The CLA Vocal Tricks BEHIND the Tricks

[@StateOfMercury]

Great video! I think one of the areas people like CLA fall short is explaining that much of the engineer work (pre mix) is already done. Like general cleanup of tracks. It's pretty clear at least in his product demos that the multitracks he is working with are top quality and already have some degree of processing even if it's just on the way in with hardware. I feel like that gives a lot of noobs false info just to sell his products a little easier. Kinda Shady

[@MichaelGuy]

This guy is a rare savant. What a gift to watch him work. WOW I think there should be a cd of his artists mixes called Dr Bob's reference tracks CD/USB or emailed to your studio in switzerland w strategic marketing alliances with vintage king audio.

[@JaviBello]

BOOOOOOB!!! Gain staging it's probably the most underrated thing on todays mixes, and it makes a HUGE impact on the final result. As always very useful, thank you Bobby!!

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks Jaaaaaaaaav!!

[@chriscam23041]

Agreed

[@ST-fl5fy]

@@BobbyHuffhey Bobby I’ve always heard the proper level for plugins is -18dbfs?

[@RealHomeRecording]

Too many big name mastering engineers are out there not gainstaging properly and flattening their masters. Ruining commercial music for who knows what reason...

[@rome8180]

Since when are you supposed to hit plugins from -6 to 0? That's not what any plugin manual I've ever read advises. For one thing, that would make you run out of headroom very quickly on your mix. For another, the sweet spot for analog gear was always around -18dBFS because that translates to 0 on a VU meter. Since many plugins are modeled on analog gear, they have a similar sweet spot. Or are you not talking about dBFS? Do you mean -6 to 0 VU?

[@ocularrecords]

My ears immediately perked up when he said that. For instance the DBX-160 from waves Prefers -18 to -12. Anything above that it doesnt react properly. The vocal still had some resonance and the high ended sounded overly compressed.

[@TimE_5150]

In Bob we trust! Great stuff as usual. Vocals have been my Achilles heal, this should help. Thanks.

[@djsowilo7869]

Me too

[@TheAzurefang]

I know plugins like VMR Slate always recommend -18, -6 seems a little high

[@mozizo11]

the plugins of waves you use on this video are designed to work best(sweet spot) from -6 to 0 LUFS ? where is it mentioned ? as far as i know the "digital" plugins (not a plugin that emulates analog device) are not really affected by the gain stage ,just make sure its not hard clipping digitally. and for analog emulated plugins is better to operate them on 0 DB on VU meters or around - 18 LUFS at average .. some like Andrew Scheps say they even not bother with gain stage on a DAW as far as i remember

[@djsowilo7869]

WOW Bob really amazing that i found your Chanel ❤❤❤

[@BobbyHuff]

Welcome!

[@PeterGreenProductions]

Thank you so much Dr Bob❗I always learn a lot of top audio information when I watch your fabulous videos, wishing you a great day, Pete

[@BobbyHuff]

Thank You for the kindness Peter!!

[@Crowbar11115]

I LOVE the H3000. Still can't believe I rarely hear people mention it.

[@BobbyHuff]

It’s fantastic!

[@michaelparson-mcnamara782]

Well that was an ear opener! Talk about getting a peek behind the wizard's curtain! Thanks Dr Bob.

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks Michael.

[@davebops2478]

Thanks Doc!

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks Dave!

[@Banditman]

I appreciate hearing the thought process behind order of plug-ins. That to me is the real gem here. Anyone can tell you how to order your plug-ins, but learning and improving requires that you understand why. Thanks!

[@BobbyHuff]

Glad to help!

[@bluematrix5001]

cool vid, thanks.....is not that most Plugins need an optimal level around - 18 dbfs ?

[@chucklewis9217]

The -6 to 0 db refers to the input level of his compressor, which uses a VU meter. 0db on a VU is -18 peak level. So although his peak level on the vocal is at about -2, the average level is a little under -18, which hits the compressor between -6 and 0 on its VU meter.

[@JackNiles]

Clear concise information

[@devs1980]

Sounds great. Tbh I wasn’t convinced when you were adding the 1.5k to her vocal out of context. But it totally works. It shows that hearing EQ changes in solo are not very helpful in the bigger picture

[@darryldouglas6004]

Fantastic! Love to see you do one on a more crooning vocal to see how you would treat it differently. Your vid’s show me new techniques unknown to only me plus sometimes I’m vindicated on what I have been doing. The technique of bringing up the gain on individual words is tedious but I think it produces the best results. I’ve used waves vocal rider to try and automate it but yours is the superior method. 😃

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks Darryl!

[@RealHomeRecording]

Yes indeed!

[@richprincipe749]

Pure Gold!!! Thanks Dr. Bob!!!

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks Rich!

