I'm trying to understand the right way to use volume automation together with compression when there are parts of a song that are deliberately quieter.
I "get" the idea of using volume automation (VA) to keep levels steady, and the importance of doing that prior to compression, which will get a more even effect from the compressor throughout the song, and with less work from the compression.
What is the proper way to do it when, let's say, the first verse is very soft, building to a crescendo on the chorus for example?
If I use volume automation – or let's say, instead, gain automation – up front to make the volume constant on the vocals, for example, I lose the effect of the softer part building into the louder part.
So, I'm getting lost in this: for purpose of applying compression evenly on both loud and soft parts of the song, yes, VA will accomplish that so that I don't squash the louder parts and only mildly compress the softer parts of the song.
I've read that a number of people simply recommend leaving the quieter part alone and only compressing the louder parts. However, that doesn't make sense to me: the softer parts can benefit from compression just as much as the louder.
As I'm thinking it through, I'm thinking this would be a way to do it, but I'd like validation (or correction):
I "think" the way to do it would be to use gain adjustment (either by envelope automation, or just cutting the clip up into sections and using the trim tool; I use REAPER, btw) as the first step to make the volume constant for the entire song, prior to compression. So, consistent gain-staging so the clips are consistent around -18 or so. THEN use compression, which would now be applied evenly across all sections of the song. THEN use volume automation, post-fader, to adjust the volume of the softer parts to taste. That seems to me to be the correct way to apply compression equally across soft and loud parts of the song while at the same time preserving the volume changes.
Am I right here? Am I thinking things through clearly? Am I missing something? Is there an easier way to do this?
Am I making any sense at all?
Thanks, all.
Tesgin
I "get" the idea of using volume automation (VA) to keep levels steady, and the importance of doing that prior to compression, which will get a more even effect from the compressor throughout the song, and with less work from the compression.
What is the proper way to do it when, let's say, the first verse is very soft, building to a crescendo on the chorus for example?
If I use volume automation – or let's say, instead, gain automation – up front to make the volume constant on the vocals, for example, I lose the effect of the softer part building into the louder part.
So, I'm getting lost in this: for purpose of applying compression evenly on both loud and soft parts of the song, yes, VA will accomplish that so that I don't squash the louder parts and only mildly compress the softer parts of the song.
I've read that a number of people simply recommend leaving the quieter part alone and only compressing the louder parts. However, that doesn't make sense to me: the softer parts can benefit from compression just as much as the louder.
As I'm thinking it through, I'm thinking this would be a way to do it, but I'd like validation (or correction):
I "think" the way to do it would be to use gain adjustment (either by envelope automation, or just cutting the clip up into sections and using the trim tool; I use REAPER, btw) as the first step to make the volume constant for the entire song, prior to compression. So, consistent gain-staging so the clips are consistent around -18 or so. THEN use compression, which would now be applied evenly across all sections of the song. THEN use volume automation, post-fader, to adjust the volume of the softer parts to taste. That seems to me to be the correct way to apply compression equally across soft and loud parts of the song while at the same time preserving the volume changes.
Am I right here? Am I thinking things through clearly? Am I missing something? Is there an easier way to do this?
Am I making any sense at all?
Thanks, all.
Tesgin