Voice Over ..... Do need to have compression for voice over ??

[patriot]

HI GANG.... New to the group. im setting up a voice over studio at my home for conversation voice only. im looking at a high end condensor mic with an avalon 737. My question is do i really need a compressor in the chain at all if all im doing is voice? i was thinking maybe i should just purchase a nice mic pre and interface and perhaps a separate unit for compression down the road. Do voice actors use much compression at all and if they do is it by way of outboard units or do they controlcompression in the DAW ? thx for ur replies.

[Anderton]

First of all, welcome!

 

I'd recommend getting the cleanest, best voice recording possible without any processing - once you've recorded with processing, there's no way to undo it. Then if you need to add compression, it will be done during whatever process (mixing, mastering, adding to video) comes next.

 

Recording with compression can be particularly problematic if you're not intimately familiar with how to use compression to obtain the best possible sound. You might add compression that sounds good at the time, but ultimately ends up not working with other material.

 

OTOH if it's to do an audition recording to get a gig, a little bit of limiting or compression, if used unobtrusively, could make your voice sound more present and "upfront" and help with getting the gig. I think we need a little more info on what the intention is for this recording

[patriot]

First of all, welcome!

 

I'd recommend getting the cleanest, best voice recording possible without any processing - once you've recorded with processing, there's no way to undo it. Then if you need to add compression, it will be done during whatever process (mixing, mastering, adding to video) comes next.

 

Recording with compression can be particularly problematic if you're not intimately familiar with how to use compression to obtain the best possible sound. You might add compression that sounds good at the time, but ultimately ends up not working with other material.

 

OTOH if it's to do an audition recording to get a gig, a little bit of limiting or compression, if used unobtrusively, could make your voice sound more present and "upfront" and help with getting the gig. I think we need a little more info on what the intention is for this recording

 

 

 

thx for ur reply.... my intention is to do do narrations, possibly some book reads, instructive/educational for medical industry. i want clean and not too much color....for that reason i felt maybe a 737 might give me what i was looking for w a good condensor......but as u know the 737 has cpmpression and eq components and though to save a few bucks perhaps i could just get a very good pre amp (Grace or something in that neighborhood) and not use an outboard compressor at all.

[Phil O'Keefe]

For narration, I doubt you'd really need to track with compression - not unless you're a highly "animated" speaker who goes from very soft speaking to much louder speaking a lot. As Craig suggested, going for a good quality preamp with as little processing as possible on "the way in" is the way to go IMO. You can always use a compressor plugin later to smooth out any remaining rough edges if necessary.

[Notes_Norton]

Me? I think that if you have good mic control, you never-ever need to compress anything you are recording. Dynamics are a very important part of both musical and spoken expression.

 

If you want to participate in volume wars, you can always compress later.

 

 

 

[patriot]

For narration' date=' I doubt you'd really need to [i']track[/i] with compression - not unless you're a highly "animated" speaker who goes from very soft speaking to much louder speaking a lot. As Craig suggested, going for a good quality preamp with as little processing as possible on "the way in" is the way to go IMO. You can always use a compressor plugin later to smooth out any remaining rough edges if necessary.

 

 

thanks phil....in your opinion what would be the "good quality preamp" of choice?

[MikeRivers]

It depends on your voice, what it's over, and what the project is.

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

 

thanks phil....in your opinion what would be the "good quality preamp" of choice?

 

There's a bunch to choose from. You mentioned Grace, and they make nice, clean preamps.

 

Let me ask you this - what is your voice like, and what microphone were you planning on using it with?

 

 

[patriot]

 

There's a bunch to choose from. You mentioned Grace, and they make nice, clean preamps.

 

Let me ask you this - what is your voice like, and what microphone were you planning on using it with?

 

 

My voice.....id characterize it as a tad lower than ur normal conversational voice....id lIke to do voice over in the Atlas of instructional....commercial for radio or tv....books on tape....im not stuck on avalon or grace at all....but i do not want to compromise on the quality of the previous amp.

[Notes_Norton]

Make sure, especially if you have a low voice, after you record, eq to get rid of mud and boost the consonants a bit. This will help especially if the listener is using low end consumer gear. Make a double of your original track so you can eq to your heart's content without destroying the take.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[philboking]

Yeah, that's been my experience too with voice.

For a big deep voice: Cut the lows, slight boost on the mids (600Hz - 2kHz), highs as needed to get clarity without adding sibilance.

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

My voice.....id characterize it as a tad lower than ur normal conversational voice....id lIke to do voice over in the Atlas of instructional....commercial for radio or tv....books on tape....im not stuck on avalon or grace at all....but i do not want to compromise on the quality of the previous amp.

 

Thanks! Have you decided on what microphone you like best with your voice yet?

 

[Ernest Buckley]

HI GANG.... New to the group. im setting up a voice over studio at my home for conversation voice only. im looking at a high end condensor mic with an avalon 737. My question is do i really need a compressor in the chain at all if all im doing is voice? i was thinking maybe i should just purchase a nice mic pre and interface and perhaps a separate unit for compression down the road. Do voice actors use much compression at all and if they do is it by way of outboard units or do they controlcompression in the DAW ? thx for ur replies.

