Compression, limiting and other volume issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeremy Muller
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Jeremy Muller

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Newbie to Homerecording.com...A few related questions:

I am using Cubase LE4 and am trying to deal with volume spikes in vocal tracks. I have been trying the normalize and gain options under audio processing and am finding them cumbersome. Is envelope a good option?

Also what are the best options for compression and limiting within LE4? Are they the above mentioned noise gate, normalize and gain? Is the best way to select via the range selector for the entire track?

Any help on these is greatly appreciated. Thanks...and I got plenty more questions to follow.
 
Jeremy Muller said:
Newbie to Homerecording.com...A few related questions:

I am using Cubase LE4 and am trying to deal with volume spikes in vocal tracks. I have been trying the normalize and gain options under audio processing and am finding them cumbersome. Is envelope a good option?
Click to expand...

Hey,
In any DAW the tools are the same.
Normalize isn't what you're looking for. It will keep all the levels the same relative to each other. It basically turns the whole track up as loud as possible without the loudest part peaking.

To tame volume spikes you probably want to automate the track volume/fader.
Another option is to hit it hard with a limiter or compressor, but it will usually sound like you hit it hard with a limiter or compressor.
This usually isn't a good thing.

It's too late for your current recording, but this levelling process really begins at the mic. If your singer can lean away for peaks and come in close for subtle passages, it will really help a lot later on.

Hope that's useful.
 
How do I use compression and/or limiting in LE4?
 
Uy yuy yuy. Brother, you got a lot to learn. Let me see if I can help you.

On each track in Cubase, you've got a button labeled with an "e". This is the channel edit window button. Press it.

Now, on the left hand side of the window, next to the EQ, you'll see a bunch of slots called "inserts". This is where you insert processors, including compressors.

Click on one of the slots and you'll see a pop-down menu. On the pop down menu there should be a sub menu for "dynamics". Click on it.

In the dynamics menu, find "compressor". Click on it.

A compressor is now inserted onto that track.

Now, you'll need to learn how to use a compressor. Read this:

Tutorial: How to use compression – Beatport News

Hope that helps.

Cheers :)
 
Instead if using automation at the spikes, just use the scissors tool to cut the vocal clip around the pick, grab the volume handle and turn the spike down, then cross fade. (by hitting "x")
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Farview said:
Instead if using automation at the spikes, just use the scissors tool to cut the vocal clip around the pick, grab the volume handle and turn the spike down, the cross fade. (by hitting "x")
Click to expand...

Don't forget to select the new part, as well as the events before and after the splits, before hitting 'x' (Crossfade). :)
 
Most of the time, it will just crossed what you want. I have never figured out the rules that govern the crossed behavior, but generally, I don't have to select anything special after doing the volume change. Im using nuendo 5, so that might have something to do with it.
 
If the recording has some quite high level spikes relative to the rest of the recording, try using a limiter fiirst in the insert chain, allowing it to react only on the large transients (ie high threshold, fast attack) to bring them down by a few db. Then make use of your favourite vocal compressor to process the result. This gives you a lot more control over the dynamics.

- Geoff
 
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