need help with vocal chain

[Zombietakeover]

you posted those settings talking about pleas vocal chain if im not mistaken.

The C1 compressor settings actually Came from Sturgis the only thing that is different is 30ms on the release intstead of the 50...so actually it originated from him so i'm guessing that's where hood got it to begin with....it's a good sounding preset fuck it i use it.

 

[kernelxsanders]

there is a downloadable version of CLA-76 on the waves website, but that was the faulty file that i downloaded, other than that, i am on a budget of zero dollars

 

[Ermz]

Oh, you might enjoy this:

 

[Zombietakeover]

Now on these Limiters the L1 and L2 you want to pull down the ceiling and the Threshold together with that middle button till you start to get a bit of Atten then you pull down the threshold a bit correct?

 

[FarizAdili]

my vocal chain, Rdeesser>SSLChannel>Trash>RVox>Rocket (almost same with Ermz<--- my hero )

sound like this http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7868177/Tes102.mp3

PS: without delay, reverb and automation

 

[Ermz]

^ Good for you!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Music/Memnoir - The One.mp3

Can't remember how I staged them, but this had:

-R-DeEsser
-Millennia Origin (EQ and comp)
-Rvox
-1176 (hardware)
-L1
-Saturation (can't remember if it was Trash or Decapitator... one of em, both are good!)

Sweet spot on the Rvox is generally around 6dB, on the Millennia I'm usually between 3 and 7dB, the 1176 anywhere from 10 to 20dB and on the L1 usually around 3 to 6dB. This usually gives enough juice to bring the vocal to the front and shove the airyness all over your face (provided you've dimed the highs going into this compression chain). The key here is to really control the highs using the DeEsser so nothing up there is pokey and the vocal sounds blanketed. After this you just crank the highs back up on a good EQ (like the Millennia, or Nebula's CLQ) and going into the compression, which will subdue and round-off the vocal, you will have an effect where there is a layer of airyness over the whole vocal.

 

[FarizAdili]

^ Good for you!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Music/Memnoir - The One.mp3

Can't remember how I staged them, but this had:

-R-DeEsser
-Millennia Origin (EQ and comp)
-Rvox
-1176 (hardware)
-L1
-Saturation (can't remember if it was Trash or Decapitator... one of em, both are good!)

Sweet spot on the Rvox is generally around 6dB, on the Millennia I'm usually between 3 and 7dB, the 1176 anywhere from 10 to 20dB and on the L1 usually around 3 to 6dB. This usually gives enough juice to bring the vocal to the front and shove the airyness all over your face (provided you've dimed the highs going into this compression chain). The key here is to really control the highs using the DeEsser so nothing up there is pokey and the vocal sounds blanketed. After this you just crank the highs back up on a good EQ (like the Millennia, or Nebula's CLQ) and going into the compression, which will subdue and round-off the vocal, you will have an effect where there is a layer of airyness over the whole vocal.

thank you, still far from you

 

[barn jake]

^ Good for you!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Music/Memnoir - The One.mp3

Can't remember how I staged them, but this had:

-R-DeEsser
-Millennia Origin (EQ and comp)
-Rvox
-1176 (hardware)
-L1
-Saturation (can't remember if it was Trash or Decapitator... one of em, both are good!)

Sweet spot on the Rvox is generally around 6dB, on the Millennia I'm usually between 3 and 7dB, the 1176 anywhere from 10 to 20dB and on the L1 usually around 3 to 6dB. This usually gives enough juice to bring the vocal to the front and shove the airyness all over your face (provided you've dimed the highs going into this compression chain). The key here is to really control the highs using the DeEsser so nothing up there is pokey and the vocal sounds blanketed. After this you just crank the highs back up on a good EQ (like the Millennia, or Nebula's CLQ) and going into the compression, which will subdue and round-off the vocal, you will have an effect where there is a layer of airyness over the whole vocal.

that is good stuff... not a fan of that syle but wow., what a production

 

[kernelxsanders]

*bump for updated mix

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8017980/defiance.mp3

 

[LeSedna]

Try this:

R-DeEsser or Waves C4/C6 set to control 's' > SSL Channel EQ> RVox > 1176 > L1 > Decapitator, Trash, TwinTube or something like that

When the headphone bleed and sounds of the vocalist shuffling his/her feet are as loud as the vocal itself, that's usually the sign that you have enough compression

Can you be more precise on how you deal with 3 different stages of compression/limitation ? I mean, you described how much you compress with each of them, but what I'm interested to hear is why you remove Xdb with one, Ydb with the other one, and why this particular compressor instead of this other one, etc.

 

[LeSedna]

^ Good for you!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/285689/Music/Memnoir - The One.mp3

Can't remember how I staged them, but this had:

-R-DeEsser
-Millennia Origin (EQ and comp)
-Rvox
-1176 (hardware)
-L1
-Saturation (can't remember if it was Trash or Decapitator... one of em, both are good!)

Sweet spot on the Rvox is generally around 6dB, on the Millennia I'm usually between 3 and 7dB, the 1176 anywhere from 10 to 20dB and on the L1 usually around 3 to 6dB. This usually gives enough juice to bring the vocal to the front and shove the airyness all over your face (provided you've dimed the highs going into this compression chain). The key here is to really control the highs using the DeEsser so nothing up there is pokey and the vocal sounds blanketed. After this you just crank the highs back up on a good EQ (like the Millennia, or Nebula's CLQ) and going into the compression, which will subdue and round-off the vocal, you will have an effect where there is a layer of airyness over the whole vocal.

