Comp Settings For Jazz Vocal

[Notefarm]

Hi folks,
Hope all is well,
I am looking for some helfull advice, on compression settings for female Jazz vocal. I am using a u-87 in to a dbx 576 Tube pre/Comp.

Thanks for any pointers
Peace and good mixes to all
NoteFarm

[albee1952]

Its difficult to offer solid advice without hearing the track so I will try to give some generic advice about compression. First you need to decide if you need it. If you have an odd peak here and there, you could instead, normalize words or syllables to a level that better matches the rest of the track. If the vocal is balanced without any harsh attacks of words/syllables that jump out at you, you may not need it or should go light like 2:1 ratio and adjust threshold so that it hits gain reduction lightly and not all the time. If you're looking for that "certain analog" sound, I like the Bomb Factory 1176 and LA2A as well as Waves Renn. comp. If the dynamics are less controlled, up the ratio to 4:1 and drop the threshold slightly so that you have some gain reduction most or all of the time. I would try to keep under 6-8 db of reduction so you don't squash the life out of the track. Use make up gain sparingly-enough to get the same level as the compressor in bypass or a little more(unless the track was recorded at a low volume). Experiment with your EQ (if needed) both before and after the compressor as it does make a difference. Which is right? Only your ears and the track can tell you. Sorry to be so vague, but this is an art that requires your ears to tell you what's right. When someone tells me that my "EQ should look like a smiley face", I know they're an idiot. The EQ should look like whatever is required to correct the response. You can always play a store-bought CD of similar style to compare your results.

[Notefarm]

Thanks for the advice and information. That helps out alot.

Thanks again
Peace and Good Mixes to all
NoteFarm