How to get this compressed vocal sound? (Charlie Sexton)

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Charlie Sexton. Amazing if you haven't heard of him.. Anyway, any recommendations on how to get this sound? Feature of it:

-In your face dry (no reverb)
-almost like slow attack settings? as it swells up towards the end of his words
-EQ? it sort of reminds me of the the SSL preset in the waves package by CLA but would like some opinions...
-Sounds close miced...but sounds as if there is more going on.

Just one of those questions where you need another pair of ears as i will be mixing my own voice and subjectiveness goes out the window when working on your own stuff!

Here is the link of the sound i want:

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 1867FDF18C
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Charlie Sexton... he's the guy who had a big hit with "Beat's So Lonely" in the 80's, and then went on to join Arc Angels for a bit, neh? ;) How could someone NOT have heard of him? :D

The sound of that vox is pretty good. Remember, though, it's not all due to compression, as I think you already know (it's just that the title of the thread is misleading). It's a combination of many factors, the least of which not being the microphone.

Greg
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Voxengo Voxformer has everything you need to get that sound. Except for the good voice.
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To start with Charlie had great hair.

Then Charlie (at least on his solo stuff like Impressed) sang below his natural register, as we all did in the 80's. I'd also assume that he used very sensitive mics with a pop shield and a patient engineer.
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Large condenser mic + compression.
By the way there is reverb on the vocals and even delay in the first song but it's done gently probably mixed 60% dry 40% wet.
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Thanks all for your input. After a listen I got the sense that some hard compression or the heavy 'character' of a compressor was used

Lunch Money: That's him alright! Yes; many factors make a recording from mic, lead to breakfast and hairstyle ;) What you are saying about his voice being just that character is probably key though.

AD80: Intersting.. You know, I tried out Voxformer and I've heard so many good things about it so I tried to like it but it just doesn't do it for me! It sounds 'boxy' for some reason. I might just have to play with the demo a bit more..

Benedict: ha! :) Well, he pulled it off unlike many in the 80's!

AndrewSimon: Yes, can hear the fx in the first song, but aside from that his typical vocal sound is 'larger than life' which I wanted to emulate.
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i don't know if my ears are messed up, but i hear some flangering in the voice, in the second song
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Thats instresting efdi.. i thought it might some very slow release setting on the compressor but a slight flange could give a similar effect! :tu: Cheers!
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musicL wrote: AndrewSimon: Yes, can hear the fx in the first song, but aside from that his typical vocal sound is 'larger than life' which I wanted to emulate.
I think you are missing the point.
This "ghost reverb" is big part of achieving that "larger then life" vocal.

"Normal" reverb tends to soften and distance vocals but if used in this short form it does this magic.

Try a bright plate reverb with super short tail (0.5ms or less) and blend it 50%dry 50%wet.
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I get the ghost reverb but it doesn't sit right.. Maybe i need to pan it or put less mix in there.. here is a track, not ideal source (Family guy of all things..)

Clip processing
1: normal
2: compression & ghost reverb
3: compression & ghost reverb & Flanger (bit extreme..will put as send effect next time opposed to insert)

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... EC6AA26F4D

PS. Re the clip; i don't endorse drugs of any sort!
PSS AndrewSimon - nice strings guitar video! dam it...
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