Lately I've been using clariphonic to pimp up the high end then another compressor with a little saturation to DeEss. MJUC is a great one for adding more analogue qualities to the vocal and DeEssing with the tone knob and drive. I also like Waves F6 to gently duck out the problem frequencies if they rear their ugly head
Ya Know They" always say misery Loves Company Warren? Ha h ahh aha haaa my Board just Took a Dump on my New Recording it was Pretty close to Finished Hahhah a aha haaaa it is Peculiar is it not i was just compressing Vocals in the Master vocal.. Ha h ah hah ha h haaaa i Think My Teck Buddy can Fix my Button or something will be lost i can't Replace. it's Pretty questionable it was Great i should have let it Flyyyyyyyyy Damn Machines Deus x La Machina? or ET La Machina Well Seeee i Needed a good Teck i might Have The Best in Town so Well Seeee right Bra.... i'll send you a Mix.... Bra. Pray ok.
Warren, this is what the internet and youtube is meant for, sharing good ideas and knowledge. Being one who is old enough to remember the excitement over being invited into a bands rehearsal or to the studio where they would record, wow then this is amazing. Normally these rockers would let in sit still, and not say a thing, and here we have a great guy like yourself, inviting young people in, to learn about the magic of a studio, how it sounds and operates. I love these videos and learn something every time. Forever grateful. Love from Spain.
Going thru this series as well Warren, also gold, i'm selective with my group of influences, and you are a real go to, again so much appreciated, thankyou.
Instantly liked, just based on the title. And yes, our vocals are (almost always) too compressed. Can't wait to see your tips Warren! The concept of chaining compressors is one of the more difficult aspects for us beginners. I usually start with a CLA-2 for tone and then use something more drastic for coloring, but that's probably the wrong way around.
I recently tried putting the LA2A into limiter mode on my vocal busses and hammering it. I have always used it as a compressor on my vocal buss but I find in limit mode it does an even better job of really bringing everything together and pushing it out front quite nicely (this is after the painstaking detail work discussed here, and at least 2 stages of other compression on most other tracks in the vocal buss; ussually 2:1 and 3db GR on an SSL strip and 4:1 with 3-5db GR on a 1176 for leads and doubles and a DBX 160 on backgrounds with 5-10db GR)
I cannot stress how interesting and easy you make everything to understand without throwing too many jargons. I have seen multiple "tutorials", and even though these are just the basics, you are doing a great job. Thank you!
This was a refresher for me, brought back memories sitting with Billy Kristian (Ray Columbus and the Invaders) hours and hours of tedious editing, even drawing down the peaks manually, the reason for this he had a standalone software that you could run each track through that would redraw precept loudness, the better prepping the waveform the better results. lol
I watch you channel all the time, take it seriously as a "proper" school, thanks for this man, for teaching a new craft, and with style! can't wait for more stuff!
Invaluable stuff this. Compression the biggest mystery for so many when first starting. Great advice about compressing heavily and then having to compress everything to the same degree, it's something you can end up doing without realising.
Always a pleasure to listen to you, Warren! Even after the hundredth compression tutorial you're still inspiring! Keep 'em coming! You absolutely rock!!!
I got interested in the specifics of serial compression and have watched a lot of videos to see what the gen is. Even though this is not exclusively about that it is one of the better videos I have seen. What I was looking for was the general specifics with thresholds and ratio (for example each compressor multiplies the ratio of the other one(s). Much of this video is also about tidying up vocals - which I know and understand - but it's extremely well done and good clear and interesting instruction. What amazes me about some videos is that they are supposed to be done by producers yet the video sound is appalling! That speaks volumes. Many thanks, very good.
Hi Warren, thanks so much for this tutorial, setting the compressor at the lowest level is a great technique. Using it now with your serial compression idea. Sounds great, thanks again :) 👊
Hi Warren, thanks for this! Love serial compression, use it a lot! The audio editing (clip gain in this case) of Pro-tools is awesome! I work in FL Studio and to get the same result it takes a lot more work... Have a nice holiday in my part of the world!!! (saw it on facebook ;)).
