Vocal Compression: Attack & Release Settings Explained

Toronto audio engineer and music producer 5PiECE demonstrates how to set attack and release on vocal compressors.
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🔊 PLUGINS USED IN THIS VIDEO 🔊
Waves RComp - waves.alzt.net/KjOeR7
🎥 RELATED TUTORIALS 🎥
My Compression Tutorial Playlist - bit.ly/3YTqfuY
How To Compress Vocals - bit.ly/3Em9oaE
When To Use Compression In A Mix - bit.ly/3P3byRQ
How To Use Multiband Compression on Vocals - bit.ly/3soSmWM
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“ALA BEKE” by EverythingOShauN - everythingoshaun.lnk.to/ALABEKE
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⏰ TIMESTAMPS ⏰
0:00 Intro
1:00 What Does The Attack Do?
1:15 How Does The Attack Affect The Sound?
2:44 What Does The Release Do?
4:51 What Settings Should I Start With?
5:37 How Should I Set The Other Settings? (Threshold, Ratio)
6:55 How Much Gain Reduction Should I Aim For?
7:42 Setting The Threshold
9:26 How To Know When To Adjust Attack?
9:41 First Adjustment Indicator
11:24 Second Adjustment Indicator
12:46 Third Adjustment Indicator
15:04 Adjusting Attack
16:26 How To Know When To Adjust Release?
16:37 First Adjustment Indicator
18:08 Second Adjustment Indicator
19:06 Adjusting Release
21:00 Adding Makeup Gain
22:08 Before/After Comparison In Context
23:30 4 Types of Compressors To Use
Vocal Compression: Attack & Release Settings Explained | 5PiECE
#mixing #mastering #audioengineer #compression #vocalmixing #mixingvocals
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Copyright 5PiECE Music 2023

[@5piece]

I'm using Waves RComp in this video. Get it for yourself here: waves.alzt.net/KjOeR7

[@EmergencySerotonin]

This is by far the best vocal compression tutorial I've ever seen. I'm subscribing hoping that you do more vocal mixing tutorials on par with this. You can find all this information on your own but I haven't seen a video that covers all of this with examples and is concise enough to watch in one sitting. Killer job man

[@5piece]

Really appreciate that Tyler! Taking my time to continue doing deep dives like this. If there’s any particularly areas of vocal mixing you’d personally like to see me explore (ie EQ, reverb, etc) let me know so I can tackle it as well 🙏🏼

[@EmergencySerotonin]

Delay and EQ would be the most helpful to me. But I'm curious if you have any quick recommendations for deep rap vocals? My fundamental is usually around ~110hz . I haven't yet found a way to perform and edit that keeps the character of my voice (I have a lot of vocal fry and talk very laid back). If it helps I normally cut below 80hz, take 1.5-2db from 220hz (2nd fundamental mud), and add a 1.5db shelf to 8k+ with hard de-essing. The compressor and other fx I still find myself experimenting with

[@5piece]

@@EmergencySerotoninwith such a low fundamental, I’d be careful with filtering for sure. That may be something to not go so crazy with as it could have a more negative effect. Perhaps relying on MB comp would be better at taming any resonant low end. I could see some low FX also coming in handy (like LoAir or SubSynth) depending to fatten up the vocal and really play up the low emphasis. Other than that, I could see how instrumental selection would be really important as having such a low vocal would require the right backing that doesn’t interfere as much. Having stems to beats would help with that too - so at least you can either adjust arrangements or do some creative sidechain stuff to make room for your vocal with low end stuff that clashes. These are a few ideas off the top but obviously completely situational and would be best attempted to see if they actually work. Hard to know until you try it but hope this provides some inspo in the short term 💪🏼

[@EmergencySerotonin]

@@5piece i appreciate this a ton I've never even heard of those plugins or thought about the MB for taming. I'll give all of this a try and keep an eye out for your next videos🙏🏼

[@scottriley937]

I've been working on my own album and I've watched a few of your videos. You always explain everything very well and it's very helpful for a newbie like me. Thanks!

[@BIG_PASTA]

Cool video but one thing to point out - Release is not only applied once a signal falls below the threshold. For some reason this is widely circulated misinformation. Attack and release are applied on _gain reduction_ , and the release stage is applied as soon as the signal level drops, even when it stays completely above the threshold :)

[@5piece]

I see the distinction there - so basically it happens once the level drops in general (even if still above threshold, but just lower than the max it was at), rather than once the level drops below the threshold specifically. Am I understanding that right?

[@BIG_PASTA]

@@5piece yup, you got it 100%! You can verify this by loading up a compressor with a nice visual UI such as Pro-C - take a drum loop (or anything really but easiest to hear on drums) and drop the threshold wayyy down until its entirely below the signal level, and mess with the release and still hear it working. This was something that bugged me years ago when I was really trying to figure out compression, because it seemed to be behaving differently than I was taught. It was confusing me so I really researched it until I found out what was actually happening with this mysterious setting lol 🤓

[@Izzy83169]

Awesome video man really helped me hear the effects that compression can have on a vocal. Subbed.

[@5piece]

Thank you my friend! Happy to help 🙏🏼

[@Renaiz]

❤❤❤for the fact that rap verse is in my native language. I am blown up by this video and I need to stream the full song. Post the link please....... "I get the money in Ala Bekee"

[@mpasistasyalanci]

Nice explanation of what to look for. Personally I would try with a bit slower attack and faster release to enhance the voices groove, the uncompressed while its not so controlled has a groove that it gets lost a bit after the compression in my opinion, I can mostly hear this with the music not so much in solo

[@5piece]

Totally valid, which is why I emphasized the subjective / personal nature of approaching this and all things in mixing 💪🏼 If you prefer your vocals more dynamic, then absolutely! Chances are I wouldn’t set it the same twice myself 😉 just depends on how things are feeling that day

[@1bun_e_dung]

Excellent

[@hasheesh00htc]

Welcome back.. watching

[@FikiTogoloOfficial]

❤❤❤

[@hoodiedoodie9036]

Bro can you do Saturn2? It has a lot of various settings and it'd be curious to hear your feedback on the plugin.

[@5piece]

Will see what I can do. Honestly I have so many saturation plugins that I have a hard time justifying another one and FabFilter is one of the few plugin companies that hasn’t sent me anything for free. Maybe one day soon 👀

[@user-rx1tg2tm8o]

How to vocal mixing loundness level reduction

[@5piece]

Just to be clear: all of the plugins that are transparent/greyed out are deactivated. They aren’t affecting the sound at all. The compressor is the last plugin in the chain throughout this whole video ✅

[@simplelife1966]

you sound like Ray Ramano when you talk. Lol

[@eelam_hiphops]

waiting for ozone 11 mastering

[@5piece]

Working on something for that 👀 highly encourage you to check out my Ozone 10 stuff if you haven’t to hold you over. While there are some leaps in advancement, the overall approach is definitely going to be similar 🙏🏼

[@eelam_hiphops]

@@5piece ya, i watched that one. it's very helpful really very helpful. That's why I am waiting for 11 video.

[@comrade137]

1:58 Hard to listen to such shit. I did not notice difference.

[@x13roger80]

I can't understand it regardless 😂