With tonal compression, the most important part is the attack time. When a sound gets too loud, the compressor kicks in and reduces the volume. Getting vocals to sit in a mix in an upfront yet natural way can be difficult when first learning how to mix vocals. Rap Vocal Compression Settings. Release Time = 11.1 secs. Noise Floor = -40db. Mastering the release setting will control this aspect of the vocal but also, you can tackle these problem areas BEFORE the signal even touches the compressor circuit by using clip gain to manually control the peaks and breaths. The most common use for a multiband compressor is to remove problem frequencies. Release Time = 10 – 12 secs. The third time has the same settings, except the Release is at its fastest. The difference isn’t as stark as it was on the drums, but it does intensify the effect a fair bit. Instead of making one single compressor do all the heavy lifting, try two or more compressors throughout your plugin chain. The number game starts now… Assuming your compressor plugin doesn’t have any rap vocal preset hare we will create our own preset by changing the parameters of the compressor. The ratio determines how much the volume is reduced by. However, compressing is an art and there is no hard and fast rule to apply the same settings on your vocals. Typically, fast attack times are good for thick and heavy vocals while a slower attack time is good for aggressive vocals that punch through the mix. Targeting a specific range with multiband compression. 9 Best Vocal Compressor Plugin VST Software – Mixing the Perfect Vocals Let’s get your vocals under control with the best vocal compressor plugin software. Some compressor tips: The further left you move the threshold bar, the more background noise you hear. Apply 2-3dB of compression using similar settings to your main compressor, with one important exception—don’t apply any makeup gain. Attack Time = 1.5 to 1.9 secs. Ratio = 2.5:1. The setting … Even if you do automate the vocals, but then slam on a heavy compressor with 10dB+ of gain reduction, your vocals could still sound over-compressed. When the compressor kicks in, it adds to the guitar’s sustain and adds a subtle sheen to the tone. As each compressor plugin software is different, and there are myriads out there to choose from, we’ll keep it simple, and take a look at 5 of best best choices out there… Click on Effects: Compressor, and keep the settings on about: Threshold = -18db. Try these settings to play around with: Threshold = -15 dB to -18dB. If your vocals are too harsh, muddy, nasal or too edgy in some parts of the vocal performance and not the entire song then a multiband will be the best option over a static EQ. The compression settings then depend on the effect you're trying to achieve and what else is going on in the mix. Attack Time = 1.81 secs. I find around -6dB clip gain on breaths and sibilance works really well for me. What does compressing the audio do? One of your main goals when compressing vocals is to avoid over-compression. Compression is a great way to bring a vocal forward in a mix but it can also cause unappealing sonic artifacts. Let me give you an example: You load up a compressor on the vocal and it goes over the threshold by 10dB (more on the threshold in … Bypass the multiband compressor and then bring it back in to check that it properly controls the problem. Noise Floor = -40dB. Ratio = 2.5:1. How to use Multiband Compression on Vocals Fixing Problem Frequencies. Try to keep it between -15 to -18 dB.