I don't have a 'normally' yet. While I'm working my way through your excellent tutorials I've been recording an album. I have just gone through and gotten everything basically balanced and some tracks don't really need fixing as such. I have followed your advice in that if it sounds ok the way it is, I'm leaving it until I get to the creative mixing stage. However, there are a couple of vocals that just aren't sitting right yet, so I've got a default eq, which basically fixes my cheap mic sound, de-esser and gentle compression, beyond that I'm gain editing. I thought maybe I was cheating a bit by putting a limiter across the dodgy vocals, but having watched this, I might just add serial compression. At the moment I'm treating backing vocals a little differently, doing less and deliberately leaving them a bit 'flatter' sounding. My confidence has increased leaps and bounds since I started following your channel. Thank you so much!
I find the Studio One version of clip gain really handy for manual de-essing, and then if I need to I can EQ just that part of I need to change the colour of it a bit.
I envy :) You got singers who sound great and compression works great for them. 80% of the "singers" who get to me learn to sing at the microphone. And my compression begins with an explanation of what a vocal phrase is and how to BREATHE!... I watched the video with pleasure. Thank you! :)
3 года назад
Great video! Before compressing I would check if there's anything that should be taken out or tamed, EQ wise. Then the compressor would work with a signal that better represents a "good" or more goal-oriented source. In this case it sounds great already. Loved the L1 after the compressors. Thanks!
What do you think about parallel compression on vocals instead of serial compression as was shown in this video? That is what I've been doing before now. thank you so very much for this warren. this taught me so much and I am very grateful!! you are the freaking best!!
Thanks Warren, Until I saw you do it then, I had never thought of fading like that when clip gaining (and didn't know that it was called 'clip gaining either')
@@Producelikeapro That's awesome! Perhaps you could do a demonstration video of how to get the same results with Logic. I'm sure there are many producers and musicians out there who would be grateful!
Hi Warren! I wish I'd had this tutorial two years ago, although I wouldn't have been able to hear the subtlety. Amazingly useful demonstration and discussion of the subject. Thank you! : ) My next step from here would be to rebalance (or add) the printed vocal fx, or create a rough version of the fx if they're not printed. Balance that with the background vox. Mute all the vox and move on to bass.
This is gold mate thank you! I only started producing 3 years ago and thought i finally had things sussed out! ive always used vocal samples but for some reason for my latest track i felt the need to use my own voice on it its opened up quite the can of worms lmaoo thanks for the great advice!
Awesome vid Warren :D !! It would be incredible to see more videos like this editing stuff in the different tracks. And how you would approach the vocals in the chorus?
In general i always scrub the breaths out.....fantastic segment Warren! I was just reading the other day about how some engineers put the L1 limiter at the end of the vocal chain, when i first started mastering the L1 was the plug in last in the chain..it has been replaced by the Mk stealth limiter but now i think i will put my dormant L1 into the end of the lead vocal chain..it was expensive when i purchased it so feel good about putting it back into use..! By the way I downloaded one of your free mix sessions and it sounds really good, didnt use all your drum tracks but got it to the point i liked it..i think there might be a point where you go over board on all the snare variations/mics/verb or what have you...the one thing that really made a dif was the hollow sounding snare sample underneath the original thin snare of the real drummer.! TY for all you do, appreciate you!
I'm curious to listen to some of my recordings that I didn't really apply anything to, and try going both directions on it. I think I can do these little things here and there that you are talking about. I know I can select and cut things out, but I do also have these other tools that I never knew I could use like how you are here with the fader etc. Over all before I do anything to them they probably need some compression, because I never knew all this stuff before. 😊
Thanks. Great study. On my vocal work i do all of the above since songs need the right feel. Even is the vocals i suuper dirty and all the way back. Basci but great stuff. Gaining and clipping up the vocals phrase by phrase is almost a given for me in every song. Next steps would be to EQ, Fx and Chain out to other rev or delay channel fx. But tha all depends on what song and style me and the artist wants. Thanks for your never ending well of knowledge. Keep it up! Followed you now for a few years. / CHeers
Sure! As far as I understand, avid offers three different “levels/degrees” for these pro tools certificates: Avid certified user, Avid certified operator and avid certified expert. For you to become a, let’s say, certified pro tools user you would have to complete two classes, pro tools fundamentals 1 and 2 (PT101 and PT110) which I believe to be available at private schools, not sure about colleges and universities. By completing these classes you would than apply for a test provided by avid. My main question is not so much about the knowledge acquired by attending these classes (sure they are worth it) but more about the impact it would have on someones career. Do you think it’s worth in the aspect of job opportunities? Have you ever met someone with these type of certifications? Thank you very much Warren!
