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Old 11-14-2017, 12:41 PM   #5
RDBOIS
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Join Date: Feb 2016
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Posts: 1,425
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Hello.

I'm not a pro, so take this at it is; some info that can help you get somewhere half-there... However, of everything I do, I've been told my vocals sound very acceptable.

I just posted something in this thread, please check it out:

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=199558


But in that thread I didn't mention compression, EQ and other stuff.

So here it is:

1) I always start by doing fixes to the vocal track PRE-VOLUME envelop like this, for example:

Note1: Why Pre-Volume? Because this is the first place on the chain, even before the eq and compression. Doing edits here means that the compressors used later won't have to work so hard at leveling things that are 'out of whack'. This includes dealing with plosives and dee-ssing (some work can be done here), as well as removing breaths and/or useless noises on the track

Note2: The fun part with pre-volume is you actually SEE the changes visually; as you move the envelop, so will move the wav shape file




2) Autotune with ReaTune - manually (if needed, hopefully not). Be very careful, artifacts creep in real fast, and will make some buzzing/metallic/flutter sounds that you won't know where they came from later down the road...

3) EQ - ReaEq, this is relative your voice and what is going on in the song, but I normally have something like this going on around 600/700hz :

Note: My EQ cuts may look very drastic, but this works for me (my voice/tone) and my microphone (a cheap *ss condensor mic - I need to cut some harshness and get some nasty nazal/cheap mic thing going on )




4) De-essing, assuming it is needed once the Pre-volume and Eq have done their thing - You can do this with ReaXcomp. There is a setting for this; check it out. But, normally don't have much to do given my workflow...

5) I add some compression; if needed.

Note: if needed, depends on how well a job you did the pre-volume and what the song is calling for...

I use ReaComp, most of the time, because if you really know it, it can do a lot of neat stuff... For example:

You can set it up to act as a compressor with a REALLY REALLY fast attack to catch/tame the transients and/or loud signals at the beginning of words/sentences:

Note: Look at the Pre-Comp (this is important - a look-a-head? - to catch the very first part of a signal, Look at the Attack (low) and RMS (low). Adjust the rest to get what you want



And set it up to act later in the signal to smooth out everything,

Note: Look at the Attack and RMS, adjust the rest to what you want.



6) After that I add DELAY and REVERB:

Read the post https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=199558

7) I will sometimes add more delay effect to create some kind of back vocal that repeat some parts of the vocals like this:

Note: I duplicated the main vocal track and added ReaDelay. You are looking at the BLUE lines, the automation of the VOLUME (only the WET - Dry is turned to Zero) of the ReaDelay VST plugin. You see how the Delay will only occur where I want it to happen? Oh, the yellow-orange like is the panning, so I actually have the delay going from L ear to R ear (for more ear candy...)



Hmmm... I know I'm forgetting something? Oh ya, have a look again at the image above where I show the PRe-Volume. You'll notice another envelop (ie.. Volume) - the one that is rather flat and has two levels? That was done AFTER everything else was done, to make to vocals fit inside the overall song, at the very end of the mixing process.

Just thinking to myself, 'you are one lucky son-of-a-gun' it took me a full year to figure out how to do all of this! I sure hope it helps you. This is, of coarse, a workflow for those who want to use ONLY REAPER STOCK PLUGINS. There are other VSTs that can probably do a better job, I don't know, I don't have them?

Also, some Pro's may chime in and tell us what is wrong with this basic/entry-level* amateurish workflow? That would be good for both of us, and anyone novice reading who may be tempted to emulate my vocal setup.

*it does yield descent vocals
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