layered vocals processing (buss compression)

[= F$ =]

If you have the processing power, i'd say compress & eq each layer separately.

I've found that sending them all to one bus doesnt sound as lush. kinda flat and lifeless sometimes...especially if you want to have certain parts standout (this is where automation can get interesting).

[Stackx]

Yea I would send them to a buss for some compression (glue) probably a touch of reverb on that buss as well but I've never been a fan of just treating the whole thing in a buss unless its for a certain reason.

[chronmaster]

Sometimes I compress individually and then compress on a buss. Sometimes I just compress them all on a buss and skip individual channel compression. It depends on the mix and style of the vocals

Usually, I compress all of my background vocals together on a buss separate from the lead vocal. Gives a sense of separation but tightness on the backing vocals.

For a vocal buss I tend to use an LA-2A or Tube-Tech CL-1B.

[Bender412]

Originally Posted by Deandre816

.. well how should I set up my compressor on that buss track. I do know how to use a compressor on a single track fairly well but compressing multiple vocals is new to me and I have no idea how to set it up.

As far as "setting it up" goes, it's the same. Apply the compressor on the insert of the buss track. Adjust as needed. What's the difference?

[CJ Mastering]

Yea, its exactly the same as setting it up on a track, the only thing you need to do extra is figure out the percentage of audio signal you want to send to the bus.

Then you just adjust each compressor setting to taste (until you achieve the desired sound)

CJ

[3rd Degree]

Honestly, for me, it's not all that dissimilar to drums. It depends on how much you want things to mesh together and how much you want things to stand out. For myself, I often don't have a lead vocal track, I have 2 or 3. I would buss all those to a single compressor. I work with a few artists that have odd ways of doubling/ad libing. They may double half the verse then ad lib, then ad lib and double a second half, then adlib again. Usually there, I would bus all but the main vocal, and maybe one ad lib track that I don't want effected by other tracks. Some rappers I work with do very little ad libs and no doubles, I usually deal with each track individually as there isn't much going on so there is less to make mesh together. It really depends on the goal and they way someone lays there tracks down.

[Alxi]

As said by other, you would set it fairly the same.
I usually have 4 vox group 1 for lead, 1 for backs and 1 for chorus and i send them all to one buss that allows me to mute, unmute or ajust all vox level at the same time.

I might eq vox on individual channels but i usually eq and compress all the leads at the lead buss, all the backs at the back buss and same thing goes for the Chorus

[yosemitesam]

On the background vocal track, would you guys compress the left and right sides separately (with a stereo compressor)? Or would you use a stereo compressor with the left and right sides linked?

[Zachariah]

Originally Posted by yosemitesam

On the background vocal track, would you guys compress the left and right sides separately (with a stereo compressor)? Or would you use a stereo compressor with the left and right sides linked?

What are you trying to do? Multi mono processing will allow you to tame each channel differently. So if your left channel is a bit more dynamic...u can tame him independently from the right. I always start them from the same spot and then fine tune each channel from the same starting point.

I rarely use compression on a vox sub unless its needed. Its feeding the 2 buss most of the time and that has slight compression on it already. Thats my glue

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