How To Nail The Perfect Threshold And Ratio: Sometimes, you can hear the compressor clamp down on a vocal when it hits the threshold. But the truth is, it's not that easy. Release Time. What happens next? It’s also important to get familiar to various styles of music by listening critically to how the vocals sound. Your compressor’s release time will control how it shapes the tail ends of words and … I wish I could do that too. So in this post we’ll go over a few compressor settings to use when you’re recording and mixing vocals in your studio. Lead vocals in pop and mainstream music are the centre point of the mix. Knowing what style you’re aiming for before beginning to apply the different compression setting for vocals in various styles will help keep you on the straight and narrow path toward a good mix. Then I show you how to set the starting levels for the threshold, ratio, and attack/release settings. If you click on one of these links to purchase a product or service that we recommend, we will be compensated it. Compressors allow you to fine tune a few key settings in order to control changes to both the amplitude and time of the signal as it passes through. How To Adjust Threshold and Ratio of Compressor for Vocals? Often times, it can also push a vocal further back in the mix. 9 Compression Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making, How To Set The Attack Time On Your Vocal Compressor, Vocal Compression: How To Easily Compress Vocals Like A Pro, Vocal Mixing Tip: How To Easily Find The Perfect Balance. How you use vocal compression really depends on the song, genre and recording quality and so it makes it impossible to give you settings that will be perfect every time. If the threshold is down very low but certain words are still getting lost, turn up the ratio. Because humans are expert listeners, any small unnatural-sounding volume jump or dip will be noticeable and detract from the power of the melody and lyrics. There are no magic settings that work 100% of the time. Ideal Release time for Vocals – However, there are no set rules for any of the compression parameters for vocals, you can start between 500ms to 600ms and gradually decrease the time to get it perfect. Adjust the attack control while listening closely to the consonants. Adjust the threshold, ratio, and makeup gain until you can hear every word of the performance clearly. Your compressor’s attack time will affect the consonants of a vocal performance. Want more of them? You can now imagine how a particular attack and release setting can adjust the aggressiveness or smoothness of a particular vocal performance. If the compressor has a knee setting, turn this up to make the compression more subtle Less? Changing the attack will change how quickly the compressor kicks in and begins reducing loudness. In other words: know what you’re working with. For example, 2:1 is considered gentle compression, while 8:1 is considered extreme. There is no one-size-fits-all formula to vocal compression. Today I’ll be talking about the most underused processing tool when it comes to mixing music. Generally speaking, the more mainstream the music style, the more compression you can use. Start with 5dB and adjust from there. Listen listen listen to as much as you can. This means that some the links on our site are affiliate links. Loud sounds get reduced in volume while softer sounds get raised. And I don't want to mislead you. Your compressor’s release time will control how it shapes the tail ends of words and phrases. Usually to make it more punchy and louder in the mix. If you are concerned about how we help to secure your privacy once visiting this page, please check out the privacy policy page. When it’s set to 0dB, the full signal is allowed through unchanged. Heck, it’d certainly save me a few keystrokes. Most music heard today contains compression, particularly on vocals. So, let’s say our threshold ‘gatekeeper’ allows everything under -12dB through to the next stage. However, compressing is an art and there is no hard and fast rule to apply the same settings on your vocals. If you want to learn more about our affiliate partners, click here. Focus is placed on the percussive characteristics of the delivery. The effect is that the vocals sound smoother and less aggressive. Standard compressor settings for rap vocals. The attack and release parameters are concerned with the time window during which the compressor is active. But remember to use your vocal compressors on a case-by-case basis. Older or less mainstream music tends to preserve the dynamic range (louds and softs) of different moments in the track. Set the ratio to a moderate setting (~3:1). 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