Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

Is there a way to level out the volume of a track without compression?? Any instrument, but my concern right now is vocals. some parts are way too loud, some way too quiet. A compressor does do the job for this, BUT, then the quality sounds bad.. you can hear all the breaths being taken very loudly, the c's and s's pop out way too much. what i've been doing is just playing through the region, and seperating the parts, and using the db leveler on the bottom left and adjusting it piece by piece OR, using latch and just riding the fader up and down.. (problem with that, is i always catch it 1/2 a second AFTER i notice its too loud or too quiet).. as you can imagine this takes a while, and with everything PT has to offer, i highly doubt there isn't a way to level out the volumes so it's all consistent WITHOUT using a compressor. Or maybe i'm just not using the compressor right? maybe using way too much?? Someone help me lol!! What do you guys do for this!??

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

What you're doing is the way to do it. Volume automation.

If you want an automated system, look into Wave Rider by Quiet Arts.


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Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

Start by using Clip Gain to adjust anything too loud or too soft(I do this even WITH compression). Once that is done, I use BF76 set to just catch the peaks, followed by SMACK! to add more compression and "character"(SMACK! is Avid's take on the LA-2A tube compressor). After that, I will automate the volume. If that STILL needs more, I insert Waves Vocal Rider in the top insert slot(but I rarely need it):o If you are still working with ONLY the stock plugins, SMACK is often available on the second-hand market for around $50(plus the usual $25 iLok transfer fee) and is worth every penny. The next plugin you will want is a good reverb(Dverb is okay, but there are tons of more versatile reverbs out there).

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

Wow, whatever happened to mixing with faders?:(

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

Nothing happened. With the correct gear, its perfectly fine. But, for those mixing in the box, without some physical fader control, its tough to do in real-time. Sure you can automate the volume, but this happens after all the plugins. By using clip gain, or Vocal Rider, you level things out before they hit the plugins. Doing that drives compressor inserts more evenly, which gives a more consistent sound(valuable for any compressor, but even more-so with "character" compressors like an LA-2A or SMACK!).

A compressor works fine for modest level control, but if the singer has too much dynamic range(like most modern singers that never learned any mic technique), then a compressor is simply not going to wrangle that much volume difference. I can tell by the 3rd pass(at most) if the singer is going to need a lot of editing, so rather than A-beat them up over it, or B-work them till they are burned out, I get the best they are capable of, and fix it(sadly, damage control is a lot of what many of us get paid for these days).

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

That was sarcasm.
Yes, I mix in the box, use compressors. and clip gain.
But I was raised using faders, and riding into a compressor if need be.

I watched a young mixer mix a show without faders, it was painfull.

Also segways:
In TV land, a Pro Tools music segway just doesn't sound as good as a hand move with a fader.

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

Segway??? Isn't that a funky 2-wheeled thing you ride around:o:o:o

Re: Level out Volume consistent without compression??
 

+1 on clip gain, its a great pre-fade level prep.
Search up vocal mic technique too, sometimes I feel its a bit of a dying art. Its something every singer should learn. If the singer is just blasting away really close to the mic, the levels are hard to keep in check.