Live Sound Vocal Compression

There are no magic settings that work 100 of the time.

Live sound vocal compression.

Lead vocals some recording engineers think compression is a must for vocals. This is a fine way to start with a comp on vocals and will let you actually hear much of whats happening as you dial it in and hear the way the compressor works with the voice. It evens out the often erratic levels that a singer can produce and tames transients that can cause digital distortion. The processor is ideal for use in practices and live performances.

This pedal s primary function is to help a singer control vocal dynamics and tone. And i don t want to mislead you. By bypassing and applying the compressor get the input gain same as without the compressor. For a vocal starting point set your threshold to 0db or 2db and a ratio of either 1 5 1 or 2 1.

When used incorrectly compression can quickly ruin a good vocal recording and make your music sound amateur and over processed. Sure it s fun to roll off some of the top end on your hall reverb but don t let that distract you from the things that actually need attention. Live sound is largely correcting problems with subtractive eq. The lead vocals should be the center of your attention.

Now without soloing the vocal slowly turn down the threshold knob to adjust the amount of compression on the vocal. But the truth is it s not that easy. Heck it d certainly save me a few keystrokes. Compression your best friend and your worst enemy.

Compression should be used sparingly. When used correctly compression is a key ingredient for vocals that sound professional modern and radio ready. If the vocal s volume drops down then adjust the makeup gain input. You can use compression on vocals to just even out the performance and to create an effect.

This tc helicon t1 vocal compression unit is perfect for any singer looking for a singular functioning effects pedal. We would recommend this to a hobbyist singer songwriter musician. There is no one size fits all formula to vocal compression.