Phyn
Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 1
|
| fail-safe compressor settings |
 |
|
I am trying to recored vocals for a song, but I'm sort of new to this and my audio is always distorted.
My system: primarily bought to do Voice-overs, a AKG 3000 Mike, pre-amp, into a composer pro-xl compressor, into computer with Cubase SL software.
Now, sorry for the probably very stupid question, I'm new to the whole thing, so I just need a place to start for now:
I have a very loud belt, occasionally do an opera bit, and in terms of loudness have a very broad range, which I'd like to use, which seems to be the problem. For the voice-over stuff I seem to have found a setting that works, but there the range is obviously not that broad, now I'm supposed to record a soul vocal (a little earlier than I expected), would you be able to give me basic fool-proof settings for the compressor?
Really dumb question: What's the difference between the trigger and the threshold, both determine when, at what level of sound signal, the compressor is activated, right? The basic settings for trigger, threshold, ratio (1:3?), attack, release, output, db-level and limiter would be extremely helpful, that I could just do this recording and then start experimenting! My pre-amp is currently set at half-way up the db-gain and half way up the output level. Thanks! 8O |
Mon Mar 22, 2004 7:44 pm |
|
|
Abel_Garikai
Newbie
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 5
|
| vocals in my home/studio |
|
|
I too had problems when I got my first "real" mic and started recording vocals in my home/studio. (before I bought my trusty Oktava MK-319 I was using one of those dingy little mic's that are built into computer monitors... oh, those were the days... lol) Personally I love compression, but with vocal tracks I've learned that you have to be very gentle with any effect and Compression & Limiting are no exceptions to this "rule". I like to do most of my processing in the computer so on the way in (when I'm recording tracks) I like to be as transparent as I can with the effects so that I have maximum flexability once they are recorded. Ok, so you've heard my rant about being gentle and transparent with compression - I'm just saying it so it's said. 
These are the compressor settings I've found to work best for me, hopefully they'll give you some kind of reference point to start at (they may need tweeking depending on the dynamic of the vocal you're doing):
1)I use a RATIO of 2:1
2)I use an ATTACK setting of about .1 milliseconds (or at about "7 o'clock")
3)I use a RELEASE setting of about 100 milliseconds (somewhere around "11 o'clock")
4)My THRESHOLD is set at about 11 o'clock but this one is usually the one that needs the most tweaking to get tuned to the gain settings at play.
Ok, that's the "easy" part. After you have your compressor sounding good we then tackle the problem of "my audio is always distorted." Ok, this is not really your compressor's "fault" or to put it in another way, your compressor can't COMPLETELY fix this - on it's own.
Now that we have the compression settings in place we now have to adjust the GAIN, first the gain of the MIC PRE-AMP and then the gain of the COMPRESSOR and finally the gain on your soundcard's MIC INPUT. (in no particular order really, I just put them in the order that they are hooked up in) When setting the gain on the mic pre-amp it's easy to over do it. With phantom power and a condenser like you have, you might even have to set your mic-pre in the negative [-dB] range (although changing your soundcard mic in level effects this so try out different settings. Setting your soundcard mic in volume past 3/4 of the way up is asking for distortion, in my experience.) [especially if your windows soundcard mixer has the "mic boost +20dB" turned on] Ok so basically what we want to do is:
1)Turn everything on (audio equipment, computer, coffemaker - the last one is optional), get your headphones on and all that good stuff.
2)Check the level of your MIC input on your computer. This may be done by double clicking the little speaker icon in the lower right hand corner of the taskbar. Your soundcard mixer or Play Control as it's called in my version of windows should pop up and then you will need to adjust the channel labeled "Microphone". If your microphone channel is set anywhere from 1/3 to 3/4 of the way up and you are still getting distortion try this: In the play control mixer click on Options then in the options drop-down click Advanced Controls (if you do not already see a button under the Microphone channel fader labeled "Advanced") Click this button and make sure that the "Mic Boost (20 dB)" is off. Those of us with the luxury of having an outboard mic pre-amp don't need this, in fact it could be the main cause of your problem.
3)Once the MIC IN is adjusted to a moderate setting with the "boost" turned off you can now more accurately set up your Pre Amp and Compressor gains. On your pre amp you'll probably want to give it enough gain to where you see your compressors lights "light up" on the loud parts. (or Peak - go just barely into the yellow just above the green - if your compressor has gauges like this.) On your compressor you'll want to give it enough gain that it makes up for the loss of volume that compression inevitably subtracts but try not to give it more gain than it had going in to the compressor. In compressor-talk this is called "make up gain" or the making up of lost volume.
