Which waves compressor is best for vocals?
One of the most popular compressors for this is the CLA-2A optical compressor, but any relatively slow compressor like the PuigChild or Kramer PIE are great as well. The idea is to use the first compressor to quickly tame peaks, and the second, slower compressor to squeeze the vocal and create more consistent dynamics.
What dB should vocals be in a mix?
If you mix them too loudly, they will stick out. What dB should vocals be recorded at? You should record vocals at an average of -18dB for 24-bit resolution. The loudest parts of the recording should peak at -10dB and be lowest at -24dB.
What does saturation do to vocals?
Various flavors of saturation generate harmonics and apply subtle forms of “soft-clipping” compression. This unique effect makes sounds fuller, punchy, and louder. Saturation also adds depth, presence, character, color, and warmth.
Should vocals be louder than kick?
To recap: In general, your vocal level should be lower than the drums, but louder than the instrumentation. Vocal mixing to a professional level however, requires more nuanced decisions than that, to get your vocals to sit right.
Should vocals be in mono or stereo?
If you record one vocalist, your vocals should be mono. However, if you record two vocalists or more or if you record in a room with unique acoustics, the vocals should be stereo. Moreover, recording vocals in mono makes them sound powerful, clear, and upfront.
Is SM58 good for recording vocals?
The answer is yes. A Shure SM58 microphone can be used for recording vocals and can give nice results. However, it is traditionally used for live vocals and does have some limitation in the studio. Slowly, the lesson starts to sink in; when it comes to mics, there is no one size fits approach.
Are there any good audio plugins for waves?
Waves Audio plugins are popular and you can often grab them for a great price. However, their catalog is huge, some of the plugins are quite old and there are many overlapping products. In the past years, I’ve used all Waves plugins.
What does it mean to comp vocals in a song?
Vocal comping describes the process of combining multiple vocal takes into one “supertake” that has the best parts of each. This is called a “composite track,” or comp for short. Many instruments can be comped on studio tracks, but vocals are the most common since they are the most central aspect of most popular songs.
What do you use to remove harshness from vocals?
If a vocal does have some harshness, it’s common to use a DeEsser to solve the problem. De-essers are compressors that focus on a specific frequency range, and they’re typically used to remove harshness caused by sizzling “S” and “T” consonant sounds in vocal tracks.
What kind of compressor should I use for lead vocals?
It’s common to apply between 3-6 dB of compression using a peak limiter style compressor like the CLA-76, or the SSL E or G Channel compressor. The compressor should only engage to tame the loudest peaks: it shouldn’t be working during the entire vocal performance. Next, it’s time to set the attack and release times on your compressor.