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Voice Over...Is Compression needed?


patriot

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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.

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The Daw compressor should be able to deal with it, if you pick a RME babyface for example you will have decent pre and converters, if the DAW default compressors are not enough for you, you can always pick some from Waves for example and it will still all cost a fraction of what an Avalon 737 would...

 

Also, you should not need too much compression on it. The Avalon is a great piece of equipment without a doubt, but it might be an overkill for this purpose.

 

I hope it helps!

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You can probably get by without a compressor. If you do happen to need compression then just compress in-the-box using a plug-in. This will allow you more flexibility in case you want to adjust the sound in a specific way later on. And whether or not you need compression, it really depends on the context. Use your own judgment and also use reference tracks as well if you're unsure.

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If you're using a high end mic & pre then going into a good hardware compressor before it hits the DAW makes sense, it all depends what you want. Think of it less a tool for level control and more something that can just add a certain magic... like a sprinkling of fairy dust.

 

I've used some nice outboard gear, don't own any nowadays. Plugins can do a good job and may be all that you want, and there are some great ones out there for free. I'd try the software first, then maybe hire a nice hardware unit for a few days and compare.

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