Compression
Initially when i first began reading through about compressors I had been hopelessly lost. The terminology was technical within an almost mean-spirited way and that i could not make heads or tails of the items had been written. To help keep things simple, I think about compression as a means of balancing the noisy and soft areas of any vocal or instrument to ensure that its behavior is a little more foreseeable. Quite simply, compression raises the truly soft spots and tames the truly noisy spots to ensure that you are not constantly grabbing the amount fader in your mixing board (or virtual mixing board in your DAW). In the easiest form, a compressor, whether a hardware unit or perhaps a plug-in, will squeeze the audio to ensure that its levels and lows are less pronounced. This enables you to definitely do such things as bring lower the amount degree of the compressed track without fear that it is much softer parts can get lost, or mention the amount level without fear the noisy parts will jump out. It can help to think about all compression configurations (attack, release, ratio and threshold) as methods to squeeze your audio pretty much strongly. Insufficient compression leaves tracks that jump from a combination at inappropriate occasions or explore the seem from the other instruments however, an excessive amount of compression can produce a track seem lifeless or uninspired. My guideline will be less aggressive blending audio in route to your DAW (because you are tied to anything you do) and much more aggressive with my plug-in compression (since you can always dial it back).
EQ
While an excellent (and essential) tool, EQ can also be potentially the fastest method to royally screw up the seem of the mix. Overuse of EQ ranks second simply to overuse of reverb because the hallmark of the unskilled mix engineer. EQ should be employed to subtly (or otherwise so subtly) color the seem from the particular track you are focusing on to ensure that it relates well to leaving space for that other tracks inside a mix. My experience continues to be it's that which you take out and never that which you put for the reason that makes EQ perform best. For instance, even if you are searching for a lift within the high wavelengths of the track, it's frequently more efficient to drag a couple of dB from the lower frequency which, consequently, cheers the seem.
Vocals Vocal Compression around the Means By
Because the vocal (despite what playing the guitar-playing pals might let you know) is an essential component of any popular music mix, let us start here. Obtaining a vocal to sit down well inside a mix is a mix of compression, EQ and frequently volume fader automation. It is a not unusual practice to compress a vocal just a little coming to your DAW. This should not be a hostile kind of compression but instead sufficient to tame a few of the loudest spots of the vocal to ensure that your general recording volume could be warmer.
A technique for the vocal chain within my studio runs the following: microphone into hardware preamp/compressor after which straight into my DAW. To get involved with the nitty gritty, I generally set my hardware compressor's attack configurations around 30ms and release configurations at approximately 1 second and my compression ratio to three:1. Then, I have fun with the brink ensuring in the most popular areas of the vocal, the gain reduction reaches no more than -3dB. This leaves me room within the mix to compress further utilizing a software compression plug-in. The possibility of blending too strongly around the means by is the fact that you'll finish up tied to the seem from the excessively compressed vocal without any method of altering it later.
Vocal Compression within the Mix
When the vocal is incorporated in the mix, I visit a plug-in compressor to help help to keep the vocal contained in this mixture without jumping out an excessive amount of within the noisy spots. My recommendation is always to look for a compressor which has a smooth, transparent seem that enables you to definitely squeeze the vocal somewhat more (roughly -3dB of gain reduction in the loudest spots) to ensure that the vocal keeps it's presence. I set my attack at 26ms and my release around 300ms. For additional detail, have a look inside my general vocal configurations within the screen shots around the right. When the mix is an especially full one in which the voice must cut through a little many show a bit more sparkle, I'll make use of a frequency-specific compressor (such as the Waves C4 on its "pop vocal" setting) which is a bit more specific when it comes to which wavelengths it selects to compress. Within this situation, 40hz, 500hz, 6khz and 16khz. To determine how the attack and release configurations are positioned up for every frequency, have a look in the screen shot here below.
Vocal EQ
I rarely, when, EQ my vocals around the means by. I decide to get a great uncolored vocal seem to ensure that when the time comes to combine using the final instrumentation, I've the versatility to utilize the not-EQed vocal audio. Many of the helpful when you begin by monitoring a vocal against just one instrument such as the electric guitar but finish up mixing it along with a complete band. EQ choices should not be produced inside a vacuum. Ultimately it is the relationship from the voice with all the additional factors within the mix that determines the EQ approach. Frequently, a vocal EQ that actually works inside a mix will not seem particularly good once the vocal is soloed. When I pointed out earlier, my preference would be to cut the EQ in a few wavelengths instead of improving it.
Here are a handful of instances where cutting wavelengths can solve common vocal problems:
Muddy or Boomy Vocal - In cases like this, I am inclined to pull a dB or two around 200hz. This has got the effect of creating the vocal cut via a mix better or seem better. Piercing or Painful Vocal - Here, I'll pull a couple of dB around 3 khz. This would go ahead and take edge from the vocal without getting rid of the clearness.
