Serial compression using 2 x ReaComp

[bolgwrad]

I watched (some of) a really long, rambling YT video on serial compression for vocals, and thought some Reaper users might not know that it's perfectly doable without buying nostalgia/retro plugins. It probably uses a lot less CPU, etc, too.

In this (large, sorry) gif, 'ReaScope' is what I renamed 'ReaLimit' just to use the scrolling peak function both before and after the two instances of ReaComp.
The ReaLimits can be switched off or removed once your ears tell you what's what. Note the changes in the output peaks as the ReaComps are put inline. (edit: If it helps, the signal flow is clockwise)

The first ReaComp has fast attack and a higher ratio to flatten initial word peaks. The second has slower attack and auto-makeup on to bring up the trailing ends of words. The result is that the vocal is much more even. Experiment, don't overdo it, and I hope you get as good results as I have with it.

Can't find a specific Kenny vid, there probably is one.

[jfever]

Originally Posted by bolgwrad

I watched (some of) a really long, rambling YT video on serial compression for vocals, and thought some Reaper users might not know that it's perfectly doable without buying nostalgia/retro plugins. It probably uses a lot less CPU, etc, too.

In this (large, sorry) gif, 'ReaScope' is what I renamed 'ReaLimit' just to use the scrolling peak function both before and after the two instances of ReaComp.
The ReaLimits can be switched off or removed once your ears tell you what's what. Note the changes in the output peaks as the ReaComps are put inline. (edit: If it helps, the signal flow is clockwise)

The first ReaComp has fast attack and a higher ratio to flatten initial word peaks. The second has slower attack and auto-makeup on to bring up the trailing ends of words. The result is that the vocal is much more even. Experiment, don't overdo it, and I hope you get as good results as I have with it.

Can't find a specific Kenny vid, there probably is one.

Very cool! I personally would put a saturation plugin (clipper) before the "limiter" and might try this tonight

[bolgwrad]

Or you could adjust the first ReaLimit!

[jfever]

Originally Posted by bolgwrad

Or you could adjust the first ReaLimit!

A clipper is different than a limiter/compressor. If you look into them you will learn they are secret weapons to "nicely" tame the sound for further compression. This way the compressors work less and can be used for tone shaping and will allow you to get an overall greater LUFS. I just watched a tutorial on this that's how I know.

[bolgwrad]

Amazing how much secret stuff is on YT.

[jfever]

Originally Posted by bolgwrad

Amazing how much secret stuff is on YT.

Yea and also a lot of long talkers haha. I think I lucked out on this one. It’s by a guy with spikes white hair.

[bolgwrad]

Actually, like you kind of suggested, I tried out using the first ReaLimit to clip a bit; it works really well.

[jfever]

Originally Posted by bolgwrad

Actually, like you kind of suggested, I tried out using the first ReaLimit to clip a bit; it works really well.

Cool that you got some value out of that but that's not exactly what I was suggesting.

A clipper is NOT a limiter and NOT a compressor. A clipper "clips" certain signals (peaks) entirely there isn't any attack/release/makeup etc. A limiter (either a 10:1, 20:1 or infinity:1) acts as an extreme compressor that ALLOWS peaks so they are different. There are soft and hard clipping plugins as well.
An example of a clipper NovaClip and bx_clipper but there are many out there. The reason I am excited about this recent discovery is that I was (in the past) trying to use compression/limiting to achieve the "chop the transient/peaks" but that isn't what they are meant to do.

[bolgwrad]

Whatever you want to call it WFM. It can get silly.