[@jjtweed-music]

Great Clip!

[@migasbalasteiro]

damn.... almost doesnt need to get mastered.... amazing thx!

[@antcall6779]

Great as always Bobby! Dropping major heat again. Your channel is pure gold 🤘

[@BobbyHuff]

I appreciate that!

[@MikeL120]

Another home run Bobby! Thanks!

[@BobbyHuff]

Any time!

[@beatprocess]

Bro, i was just watching the vocal vid from 2 years ago on the 1176 and I was wondering if your still making videos. voila, a new vocal vid

[@BobbyHuff]

I've been putting out a video a week for 3 years now.

[@DreamsongsProductions]

De-esser after the Limiter? I do the opposite....

[@BWP-u3y]

Niiiiiiice... 😄

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks!

[@edgearusa]

Nice!

[@trulyintense6613]

Thanks again for all your killer kontent!!!!🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@BobbyHuff]

Thanks man!

[@viol8rmusic]

Question Dr Bob, please. That 6db range, do you maintain that while level matching each plugins output gain. More importantly, do you do that same 6db range for the instrument plugins too? I have been trying to keep it much lower so the aggregate of sound doesn't clip my busses. But my vocals always sound weak. Should I be running every track hotter in its chain and then simply back off the final faders and busses?

[@BobbyHuff]

Yes. Try and hit your plugins in that sweet spot and adjust your final output to taste.

[@chucklewis9217]

You have to gain stage into *each plugin*, so you're hitting each at its optimum level. For most analog-modeled plugins, that's -18 peak, or 0 on a VU meter. So if you have two 1176's in series, you'd adjust the channel level with clip gain or the output from the previous plugin in the chain so the input level to the first compressor hits between -6 and 0 on its input VU meter, then compress to taste. Next, you'd use the makeup gain on the first compressor to ensure that the level hits -6 to 0 VU on the second compressor, and so forth. If a particular plugin doesn't have a VU meter to check the input level, you can place a VU meter plugin before it to check the level.

[@jeremythornton433]

How do you do the cuts and the volume adjustments? I'm using Cubase 12 Pro. Love this one, Bobby!

[@BobbyHuff]

Hey Jeremy. I don’t understand. Explain your question and I’ll do my best to answer.

[@jordrop]

i assume you're asking about the "envelopes" that he has with the cuts and individual volume. I'm not sure how Cubase handles it but i'm sure there are lots of videos out there for it as most software has that ability. YT cubase envelopes or something. There are some plugins that do similar without all the work but may or may not have as good of results depending on how much variation there is on the original track and how much dynamic you want as a final result.

[@robshrock-shirakbari1862]

I love your videos and am a subscriber. But I do take issue with the goal of getting the vocal level (or any basic track levels) up to -6 to 0 for the reason of making the plug-ins sound "better." Many of these analog-emulated plug-ins are not designed for that hot a level and actually do not perform better--quite the opposite. That's why the generic -18 reference is used as a guideline these days. Sure, we all push it hotter at times; but for a specific reason when you actually want to drive a signal 6 or 8 dB louder than normal for a specific effect. The proof for me was when you did the full playback... it sounded slightly distorted and congested... which was what I was getting in digital until about a decade ago when I gainstaged things DOWN. Everything cleared up and was more open and dynamic and less harsh and congested... a hallmark of a lot of modern music that's not for the better. There are still plenty of stages to get the final level up downstream as you combine your stem/busses into a master. There's no need to slam the level and overload your plug-ins at the individual track level. You are aware that if you bussed a signal that hot out to your analog hardware you would be creaming it with level... and a very many analog-emulation plug-ins--like the SSL channel strips and 1176s and LA-2As--are designed to operate at similar, real-world levels. The rest of the video was great... Much love...

[@billribas]

Dynamics? We don't need no stinking dynamics!

[@47Libra]

Fkng gold

[@pdxfun4888]

Bobby, nice tutorial. Just curious, is normalizing track a no no?

[@BobbyHuff]

It’s not a no no but I don’t usually do it.

[@darryldouglas6004]

I use Studio One. For some reason it records a bit lower than when I check the input levels. If a track is too low I hit Normalize then back off the gain about 4db for headroom. If that doesn’t produce the result I’m looking for I take off the Normalize and use a gain tool. Mind you this is just to get my tracks in the same ballpark for treatment. 😃

[@hullan666]

I don't know how you can call this CLA? this is not how cla treats his vocals at all. He has the L1 first in the chain off the "tape machine". His rev a 1176 is ALWAYS set to 18/30/3/7 with the ratio at 4

[@KevenDeezel]

I have too many vices.

[@philmartin7474]

Is there room or sonic advantage for using any character Tube compressors and EQ’s in this sequence? ( Pultecs, LA2A, Sta-Leval, CL1B)?