should I use a compressor?

[new engineer]

Just had a session with a classical vocalist and pianist performing modern improv. Her dynamic range was extreme. How can I get her voice from not distorting in the loud passages? For the most part she would sing quiet but then drop some big bombs.

[Felix]

use lower levels.

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
there's a big thread somewhere around here about level setting. with 24 bit, it's perfectly fine to have the lower levels at -20 dbfs or lower. if that's not enough range, you may want a compressor or limiter.

[where02190]

Agreed, -15dbFS is more than sufficient level into PT.

[gerax]

I don't agree with the two posts above: I think you should go with a limiter an keep the level under control: with digital recording the level should be as high as possible, as for each dB less in level the sound will be qualtized to the LSB (Least significant Bit), and thus not faithfully reproduced, plus by recoding low you're not taking advantage of 24bit resolution, and lower recording level will result in lower S/N ratio (read noise) if you're not using a super clean signal path; I'd set a level for her (the singer) average voice, than back it off a little and use a clean, transparent compressor set to reduce by 2 or 3 dB, just when she hits those peaks, or if you don't want to use compression try riding the gain on tape (even if this could be difficult in an improv section): I recently recorded a jazz improv trio (piano, double bass and percussion) and they were wildly dynamic, so that I constantly had to set gain and ride it in the improv parts, but I had a really good result; lastly PT has some headroom built in, so don't be afraid if a meter goes to red every once in a while: as long as you don't hear digital distortion, that means that a single sample has reached 0dBFS, and, unless you're a purist, that cannot be perceived by the human ear.

OK, now yell at me

L.G.
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Felix]

uh oh....

[where02190]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Felix:
uh oh....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

yup...here we go again....

[Brent Hahn]

First of all, be aware of your client's sensibilities. Classical folks, in general, detest compression and limiting and a lot of 'em have really good ears. Also, if your setup (I'm guessing here) has the singer fairly near the piano without much if any isolation -- this is how a lot of classical musicians like to work -- if you significantly compress the vocal peaks, the vocal leakage into the piano mics will appear to increase. Now you've cheesed off the pianist as well.

Here's a novel approach: have your singer listen to a playback or two. Explain your dilemma. Maybe tactfully point out that she's not, in this case, belting Cosi Fan Tutti into the back row of the balcony. Maybe she'll at least consider working the mic a little.

Just a thought.

Brent Hahn

[Mark Haliday]

>>Classical folks, in general, detest compression and limiting and a lot of 'em have really good ears<<

True in theory, but it is nonetheless a fact that many classical lovers love the sound of classical music on FM radio where it is overall quite compressed. (shhhht don't tell them...);-)
Vinyl records where also quite compressed, and I believe this gives part of the explanation as to why people initially prefered this to CD.
In both cases the compressor/limiters used are of very high quality like the EMT mastering models.
However it is a fact that in classical music, level nuances are not only OK, but should be respected. This means that the settings on the compressor will be quite different from pop : Brickwall limiting a fortissimo note is definitly out !

[Brent Hahn]

By "classical folks" I meant musicians, not fans. My bad.

BH

[Przemek]

Try low level compression, or mixed compression. Send track to bus, make two identical auxws with, say, RenComp there. Put one compressor threshold high enough ("virtual bypass) and compress "full to the max" second track. Then add that second track to taste. This way this "system compressor" will "act" only on quiet passages and not on louder. When I think of it, one can try "paint" sth like that in C1...
Przemek.