 

I own 2 737s... I use them for everything... vocals, drum OHs, guitars, bass DI, etc... I suggest you compress mildly. The good news, the compressor on the 737 is gentle. A threshold of -15 with a 2:1 ratio is gentle and will get your signal where it will need minimal processing in the DAW.

 

The EQ on the 737 is quite impressive and very powerful so be careful. I would experiment with some EQ settings, take notes, then record short portions, and compare.

 

Yes, there are cleaner pres out there... Grace comes to mind immediately. But then you`ll need a compressor and EQ. The 737 gives you a lot of bang in one box. Anyone who talks smack about the 737 really doesn`t understand the power that lies in that unit. I`ve been using them since 1999... time flies... I have access to lots of gear thanks to some friends but I always turn to the 737 for vocals and bass.

 

Learn the unit by experimenting.

[Anderton]

 

I own 2 737s... I use them for everything... vocals, drum OHs, guitars, bass DI, etc... I suggest you compress mildly. The good news, the compressor on the 737 is gentle. A threshold of -15 with a 2:1 ratio is gentle and will get your signal where it will need minimal processing in the DAW.

 

Actually this brings up a very good point. One of my favorite compression techniques is two compressors in series, each with very subtle compression. The results seem more transparent and natural than trying for the same amount of effect with one compressor.

 

[patriot]

 

Actually this brings up a very good point. One of my favorite compression techniques is two compressors in series, each with very subtle compression. The results seem more transparent and natural than trying for the same amount of effect with one compressor.

 

 

two compressors ?? how does thatb work? you compress that which has already been compressed?

[Ernest Buckley]

 

 

two compressors ?? how does thatb work? you compress that which has already been compressed?

 

Yes, absolutely. My vocals are attenuated 3-5 dBs max during their peaks. Thats with a -15 threshold and 2:1 ratio (medium attack and fast release... "fast" on the 737 is slow on other compressors... for anyone unfamiliar with the 737). These mild settings allow me to sing naturally and not worry about distorting the input but at the same time, leave plenty of room for dynamics, creating a more natural sounding track. Then if need be, I can compress ITB even further. I have gotten smoother/more natural sounding vocals by chaining compressors.... mild compression before going into the DAW, then compressing mildly ITB. Try it.

 

 

On a side note: the Avalon 737 is a powerful channel strip and it gets a bad reputation for sounding "dull" and not being fast enough on "compression". Granted, its not the compressor I`m grabbing when I want to slam audio. The 737 is more of a gentle swedish massage, not a deep tissue...

[philboking]

I'm currently working with a singer that has a incorrigible bad mic technique. Plosives and sibilants along with inconsistent levels. I ended up with a crazy FX chain inserted on the DAW track:

1 Transient shaper

2 Spitfish (for sibilance)

3 Pop remover

4 Compression at 1.6, threshold -24

5 Compression at 3, threshold -18

6 Compression at 4.5, threshold -12

7 Compression at 8, threshold -6

(All the compressors have 0 attack time)

8 EQ

 

Seems excessive, I know. But it took me 4 or 5 hours of trying less drastic measures... There is only one other option I considered but haven't yet tried, which is running it through my Gates LevelDevil. Might give that a shot tomorrow; I've seen it do miracles on other problem tracks...

[MikeRivers]

I'm currently working with a singer that has a incorrigible bad mic technique.

 

Some people love a challenge, I guess. Me, I'd tell him he's never going to make a good record unless he learns to sing better or bring in another singer. Then he'd go to someone patient like you.

 

Oh, and about compressors in series - the famous-a-while-back RNC (Really Nice Compressor) from FMR Audio used this technique when switched to the Really Nice mode, but it was all inside the box and digitally controlled to sound, well, really nice. It doesn't have separate user controls for the two compressors, it just works.

 

 

[Ernest Buckley]

I'm currently working with a singer that has a incorrigible bad mic technique. Plosives and sibilants along with inconsistent levels. I ended up with a crazy FX chain inserted on the DAW track:

1 Transient shaper

2 Spitfish (for sibilance)

3 Pop remover

4 Compression at 1.6, threshold -24

5 Compression at 3, threshold -18

6 Compression at 4.5, threshold -12

7 Compression at 8, threshold -6

(All the compressors have 0 attack time)

8 EQ

 

Seems excessive, I know. But it took me 4 or 5 hours of trying less drastic measures... There is only one other option I considered but haven't yet tried, which is running it through my Gates LevelDevil. Might give that a shot tomorrow; I've seen it do miracles on other problem tracks...

 

I had a similiar situation a good 17 years ago... The singer was an absolute wreck. She was an opera singer who had no experience recording in a studio and she was making a pop record... songs she wrote... they were horrendous but when you`re getting paid, you press record and make the best of it...

 

Anyway, after numerous attempts to get the correct compression, I just gave up and told her she would have to record the loud passages on a separate take. So she had the verses down fine.... I adjusted the compressor, advised her to take 2 steps off the mic, told her to sing along to the verses and then I punched her in on the chorus.

 

It worked. It sounded fine in the final mix but you know.... a compressor does not make the song any better...