Music Tipz Anthony Evans style. Making Masterful - TopicsExpress

Music Tipz Anthony Evans style. Making Masterful Mixes Compression Suggestions It’s amazing how easy it is to ruin a slaved-over rhythm track by topping it off with a badly recorded lead vocal. Luckily, there are a number of ways for you to avoid this predicament. When cutting vocals, most of us are prone to accentuating certain words or phrases, resulting in unintended bursts of volume. Inserting a compressor-limiter into the signal chain can help address these and other issues, while also adding clarity to the recorded vocal—provided you use it correctly. Start with the right compression “ratio”—i.e., the amount of compression added per decibel of untreated signal. Ratios can vary from a basic 2:1 to 10:1 or higher (commonly known as “limiting”). The “threshold” level is the point at which the compressor comes on; the “attack” controls how quickly the compression effect starts, while the “release” determines the length of the effect. Setting the compressor to a moderate 2:1 ratio allows the unit to act as a leveler rather than a processor, regulating the overall volume without coloring the sound—the compressor does its job, without making you aware that it’s doing its job. This ratio is also suitable when using the compressor in the stereo mix output—just enough to keep the combined signals in check while also adding “punch” to the overall sound.