Smoothing out vocal rasp with compression?

K

Kroduscul

New member
I have a song, basically done, with a very intimate vocal performance. Really happy with the delivery and consistency of the final take I’m using, but being what it is, there’s a little too much rasp at certain parts and I can’t stand it. I know absolutely nothing about compressors, but I’ve heard compression can have a big part in smoothing this kind of stuff out.
 
Most compression operates on the whole signal so it's likely to affect a lot more than just the rasp unless you do some clever sidechain filtering. Even then, it's likely to affect other parts of the vocal.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Most compression operates on the whole signal so it's likely to affect a lot more than just the rasp unless you do some clever sidechain filtering. Even then, it's likely to affect other parts of the vocal.
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Well, I know it compresses the whole signal, but I'm mostly wondering how to smooth out the rasp with a compressor if that's possible? Or if there's any other way to do it
 
A standard compressor will often accentuate stuff like that rather than reduce it. I would recommend using a de-esser or dynamic eq.
 
Kroduscul said:
Well, I know it compresses the whole signal, but I'm mostly wondering how to smooth out the rasp with a compressor if that's possible? Or if there's any other way to do it
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If you filter the sidechain to make the compressor "see" the rasp more than other parts of the signal, it might do it. That's essentially what a de-esser does. A multiband compressor might work if you deactivate all the bands other than the one that covers the rasp. A dynamic eq could have a similar effect.
 
interesting. I’ve used compression to ‘add’ some rasp.
the multi band makes sense
 
Or even just a 32 band graphic to find the offending area and reduce it a bit? Depends on what the rasp actually in terms of spectral content. I'd not have thought about a compressor, which sort of nearly makes a rasp?Lazer's multi band compressor could work I guess - worth a try - you might have to find the rasp and then compress everything else to help it overcome the raspy area?
 
rob aylestone's suggestion is the best one imo. Compression will make the raspy part more noticeable. A targeted EQ in the right place is the most likely to reduce it.
 
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