@@rodrigodemacedo5066 I completed these modules when I went to SAE. Never was asked about them when I used to work in other studios. And I don't use protools at all anymore, because it feels like a dinosaur in today's era. Not sure if this helps answer your question 🤷🏾♂️
Genius. Should u use compression first then use clip gain then limiter? N how do u get the high peaks down? I didnt visually see the spikes come down after compression. Never saw anyone use clip gain. Super cool n made that vocal sound so good. If I were that singer I'd be shaking my head at how good I sounded lol
For a novice mixer like me who currently deals only with mixing tracks recorded during a live performance, how should compression techniques be modified from what you would normally use for studio-recorded tracks like those used in this video? For instance, my vocal tracks unavoidably have bleed from stage noise. I've found that trying to emulate most of the compression techniques I see on various RUclips videos does not work well with my vocal tracks as it brings up the stage bleed along with the vocal. Can you share some tips for using compression with live vocal tracks? Should I just forgo compression when working with live performance vocal tracks? I have used relatively light compression (3 to 6 dB max gain reduction) with NO make-up gain to smooth out a vocal to some degree.
That is a good question, Bill. You have to be careful with any kind of processing with live recorded performances. Although you mostly can get away with + or - 2 or 3dB on everything with anything, don't do drastic things and use a lot of automation instead. Also, always set up an XY at the FOH, highpass at 180 or so, bring those up as first and start mixing "around" those ambient mics. Have fun!
Great stuff as usual! My next questions after doing this type of work get into the space of, “do I process the verse and chorus and other sections separately with a different stack of compressors?” I’m sure it’s an artistic choice, but it could make the sections sound very different. What about the doubles? Super squashed?
@@Producelikeapro alright so you're saying it's best to do the gentle compression first on the vocal to control the peak like you did on this tutorial then pass that through the vocal rider?
Hi Nathan. The suggestion from Waves and Michael White is to use vocal rider last in the chain, after you have EQ'd and compressed. You could use a sidechain function so the music is involved or place it on the channel. Warren is right in that the more even a signal you feed to vocal rider, the more natural it sounds. Some people do use two instances of vocal rider, before and after.
Thanks for the rundown on compression! But, why wouldn't you use the presets in the Avid compressor? You applied 'factory default', but in the drop down there is a setting for vocals. I'm a novice so I rely on the presets; I figure they put some thought into designing the presets, so I go with those. There are presets for bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, etc. Anyway, thank you for all your great instructional talks!
I like to isolate the quieter parts like you did, bring them up, and then add a compressor with a lower ratio. That way the compressor is doing less work, and you don't have to have an insane ratio. Basically, I'm combining the two. 🙂
Thanks Warren for the great tutorial! Serial Comp. and Clip Gain were my go-to's, (or is it "go-tos) for voiceover during my 20+ yrs. in audio post. Question. What headphones are you mixing with in this video? Cheers!
Warren - can we not divide up the vocal phrases, use the DAW "normalize" function and lower the gains of the clips all together so they are roughly back to their original volume but more even out? Then do a listen through and adjust the needed clips accordingly? Seems an easier workflow?
Hi Emrah, thanks for your comment! Definitely one way of working! I find it more efficient to only do the process one time the way I'd like to hear it! However, if adding the extra step of Normalising first then correcting afterwards makes more sense to you then you should definitely work that way! I listen for issues then fix rather than doing things automatically.
The way I try to achieve that depends. I always compress vocals, but not always hard. If the vocals are very dynamic I use clip gain or volume automation. And I guess this would be the same in PT: If you use volume automation and compression, you probably want to insert the compressor post fader, to send the already automated gain into the compressor.
Can you emulate someone with analogue gear compressing on the way in by placing a compressor at the beginning of your plug-in chain and then building your chain as usual?
Watched quite a few of your videos. I must say this one was great. The only question I have I have heard most people would eq the bottom out a little so the compressor would not work so hard. Your opinion?
These videos are amazing! A quick question, around the 5/6 minute mark where you increase the gain, how do you decide how much gain to add before you've listened to it in the mix? are you watching the meters or just listening to how much the gain has been reduced by the compressor while bypassed?
Do you think that saturation helps a vocal stick out? Saturation tending to 'average out' the overall signal (smoothing transients but also boosting additional harmonics?
