From the course: Vocal Production Techniques

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Dealing with dynamics: Using compression

Dealing with dynamics: Using compression

From the course: Vocal Production Techniques

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Dealing with dynamics: Using compression

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- One of the ways we can use audio compression is to help narrow the large dynamic range of an instrument, and since the human voice is a highly dynamic instrument, it's not uncommon to use compression as a tool while recording to help tame large differences between loud and soft. Now by the time a vocal is mixed in a song, it'll usually see at least one or more compressors or even limiters in its signal path. So when we use compression on input as you record, you wanna use it as transparently as possible. Technically, this means you wanna favor a soft knee compressor with a low ratio. Two to one, three to one, or at the max four to one. Anything else will be too dramatic and will color the voice too much. You can leave that kind of compression for the mix unless you're going for a specific effect and sound. We're talking more here about using the compressor as a tool to simply control the levels a bit so we can have a more consistent recording take. For hardware compression, you'll…

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