Slow Attack Time – Slow attack time emphasizes the consonants of vocal and make it brighter, add articulation and clarity in the vocals. The genres, singing styles, melody, rhythm there are many criteria impact a lot in the mixing process. 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. Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 222-4700. A type of compression where the onset of compression is gradual. Faster Attack Time – Faster attack time is used to make a vocal smoother and less aggressive. Adjust these 3 parameters (Threshold, Ratio and makeup gain) you can hear every word in the vocal clarity. Some areas of that sound clip may have a high level of intensity and some areas have a low-intensity level. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. In some situations the compression becomes very easy to hear (which is often not desirable) as the signal amplitude moves above and below the threshold. But actually, it’s not an easy task to use a compressor in the right way. With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more. Threshold is the most important component of a compressor. M-Audio BX3 & BX4 120-Watt Monitors [Review 2020], 9 KILLER LED Light Setup IDEAS for Music Studios [2020 Editions], PreSonus DP BlueTube V2 Preamp Review [From My Studio]. Applying effect presets is not the end of your work. So you should set attack time fast for vocals. On the other hand, in a compressor, we have been provided with a compression ratio adjustment knob and a knee adjustment switch. The reason is simple. And most importantly, the right effect settings. Gautam Roy is a recording engineer and a blogger from India. If you use hard knee in vocals, you can hear the annoying effect of compressor clamp down on a vocal when it hits the threshold. The ratio has to be adjusted with the Threshold to get the perfect compression in the audio signal. It pulls the consonants down and pushes the vocal to the background. They have smooth punch then drums. Happy customers, one piece of gear at a time! A limiter is also a compressor but it is used to prevent audio levels from going higher than a specified point. They have smooth punch then drums. Fast Release Time – If you set up the release time very fast then you feel that the breathing and tail ends of vocal become more prominent and aggressive because fast release time increases the dynamics of low volume areas. We should set up the attack time fast for vocals and slow for a rhythm like drums. It has a very high compression ratio (20:1 to infinity:1). The ratio is gradually ramped up as the signal gets louder until, at some point beyond the threshold, the full compression ratio is reached. He loves music, writing and travelling. It depends. But vocals are not like drums. Here are my go-to compression settings for vocals: Ratio: 1.5:1; Attack Time: 15ms (but up to 30ms for more punch) Release Time: 40ms; Threshold: -24dB; Gain Reduction: 2-3dB; Knee: Soft; Makeup Gain: 2dB; Remember that these settings are only a starting point. The work of a compressor is to compress the higher intensity areas of the sound clip and make them more near to the lower ones so that we could get a smooth and balanced sound. Do you want to know the ideal compressor settings for vocals? In normal or hard knee compression when the signal reaches the threshold the unit immediately begins to compress at whatever ratio is set. A “hard” knee means that the compressor clamps down on the signal almost immediately, while a “soft” knee means the compression kicks in more gradually as the signal goes further past the threshold. A lot of tweaking will be needed, and sometimes you may have to use completely different settings. However, for some genres like Hip-hop, we need more aggressive vocals. Why You Should Be Using In-Ear Monitors In Your Studio? Well, here are compression settings and tips which I use to compress vocals. If even after decreasing the Threshold down very low, you can’t hear all the words clearly, adjust the ratio by turning it up. Release time works on the tail end of the sound. The problem is, every song is different. In this article, you will learn about the components of a compressor and also how to set it up in the right way to get a perfect vocal. Knee compression sleeves with a hole at the knee cap are known as open patella sleeves. A soft knee is when you make the transition smooth, even if in the end the compression is really high. Release Time. When we apply a limiter in an audio track and set the level to a certain point, whenever the audio signal goes beyond that level, it immediately compresses down the level to the level we set up. The process is called “soft knee” because of how the compression ratio looks when plotted on a graph. The process is called “soft knee” because of how the compression ratio looks when plotted on a graph. Slow Release Time –  If you need more natural vocals and only want your compressor to apply subtly on the tail ends then you must start with slow release time and gradually decrease it to adjust the tail end dynamics as your need. The main goal of using a limiter is to avoid clippings. A soft knee setting applies compression differently to a hard knee setting. This makes the transition from uncompressed to compressed audio smoother and less abrupt. Learn More. We treat them as the same effect and use them in a wrong way. If your compressor has independent control knob on Knee parameter, then you have to adjust it manually by listening to the vocal. We should set up the attack time fast for vocals and slow for a rhythm like drums. Then read this article till the end. In the case of vocals, it shapes the tail ends of words and phrases. Setting up release time fast will bring up low-ends details like the tail ends of phrases and breathing. It is directly proportional to the input signal. Your email address will not be published. Phone Hours | Now without soloing the vocal slowly turn down the Threshold knob to adjust the amount of compression on the vocal. As a result, we get a balanced audio which is not possible with a Limiter. It specifies the amount of attenuation to be applied to the signal. Being music makers ourselves, we love geeking out on all things gear. There are 2 types of attack time you can use for various vocal genres. You can see some numbers on compression ratio knob, ie; 1:1, 2:1, 4:1 etc. The solution is to have the compressor gradually enter into compression at a lower ratio prior to the signal reaching the threshold. Knee decides how compressor transitions between the compressed non-compressed states of an audio signal. Compressor Settings For Vocals There is a “bend” in the line making the compression gradual until it reaches the maximum ratio dialed in. In all the audio effects, a compressor is the most confusing thing for us. Now is the perfect time to get the gear you want with simple, promotional financing. Attack time of a compressor decides the contents of the audio signal. Your email address will not be published. Before we get into the compressor settings for vocals, let us get some knowledge of its core components which can help you to understand how compressor effect works. 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