I work with a lot of singers who double track most of their lead vocals. In this case would you recommend clip gaining and compressing each track separately or sum them and compress the double tracked vocal as a single performance? And what would Jack Douglas have done on Double Fantasy? ;-)
Hello Warren, thanks for another great Video, Simple and to the point ! I try to emulate the way you work alway`s looking for the truth in thoes little imperfection that make a Great vocal and talking about voc, Would you use a Shadow Hill as a Vocal compressor ? I alway tought of Ratio as a fraction so a 3 to 1 would be 1/3 of the sound 4 to 1 would be 1/4 maybe I`m wrong but that`s the way my Brain Work.
bravo bravo what a pro nice smooth finight tight great small but effective movements of mixing the vocal I love it thank you Warren digital what a different world for audio
Now that we've compressed the vocals, where would you go from here? What would the next step in your mixing process be? Let me know below!
Lately I've been using clariphonic to pimp up the high end then another compressor with a little saturation to DeEss. MJUC is a great one for adding more analogue qualities to the vocal and DeEssing with the tone knob and drive. I also like Waves F6 to gently duck out the problem frequencies if they rear their ugly head
BASS and low frequencies
Ya Know They" always say
misery Loves Company Warren?
Ha h ahh aha haaa
my Board just Took a Dump on my New Recording
it was Pretty close to Finished
Hahhah a aha haaaa
it is Peculiar
is it not
i was just compressing Vocals in the Master vocal..
Ha h ah hah ha h haaaa
i Think My Teck Buddy can Fix my Button
or something will be lost i can't Replace.
it's Pretty questionable
it was Great i should have let it Flyyyyyyyyy
Damn Machines
Deus x La Machina?
or ET La Machina
Well Seeee
i Needed a good Teck
i might Have The Best in Town so
Well Seeee right Bra....
i'll send you a Mix....
Bra.
Pray ok.
i made all my Players Play Instruments not Machines
Ha ha h ahahhaaaa
maybe the machines are Pissed right?
Ha hhahhah aaWell see Bra
Probably the acoustic guitar to hear the chords and to find a groove...
whenever I hear the word 'pro sound engineer' I imagine this man. one of very few pro teachers on youtube. thanks for the videos
Wow! Thank you ever so much my friend!!
I love the super focused vids that are basic yet very in-depth at the same time. Cheers Warren.
Hi Obsidian s Thanks ever so much my friend!
@@Producelikeapro LA2A and 1176... Which whould go first and with what ratios?
@@The_Absurdistt I would go 3:1 on the LA2A to 20:1 (just catching peaks) on the 1176. I hope that helps?
Warren, this is what the internet and youtube is meant for, sharing good ideas and knowledge. Being one who is old enough to remember the excitement over being invited into a bands rehearsal or to the studio where they would record, wow then this is amazing. Normally these rockers would let in sit still, and not say a thing, and here we have a great guy like yourself, inviting young people in, to learn about the magic of a studio, how it sounds and operates. I love these videos and learn something every time. Forever grateful. Love from Spain.
You're the best Warren! \m/ Greetings from Brazil!
salvando nossas mix
Thanks ever so much Jota!!
you are like that teacher ure glad to have cause u make things great to learn
or well
The Misery Seeking His own Comfort.
Wow! That is ever so kind of you to say my friend!!
This is the best truly TEACHING video on vocal compression I've ever found. Thank you.
Wow! Thanks ever so much Adam
I guess now we need to learn how to EQ and apply reverb. Thanks for the great content.
Hi Juan Pablo Mijangos yes! Marvellous idea!
@@Producelikeapro delay as well would be awesome.
liked the example toward the end that exhibited when it is too much compression. thanks again warren!
Thanks ever so much Harmony Smurf!!
Really good. The use of clip gain was eye opening.
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
it's a game changer
You’re the best Warren! The past year watching your videos has improved my music production tenfold.
I will probably never record, but for some reason I'm just fascinated and entertained watching this guy.
Warren, I really dig your teaching style. Your vids are a fantastic advert for the Academy.
Do you realize how brilliant you are? The best video on compression! Real professional shares his tricks👍👍👍👍👍
Wow!! Thanks ever so much
Going thru this series as well Warren, also gold, i'm selective with my group of influences, and you are a real go to, again so much appreciated, thankyou.
