gain reduction on vocals

[djclueveli]

when someone says they get about 6 db gain reduction that means that the gain reduction meter stays on 6 or jus when peaks come? might be a confusing question but if you understand it please reply. What is yalls approach when compressing vocals? thanks

[xstatic]

I think that the answer varies form person to person. When I talk about how much gain reduction I am using I do not refer to the "peak" value but more to what the compressor is averaging in gain reduction. I find that peak values do not tell much or explain mush about how the comp is being used. Not to mention peak values are more dependant upon individual events that do not necessarily have any consistency. A more "average" value though tells me more about how the comp is being driven which allows me to use knowledge and experience to better guess how it may or may not function and/or apply to certain instances.

[djclueveli]

thanks for the feedback. for the attack time, do vocals need slow attack time (100ms and above) since they dont have as much low end as say drums?

[lomky]

Your going to hear this alot when talking about this stuff, but there are no rules for this stuff. But, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I find that faster attack times on vox gives me more pumping and breathing.

[RedStone]

you really do have to just play with it to make it work ... but if it's any help, here's what I do for pop stuff ...

Vocals aren't all that complex (say compared to a drum kit or an entire mix) - and for typical pop vocals, you want to tame those peaks that go over the threshold you set. Myself, I don't want to make my vocals too obviously compressed.

If you use a fast attack (say, 20 ms), it will clamp down more quickly than a slow attack (say, 100ms). How much it clamps depends on the ratio you set. For something like bass, if you use a fast attack, you'll lose all of the attack from each note you pluck and the back end of the note will be louder - which isn't usually desirable unless you want a sustained effect (in which case, you would set a low threshold along with a slow attack and release).

For vocals, a fast attack will tame bursts of volume that make the vocalist sit unevenly in the mix. The release will give you more or less of the compressor's sound - for transparent compression on vocals I try to set the release and threshold to be just enough so that the quiet notes are *just* allowed to go through without any compression being applied. Typically, I'll watch the meter to see how long it's taking to get back to 0 before the next syllable comes. If it's not all the way up to 0, then the release might be too long. If it reaches and stays at 0 for several ms, then it might be too short.

Here's the catch - depending on the music, and the threshold/ratio you set, nearly any combination might work.

[NYMorningstar]

Another consideration is taking the compressor right out of the recording chain to avoid signal degradation. Vocals usually are pretty easy to track without one and the compressor should be removed unless you are using it for sound enhancement.
Get a whip and tame the vocalist instead.

[FALKEN]

I think the whole cutting the attack off on bass can sound cool given the right song. I think with instruments like bass and drums the tempo of the song plays a huge role. with vocals its sort of based on style. when I think of "gain reduciton" I think of the peak gain reduction. for me, it makes it easier to recall settings.

[Grilled_Cheese]

Originally Posted by NYMorningstar

Another consideration is taking the compressor right out of the recording chain to avoid signal degradation. Vocals usually are pretty easy to track without one and the compressor should be removed unless you are using it for sound enhancement.
Get a whip and tame the vocalist instead.

I've never met a vocalist who could go from soft quiet parts, to screaming loud parts all at the same volume.

I guess I should keep whipping him and see if that helps?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by Grilled_Cheese

I've never met a vocalist who could go from soft quiet parts, to screaming loud parts all at the same volume.

Who says they need to be at the same volume? A soft, quiet part is a soft quiet part. It should not be coming across in the final mix at the same level at the loud screaming parts anyway.

Leave it au jus. One can always compress the gravy in post.

G.

[Grilled_Cheese]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

Who says they need to be at the same volume? A soft, quiet part is a soft quiet part. It should not be coming across in the final mix at the same level at the loud screaming parts anyway.

Leave it au jus. One can always compress the gravy in post.

G.

Well, obviously I didn't mean the exact same volume.

[xstatic]

Originally Posted by Grilled_Cheese

I've never met a vocalist who could go from soft quiet parts, to screaming loud parts all at the same volume.

I guess I should keep whipping him and see if that helps?

This can be tamed quite a bit by good mic technique and kept in check by proper gain staging. A compressor is not necessary. At all times if you are clipping your converter than you just have the gain set too high.