heavy on the overeasy

  • Thread starter Thread starter James HE
  • Start date Start date
J

James HE

a spoonfull weighs a ton
It's got me. I can't track a vocal without using my dbx compressor in overeasy mode. It just sounds better. more alive, it's not transparent compression but that's what i like about it. it gets all breathy, but it dosen't have any pumping and breathing. I like it at about a 2.5 to 1 ratio (sometime i push it to 3 to 1), threshold varies with the voice. It sounds really good with my NT-1, the preamp on my Mackie pretty hot, and standing about 2 1/2 feet away from the mic. (this seems to be the best way to get a good sound out of the NT-1)

My question is weather or not you guys always, mostly, often, occasionally, or never use compresion when tracking vocals? (just curious) also of all the soft-knee type compression, which is your favorite (which brand basically). overeasy is all that I've had a chance to really hear. I'd really like to try a RNC (what do they call their soft-knee mode again) and compare, I hear that it is very transparent.

oh man that new dbx tube channel 3?6 looks mighty tasty. I defitly want to look into that. I don't exspect much from the eq, I know I'll love the compressor, I wonder if the deesser is any good?

-jhe
 
YO HE WHO IS JAMES:

I've got my old compressor sitting in my storage room in the lower level of my condo.

I do use an ART mic pre -- Someday, I'm going to get a Martinsound mic pre -- top of the line.

Try recording a vocal with a good mic pre and NO COMPRESSION. I think you will be surprised at the outcome. Of course, you will need some fx. I just added a Lexicon 100, the lower end unit price wise; however, it is so clear and not boomy -- 24 bit processing is wonderful.

I also had a de-esser; that, too, is in the basement. Once in a while I get a singer who hisses like a Gaboon viper; however, I've found good singers control the hissing quite well.

Also, there is the art of EQ tweaking a wee bit, especially if you have three or four bands of EQ available.

Well, I probably didn't answer much but I hope it helps.

Green Hornet
 
yo hornet of green

when you speak of this setup,do you mean tracking with fx?or are you talking post production?i am very curious because lately i have been tracking without anything (such dryness)and the other night i tracked with comp and a de-esser and was very disappointed with my outcome.please embellish on your comments.thank you(sorry to change the subject)
 
James,
It would depend some what on your singer. Can he/She sing in a controlled way?
Does he know how to work the mic and move back a bit when things get a bit to loud?
I track with a compressor if needed with a very light compression. I can tell you that 85% of the time I'm tracking with compression (very light) with a very carefull Threshold setting so it's hardly reducing.
Although on this BBS this is not the popular thing to do, I can tell you that many pro engineers do so !!. If all I had to my use was a shity compressor, I Would think twice about using it (at all).
When used correctly a compressor WILL NOT !!!!!!suck the life out of a performance. Quite the opposite when used corectly it will give life and depth
(not death).

Mojovoodoo -Try to track with out effect but in your headphone mix do as you wish. Some people claim then can sing better with a bit of reverb in there headphones. Just don't print it to tape. Wait for mix down.

Use a de esser if needed only. Try to eliminate any hissing before by choosing the right mic-placment-correct compression-
 
I think I find myself going to the compressor in tracking because I find it easier to fit it in the mix. As far as the amount of compression I'm using, I like to get it so that the compressor hits in the yellow and not in the red. In otherwords, it never really hits the threshold, but because of the soft-knee compression it is often starting to compress. I think if I had a better mic, I wouldn't use it at all, but the NT-1 does have a kind of harshness that sounds good in certain curcumstances, and the compressor seems to put in the circumstance, sort of hyper active. Relly works in a rock mix.

-jhe
 
I always track with compression, and usually use the dbx overeasy, yes. Sounds goodie to me!
 
I have to say that I tried recording without compression for a while, but I wasn't as happy with the results as I was when I lightly compressed on the way in. Compressing the recorded track just seems to be different than compressing the performance. I have some theories on why but I'll get to that later...

The RNC is AWESOME! (by the way supernice mode is much more than overeasy compression. it's a series of compression stages stacked together.) I've never heard another compressor that is so smooth and transparent. Somehow it doesn't decrease the HF and increase the LF like most compressors so you don't hear any coloration in the tone. That's why so many people plug it in and wonder if the damn thing is even on! All the dbx compressors I've used are nice and smooth, but there's a noticeable tonal difference in the compressed signal. Not a bad sound, but just darker. It's okay for bass and kick drum, but for most acoustic sources like vocals, acoustic guitars, and horns, the RNC retains the high end detail and sounds great!

Okay, back on topic... I prefer using a little compression while tracking. If done properly with good equipment, the results are fantastic. As I sit here and listen to Sarah McLachlan, I can tell you that she is recorded with compression on the way in and it sounds great. Not that my ears are THAT good, I read an article on her producer. :>
 
Hey!!

Hey James.. that's exactly my gear (Mackie, NT-1, dbx-comp, assuming you have the 266XL comp), and I'm just about to record some vocals this Wednesday.. I'll surely check it out and get back to you.

Any other experiences with the NT1 and dbx working together? (I'm pretty new to compressors..)
 
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