For this, we are aiming to hit a maximum of -10 of peak reduction during the loudest parts. Next up, we have to dial in the peak reduction. However, by adding the EQ first, we have more control over the parallel compression. By decreasing this amount, the compressor will respond less to lower frequencies, which in essence is the same thing we did by adding the EQ first. After this, make sure that the knob next to HiFREQ is turned 100% to flat. In addition to this, it is an easy compressor to work with, since you don’t have to dial in the attack, release or ratio.įirst make sure that the analog mode is switched of, as this only adds details like crackling, which is something that the analog version of this plug-in would add, but since we are going for clean vocals we don’t want any of this. This compressor really shines on vocals because of its smooth tone. CLA-2A compressorįor this instance, I have chosen the CLA-2A compressor from Waves. Add a compressor to your liking as the second insert on the send. This will result in crisp vocals that cut through the mix.ģ. So what is the benefit of this? Eventually when you blend the send in, you will not have the muddy/boomy frequencies. EQ with low cut up to 4khzīy having this EQ setting as the first insert, only the frequency range between 4kHz and 20kHz will be affected by the parallel compression. Add an EQ with a high pass filter/low cut around 4kHz as the first insert.
Below you can find a tutorial of how to create a send for the most common DAW’s:Ģ. How to do this will depend on the DAW you are using. Rather than lowering the highest peaks for the purpose of dynamic range reduction, it decreases the dynamic range by raising up the softest sounds, adding audible detail. Parallel compression, a form of upward compression, is achieved by mixing an unprocessed ‘dry’, or lightly compressed signal with a heavily compressed version of the same signal. What is parallel compression? Parallel compression, also known as New York compression, is a dynamic range compression technique used in sound recording and mixing. I’m a huge fan of parallel compression when it comes to compressing for tone. When compressing for tone, I like to be subtle, especially when mixing vocals, since we are trying to enhance the sound and not just make it louder. Why do we use compression for tone before compression for dynamics? This is because we also want to control the tone/character that we add, which eventually will result in a more balanced mix. It can either be used for compressing dynamics, but also because of the tone/character of a specific compressor. We can use compression for multiple reasons.