Tracking Vocals: Compression in the Chain?

Which compressor do you like to use these days?

IMHO the more "Advanced" you are in Recording...

The more viable "on the way in" Compression is.

The only way that makes sense at my (lower level)...

Is to/at most have one vocal going in RAW.
And the Compressed vocal going in Parallel/at the same time.

Otherwise it could be like compressing Michael Jordan into becoming Danny DeVito.

I mean just even re-listening to old vocal clips-sheesh.

All that R-E-V-E-R-B.
(But just right for Reggae Dub )
LOL!

Chris
P.S. I kept my Studio Projects VTB-1 for dual signals. Generally best left alone on Solid State/NO Toob.

Outboard compression for vocals on a budget = Art TubeMP + FMR RNC. Both totally usable pieces. I often revisit old vocals I tracked with that exact chain and am constantly wowed by how good they sound. At the time I thought they sounded like shit for some reason? No idea what I was hearing back then.

Please share that setting because I haven't found one that works yet. And I know I'm too blame. Grace wouldn't make an AMAZING preamp and a junk comp limiter

Purple Action sees a lot of vocal work here. RND 5254 has been used a bunch, too.  Sometimes one of those into the other. 

Yes always compressing on the way in. La2a or 76 or sometimes both. I don’t go that subtle either. It’s not about just the compression. As much as we discuss various pre’s I feel the compressor is what defines way more the character of the sound. Same goes for building the character across the production, the design of compressor choices. 

Paul has mentioned it was the original C3000, that was used, for the lead vocals...

On the original Morcheeba album.
So they can be capable of an excellent capture. With a singer whose voice complements it.

FWIW Kenny Bronowski's smooth Tenor sounds great, even on the MXL 990! It was "Mud City" on me, when I had one.

My "C3000/990" is the $100 AKG P120.

Chris

wow, old thread.  I used to just monitor with compression (Apollo 16, UA console in monitor mode) for vocalists, but then I figured out that the UA Console would show good levels, but it would be hitting red in Pro Tools, and then understood that meant that I was probably clipping the converters (and yes it sounded like it) .  So then I tried it in record mode (the UA plugins that is) and of course the same thing happens because it is hitting the converter first, then the console and plugin. So I'm pretty sure the meter is showing the levels out of the plugin and not into the converter (although perhaps the LED meter on the interface is showing input correctly).  Sometimes with a dynamic singer it can jump into the red quickly w/o a compressor.

anyway, that's a long way of saying that I now use an outboard compressor of some sort, but use it lightly, mainly to catch any peaks, and to know that what I am seeing on the meters is accurate.  I don't have anything super cool but it's usually one of... (Lin76, Lin2A, 2A-KT, EL9 Mike-E).  Of course sometimes you just want to f*@& it up on the way in and that is more fun with hardware comps.

for most everything else (other than vocals) I almost never use compression going in.  ok, maybe on bass (when tracking through the Mike-E because it sounds good).

When people sing to speakers, they typically require a lot less compression!

I tried that one with Tony Robbins.
But security got me right off the stage.
Chris

My go-to comp for tracking vox is the Crane Song Falcon. It's so versatile. Like it for bass tracking, too.

1176 on kick and snare going in. Not much. For box tone as much as a GR tickle.

OH tracking, a little API 2500.

Electric guitars I may or may not, but when I do it's been RND or Chandler germanium (which I no longer have...Great, but a bit too fiddly for me). Looking forward to using the AS D3a in this application. It's due in today.

When tracking I'm just after a little peak control with compressors. I'll get down to it more later if it is required.