Say you got a fast rapper like twister, how would you guys set a compressor to even his performance out and make it sit in a track real well?
Now say you got a slower rapper like 2 short, how would you set
a compressor for him?
I got my ideas, but I wanted to compare with you guys.
I have found most rappers benefit from compression. (duh)
Normally I will adjust the threshold until there is a few db's of reduction going on all the time and maybe 5 or 6 during the loudest spots, then I turn the attack down until I hear it dulling (usually somewhere around 15-35ms) the attack of the vocals - then back off just a little to let the attack through, next I would set the release at a starting point of 100ms then turn the knob either way until it sounds best. I have found that quicker releases make things seem more exciting.
I try to get the gain reduction needle to bounce in time with the track.
At times I like to use delay calculators to find my attack and release times and compressors that allow you to set the attack and release in milliseconds, experimenting with different delay calculated times always seems to work. I have found this to work pretty well most of the time allowing me to quickly dialing in compressor settings!
Another fun compression thing I do is use the uad-1 1176 in all buttons mode, with a slower attack around 11:00ish and the release all the way to the right (as fast as possible) with threshold hitting around 3- 7 db’s. This has made dull vocals cut and sound much more exciting.
I'm not a compressor expert at all, but the above seems to work for me.
Now say you got a slower rapper like 2 short, how would you set
a compressor for him?
I got my ideas, but I wanted to compare with you guys.
I have found most rappers benefit from compression. (duh)
Normally I will adjust the threshold until there is a few db's of reduction going on all the time and maybe 5 or 6 during the loudest spots, then I turn the attack down until I hear it dulling (usually somewhere around 15-35ms) the attack of the vocals - then back off just a little to let the attack through, next I would set the release at a starting point of 100ms then turn the knob either way until it sounds best. I have found that quicker releases make things seem more exciting.
I try to get the gain reduction needle to bounce in time with the track.
At times I like to use delay calculators to find my attack and release times and compressors that allow you to set the attack and release in milliseconds, experimenting with different delay calculated times always seems to work. I have found this to work pretty well most of the time allowing me to quickly dialing in compressor settings!
Another fun compression thing I do is use the uad-1 1176 in all buttons mode, with a slower attack around 11:00ish and the release all the way to the right (as fast as possible) with threshold hitting around 3- 7 db’s. This has made dull vocals cut and sound much more exciting.
I'm not a compressor expert at all, but the above seems to work for me.
And you're on to some here. Part of 'brightness, 'edge and presence lives in the attack transients (relatively speaking) and part lives in the release'. A quicker release is a way to bring these qualities up from the back end, slower being softer and perhaps a more 'pulled back' effect.