Recording Vocals the Right Way - Setting the Compressor

The full course is available on udemy: www.udemy.com/recording-vocal...
In this video we cover how to set your compressor when recording vocals, as well as some common controls found on compressors.
This is just one video from our online course titled "Recording Vocals the Right Way." Please click the link above to find out more information about this course, and to see more sample videos.

[@blackusniggus6249]

I didn’t know Jimmy Fallon was an audio engineer!!! Great video

[@ChadWork1]

I was about to post the same thing.

[@PapaRainYT]

Okay it wasn't just me

[@theheilious]

Yeah, that's pretty much it! Another thing to keep in mind about compression in general is that it is sometimes better to add another compressor to the chain to shave off another 3dB for an especially dynamic vocalist rather than pushing one compressor to -6dB or more of gain reduction. The results make for smoother transitions between the transients as you are just shaving the tops off the louder peaks of amplitude and not hacking the top off of the envelope in one blow. That was a Roger Nichols trick. I had an Opera singer that was especially useful on. it took 3 compressors in the signal chain to 'tame' her but it was pretty 'invisible' and still pleasingly dynamic. Great vid series guys!

[@chrisw5742]

Wow I never thought of that. I gotta go get me a bunch of compressors now. hmmm I have a Tascam DP 03SD and maybe I could record my vocals tracks and export the tracks as wav files and compress in Reaper with multiple compressor plugins chained?

[@johnforrestal]

This is an awesome trick. I'm mixing an album of historical piano and a male castrato singer, and he has a very wide dynamic range. So far I've just automated volume and have been "riding the faders", but this is a great idea.... I'm going to give this a shot, thanks!

[@venometstue9586]

Dope

[@RolyGuacamole]

this dude is the best!!! Best Supi I had at school and also one of the best engineers I've heard. Don't sleep on Matt!

[@dexterphillips9212]

Great jobs guys, I have had the privilege to study and work with these guys they are real professionals. 1Nation!

[@iqi616]

Good plain language explanation guys. Too many people are frightened to use compression on the way in. A well-set compressor saves a bunch of time mixing and is even more handy with digital because there's no tape compression like we used to have.

[@katuposengujama1360]

Thanks for taking your time for us to archive o jobs goal. Much love from Namibia

[@spyconvention2787]

Great song, love the melody and her voice. Great tutorial btw.

[@RachelAnaDobken]

Thank you. This is wildly helpful and straightforward.

[@andrewtmusic]

Thanks for the tips. And also great vocals.

[@teashea1]

Good, useful video. Well done. Articulate and organized.

[@americangoldking]

Great Vocal sound and clarity

[@pluckthestrings5699]

Man do you have a mixing tutorial for this acoustic? I like on how you mix the acoustic dude

[@1ceibaarima]

Great lesson on the gear. Who was the artist, she sounded great?

[@Iigotproduct]

Two of the best!

[@bboymac84]

I like your videos very easy to follow!

[@harveybrown6409]

Loving this info guys you are on point!

[@DiegoRocca]

What a voice

[@Azzlad]

She has a sweet tone to her voice.

[@irpacynot]

Great video, guys. Thank you.

[@shedricksutton4097]

I like the artist. Nice voice. Good video. I should have been taking notes but will go back and do so. :)

[@enape42]

Great video, and her voice is great 👍🏽

[@futurebeats898]

Whats the vocal reverb ? sounds nicee

[@nobodymusiq8925]

if i have a focusrite can i track like that with a plugin

[@nogoogleplus]

Surprised you dialed that in with the Verb on her, I always want to here it dry when setting levels/comps

[@dannyharpermusic]

Thanks for this video!

[@QLFProductions]

It's 2020 and I so very much appreciate this video because I'm analog compressing. I want to know what are your thoughts on having the artist sing the loudest part of the song only (chorus or bridge) and set that way? That's the way I've been doing it. Am I missing something?

[@MattHayes]

You got a pretty good process imo. The loudest part is where the compressor will be hit the hardest so that makes sense. I usually have them run through the hook/chorus when setting levels because I've found that's usually where they sing the hardest.

[@QLFProductions]

Matt Hayes thanks for taking your time to respond

[@gunluv96]

Greetings, this is an amazing video. I just added a disstressor to my vocal chain send wasr looking for a good video that shows how to track using it. That being said I was wondering do you ever track with your settings in the opto range to add that la2a/la3a sound? Lastly if you track with Just 2 to 1 compression some would ask why comp on the way in at all. What's your view on that?

[@MattHayes]

Yeah, I like the opto setting sometimes for the Distressor. It's got a bit more of a vintage sound than the electro. As far as the ratio setting, I think most vocals sound better when compressed with a lower ratio. If you go too high then the compressor gets more aggressive and you can hear it pumping. That can work well if you have an aggressive singer, but most of the time I prefer a lower ratio.

[@gunluv96]

@@MattHayes thanks for the speedy response. I am getting use to my distressor still. I was looking at buying a la2a and running it in series to get an amazing vocal chain setup for tracking and mixing if needed. What are your thoughts?

[@thepick5663]

It sounds like a compressor controls the peaks, but does it also raise the quieter parts?

[@nuuclearrecords6456]

how much did you set the release nob

[@xchump]

great singer

[@jonathanwilliams7839]

how do you bypass a La-2a?