Woooooow I saw so much stuff explaining what ratio does but your explanation was so incredibly spot on that I now fully understand it
Thanks ever so much
@@Producelikeapro No thank you for the amazing video
Instantly liked, just based on the title. And yes, our vocals are (almost always) too compressed. Can't wait to see your tips Warren! The concept of chaining compressors is one of the more difficult aspects for us beginners. I usually start with a CLA-2 for tone and then use something more drastic for coloring, but that's probably the wrong way around.
I recently tried putting the LA2A into limiter mode on my vocal busses and hammering it. I have always used it as a compressor on my vocal buss but I find in limit mode it does an even better job of really bringing everything together and pushing it out front quite nicely (this is after the painstaking detail work discussed here, and at least 2 stages of other compression on most other tracks in the vocal buss; ussually 2:1 and 3db GR on an SSL strip and 4:1 with 3-5db GR on a 1176 for leads and doubles and a DBX 160 on backgrounds with 5-10db GR)
I cannot stress how interesting and easy you make everything to understand without throwing too many jargons. I have seen multiple "tutorials", and even though these are just the basics, you are doing a great job. Thank you!
This was a refresher for me, brought back memories sitting with Billy Kristian (Ray Columbus and the Invaders) hours and hours of tedious editing, even drawing down the peaks manually, the reason for this he had a standalone software that you could run each track through that would redraw precept loudness, the better prepping the waveform the better results. lol
I watch you channel all the time, take it seriously as a "proper" school, thanks for this man, for teaching a new craft, and with style! can't wait for more stuff!
Hi David Martin thanks ever so much my friend! That really means a lot!
Invaluable stuff this. Compression the biggest mystery for so many when first starting. Great advice about compressing heavily and then having to compress everything to the same degree, it's something you can end up doing without realising.
Great advice! I don't know if I'm crazy but I notice an artifact when he sings "old and gray-*zzt*", just afer "gray". 15:21
GOD BLESS YOU, AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE 🙏🏼🔥
The Limiter tip is interesting. Do you have a video on who uses that on songs? Whitesnake?
Always a pleasure to listen to you, Warren! Even after the hundredth compression tutorial you're still inspiring! Keep 'em coming! You absolutely rock!!!
Hi Sounzz by hecking haha thanks ever so much my friend!
Very good video which does not drag on too much and explains some basic and advanced notions of mixing and presenting a track in a mix clearly!
Thanks ever so much Ron! You Rock!!
I think this was as much about compression as it was about editing the vocal waveform. Always useful to know.
Excellent technique. I went from being bored of the vocals to being drawn in which goes to show just how important it is getting those vocals right
Holy S... this is what I've been looking for . Thank you infinitely.
Yes, yes & yes, me too!
Thanks ever so much Gilbert!!
@@darlenesheffield9835 thanks ever so much!!
I got interested in the specifics of serial compression and have watched a lot of videos to see what the gen is. Even though this is not exclusively about that it is one of the better videos I have seen. What I was looking for was the general specifics with thresholds and ratio (for example each compressor multiplies the ratio of the other one(s). Much of this video is also about tidying up vocals - which I know and understand - but it's extremely well done and good clear and interesting instruction. What amazes me about some videos is that they are supposed to be done by producers yet the video sound is appalling! That speaks volumes. Many thanks, very good.
Warren, you're an awesome teacher making technical issues simple. Thank you
I really enjoyed how you explained ratio and how you use clip gain to even out the vocals. I will definitely try that on my next mix 🤘
Yes, the ratio description was super simple!
Thanks ever so much Pablo!!
@@darlenesheffield9835 thanks ever so much!
Wow, the ends of phrases... Key Concept here! Thanks, Sir Warren. Makes me think creatively!
Hi Brian! Excellent! Thanks ever so much for checking out the video!
Hi Warren, thanks so much for this tutorial, setting the compressor at the lowest level is a great technique. Using it now with your serial compression idea. Sounds great, thanks again :) 👊
Tubetart thanks ever so much my friend!!
Thank You for making this fantastic & timeless content! My recording woes, soothed.
Thanks very much
Hi Warren, thanks for this! Love serial compression, use it a lot!
The audio editing (clip gain in this case) of Pro-tools is awesome! I work in FL Studio and to get the same result it takes a lot more work...
Have a nice holiday in my part of the world!!! (saw it on facebook ;)).
Hi Martin, thanks ever so much my friend!!
You are great Warren!
Hey Warren...thanks for the tip on the Kali monitors in Ben Coomb's stream! Your channel is awesome! 😎🎸
You're very welcome my friend!!
