5 Vocal Compression Tips YOU Should Know!

[@jackiedixon5076]

Hi Mike I hope you are well, too. I am a much older man now. I did some engineering in a studio in Nashville over 30 years ago. Everything was analog. Boy, has things changed. However, I am still very much in love with the concept of how vocals and instruments can be manipulated to be the best they can be. The digital age has hit me broadside. Without your superb videos, I would probably have given up. Now I am as excited as ever about the possibilities and the limitations that seems endless. Thank you. You sir are priceless.

[@pierrecarter3090]

Wordless... The more I watch your videos about compression, the more I understand compression. Thanks a lot Mike.

[@mikewilliams4336]

By far the best explanation of attack and release I have ever seen. Anyone new to compression needs to see this video.

[@MrRichard1280]

This was one of the best visual examples of “attack & release” that I’ve seen. Thanks.

[@nebukenazar]

couldn't be explained better. Tkanks Buddy.😊

[@josegvaldizonmayo105]

Your video was a godsend I swear. I have just been struggling to use/understand compression on a mix I'm trying to improve. Thank you for all your work!

[@blue.lighthouse]

Very informative and easy to understand, thank you!

[@Owl-qh2rh]

Great vid Mike! Very helpful and much appreciated 🙏🕊️

[@howiecampbellmusic]

Clearly presented, lots of real world examples, you do a great job making compression make sense. Glad you showed the diff between the 2A and 1176

[@darrenoak7187]

This is a fantastic lesson Mike, in particular the use of parallel compression. Thank you.

[@williamsporing1500]

Hi Mike. I hope you’re well also. I would just like to say thanks for all of your knowledge that you so willingly share. So, myself and I’m sure thousands of other folks, appreciate you sir!

[@colinowenuk]

Thanks Mike. Great vid.

[@jlmmcguirkmusic6050]

Great video Mike. Much appreciated, thank you.

[@BassGoneWilds]

Just started doing mixing last summer with cakewalk and got that down. Then recently purchased Studio one 6, it was a bit tough at first. Boy was it a struggle for me. Im getting it down and loving it. But just wanted to say, Thanks Mike for your videos. Im learning a lot from ya. I think Im getting better at mixing tracks as I keep playing around with songs I wrote. Again Thanks. PSS...I should have you mix one of my songs for me ;)

[@ironmanbatman686]

Very informative. Thank you very much.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

Great video Mike! 🙂👍 Nothing much was new to me, but it doesn't hurt to run over the basics again from time to time. I only wish I'd had this to watch when I first started with digital mixing a couple of years ago, it would have upped my game immediately! I wasn't aware of the way the 'pots' worked on both compressors though, I would have definitely thought that the gain was input gain, and that the attack and release pots worked the other way, so that was VERY useful information! I haven't used those models as yet, so there's no doubt that you saved me a lot of frustration! I just bought a rack hardware compressor/limiter/gate, something I'm more familiar with from live work, to use mostly before the interface, then in the middle of the night had a 'duh' moment, I can't run a condenser mic into it without a phantom power unit, so it's back to eBay this pension day! 🙂

[@michaeltablet8577]

Excellent video! Thank you so very much!!

[@JustDaNorm]

Awesome video Mike. Great break down of Compression. Great song! Will it be released soon?

[@toddwmac]

Thanks Mike, a very helpful video as always. I'm about to turn 60 and I know my hearing is not what it was. I was wondering if you've experienced any hearing changes/loss as you matured and if you do or use anything to compensate while you are mixing. Thanks again for all the great stuff.

[@CreativeSauce]

I suspect like many people my hearing is declining in the higher frequencies. This is where some visual aids like iZotope's Tonal Balance is useful in my opinion (just to double check). Also, comparing reference tracks in a spectrum analyser.

[@ernestdaniels1671]

Hey Mike, thanks for the video. I remember in your Icon QCon Pro G2 video you said you would do a follow-up video with Cakewalk by bandLab on setting up the controller with Cakewalk. Have you made that video yet? If not, can you say when you plan on making it? I would really like to see how the unit fully works and functions with Cakewalk. You gave it high praise and now I am in the market for a new control surface as my MCU is dying and wanted to see how well the controller works.

[@maseratifittipaldi]

I have been following many of your excellent tutorials throughout the years, Mike. What I have established in this one, is the fact that you learnt the OK? Ok?😃

[@danaelston9848]

Great information Mike. I think that compressors are one of the most misunderstood things in the audio world. Question for you: In my never ending quest for the perfect vocal compression tools I've been using Waves Vocal Rider and been please with the outcome. What do you think of it?

[@averagejoed]

I do mine opposite I use a cla-76 (well will have to find a new one soon lol) and then the la-2a on my compression bus.

[@joegrint6280]

Great explanation Mike - 'Subtle' should be your middle name 🙂

[@PeterPopoola]

Thanks, Mike! Any recommendations for a similar but free compressor?

[@Fuegoat]

Mike great tips, where can I get the video editing, attention grabbing plugin

[@maseratifittipaldi]

Hi Mike : Could the ruler perhaps assist in determining attack and release times?

[@jamescave7102]

Hi Mike ! Thank you always for the video. My question is when you use parallel compression, how or where do you put reverb on the vocal? Or do you have add mote reverb ?

[@HandWiredAmps]

Waves who? Thanks for the video!

[@dujuarez1234]

I'm not seeing the scissor tool on my cakewalk, how do I find it?

[@dddocmusic]

Hi I haven't finished mastering my stuff so haven't gotten round to finding a publisher. You said its about 19 quid a year with distrokid. How many tracks do they allow you to upload per year.. thanks.. also heard big thrash artists say their sick of people listening to just one track of their album, not liking what they thinking the whole album sounds like that track and moving on. Those artists seem to think its better just to put out one track or an ep every few months... any thoughts. Thanks. 👍👍👍

[@cobusprinsloo]

What effect does parallel compression have on the vocal?

[@Snakes1000]

Hi Mike, Just trying to follow this but cannot adjust the volume of the clip (at 7m 02s) by pressing Ctr and dragging. Am I doing something wrong? Asking here as it may help someone else!

[@CreativeSauce]

Hmmm, try to make sure you kind of drag starting in the top half of the clip.

[@Snakes1000]

​@@CreativeSauce Sorry Mike but that doesn't appear to be the issue for me. Definitely starting to drag from the top half of the clip. I could do a video but would have to post elsewhere I guess?

[@CreativeSauce]

Yes, perhaps in the Facebook group Clive?

[@Snakes1000]

@@CreativeSauce Yeah, will do.

[@MrHhkrohn]

Is this technique the same as a gain reduction? I used to automate the gain on every clip....

[@mattskalicky]

So a question....why does no one print out the post fx audio to another audio channel? It's a digital signal so I think it's the same as freezing the track plus you see what the dynamic range has ended up being after compression visually and can compare it to the original. Just curious. I've tested this in cakewalk using patchpoints and it seems to work fine. Thoughts?

[@CreativeSauce]

Well, I feel like after you have used your ears - then doing this can be a good learning tool. Also good if you are just fatigued and want double check. But i'd avoid encourage the use of ears first!

[@mattskalicky]

@@CreativeSauce I think another reason off the top of my head is that it is pretty final but as you say its great for someone wanting to visualise what the compression actually did. Thanks for the reply Mike!

[@music_creator_capable]

Hey!

[@MarkLantz65]

I don't see on the link that the FA-channel-XT is free unless I'm kidding something.

[@cyclopsview4824]

I'm seeing it's $60

[@MarkLantz65]

I meant missing something🤣!