Vocals into 002r through compressor - how?

[kastadyne]

This is something very simple perhaps, but will appreciate help. I've never added a software compressor or EQ while recording vocals. Now I want to experiment and see what happens if I do it ITB. Is this possible at all in a 002R-Mac G4-10.4.8 setup? Meaning, how do I route the singer into the 002R, then into a software compressor like Massey CT4 and into an audio track in that order? Since I use low latency monitoring all the time for the sanity of my singer, it 'greys out' the plug when I record. Any workarounds?

Thanks.

[jre3132]

probably not. you dont typically want plugs on your tracks when you're recording. WHile you're cutting the vocal you want/need to hear what you're actually recording. Putting the plug on the channel during isn't a true representation of what is going to tape/disk. During editing/mixing is when I add my EQ and/or compressors.

[Slim Shady]

You can't use Low Latency Monitoring if you want to do this. You can try tracking at 64 buffer though, that's usually good enough for most singers to deal with.

What you'd want to do is set up a mono Aux track and set it's input to your Mic source, and set it's output to a bus. Then set up a mono audio track with that same bus as the input. Put whatever compressor plug-in you want to try out on the Aux track - and when you record on the Audio track you'll be recording the proecessed signal from the Aux.

[kastadyne]

Thanks for the response. I too thought as much - although there is a nagging feeling somewhere that you can do this, of having read something somewhere, perhaps involving an aux channel. It can't be that you HAVE to have a hardware compressor to record vocals into PT LE. Or is that the way it is? Anyone else cares to seal this issue one way or another?

[kastadyne]

There! All is well, thanks to Slim Shady. Thanks so much.

[jre3132]

It can't be that you HAVE to have a hardware compressor to record vocals into PT LE. Or is that the way it is?

Hopefully my post didn't push it that way.

You don't have to use a hardware compressor at all. I typically do (mic to pre to compressor to PT I/O), but it isn't a must. I just don't use plugs during the recording since the sound I get back isn't what I'm actually recording. I'm sure you know that plugs are post, meaning the audio is recorded, then played through the plugin. Recording through them could in some cases lead to unhappiness if you bypassed the plug and heard what you actually recorded.

[Park Seward]

I have found that most professionals want to hear reverb and compression as they sing. All a matter of personal choice. Try the low buffer mode and see if that works for you. The only other option is a mic pre followed by a hardware compressor into a reverb box. You could split the mic so you can have two channels recorded, one with effects and one without.

[jre3132]

I have found that most professionals want to hear reverb and compression as they sing.

absolutely, I would agree that most vocalists (that know what they're doing) prefer it. I just do it on the front end with a hardware compressor instead of a plug. That way I don't have to worry about latency due to plugs. The only plugs I run during tracking are reverbs and delays.