Here are a handful of instances in which the stylish improving of wavelengths is helpful:
Offering the reduced finish inside a vocal - add 1 or 2db of gain at between 80hz and 100hz Adding Brightness - From time to time if your vocal seem is simply a little darker and uneven or undefined, I'll give a couple of dB of gain at 5khz Adding Air or Breath - Here I'll make use of a shelving EQ which reinforces all wavelengths above 12.5khz
Shelving
Inside a shelving EQ, a gang of wavelengths, either in the low or high frequency finish from the spectrum, is elevated or attenuated with a fixed amount. The word shelving does not usually affect a mid-range boost or cut.
Acoustic Guitars
While being employed as an engineer in Nashville, I spent considerable time miking and recording acoustic guitars. Regardless of the continuously enhancing pickup systems being set up in acoustic guitars, I still think that there's no replacement for a properly-placed condenser microphone (or microphones) if this involves taking the heat, body and air of the electric guitar. However, as with every acoustic instruments, it is a challenge to correctly sit one out of a combination and preserve its texture and character whilst mixing it using the other instruments. You will find a few methods to compression and EQ which will go a lengthy way towards fixing this issue.
Electric Guitar Compression around the Means By
When blending electric guitar in route into my DAW, I've found it's easier to be a little more aggressive with attack and release configurations than you'd having a lead vocal. I'll make use of the much more of a medium fast attack (roughly 22ms) and release (roughly 500ms) on the hardware compressor having a ratio of three:1 after which have fun with the brink knob until, again, the gain is attenuated by about -3dB.
Electric Guitar Compression within the Mix
At this time, it's wise to base your compression configurations around the type of a combination you are doing. Whether it's an easy electric guitar and vocal recording, it's possible to depart off all compression around the acoustic. However, whether it's a complete band mix and I wish to make certain frequency higher the acoustic strumming or finger picking clearly one of the other instruments, I'll make use of a compression plug-in (like Metric Halo's Funnel Strip) and compress a little more strongly: 16ms attack and 160ms release having a ration of three.5:1. Have a look inside my configurations.
Ratio
A compressor reduces a sound signal's gain (level) if it is amplitude surpasses a particular threshold. The quantity of gain reduction is dependent upon a ratio. For instance, having a ratio of four:1, once the input level is 4dB greater compared to threshold, the the compressor will process the signal to ensure that the output signal level is going to be 1dB within the threshold. Therefore the gain (level) continues to be reduced by 3 dB.
Electric Guitar EQ
Greatly like vocals, I don't think in EQing electric guitar while I am recording it, only since i rarely understand what another aspects of this mixture is going to be. However, you will find a 2 very specific approaches I personally use to EQing an electric guitar based on whether it's associated a vocal performance or part of a larger mix. Generally, the EQ approach is much more subtle within the simple guitar/vocal to preserve the larger tone from the acoustic and much more aggressive within the full-band mix to create room for other instruments while still protecting the fundamental aspects of the acoustic's seem.
Here are a few EQ configurations for any simple electric guitar and vocal recording:
Getting rid of Boominess - I love to pull one or two dB at 125hz to get rid of the boominess that frequently comes with miking an acoustic too near to the seem hole. Adding Sparkle - If after getting rid of a few of the boominess, I am still searching for more sparkle within the acoustic, I'll boost a dB or two at 5khz.
Below are a few EQ configurations to have an acoustic inside a full band recording:
Adding Clearness - I have discovered that a higher-pass filter at 120hz leaves room for that kick drum and bass guitar inside a mix while permitting the acoustic to shine in the greater wavelengths. Departing within the low areas of the acoustic's frequency will frequently muddy this mixture and obscure the kick drum and bass. Still muddy? - you shouldn't be afraid to consider your high-pass filter as much as 200hz or perhaps 300hz when the guitar still is not cutting with the mix. It might seem terrible soloed but perfect within the mix and that is the important thing. Adding Sparkle - As above, if eliminating the reduced wavelengths is not enough to obtain the acoustic to chop via a mix, adding 2 or 3 dB at 5k is going to do a great deal to enhance the played or finger selected strings from the acoustic.
Compression and EQ are a couple of very effective weapons inside your mix toolbox, but because with anything, overuse is going to do more damage than good. I remember what of the engineer whose work I truly respect who loved to state "I'll compress until it sucks after which back them back after that.Inch Quite simply, knowing when you should say "when" is definitely an equally helpful skill. Your final thought...so far as signal path is worried, I am inclined to place compression after EQ because EQ effectively boosts or reduces the level of the track and I have found I recieve a far more effective response in the compressor basically hit it using the EQed audio. I'd recommend while using above EQ and compression configurations less an ironclad rule but instead like a jumping off point. Every mix differs as well as your ears will explain what's working and just what is not.
Best of luck!
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