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51m0n
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[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1349899648' post='1832101']
Also if you have no limiter to catch excessive peaks then you will likely need to go a little faster in the attack to keep them under control....
[/quote]

There may be no need to catch the peaks - the amp will clip them off and that might be a sound you want. Ive been playing around with valvey type amps and thats just what they do. ;)

However, if you want a really clean sound, then yes I agree you would probably limit them.

Edited by Mikey R
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  • 4 weeks later...

The compression article is everything I hoped it would be, a brilliant distillation of all the wisdom from your bassbash sessions and many postings.

Could I be cheeky and ask if there's a similar set of handy hits for setting up compression for live vocals, because I'm growing increasingly dissatisfied with the single-knob compressor on my mixer but don't really have the confidence to know where to start with a proper rack compressor.

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Sure. For live you are really looking for set it and forget it type of level control more than anything else. Things may be very different on a recording...

Vocals normally have no appreciable transient so you can get as fast as the comp will go although listen for distortion, since some comps can produce artifacts if you set them too fast. As little as 3ms isnt a problem IME. This also negates the need for a limiter after the compressor in almost all cases.

Release can be set fairly gently too since we are looking to damp down the fire a bit on everything and there is no big need to let a transient poke through). 100 to 150ms should be fine.

Get the threshold set exactly like you did on the bass (max ratio, quiet singing, turn the threshold down until you see some GR occur on the meter) but watch out for feedback (esp with an automatic makeup gain), then slacken off the ratio until you get a good 3dB to 6dB of GR (assuming the monitors get a clear unaffected version, or your singer might kill there voice trying to push the monitor louder) when singing normally.

Set the makeup gain to equal to the volume of loud singing. Again watch for feedback - if you get some knock the ratio down a tad then try setting the makeup gain again.

Soft knee if you have the option too...

Job done....

Edited by 51m0n
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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1353243626' post='1872877']
New Blog Post up on [url="http://blog.basschat.co.uk/equalisation/"]Equalisation[/url]

Enjoy....
[/quote]

Nice. I find the practical advice on which knob to twiddle first particularly useful. I bought a fully parametric EQ pedal a while back, and while I know what each of the knobs does, the combinations of the 3 variables was just too much and I never found it did anything useful for me. I will now tackle it again. :)

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[quote name='BigBeatNut' timestamp='1353246219' post='1872915']
Nice. I find the practical advice on which knob to twiddle first particularly useful. I bought a fully parametric EQ pedal a while back, and while I know what each of the knobs does, the combinations of the 3 variables was just too much and I never found it did anything useful for me. I will now tackle it again. :)
[/quote]

Yep, cheers Si - definately made me question whether a graphic EQ is more handy than a semi parametric on an amplifier.

If you had two amps to choose from, one with two swept mids and hi and low shelving or peaking EQ, the second with a 10 band graphic, if all else was equal which would you choose?

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[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1353250764' post='1872938']
If you had two amps to choose from, one with two swept mids and hi and low shelving or peaking EQ, the second with a 10 band graphic, if all else was equal which would you choose?
[/quote]

For me, swept mids hands down. Having had a semi-para single band mid pedal for a while, I'm used to the difference between boosting at 600 versus 400. To replicate that with a graphic I'd want 1/2 octave bands from 30 to 1khz ( 11 bands) plus shelving highs. Whereas actually a 3 (or possibly 2) band semi-para (plus shelving highs) would probably completely fulfil my needs as a bass player.

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Glad it was helpful!!

Swept Mids every time on an amp for me. Better yet, all 4 bands being swept, like the MB TA503. The top and bottom are shelving but you a can change the frequency on them - lovely!

Remember cut first, cut as sharp as you can, cut hard, boost gentle, boost wide. If possible. The result always sounds more natural.

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[quote name='JayPH' timestamp='1353428375' post='1874848']
Thanks Si. I get this more now. I'm going to mix some music tonight and will try this technique. Do you add EQ after you have adjusted your levels?
[/quote]

Its more complex than that. The actual act of getting a mix is a very iterative process. I tend to try and through up something with the faders as roughly as possible just to get a clue.

After that I 'build' the mix in terms of groups, aux sends, fx I think I'm going to need etc etc... Boring stuff that can take ages, but if you dont do it then the computer fights you.

Then I'll mute areas I'm not interested in at all yet, and listen for anything dodgy, I can spend two or three hours just mooching around to be honest, a little tweak here or there, learning how the song moves me.

At some point I sort of change mode and just hack all the bad stuff out of the various tracks with EQ, change envelopes with compressors, look for the right ambience, adding more tracks and hacking more stuff out, refining the general balance constantly.

I also spend time balancing sections (groups) together so that I can then control the level of a section easily.

Eventually I am left with something very close. Then I usually leave it, and come back in a few days. Time to this point on average (for a serious mix) is at least 5 to 8 hours. Revisions and polishing from there can take an age or just be bang on.

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Well the Blog will one day get there I hope.

Here's hoping it gets to the point where people search there first and ask on the forum second. Then I know I'm getting somewhere (long long way to go before then though :()

Its good revision for me too CT, I have to think about what it is I actually do before answering most of the questions. Its all so natural for me, I dont think "Oh, right I need to use some slow attack medium ratio medium threshold compression to accentuate the transient on this guitar rather than just make it brighter, since the actual tone is right but its nto making the impact I want it to in the mix" I just make the guitar sound 'right' to me. Its quite without conscious thought when I'm mixing...

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[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1353243626' post='1872877']
New Blog Post up on [url="http://blog.basschat.co.uk/equalisation/"]Equalisation[/url]

Enjoy....
[/quote]

Cheers Si! VERY useful. Thanks as always :)

You should compile all this info into a book one day - seriously - I'd buy it and I'm sure many others would too.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 months later...

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1353503815' post='1875274']
Cheers Si! VERY useful. Thanks as always :)

You should compile all this info into a book one day - seriously - I'd buy it and I'm sure many others would too.
[/quote]

It's a book I could do with :D

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[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1367664602' post='2068084']
One of these days I may get around to adding some more to this, once I'm not tied up running the mix comp :)
[/quote]

Bizarrely, I had a dream last night that I got the K meter thing to work...

Yes, my mind really is that empty.

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Glad you bumped it, I missed it first time round, and definitely need to read this stuff. I've been trawling through yep's "why do my recordings sound like arse" thread over on the reaper forums as well, but there's a lot of that...

Good stuff Si. Thanks.

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[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1367678509' post='2068311']
Glad you bumped it, I missed it first time round, and definitely need to read this stuff. I've been trawling through yep's "why do my recordings sound like arse" thread over on the reaper forums as well, but there's a lot of that...

Good stuff Si. Thanks.
[/quote]

Anything I've ever recorded has sounded like arse. I pretty much don't bother anymore. I don't have the equipment or knowledge to make a decent recording. I record the odd thing on my laptop to see how it sounds, but that's it.

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[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1367679532' post='2068329']
[url="http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=29283"]http://forum.cockos....ead.php?t=29283[/url]

Read this Milty, makes a world of difference. Takes a long time to read it all mind, but really helpful stuff from the ground up.
[/quote]

Cheers! :D But still doesn't change that I have no equipment, and no money for any :rolleyes: I'm going to read it anyway, I need all the help I can get :)

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