I don't have a 'normally' yet. While I'm working my way through your excellent tutorials I've been recording an album. I have just gone through and gotten everything basically balanced and some tracks don't really need fixing as such. I have followed your advice in that if it sounds ok the way it is, I'm leaving it until I get to the creative mixing stage. However, there are a couple of vocals that just aren't sitting right yet, so I've got a default eq, which basically fixes my cheap mic sound, de-esser and gentle compression, beyond that I'm gain editing. I thought maybe I was cheating a bit by putting a limiter across the dodgy vocals, but having watched this, I might just add serial compression. At the moment I'm treating backing vocals a little differently, doing less and deliberately leaving them a bit 'flatter' sounding. My confidence has increased leaps and bounds since I started following your channel. Thank you so much!
I find the Studio One version of clip gain really handy for manual de-essing, and then if I need to I can EQ just that part of I need to change the colour of it a bit.
I envy :) You got singers who sound great and compression works great for them. 80% of the "singers" who get to me learn to sing at the microphone. And my compression begins with an explanation of what a vocal phrase is and how to BREATHE!... I watched the video with pleasure. Thank you! :)
Great video! Before compressing I would check if there's anything that should be taken out or tamed, EQ wise. Then the compressor would work with a signal that better represents a "good" or more goal-oriented source. In this case it sounds great already. Loved the L1 after the compressors. Thanks!
Always leave the adds play , in a way to say thanks to this channel ! Skip adds = zero $
What do you think about parallel compression on vocals instead of serial compression as was shown in this video? That is what I've been doing before now. thank you so very much for this warren. this taught me so much and I am very grateful!! you are the freaking best!!
Good tips Warren, thank you! It's always good to have more examples of situations demonstrating how we can use compression.
Thanks Warren, Until I saw you do it then, I had never thought of fading like that when clip gaining (and didn't know that it was called 'clip gaining either')
Thanks ever so much! I’m so glad to be able to help
Did Warren bypass the stock compressors when he demonstrated the limiter?
It's simply impossible to watch Warren and not learning something new
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
I love the Waves vocal rider for automating the volume, it works great
Fantastic!! Love it Warren. It makes it so much clearer!
Hi Songwriter Till thanks ever so much my friend! I’m so glad to be able to help!
Yet another great session! Have you ever done mixing work with Apple Logic?
Hi Scott, I have it sounded great! I used all of my same plug ins!! Plus the stock Logic ones are amazing!
@@Producelikeapro That's awesome! Perhaps you could do a demonstration video of how to get the same results with Logic. I'm sure there are many producers and musicians out there who would be grateful!
@@scottallen3699 Marvellous idea my friend!!
Hi Warren! I wish I'd had this tutorial two years ago, although I wouldn't have been able to hear the subtlety. Amazingly useful demonstration and discussion of the subject. Thank you! : )
My next step from here would be to rebalance (or add) the printed vocal fx, or create a rough version of the fx if they're not printed. Balance that with the background vox. Mute all the vox and move on to bass.
Thanks ever so much Lisa! You Rock!! Great to read you comment, I really appreciate your support and inside the Academy!
This is gold mate thank you! I only started producing 3 years ago and thought i finally had things sussed out! ive always used vocal samples but for some reason for my latest track i felt the need to use my own voice on it its opened up quite the can of worms lmaoo thanks for the great advice!
Awesome vid Warren :D !! It would be incredible to see more videos like this editing stuff in the different tracks. And how you would approach the vocals in the chorus?
There are many videos of the type you mention. Check out all his videos he does this many times. :-)
Sure i had watch them. But i refer in this particular track :) So we can follow the develop of the song
This is awesome!! I'm learning alot of about mixing my vocals
What band are you working with in this video? I want to check them out! Great lesson as well, subscribed.
Solid tutorial! Pro Tools makes automation so dang easy.
It does, doesn't it?!
In general i always scrub the breaths out.....fantastic segment Warren! I was just reading the other day about how some engineers put the L1 limiter at the end of the vocal chain, when i first started mastering the L1 was the plug in last in the chain..it has been replaced by the Mk stealth limiter but now i think i will put my dormant L1 into the end of the lead vocal chain..it was expensive when i purchased it so feel good about putting it back into use..! By the way I downloaded one of your free mix sessions and it sounds really good, didnt use all your drum tracks but got it to the point i liked it..i think there might be a point where you go over board on all the snare variations/mics/verb or what have you...the one thing that really made a dif was the hollow sounding snare sample underneath the original thin snare of the real drummer.! TY for all you do, appreciate you!
