In any song that incorporates voice, the vocals take front and centre.

A compressor like the LA-2A is perfect for this because to it’s shorter attack times and gentler approach to compression. Enter compressor number 2 comes !!īy applying a slower, gentler compressor after the rapid one we’re able to manage the voice and smooth things out even more. The first compressor in the chain is excellent to capturing and controlling any surges in gain. Working with this initial degree of compression is a balancing act and will need a little adjusting.Įnter the second Compressor.

Set the attack as fast as possible then gently scale it down.

Start lowering the threshold until you achieve some gain reduction.

First of all, try to level out some of the vocal levels with clip gain or a comparable method.

Mastering vocal compression takes time and there are no specific methods for it but here a couple of TIPS to help you do it :

Release: The speed it takes the compressor to return to its normal state (it is based mainly on the tempo of the song or the speed of performance).

Tip: The attack setting on a compressor is critical (Slowing them down allow for the transient to come through before being clamped down)

Attack: is related to speed or how long it takes for the compressor to start working.

Threshold: The moment in signal volume when compression starts.

The compressor has a few features that are worth exploring, particularly when wanting to learn how to compress vocals.

How to compress vocals