a lot of time spent editing and tone shaping during the mix.
Click to expand...

If it's more important when going to tape? In a sense yes, as compressing before tape doesn't boost the tape hiss and then during mixing parallel comp with some gating going on usually does the trick and still keeping some dynamics.

However if I had to use a DAW I'd probably do the same. Sometimes I run parallel if recording stuff like folk music were a "natural" sound is desired. So a clean track hitting the tape at conversative levels and a hotter and compressed signal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top