There is no one-size-fits-all formula to vocal compression. Keeping them in mind will help you to stay on the right track. What happens next? Different styles of vocal delivery and range will require different settings, right? This can add articulation and clarity to a performance. This means that some the links on our site are affiliate links. Heck, it'd certainly save me a few keystrokes. A release value of 0ms means that the compressor will stop working very suddenly after dipping below the threshold. Most music heard today contains compression, particularly on vocals. Both attack and release are measured in milliseconds (ms). Adjust the attack control while listening closely to the consonants. Stop & Check How the Vocals Sound. Your compressor’s release time will control how it shapes the tail ends of words and phrases. Let me give you some general advice for applying compression to a voice recording. Then I walk you through the settings screen and explain the main controls and meters so you can see how the voice is affected by them. Remember, a compressor typically makes loud sounds quieter and more consistent. This approach works well with softer, mellower genres (think folk, jazz, and acoustic). On the other hand, slower attack times will emphasize consonants. At this point you want to take a serious listen to determine the … Vocal Mixing Chain Advice for Hip Hop, Pop, and EDM, Understanding the Fletcher Munson Curve in Mixing Audio and Audio Production, How Much Headroom You Need Before Mastering. These guidelines should help you to find a starting point for compressing your vocals. 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. In general, faster compressor attack times will lower the level of consonants. MusicProductionNerds.com is a participant in a variety of affiliate programs, such as Amazon Associates and Loopmasters Affiliate Program. As we said when choosing a good microphone for rap, clarity of diction is key here, and slow compressor attack sounds will help to achieve that. Speed it up. There is no one-size-fits-all formula to vocal compression. This is good for the spitting, popping sounds of rap and hip hop vocals, and adds articulation to a recording. It’s worth researching the knee shape of your favorite compressors, as this will play a large role in the way they react. Your compressor’s attack time will affect the consonants of a vocal performance. You can learn more about mixing rap vocals in general from this helpful article at Pro Audio Files. Then I show you how to set the starting levels for the threshold, ratio, and attack/release settings. Gain is the most simple and common parameter in audio processing. If you click on one of these links to purchase a product or service that we recommend, we will be compensated it. But as you turn it down towards negative infinity, more of the audio gets attenuated or quietened. For example, 2:1 is considered gentle compression, while 8:1 is considered extreme. Slower attack times, on the other hand, will emphasize consonants. But they’re far less important, and focusing on them will often distract you from what matters most. Do you have a trick for finding the perfect vocal compression settings? Older or less mainstream music tends to preserve the dynamic range (louds and softs) of different moments in the track. As each compressor plugin software is different, and there are myriads out there to choose from, we’ll keep it simple, and take a look at 5 of best best choices out there… It takes time and practise listening to compression to learn what works and what doesn’t. Here’s where to start…. Threshold: –5dB; Ratio: 4:1; Attack: <60 ms; Release: About 40 ms; Gain: Add 2dB to allow the compressor to color and thicken the overall sound; You can learn more about mixing rap vocals in general from this helpful article at Pro Audio Files. This can make a performance sound more aggressive and passionate. Quick Tips. Typical settings may look like this: Threshold: –8dB. When it’s set to 0dB, the full signal is allowed through unchanged. As a result, the overall sound is usually quieter after passing through a compressor than before it entered. But the truth is, it’s not that easy. Use the level meters on the compressor to match the output level to the input level. 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. If the compressor is kicking in too noticeably, soften the knee. Today I’ll be talking about the most underused processing tool when it comes to mixing music. Vocal Compression Cheatsheet Many bloggers will tell you what the "perfect" vocal compression settings are. Let’s look at a few of the more common ones. This can often sound more natural and less processed than Option #1. The ratio is generally pretty high to ensure that weaker syllables don’t get lost in the mix. Many bloggers will tell you what the “perfect” vocal compression settings are. In group singing, however, it’s appropriate to treat all the vocals as lead vocals and give them identical compression settings. If the threshold is down very low but certain words are still getting lost, turn up the ratio. It is usually recommended for mastering or group channels. While some compressors offer independent control over this parameter, others have fixed knees. But remember to use your vocal compressors on a case-by-case basis. Backing vocals should be thought of more as instruments than vocals. Slow it down. If the song’s central focus is the lead vocal, the goal is to make it sound like you’re in the room (or hall) with the singer and avoid any extreme effects. For more on compression, check out 9 Compression Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making. This approach works well on mellower tracks, where transparent dynamic control is often desirable. But the truth is, it's not that easy. Adjust the threshold, ratio, and makeup gain until you can hear every word of the performance clearly. Start with 5dB and adjust from there. How compressed? You can then both see and hear how compression affects the vocal … Let the answer be your guide, and you’ll remain on the right track. You can now imagine how a particular attack and release setting can adjust the aggressiveness or smoothness of a particular vocal performance. It can also make a vocalist sound like they’re spitting out the words. There are really only two options: Option #1 will bring up low-level details, like breaths and tail ends of phrases. A good compression setting has a fast attack to catch the stray transient, a quick release so that the compression doesn’t color the sound of the singer, and a low ratio so that when the compressor does go on, it smoothes out the vocals without squashing them. The number game starts now… Assuming your compressor plugin doesn’t have any rap vocal preset hare we will create our own preset by changing the parameters of the compressor. 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. The interlude from Knights of Cydonia by Muse is a great example of terribly overcompressed backing vocals (even though it kind of works for this context). The important thing is to be deliberate in your mixing. Yep, I’m talking about the multiband compressor and … This setting works well on harder styles of music, like mainstream pop and rock. With that being said, it is possible to quickly dial in the right vocal compression settings, if you know what to listen for. A general rule is to apply just enough compression to distinguish them from the rest of the mids, but never so much that they overshadow the lead vocal. There are no magic settings that work 100% of the time. Rap is a rhythmic genre of music. Lead vocals in pop and mainstream music are the centre point of the mix. They work best when tweaked together. Compressors are super-useful devices for smoothing out volume spikes while also giving quieter sounds more punch and presence. It controls the suddenness with which the sound is compressed as it approaches the threshold. Using the guidelines provided in this post will help you to hear the difference, and will then help you make more intelligent decisions when dialing in your compression settings. 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. The cover of Bohemian Rhapsody by a capella group Pentatonix is an example of this. Compressors are a indispensable part of recorded music. In other words: know what you’re working with. Your compressor’s release time will control how it shapes the tail ends of words and … Standard compressor settings for rap vocals. A softer knee means a smoother sound while a harsher knee means more abrupt changes in volume as the sound dips and jumps around the threshold value. To learn how to pull off this technique, watch the video below: Threshold and ratio determine how much compression is applied, and how aggressive it is.