{"id":736,"date":"2020-06-01T05:25:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T05:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/?p=736"},"modified":"2021-08-31T17:25:30","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T17:25:30","slug":"compressor-vocals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orpheusaudioacademy.com\/stagingnew\/compressor-vocals\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Type Of Compressor Should You Use For Vocals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are so many different types of compressors out there, it can be a challenge choosing the right one.<\/p>\n

Which type of compressor should you use for vocals? <\/p>\n

Well, here’s the answer…<\/p>\n

Optical compressors are the best types of compressors for vocals because of their smooth and transparent qualities. For a more aggressive sound, use a FET compressor. <\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s the short answer, but let’s figure out what the best type of compressor is for what you’re currently working on…<\/p>\n

What Does A Vocal Compressor Do?<\/h2>\n

Before diving into what compressor to use, it’s important to understand what a vocal compressor does. <\/p>\n

A compressor is an amplifier who’s output gain (db) reduces as input gain (db) increases.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, a compressor makes low volumes louder and high volumes quieter. <\/p>\n

Therefore, good compression on a vocal will smooth out the performance so the high-energy sections aren’t too jarring, and the soft parts are still loud enough to hear. <\/p>\n

Good compression can help make your vocal sound more full, and help it to sit on top of the mix. <\/p>\n

Needless to say, vocal compression is necessary. <\/p>\n

What is The Best Compressor For Vocals?<\/h2>\n

The type of compressor you go for depends on what kind of sound you’re shooting for. <\/p>\n

Optical Compressors:<\/h3>\n

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Like I mentioned above, Optical compressors are great for vocals because of their smooth and transparent qualities.<\/p>\n

If you’re making a typical pop or EDM song, you’re not going to want the vocal performance marred and squashed by a compressor. <\/p>\n

You want to preserve the dynamic performance, while also taming it at the same time. <\/p>\n

What Makes Optical Compressors Great?<\/h4>\n

In an optical compressor, the audio signal is turned into light<\/a>. Is that sweet or what? <\/p>\n

This light then triggers a sensor that governs the amount of gain reduction. The inherent nature of this operation is smooth and transparent, like a lightsaber cutting through butter. <\/p>\n

This is why Optical are great if you’re going to a transparent sound.  <\/p>\n

However, many hardware and hardware-modeled plugins of optical compressors have fixed ratios of typically 3:1. <\/p>\n

This means you can’t really do any extreme compression with them (which, again, might be a positive). <\/p>\n

Good for:<\/h4>\n