[@chefboyarz1461]

Hello I have a compressor unit and I would like to add a slight amount of compression for control and to stop clipping. It has 3 knobs threshold, compression ratio and output gain. What would you set it to?

[@ronaldperry5007]

2:1 ratio -3db of gain reduction using the threshold and bypass bacc & forth to get your volume bacc with the gain

[@Furybeatsgme]

WASSSUP MATT!!! GREAT TEACHER!!

[@NowOrNeverRecords]

@matt hayes - Who's the singer? Trudy what? Her voice is beautiful!

[@MattHayes]

She goes by Alex Tru

[@raffyajaaja1122]

Beautiful voice

[@derrickchapman7283]

How can i hook up my presonous channelstrip to my dbxa compressor to my art pro compressor to my 2i2 audio interface

[@MattHayes]

mic in to presonus - line out of presonus to line in of dbx - line out of dbx to line in of art - line out of art to line in of 2i2

[@MariusVideoOfficial]

Then you think that is best to record the voice tracks using an hardware compressor and not to use the digital plugin on a wet track ond the daw?

[@MattHayes]

The hardware compressor affects what is recorded, whereas a wet track in a DAW would only affect the sound after it has been recorded. If you're confident with your settings, then adding compression pre-tape can save you a good bit of work in post-production.

[@ehdr1872]

thx so much.

[@hkr4life]

hi guys, my question is: do i need to eq the vocal during the recording or after? i use the avalon 737

[@hkr4life]

i forgot to mention my hardware: u87ai, 2 distressor el8x, ssl g-compressor. do i need patchbay for vocal chain?

[@iqi616]

I would say "it depends". When I record my bass or my sax I use EQ on the way in. There's also the issue that some precautionary EQ might be needed ahead of the compressor. The processing on the way in is to get the recording in the ballpark to save time in the mix.

[@jameswest6410]

I see you also have a LA2A ....how does it compare to the Distressor? Very informative video. Thanks

[@MattHayes]

The LA2A is a great compressor! But it tends to be less forgiving if the singer suddenly gets loud. It has an audible pumping if you hit it hard.

[@Jeff-Fox]

You are absolutely right, I get shouty a lot and the LA2A makes it kind of "grainy" quickly if I push a note.

[@Jeff-Fox]

I would use the LA2A more for voice overs I think, more than for singing.

[@b29237]

nice song

[@MichaelHill-py6wg]

What mic are you using

[@MattHayes]

Sterling ST-69. In the full course we do a shootout of 4 different microphones so you can hear how it compares to some other popular models

[@joebuckley9181]

Around the 3:03 mark of the video, the input knob moves by itself, I think you have a ghost helping or hurt you?

[@carlmclean9304]

Why not just use level automation in post? (Audio engineer in training here btw)

[@MattHayes]

imo... 2 main reasons: 1) It saves you a lot of time during the mix, and 2) compressors can add some nice flavor that automation doesn't

[@iqi616]

@@MattHayes exactly

[@aztrogezzy]

Hate the echo reverb sound. How do i remove that.

[@MattHayes]

It's being added with a plugin. It's not a part of the actual recording

[@etown1002]

My Fav Engineers Brother Matt wats up the word.

[@minstrelofMir]

here we are with perfect recording these days ,,and everyone swashes it with compression,,,me and the great Alan parsons hate it..i started recording in the 80"s got my first 4 track in 88,,maybe im just too old school

[@iqi616]

Remember though we used to have tape compression available as a first pass of compression that digital doesn't have.

[@douglascarneau5454]

Yes explain the signal killing knobs, yes we just got to have them.

[@SteelinDan]

Douglas Carneau shut up

[@leroycoj]

That gate ahaha

[@billyvalentine4365]

Jimble Kimble

[@douglascarneau5454]

Some of the best recordings were done with limited equipment like Jazz at the Pawnshop or when Buddy Holly did some of his own recording at his house as demonstrated on the 3 disc set that you can buy now...Point is the fact that these guys think you need to screw with the signal so much is why we get lousy recordings...Think about it that is why they keep remastering it going back to the master tape that hopefully has the least amount of screwing with the signal...I just recently bought Elvis Close Up and on some of those, even though they are old ,, well they sound like you are there...

[@SteelinDan]

Douglas Carneau shut up

[@andyvoice3612]

:) very nice voice lady

[@MB-ry6ez]

Singer girl is hot :P btw good tutorial thanks guys

[@jameswallace5967]

Wow....thats a ton of reverb on her voice! It's a little distracting to me anyway. I hope that isn't going to tape.

[@KeenApollo]

James Wallace Na it was a plug-in they said it in the preamp video

[@CareerDropout.]

Why are her vocals smothered in verb

[@MattHayes]

Many vocalists like to hear a lot of reverb and/or delay when recording. As the engineer I want to give the artist whatever they need in order to be comfortable and perform their best. She likes to hear a lot of reverb when recording.

[@xchump]

yeah nice video but way too much reverb. would've been better to feed the verb to her but keep the recording pretty much dry. it would've made it easier to focus on the compression.

[@RICHFOW]

Is that jimmy Fallon?

[@truckdriver8310]

She need autotune