Didn't see there was another page so I didn't saw this before my last post.

What would be interesting is knowing why you decided you would use those 3 compressors, and what each one brings you, why not only 2, why not 4, etc. That would be awesome since I have always had troubles actually hearing the benefits of some compressors over other ones, making me stick with my usual ones, following my personnal rule "don't do what you do not understand".

For the moment, I sometimes use a fast attack/fast release compressor to level off the peaks, and add another compressor that is the main one, around 20dB of reduction usually.

 

[Ermz]

I find there are compression sweet spots on these comps/limiters. Obviously it's going to vary depending on what you're compressing, but I find I can get really brutal with the 1176... especially the hardware one. The RVox tends to go to shit after 6dB, and the limiter you have to really be careful with because it can totally mangle the vocal. When tracking I can hit up to 10 or 12dB with the Distressor, just because it's awesome. Really depends on the music you're doing and the vocal style. But I tend to really like brutal vocals or aggressive rock stuff, because it just eats up all the compression you throw at it. It's how you get all the air and personality out of a vocal (thanks CLA!).

Staging properly is not an easy thing to do. It's a bit of an advanced mix technique, hence why many people just cram a single compressor on there and go bonkers with it. You can get much more transparent and at the same time, colorful results staging the right comps. The envelope characteristics of each can work to neutralize the apparent effect of the compression, so what you're left with is a vocal that's right in your face with a lot of personality.

The reason I use those comps is because they're tried and true for me. Rvox, 1176 and L1 are all very aggressive and work great for metal and rock. For softer stuff you can work an opto in there like the CL1B, the Millennia, the LA-2 or whatever.

 

[Superdatasatan]

Bit of a offtopic but,

Are you Ermz treating and bussing the doubled / vocaligned leads to one track and doing the processing on that buss or are you dublicating the insert chain to both lead tracks etc..?

In search for better glue and simplified workflow I started mixing couple last tracks with all vocaligned leads (2-3 tracks) bussed and processed as one track but I must say the results weren't somehow that good..

 

[Ermz]

Yep, I bus doubled lead vox to one group and process them as one unit there.

 

[AceFireForce117]

Sorry for pulling that thread back up but @Ermz don't you EQ after your saturation plugin ?? Doesn't it bring up some undesired frequencies ?

 

[sawtooth]

I've been watching Dave Pensado and Kenny from Groove 3, and when it comes to de-essing I think their way is best. Just do a volume automation cut by 4db for any sss sounds. It sounds so much better than throwing a de-esser over the whole track.

 

[AceFireForce117]

that's kinda what i do aswell, i do a lot of cleaning before mixing anything, it's a pain but it really does help

Then maybe a deesser here and there and boom voilà !
But i'm still trying to figure out where i should put it in the chain, which way works for me and all.

 

[crillemannen]

I find there are compression sweet spots on these comps/limiters. Obviously it's going to vary depending on what you're compressing, but I find I can get really brutal with the 1176... especially the hardware one. The RVox tends to go to shit after 6dB, and the limiter you have to really be careful with because it can totally mangle the vocal. When tracking I can hit up to 10 or 12dB with the Distressor, just because it's awesome. Really depends on the music you're doing and the vocal style. But I tend to really like brutal vocals or aggressive rock stuff, because it just eats up all the compression you throw at it. It's how you get all the air and personality out of a vocal (thanks CLA!).

Staging properly is not an easy thing to do. It's a bit of an advanced mix technique, hence why many people just cram a single compressor on there and go bonkers with it. You can get much more transparent and at the same time, colorful results staging the right comps. The envelope characteristics of each can work to neutralize the apparent effect of the compression, so what you're left with is a vocal that's right in your face with a lot of personality.
.

I also use some sort of staging compressor technique. My vox usually chain looks like this:

L1
1176 hardware. Spank as hard as i can.
SSL hardware, smooths it out even more.
Waves C4, my favorite "even-out-compressor)
Waves Desser

I usually eq on my VOX buss track, and it is usally just some cuts around 200 and 800hz.

 

[AceFireForce117]

I also use some sort of staging compressor technique. My vox usually chain looks like this:

L1
1176 hardware. Spank as hard as i can.
SSL hardware, smooths it out even more.
Waves C4, my favorite "even-out-compressor)
Waves Desser

I usually eq on my VOX buss track, and it is usally just some cuts around 200 and 800hz.

Complete opposite from ermz ! (not saying it's bad just surprised ) next time i'll try both of them !

What's with the c4 ? Could you explain that even out compressor technique of yours please ?

 

[crillemannen]

Complete opposite from ermz ! (not saying it's bad just surprised ) next time i'll try both of them !

What's with the c4 ? Could you explain that even out compressor technique of yours please ?

Well the C4 is just great to make things more even without affecting the actual instrument. I abuse it on bass for instance. Try the mastering preset (in the middle of the preset list) and tweak that one a bit. Just lay it down on a track and you'll hear that it is more even=compressed but it dosen't sound more compressed than before