Great to see you doing the job Warren, learn a lot on your channel and it's entertaining as well. Regards from Holland!
Valuable info, well demonstrated! 😎👍
you Sir are the BALLS! GReat Stuff!
Awesome stuff. You mentioned not using EQ yet. Can you make an eps to teach us the EQ skill? Thanks.
I'm curious to listen to some of my recordings that I didn't really apply anything to, and try going both directions on it. I think I can do these little things here and there that you are talking about. I know I can select and cut things out, but I do also have these other tools that I never knew I could use like how you are here with the fader etc.
Over all before I do anything to them they probably need some compression, because I never knew all this stuff before. 😊
Thanks. Great study. On my vocal work i do all of the above since songs need the right feel. Even is the vocals i suuper dirty and all the way back. Basci but great stuff. Gaining and clipping up the vocals phrase by phrase is almost a given for me in every song. Next steps would be to EQ, Fx and Chain out to other rev or delay channel fx. But tha all depends on what song and style me and the artist wants. Thanks for your never ending well of knowledge. Keep it up! Followed you now for a few years. / CHeers
Thanks for the sharing..your channel is the best mixing lesson on youtube
Hi Warren, I’d like to know your opinion on those avid certifications. Thank you!
Can you tell me a little more? Avid certificates? Do you mean a College course that gives you a training certificate?
Sure! As far as I understand, avid offers three different “levels/degrees” for these pro tools certificates: Avid certified user, Avid certified operator and avid certified expert. For you to become a, let’s say, certified pro tools user you would have to complete two classes, pro tools fundamentals 1 and 2 (PT101 and PT110) which I believe to be available at private schools, not sure about colleges and universities. By completing these classes you would than apply for a test provided by avid.
My main question is not so much about the knowledge acquired by attending these classes (sure they are worth it) but more about the impact it would have on someones career. Do you think it’s worth in the aspect of job opportunities? Have you ever met someone with these type of certifications? Thank you very much Warren!
@@rodrigodemacedo5066 I completed these modules when I went to SAE. Never was asked about them when I used to work in other studios. And I don't use protools at all anymore, because it feels like a dinosaur in today's era. Not sure if this helps answer your question 🤷🏾♂️
finally! Knowledge and real tips! thank you so much!
Thanks ever so much!
Genius. Should u use compression first then use clip gain then limiter? N how do u get the high peaks down? I didnt visually see the spikes come down after compression. Never saw anyone use clip gain. Super cool n made that vocal sound so good. If I were that singer I'd be shaking my head at how good I sounded lol
Great tips! Now, I'm going to apply them to Qtractor. Thank you!
For a novice mixer like me who currently deals only with mixing tracks recorded during a live performance, how should compression techniques be modified from what you would normally use for studio-recorded tracks like those used in this video? For instance, my vocal tracks unavoidably have bleed from stage noise. I've found that trying to emulate most of the compression techniques I see on various RUclips videos does not work well with my vocal tracks as it brings up the stage bleed along with the vocal. Can you share some tips for using compression with live vocal tracks? Should I just forgo compression when working with live performance vocal tracks? I have used relatively light compression (3 to 6 dB max gain reduction) with NO make-up gain to smooth out a vocal to some degree.
That is a good question, Bill. You have to be careful with any kind of processing with live recorded performances. Although you mostly can get away with + or - 2 or 3dB on everything with anything, don't do drastic things and use a lot of automation instead. Also, always set up an XY at the FOH, highpass at 180 or so, bring those up as first and start mixing "around" those ambient mics. Have fun!
@@Kevin-vq6rv Thanks Kevin! I will give those suggestions a try.
Great stuff as usual! My next questions after doing this type of work get into the space of, “do I process the verse and chorus and other sections separately with a different stack of compressors?” I’m sure it’s an artistic choice, but it could make the sections sound very different. What about the doubles? Super squashed?
This works so well! I can't believe it. Appreciate the knowledge.
Hey thanks for this tutorial what would you saying off first using the waves vocal rider then after add a slight compressor with an lower ratio?
Hi Nathan, yes sending a fairly even signal level into the Vocal Rider will give even better results!
