Comments on: Vocal Compressor Settings http://www.wiretotheear.com/2012/08/09/vocal-compressor-settings/ Mon, 20 May 2013 18:44:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Oliver Chesler http://www.wiretotheear.com/2012/08/09/vocal-compressor-settings/comment-page-1/#comment-86002 Oliver Chesler Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:07:27 +0000 http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=10107#comment-86002 Thanks for the great response. This blog is like my notebook so be sure your settings will be in use shortly. The 512c and SM7b are interesting in that even when I see distortion... even digital I don't necessarily hear it. Thanks for the great response. This blog is like my notebook so be sure your settings will be in use shortly. The 512c and SM7b are interesting in that even when I see distortion… even digital I don’t necessarily hear it.

]]> By: redvoid http://www.wiretotheear.com/2012/08/09/vocal-compressor-settings/comment-page-1/#comment-86000 redvoid Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:36:32 +0000 http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=10107#comment-86000 if you're not using it at all, an easy always on remedy would be to use it as a peak limiter. output gain=0db, compression ratio infinity:1, knee=hard, attack=0ms, release=0ms, and finally adjust the threshold to MAX and adjust it manually a tiny bit lower until your peak limiting kicks in but everything below those hottest peaks is uncompressed. to do more standard vocal compression, you'll want something a lot more subtle than peak limiting. It looks more like: output gain=+3db to +9db, compression ratio low like 1.5:1 up to say 6:1, knee=soft, attack=5ms to 10ms, release = 10ms to 25ms and threshold should be somewhere around the midpoint of the softest and loudest signals coming from your mic if watching the VU meters. This is a kind of classic 1970s style vocal compression type setting, so not knowing what the tech is underneath that old/new toggle switch I would start with old and play with it creatively to see what works best in a given situation. I find that output gain and compression ratio are the easiest to approach conceptually once the concepts are understood. knee is next, but the hardest ones to set without listening are attack, release and threshold since I almost always find myself listening to tweak these into place to avoid pumping and breathing and such. if you’re not using it at all, an easy always on remedy would be to use it as a peak limiter. output gain=0db, compression ratio infinity:1, knee=hard, attack=0ms, release=0ms, and finally adjust the threshold to MAX and adjust it manually a tiny bit lower until your peak limiting kicks in but everything below those hottest peaks is uncompressed.

to do more standard vocal compression, you’ll want something a lot more subtle than peak limiting. It looks more like: output gain=+3db to +9db, compression ratio low like 1.5:1 up to say 6:1, knee=soft, attack=5ms to 10ms, release = 10ms to 25ms and threshold should be somewhere around the midpoint of the softest and loudest signals coming from your mic if watching the VU meters. This is a kind of classic 1970s style vocal compression type setting, so not knowing what the tech is underneath that old/new toggle switch I would start with old and play with it creatively to see what works best in a given situation.

I find that output gain and compression ratio are the easiest to approach conceptually once the concepts are understood. knee is next, but the hardest ones to set without listening are attack, release and threshold since I almost always find myself listening to tweak these into place to avoid pumping and breathing and such.

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