Vocal recording question
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- KVRist
- 82 posts since 18 Sep, 2003
So i have a crap load of vocal tracks right now and i have them all routed to one group channel in tracktion, on that group i have a compressor and some reverb, so my question is, is that the same as having a compressor on every track? or do i actually need to put an individual compressor on each track separately? i hope that makes sense. recording vocals makes me appreciate the abort + restart feature so much more!
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- KVRAF
- 16154 posts since 2 Dec, 2003 from Nashville, TN
It is kind of like having one on every track. In a way, it's kind of like bussing your tracks. Another way of doing this is to create a rack filter with the compressor in it and place that on every track. It's up to you. I think racks are easier for this, but it's just a preference. There are a couple differences, but none that I notice or pay attention to. The key is that if it's making the sound you want and it's easy for you, then just do it. You can't be wrong there!
Koolkeys
Koolkeys
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
If you like "abort and restart", wait until we get loop recording mode in T2 (if you go for the upgrade). I, too, am a fan of abort and restart right now <laff>. I keep my mouse hovering over it, and just reach over and click the button as soon as I know I've screwed up my take. No point keeping total crap on my hard drive. 
The way you're describing will work a little bit, but not totally. The compressor will respond to ALL the dynamics coming into that track, which can cause some not-useful side-effects. Like if one of your 6 tracks has some weaker parts that could use a "boost", but one of the OTHER tracks is already pretty loud at that part, the compressor won't 'notice' that the weak one is way down there, and it won't be effected at all.
At the end of the day, I say compress your tracks individually. It'll be far more flexible, musical, and useful.
On the other hand, if you route all your vocal tracks to one "buss", but for the purpose of muting all but the one that you're 'auditioning', that could be handy, I suppose. I just wouldn't use it for an "all tracks active at once" situation.
Greg
The way you're describing will work a little bit, but not totally. The compressor will respond to ALL the dynamics coming into that track, which can cause some not-useful side-effects. Like if one of your 6 tracks has some weaker parts that could use a "boost", but one of the OTHER tracks is already pretty loud at that part, the compressor won't 'notice' that the weak one is way down there, and it won't be effected at all.
At the end of the day, I say compress your tracks individually. It'll be far more flexible, musical, and useful.
On the other hand, if you route all your vocal tracks to one "buss", but for the purpose of muting all but the one that you're 'auditioning', that could be handy, I suppose. I just wouldn't use it for an "all tracks active at once" situation.
Greg
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
I think there is a difference... That is, if more than one track in the group has a signal at any time.miasch wrote:So i have a crap load of vocal tracks right now and i have them all routed to one group channel in tracktion, on that group i have a compressor and some reverb, so my question is, is that the same as having a compressor on every track? or do i actually need to put an individual compressor on each track separately?
Compression is a dynamics effect, and works differently on soft and loud parts. On a group track the added signal has different dynamics than each seperate track. So the compression will work differently because it acts on the signal going above a threshold.
So it is different, unless at any time there is only one track in the group actually feeding a signal. But which is better, thats totally up to you.
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- KVRian
- 779 posts since 3 Apr, 2003 from UK
It depends really on what you're trying to achieve - if a choir type effect, then compressing the whole thing will tend to give a more natural choir effect (the natural variations in levels between the voices are maintained), but for multiple lead lines compress each track individually to keep the levels of each line similar.
But to paraphrase the first reply, if it sounds right then it is right
But to paraphrase the first reply, if it sounds right then it is right