@@Producelikeapro alright so you're saying it's best to do the gentle compression first on the vocal to control the peak like you did on this tutorial then pass that through the vocal rider?
Hi Nathan. The suggestion from Waves and Michael White is to use vocal rider last in the chain, after you have EQ'd and compressed. You could use a sidechain function so the music is involved or place it on the channel. Warren is right in that the more even a signal you feed to vocal rider, the more natural it sounds. Some people do use two instances of vocal rider, before and after.
Thanks for the rundown on compression! But, why wouldn't you use the presets in the Avid compressor? You applied 'factory default', but in the drop down there is a setting for vocals. I'm a novice so I rely on the presets; I figure they put some thought into designing the presets, so I go with those. There are presets for bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, etc.
Anyway, thank you for all your great instructional talks!
I like to isolate the quieter parts like you did, bring them up, and then add a compressor with a lower ratio. That way the compressor is doing less work, and you don't have to have an insane ratio. Basically, I'm combining the two. 🙂
ur the BEST warren... from manila, philippines
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
Thanks Warren for the great tutorial! Serial Comp. and Clip Gain were my go-to's, (or is it "go-tos) for voiceover during my 20+ yrs. in audio post. Question. What headphones are you mixing with in this video? Cheers!
Hi elftone wow stuck! Thanks for sharing your process! You Rock!!
Basic perhaps, but very interesting. I didn't know the L1 process when mixing on a console. Thanks!
I was curious about the ratios in compression business, now I know. Thanks! :)
Marvellous so glad top be able to help my friend!!
I just learned something there thanks Warren
Hi thesoundtree wonderful!! Thanks ever so much my friend
Very helpful stuff here Warren. Enjoying this series!
Hey Warren try Waves Vocal Rider works really good for what you were talking about.....
Warren - can we not divide up the vocal phrases, use the DAW "normalize" function and lower the gains of the clips all together so they are roughly back to their original volume but more even out?
Then do a listen through and adjust the needed clips accordingly?
Seems an easier workflow?
Hi Emrah, thanks for your comment! Definitely one way of working! I find it more efficient to only do the process one time the way I'd like to hear it! However, if adding the extra step of Normalising first then correcting afterwards makes more sense to you then you should definitely work that way! I listen for issues then fix rather than doing things automatically.
The way I try to achieve that depends. I always compress vocals, but not always hard. If the vocals are very dynamic I use clip gain or volume automation.
And I guess this would be the same in PT: If you use volume automation and compression, you probably want to insert the compressor post fader, to send the already automated gain into the compressor.
Can you emulate someone with analogue gear compressing on the way in by placing a compressor at the beginning of your plug-in chain and then building your chain as usual?
Excellent teaching! Thank you sooo much!
Watched quite a few of your videos. I must say this one was great. The only question I have I have heard most people would eq the bottom out a little so the compressor would not work so hard.
Your opinion?
These videos are amazing! A quick question, around the 5/6 minute mark where you increase the gain, how do you decide how much gain to add before you've listened to it in the mix? are you watching the meters or just listening to how much the gain has been reduced by the compressor while bypassed?
Thanks for the refreshing series, Warren.
Always good advice Warren!!
Great Video! I like your manual work, old school. Thank you, Warren!
Do you think that saturation helps a vocal stick out? Saturation tending to 'average out' the overall signal (smoothing transients but also boosting additional harmonics?
Hi Warren, super helpful tutorial, thank you, all the best.
Wow amazing tutorial BTW what's that song I would love to listen to all of it really beautiful
I work with a lot of singers who double track most of their lead vocals. In this case would you recommend clip gaining and compressing each track separately or sum them and compress the double tracked vocal as a single performance? And what would Jack Douglas have done on Double Fantasy? ;-)
Thank you! You didnt talk much about the attack and release?
Hello Warren, thanks for another great Video, Simple and to the point ! I try to emulate the way you work alway`s looking for the truth in thoes little imperfection that make a Great vocal and talking about voc, Would you use a Shadow Hill as a Vocal compressor ?
I alway tought of Ratio as a fraction so a 3 to 1 would be 1/3 of the sound 4 to 1 would be 1/4 maybe I`m wrong but that`s the way my Brain Work.
Thanks, mate, another great lesson!
Hi T W Tobin thanks ever so much my friend!!
bravo bravo what a pro nice smooth finight tight great small but effective movements of mixing the vocal I love it thank you Warren digital what a different world for audio