Compressor Setting Suggestions While Tracking?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BigEZ
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BigEZ

The Devil Has Blue Eyes
Hi All,

I just purchased an RNC...This will be my first time using a compressor while tracking. Just want some mild compression to tighten things up a bit.

Just curious what settings you would use for the following...

-Soft rock vocal, ala Matchbox 20

-Acoustic guitar pick

-Acoustic guitar strum

-Mildly distorted electric guitar

I understand not everyone agrees with compression while tracking. But I'd love to hear some suggestions from those who do.

Thanks,
 
Whenever I use compressions during tracking...I keep it "light", as I will/may need to add more later during mixing.
Depending on your signal source level, the sound you are after and the compressor..."light" can vary AFA which "numbers" to use, so you have find what is right for your signal chain...
...but I'm sure you will get some "numbers" from some folks. :)
 
LOL Rob Thomas's voice isn't exactly what you call "soft". But I like Matchbox Twenty just the same.

I'd limit your compression to top-level only. Just to prevent clipping. You don't want the dynamics of the instruments to be flattened like a pancake. It's easy to do it that way but you sacrifice sound quality as a result.

Set the threshold so that you're only compressing the highest peaks. I'd use a 4-5:1 ratio.
 
I should say that his voice is not heavy, its clear with a mild rock touch to it. Not that its weak, but softer.

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem is that when I play with it, I'm having trouble discerning where its becoming too compressed until I'm really getting up there with the compression...I don't think my ears are trained enough at this point.
 
You need to do a lot of A/B with each setting.

Does the RNC have a Bypass button?
If yes...pick a setting, and then run whatever signal you want to process...then A/B back an forth until you start hearing the difference. Then try another setting and repeat.

For tracking...to play it safe/conservative...if you can really hear the comporession...it's probably too much already.
 
It does have a bypass, never even thought of using that. Thanks for the suggestion
 
My advice is to add no compression during tracking. "Tighten things up" in the mix only.

Set your RNC just to act as a limiter above -1dBFS only during tracking. Hopefully, you'll never even hit the limiter...but, if you do, it'll save an otherwise good take from clipping.

Bob
 
What are you trying to achieve on the track, how does your vocal/guitar technique already fit in with that goal and what do you need to "tighten up" with the compressor!

What's nice about tracking with compression is you are making a decision about the sound at the outset which can lead to less analysis paralysis later in the mix from too many possibilities

I love adding compression on the way in as I track (when needed). The problem is you have to know what effect you want so you can set up appropriately.

Are you looking for punchy guitars/vocals, smooth, ambient, heavily colored etc etc etc. Anyone one of these outcomes would require different settings

If you don't have a clear vision of what the recorded track needs to be you may be better off waiting until it is recorded until you add compression in the box, or continuing to work on the song until you are ready to commit to a sound on the way in
 
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RokZtaR said:
... The problem is that when I play with it, I'm having trouble discerning where its becoming too compressed until I'm really getting up there with the compression...I don't think my ears are trained enough at this point.
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I'm not an advocate of compressing while recording unless you are doing it to tame an out of control instrument or voice. It's too compressed when you can hear it unless you want to hear it of course :)
 
And if there's an out-of-control source, you should have your levels set accordingly in the first place. If you're even in the same ZIP code as "clipping" then you're waaaaayyyy too hot already. And adding a compressor is actually going to compound the problem - Not fix it.
 
c7sus said:
If you're gonna use the bypass switch you should just take it out of the chain altogether.
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Using the bypass is the best way for him to hear what the comp is doing to the signal....but of course, if left on bypass, then just remove the comp altogether. :)

I don't think he's trying to prevent clipping or control a source that is way too hot...rather it's more about smoothing out the dynamics, which a comp can help with, though personally, I just do that manually in the DAW after tracking.
 
RokZtaR said:
What a pain in the ass ;) I love presets!!!
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Presets are useful starting points for reverbs and other such effects so you can hear what they add to the source. They are pretty much useless with compression and eq since those will depend completely on the source and how it sounds in the mix.
 
Read up on how to use a compressor. Then get some settings and use the bypass to A/B.

With the RNC what I do in mixing (almost never anything in tracking) is set the ratio super high (10:1-20:1) and then set the threshold to where I want it. This helps you to actually hear when the comp is kicking in. Then, with the ratio super high and release as fast as possible I set the attack to give me the rhythm I want, then the release to give the sustain I want. Then I'll back the ratio off to where I want it and fine tune the attack and ratio. This will work better than if we give you some numbers to roll with. And it works on any source (vocals, guitar, drums). This is just one way of setting a compressor, but for me it works well. Give it a try and you'll soon learn how different numbers effect your sound and you'll wonder why you ever wanted presets!
 
Miroslav is correct...I like the sound of my vocals a bit compressed while tracking...I think it makes for a better performance...I can hear my low passages better and everything just sounds more punchy which in turn creates a more inspired performance.

I'm seeing that the resounding answer is that I have do some work and invest some time in really getting to know my compressor. I hate work, lol.
 
Learning just takes time. You can learn on a plug-in compressor, you don't need any hardware. To compress during tracking, for performance reasons you could also just throw on a plug-in with the right settings and set it to come through your headphone mix too. Either way works. If you use the plug, you can always tweak it or remove it if you don't want it. With the hardware you have what you have. It just depends on how you want to work.
 
RokZtaR said:
Miroslav is correct...I like the sound of my vocals a bit compressed while tracking...I think it makes for a better performance...I can hear my low passages better and everything just sounds more punchy which in turn creates a more inspired performance...
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You're still better off not compressing on the way in. If you absolutely need to hear your vocals compressed which is beyond me because it actually makes it harder to sing, then split your feed and record a clean channel too. Then you have more options in post processing.
 
Massive Master said:
And if there's an out-of-control source, you should have your levels set accordingly in the first place. If you're even in the same ZIP code as "clipping" then you're waaaaayyyy too hot already. And adding a compressor is actually going to compound the problem - Not fix it.
Click to expand...
I get that for digital but what about tracking to tape?
 
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