If you are trying these settings and thinking "there is no distortion now but this sounds really quiet, I can barely hear myself", what you'll need to do now is make sure that the Master Volume on your windows/souncard "play control" mixer is at full volume. The tracks you have accompaning you will probably need to be turned down (individually until you have the vocal tracks recorded) inside of Cubase on the Cubase Mixer as well to compensate for the overall volume being turned up so high. If your Micropone level still sounds too quiet to be effective when you're recording you can try one of two things.
1) Take one side of your headphones off and use one ear to listen to the accompaniment and one ear to listen to your voice (out loud in the room).
2)Option two would be to gently nudge the volume on the Play Control - Microphone channel up as loud as you can get it without clipping the input.
When you've successfully recorded a prestine sounding vocal track the next truly important thing to do is NORMALIZE the vocal tracks you've recorded. Many of us don't understand at first that even though something is recorded at a low volume going in we can adjust (and in a sense compensate for the moderate levels going into the soundcard) the overall volume of that track(s) by normalizing them. I personally Normalize to -6dB, when mixing a full song, to give a little room for all the tracks. This of course varies from person to person because we all mix differently but that's a good starting point.
Hope this helps!
-Abel (john@73008.com) |
|
Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:21 am |
|
|
|
|
GQSmoove
Tape Op
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 23
|
| Good vocal recording |
|
|
As with anything you record you have to start at the source and make sure your signal going into your recorder is as clean as possible. Make sure that clipping doesn't occur. Leave the compression till after the recording because if you commit the wrong settings to tape before hand you cn't ubdo the comprression.
Vocal compresion settings to use:
Vocals
Fast Attack
0 or Auto release
Threshold -3 to -8 (try -5.5)
Ratio: 4:1 to 12:1 (try 6:1)
Soft Knee Compression if available
Spoken Word Vocals
Atttack
0.1
Release: 100ms
Threshold: -1
Ratio: 2:1 to 6:1
Soft Knee compression if available |
|
Sat May 01, 2004 5:00 am |
|
|
divinemusic
Newbie
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
|
| perfect compressor setting |
|
|
no such thing as a fail-safe compressor setting or a perfect compressor setting. everyones sound is gonna be different. you can track your vocals the way you do now, then hear something i did and like my sound.. not knowing that i tracked the vocals through a 1176, la2a, distressor or a 1968.
you could copy the setting but your sound isn't gonna be the same b/c the electronics in the behringer compressor you have aren't transparent. best thing, get yourself a good compressor.. something good like the RNC. its a very transparent compressor.. you can use 10:1 compression and the track will still fine.
mess around til you find the sound you like.. don't compress more that 5-6db while tracking, at least i wouldn't. i stary around 1-4db. when i track with compression i use a M-audio Tampa's compressor..
i have a very quick attack, a release around 200ms, 4:1 ratio. no special threshold setting.. i have an artist do 2 or 3 takes before actually recording them so i can set the threshold.
the quality of the mic and the acoustics of the room can tie into how much compression you really need too.
my chain is usually like this:
Mic: Rode K2, Neumann u87-ai, Neuman tlm193 Or Blue blueberry
Pre: M-audio tampa or True systems P2a(if i want the cleanest Class a pre)
i can always send the signal through the tampa's compressor
interface: Motu 828mkII
Software: Nuendo 2.2
what compressors are you using while in cubase?
o and another BIG thing to remember, MIC TECHNIQUES |
|
Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:59 am |
|
|
|
|
divinemusic
Newbie
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
|
| normalize a vocal track |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Abel_Garikai
2)Check the level of your MIC input on your computer. This may be done by double clicking the little speaker icon in the lower right hand corner of the taskbar. Your soundcard mixer or Play Control as it's called in my version of windows should pop up and then you will need to adjust the channel labeled "Microphone". If your microphone channel is set anywhere from 1/3 to 3/4 of the way up and you are still getting distortion try this: In the play control mixer click on Options then in the options drop-down click Advanced Controls (if you do not already see a button under the Microphone channel fader labeled "Advanced") Click this button and make sure that the "Mic Boost (20 dB)" is off. Those of us with the luxury of having an outboard mic pre-amp don't need this, in fact it could be the main cause of your problem.
wth are you recording through a soundblaster. no real recording interface is setup like that just to let you know. and actually it isn't really a good idea to normalize a vocal track  |
|
Sun Aug 01, 2004 11:05 am |
|
|
TimG
Assisstant
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 31
|
| normalize a vocal track |
|
|
why isnt it a good idea to normalize a vocal track?
quantization noise? |
|
Mon Aug 02, 2004 12:24 pm |
|
|
|
|
 
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is Fri May 16, 2008 12:29 pm
|
|
|
|
| |
