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Joined: Dec 2009
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I am hoping someone can shed some light on the proper order, and hopefully some general settings, for processing vocals. I am specifically referring to compressing, normalizing, noise gates, limiting, pre-limiting with gain, etc. I have an okay handle on reverb and such but these other areas are a bit daunting. Which of these need to be done? What is the order of operations? Are there general settings that you would recommend? Are they different for ballads versus uptempo songs?
Sorry for so many questions but I simply don't understand the settings on the different features. The help guides give general settings that are mostly geared toward instruments, and even at that, I find it confusing. For example, it might say that in order to make something better/faster, you need to increase the threshold. So, if the threshhold is in negatives, does increasing mean adding more negative or reducing it? Lol. This stuff probably makes sense to everyone else, but it flies right over my head.
If I at least had a general ballpark for the settings and such, I would feel much better. Thanks for everyone's help.
Ricky
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Songwriter-Artist
RickyHarris.com
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Hey Ricky, Dont worry, a lot of people struggle with this. Here are some options for you> 1. Books on Mixing and Recording>I highly recommend a book and DVD set called "Secrets of the Pro's". Here is the link at amazon> http://www.amazon.com/SecretsOfThePros-R...8552&sr=8-5There is SO much great information here about how to record and mix. Pretty much all your questions will be answered here. 2. Take a class on recording>Many local community schools have a recording studio in the music department and offer hands on training. 3. Study with a recording engineer online> This is being done more frequently now. Many experienced engineers are offering training over the net. Hope this helps you, Ed
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The order I use is like this: Every once in awhile I might put the compressor after the reverb or echo. The reason is this expands the lengths of these FX. Sometimes giving a fuller, more lush sound. But you have to experiment with it a lot. Another rule of thumb is that no two people think and hear something alike. One man's pain is another's pleasure, etc. Some people like a lot of echo. Others prefer very little echo. Some don't like any kind of FX. It's true that recordings without FX are usually cleaner. But, to me, at least, they sound dull and boring. Hope this helps.
Russ Anyday above ground is a good day Computer is Hp Pavillion Vision 6 Ghz quad core AMD processor 8 Gig memory 1 TB hard drive 6 GB hard drive Windows 7 Premium Loose nut behind the keyboard 
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Ricky, There are many good books and articles on this subject. Tweakheads, Mix Magazine, a google search would keep you busy for quite some time. For the beginner using Realband Ray Thigpen has an excellent tutorial that is a free download. He walks you through his recording process and settings step by step using Reverb, PG Dynamics, Eq, and Peaklimit. Very helpful, well written and easy to understand if you need a quick start. http://rsthigpen.com/free/Josie
Last edited by Sundance; 01/30/10 10:19 AM.
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There is a feature built into RB and PT that allows 'category' FX. Right click your vocal track (the track name area of the Tracks window) and select the male vocal or female vocal category FX. These were designed to give beginners a starting point for FX often used on different audio tracks. A quick read-thru of the Audiominds recording web site would also be a good source of information. There are explanations of compression, reverb and EQ there that are very easy to follow and understand. The page on compression is here- http://audiominds.com/compression.html
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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>>>...Which of these need to be done?...>>>
First of all, try doing nothing. Almost all beginners add way too much reverb, way too much compression, etc. I think we all make this mistake at first. I certainly have. My general guideline for any effect goes like this, kinda:
1. Add the effect until it is obvious.
2. Back the effect off until it cannot be heard anymore.
3. Slide the effect up very slightly so that I can just barely detect it.
4. Resist the temptation to add more.
...if you have enough reverb to cause your friends to say "Dude! Nice reverb!" its too much.
Also try doing the steps in different order. If you add reverb first and compression later the result will be very different from adding compression first and reverb later.
Take frequent breaks. The human ear is easily fatigued. Mix and master for a while, then go do something else, then come back in a couple hours. Keep your ears fresh.
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Quote:
There is a feature built into RB and PT that allows 'category' FX..Right click your vocal track (the track name area of the Tracks window) and select the male vocal or female..
This sounds like a great tool. But when I choose "vocal - male" and "...activate" I dont see or hear anything different. What's next?
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Great info guys and gals!
Josie - That link was great. Ray has some super info on there.
Rharv - I read everything on the AudioMinds sight this morning trying to the the info I needed and somehow missed the mixing link. That had a lot of what I was seeking. There is some killer info on there that is explained in a way that folks like me can understand. Thanks for that link!!!
Ricky
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RickyHarris.com
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I tend to go this way for my vocals (I sing pretty close to my Large Diaphragm Condenser - to avoid having to crank the pre-amp gain too much):
1. High Pass Filter at about 120-150Hz. You can avoid a whole lot of compression if you just make this a standard practice.
2. Light compression
3. EQ (sometimes before the compression but I've found it's not necessary for my vox through my setup
4. Delay (not usual but this is where I put it if I'm using it)
5. Reverb (if I want it to be a different wet/dry mix compared to the overall mix)
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The high pass filter sounds like it would solve the attack issue I have. Is there a plugin (or whatever they are called) in RealBand for that? Or do you record with the filter? Thanks for your help. This sounds like it might be just what I need.
Ricky
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RickyHarris.com
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I do it like this. Dress up like a bum. Not hard for me. Take the bus to Toronto with my beat up bari horn. Find a corner with a big building across the way. Put hat on ground, sit on wee 1/2 broken stool and play crying music. Tilt the horn for effect. Play louder when the streetcar goes by. Stash cash as you go so you always look poor. Take 25 bucks outta the 500 you made and buy a ticket home. Works good if the air is right. Don't go if the valves will freeze, so will you.
If you can't get the effect live in the room or on the street why are you trying to pretend you are playing in le Cathedral de Notre Damme anyways?
I'll be happiest when there's a plug in for a sunny day in Islay with the heather in bloom and a soft breeze from the Oban distillery, the crinkle of the burn and the wind in the sea oats.
Just porridge for thought. I hae meat and can eat....
John Conley
Musica est vita
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To do the EQ curve Scott suggested, just insert the PGMusic 10bandEQ, and severely drop everything from 120 on down. I often reduce the 250 a little also. It does reduce a lot of 'noise' and room boom, making the vocals clearer. For some male voices you may need to let a little more 250 thru. Depends on the recording. This type of EQing on each track can define the track a lot. Cutting the low end of guitar makes room for the bass to come alive, etc etc Scott uses a separate reverb on the main vocals to bring them forward a little (I think), adding a live sound/feel. The science of psycho-acoustics can help the depth of field, giving each instrument its space. Or make a mess when done wrong 
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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