Normal
Re: CompressionThat method works very very well if you have the extra channels and compressors. Put a fast attack and high ratio, say 6:1 or better on the speaking channel and set the threshold to come in hard at anything beyond speaking. Use the gain makeup on the compressor to get the voice in fader range, you will have the headroom at the fader during the loud parts when the compressor clamps down. Cut the gain back on the "singing channel" and set the fader so that the combination of both channels is at the correct volume for the singing part. You shouldn't have to worry with it anymore. You really wont hear the singing channel much at all at voice levels. The compressor will clamp down on the speaking channel and the singing channel will add the dynamics back in. If you have another channel of compression you can process the singing channel at a much lower ratio and just tame the peaks. Usually you can get away with just a compressor on the voice channel (which is the problem channel).The other thing you can do if you only have one channel is to use a softer ratio (3:1 or even a little less) and bring the threshold way down so that you are actually just starting to see compression during the speaking. Not quite as natural sounding as the multi channel method but it is a hands off the fader method as well. The thing to remember is that lower compression ratios sound more natural if they still do the job. If you have the controls you can back the attack off a little bit to add a little dynamic content but you have to be really careful or it will not clamp down fast enough on the loud parts.Let us know how it works out for you Jeff.-Eric
Re: Compression
That method works very very well if you have the extra channels and compressors. Put a fast attack and high ratio, say 6:1 or better on the speaking channel and set the threshold to come in hard at anything beyond speaking. Use the gain makeup on the compressor to get the voice in fader range, you will have the headroom at the fader during the loud parts when the compressor clamps down. Cut the gain back on the "singing channel" and set the fader so that the combination of both channels is at the correct volume for the singing part. You shouldn't have to worry with it anymore. You really wont hear the singing channel much at all at voice levels. The compressor will clamp down on the speaking channel and the singing channel will add the dynamics back in. If you have another channel of compression you can process the singing channel at a much lower ratio and just tame the peaks. Usually you can get away with just a compressor on the voice channel (which is the problem channel).
The other thing you can do if you only have one channel is to use a softer ratio (3:1 or even a little less) and bring the threshold way down so that you are actually just starting to see compression during the speaking. Not quite as natural sounding as the multi channel method but it is a hands off the fader method as well. The thing to remember is that lower compression ratios sound more natural if they still do the job. If you have the controls you can back the attack off a little bit to add a little dynamic content but you have to be really careful or it will not clamp down fast enough on the loud parts.
Let us know how it works out for you Jeff.
-Eric
