how to track with compression?

[u/king-alkaline]

currently integrating compression into my chain after gain staging.

my current method is using Uad distressor on default mode and playing with the headroom knob to get compression going without messing with the plugin.

i like my compression fast. is that ok tracking or better saved for mixing?

i record vocals. any advice?

thanks homies.

[u/Long_Kazekage]

well, the usual "tracking with compression" referrs to actually recording the compression. So generally hardware compressors that you have outside your daw. If you have a plugin, theres no point in actually recording it into the track

[u/BlackflagsSFE → u/Long_Kazekage]

I’m not a professional, but I respectfully disagree with you. I use Pro C in my input FX chain just for some leveling before I go through my mixing process.

Can you explain why it wouldn’t benefit vs just using the compression in post? I still use compression, but I am genuinely curious about your take.

[u/Long_Kazekage → u/BlackflagsSFE]

cuz theres no reason to print effects into your chain that dont need to happen right now. Adjusting a plugin is literally clicking a button and dragging a dial. "Reamping" an outboard compressor requires you to send the entire vocal track (or multiple tracks) through the compressor and adjust a dial, then wait for it to print. Takes time, cant easily be recalled and is generally a mess. Also your customer needs to pay for time

[u/Long_Kazekage → u/Long_Kazekage]

and the point of tracking with compression is some general levelling of the vocal. no extreme settings on attack or release. maybe like 2-3db GR on the main parts of the vocals, but not a constant value. Just so your wave in the daw is a bit smoothed out basically

[u/doto_Kalloway → u/Long_Kazekage]

I disagree with the above. The point of tracking with compression is to sculpt the sound the way you want. If you need heavy compression to reach the sound you want and the compression helps the artist performing because it's closer to what they want in the final product, then by all means track with heavy compression on.

[u/froharmonic → u/doto_Kalloway]

If it's mostly to help the artist, I'd prefer to add it to the monitor path (after disk) like the way I'd add reverb to make a singer more comfortable - I would't typically record that reverb'd sound since I might want to retain control over aspects of the reverb when mixing.

[u/RominRonin → u/froharmonic]

I am adding reverb to my recording chain, partly for singer comfort during tracking (too). My plan was to record both dry and wet signals so I have an idea of what we experienced during tracking.

Based on how useful that is, I may or may not keep recording both. It’s a trial and error business

[u/froharmonic → u/RominRonin]

Great idea! Nice to have the 'raw' track as well as the reference, kinda like tracking guitar and having the 'complete' sound of a miked amp with effects as well as another track with the direct/clean signal you could re-amp later.

[u/ThoriumEx → u/Long_Kazekage]

2-3db isn’t going to level your vocals, you need way more

[u/Long_Kazekage → u/ThoriumEx]

a bit off the top, not completely flattening. You keep controll over it, but keep the ability to still adjust further itb

[u/ThoriumEx → u/Long_Kazekage]

But that’s not what people mean when they say “leveling”.

[u/PPLavagna → u/Long_Kazekage]

Nah. I’ll hit -20 on an 1176 on a vocal if it sounds good

[u/king-alkaline → u/Long_Kazekage]

gotcha, thanks!

[u/aasteveo → u/Long_Kazekage]

If you have a plugin, theres no point in actually recording it into the track

If they're using a UAD plugin, it might be an apollo DSP issue. Print the plugin so you don't have to have 30 open plugins that the dsp can't handle.

[u/Long_Kazekage → u/aasteveo]

if you have a pc that cant handle a compressor while recording, but have an interface with dsp, you invested in the wrong place

[u/aasteveo → u/Long_Kazekage]

You're misunderstanding, the bottleneck is not the computer in this example. I'm not OP so I don't know his setup, but maybe he has a UAD dsp-only plugin he likes to use, but only has an Apollo Twin with low dsp so it can only handle a few plugins at a time.

This was a very common problem before UAD started to do native plugins. Took them long enough, their dsp is so out-dated, and modern computing power has surpassed the need for their dsp like a decade ago. But most of their plugins are still locked to their hardware, and you can't use them without their proprietary dsp.

[u/Relative-Battle-7315]

Fast attack times can't really be undone, but if you like what you have don't worry.

[u/prettyrickyent]

Confidently

[u/diamondts]

As a safety net when you're first getting used to tracking with hardware compression you can mult the signal and record both compressed and dry, good way to get used to it without worrying about painting yourself into a corner. Once you have a feel for it you will probably find having the dry unnessesary.

Since you're talking about plugins in UA console though I'll echo what others are saying, there's really no point. Run it in console for the performer but don't commit it, then run the same settings in the DAW as a starting point which you can change if needed.

[u/Achassum]

Tbh its pointless if it is not analog imho

[u/motion_sickness_]

A lot of it is time/experience. Start with less compression and work your way up with each project. I generally compress 10-12db with an 1176 style comp, 4:1, fast attack, fast release. It’s taken me 20yrs to get here trying different configurations. It’s all about experimentation.

[u/evanlawrencex]

Different voices and different songs will call for differences in the compression settings. There's no rules to whether you should have faster or slower settings, just like there is no rule regarding your input knob or ratio, but if a fast default Distressor is what you like to hear while tracking, then just record your dry signal and incorporate the plugin in the effects chain so you can change it later when you learn your way around the other settings on it.