Sidechain compression settings for comedy

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I've recorded a comedy routine directly from the board and with a microphone in the auditorium. And although rather new to mixing, i've managed set up a compressor in Reaper that suppresses the auditorium sound when the comedian is speaking. So you don't get that 'roomy' sound, but you do get the audience reactions.

So far so good.

But is there anyone out there who has any experience with the settings for such a setup. At the moment I've set it for 0 ms attack, 300 ms release, a ratio of 20, and a threshold of -60. And that seems to work fairly fine. But since there are millions of possible combinations, any tips or ideas are very welcome.
 
Automate the two tracks. Most of the leveling would likely be on the room track, but basically that becomes your near/far, wet/dry mix, and that gives you flexible control- much more fun and interesting when you ride it as needed'.
 
0ms attack, 300ms release, -60db threshold.

That means that EVERYTHING over -60 is getting compressed...which means everything is getting compressed...which means nothing is getting compressed. make sense? since you're smashing everything you're not really catching the parts you want. A compressor (when used to control dynamics) should compress some parts and not others.

I don't have any experience with that sort of situation, but my first attempt would be on just the comedians mic (maybe a really fast attack, a really fast release too, and a threshold that will bring the loudest parts down to the volume of the typical parts...make sense...you kinda have to understand how a compressor works before trying to use one).

For the audience mic, automate the laughs and parts you want to be heard.
 
He said he was doing side-chain compression. So the audience was being compressed whenever the comedian exceeded -60 DB, right?

That probably is lower than it needs to be, it should probably be right above whatever level that mic reaches when the audience laughs and the comedian isn't speaking. (e.g. if the ambient noise picked up by his mic when the audience is laughing is -30 DB then set the threshold to -29.)

I'd try use the side-chain-compressed audience track for the most part and then an automated copy to fill in any gaps. (e.g. If the comedian gets a big laugh but is still talking over it, use the automated track to bring the audience laughs up instead of letting them be compressed out.)
 
VomitHatSteve said:
He said he was doing side-chain compression. So the audience was being compressed whenever the comedian exceeded -60 DB, right?
Click to expand...

Well, if that's the case, it's likely the comedian is exceeding -60DB most of the time, so the only time the compressor kicks in is when he's being silent? Ok, that might work too, but I'd also imagine the ambient noise is over -60 so the comp will never kick in.

I'm confusing myself now, thinking in circles.
 
> VomitHatSteve> Many thanks for the tip: Excuse a stupid question, but as I said, I'm new to this: What is an automated track?
 
Sweden said:
> VomitHatSteve> Many thanks for the tip: Excuse a stupid question, but as I said, I'm new to this: What is an automated track?
Click to expand...

It's where the fader moves you'd normally do during a mix are recorded (that's the automation part), either as you move the fader 'live while the mix is playing, or often as 'envelope lines seen in a track waveform view. In the second case generally you'd set the track for a good general position, lay in the envelope line, then add your fader dips or rises.

To make a case for doing it as needed' in mixing moves (vs. the static setting of a compressor/ducking- You might for example set up a nice reasonable balance for room tone', then ride that a little- but in spots, depth (amount), and in time and contours fitting for that moment in the program.
I.e. you’re setting your own variations of taste, rather than the room mixing in and out in a set manner.
Another thing you have in this is doing some balance variations that place the listener close and intimate with the talent in some spots, or move us back into the audience for a time in other places in the program.
Mix fun! :D
 
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