Another noob thread from me about seting a limit on a track please....

Norrie, you can't use plug ins when tracking, they can only be applied after you've recorded your track. (Well, you can insert it on the track but it will NOT affect what's being recorded)

You have 2 options:

1 - record at an even  lower level to avoid clipping
2 - record with a hardware compressor/limiter in your chain before it hits your AD/Sonar

Hi Guys

Sorry I dont think I explained my self right I ment after I have done all my tracking

Once the full track is recorded and I am at the mixing stage

If I didnt want for instance my vox to peek above -12db and I have brought the volume down but some times it will shot in to the red

What would be the best tool to put on the track to stop it going above -12 ?

When I was a pro tools user I would have used a brickwall limiter and set it so it wouldnt let anything on that track come above -12

I hope I make sence in what I said

Norrie

Typically on vox I use track envelopes.  Norrie your problem is easily solved with it.  Click on the track and a pop up box comes up - scroll down to ENVELOPES and choose gain (there is a clip gain envelope too).  It puts a "rubber-band" on the track for you to adjust volume by clicking nodes and pulling it up and down.  If you have a hot spot, create 4 nodes (it would be nice if we could choose this) and pull the offending bit down.  You can raise a quiet spot or a section, etc. etc.  It is more precise than automation.

The next thing to do is slap a compressor on the track.  I usually use SONITUS and use the 1176 or LA2A preset and adjust to taste.  Just this week I had a female vox recorded through a Portico II, so the signal already had a hint of compressing on it.  The song is "Hip Shake" and she was all over the place - sexy breathy at one point, high held note the next, and then all beastial growly.  Even with the Portico front end it would slide under the song at times.  I didn't have to mess with envelopes - I put the SONITUS comp on it with the Neve preset.  A little fooling with the gain mostly and the vocal just sat right where I wanted it, with the louder passages not sticking out and the lower ones firmed up. 

If you don't have a good hardware comp on the front end (the VS DSP doesn't really count since it is post compression although you can use it lightly compress the signal) you can do much the same thing using serial compression.  That is placing 2 or more compressors in a line, spilling the slightly compressed signal into the next for a little more processing.  W/ the Sonitus (an under rated comp in my opinion) you can use the 1176 comp first to grab the signal and the the LA2A behind it.  Or reverse them.   The general idea is to do do a little processing at a time (rather than state of recording/mixing) which usually sounds more natural than stomping all over the signal at once.

The new SONAR x-1 has channel strips w/ parallel compression built in, where you do heavily compress the signal but bleed back some of the uncompressed signal into the output, again to restore some dynamics.  You can do it other ways - read up.

That is the great thing about mixing - there are all kinds of ways to skin your song.

@

Typically on vox I use track envelopes.  Norrie your problem is easily solved with it.  Click on the track and a pop up box comes up - scroll down to ENVELOPES and choose gain (there is a clip gain envelope too).  It puts a "rubber-band" on the track for you to adjust volume by clicking nodes and pulling it up and down.  If you have a hot spot, create 4 nodes (it would be nice if we could choose this) and pull the offending bit down.  You can raise a quiet spot or a section, etc. etc.  It is more precise than automation.

Can I just say something regarding this:

• If you highlight a selection in track view and right click an existing envelope you have the option to "Add nodes at Selection". This will add 4 nodes you're looking for.
• I didn't think there was a Track Gain envelope - there's a Track Volume envelope and a Clip Gain  envelope, so one of us is confused
• "It is more precise than automation". Can you explain the thought process behind this please?

 

Thanks for everyones replys they have all been awesome

I am useing the VS-700 so I know I can put a compressor on before the signal

This is my own fault for not doing so before the vocal track was recorded

I think like what AT is saying to use the envelopes is a better idea
rather than me just slaping a limmiter on it to stop it going above -12 :)

THanks to every one I am off to play with some envelopes :D

Norrie

The VS 700 has a DSP comp - after conversion.  I found it a bit flaky and hard to set (I got some "flutter" at times), but I didn't spend much time w/ it.  Still, it could be useful for initial comping, Bat, in flattening the sound a little.  I like nice analogue better, but it can beat nothing.

Bristol,

Cool, I'll give the section hint a go - didn't know that. 

Track volume - brain fart on my part.  I was up late and not enough coffe this morning.

Precise - just that.  I've only got a novation nobby controller most of the time, but even when I had the vS series motorized fader units I still expanded the track and used manual nodes for splosives or small, too loud hits.  Corrective might be a better word, rather than precise.

and thanks for the tip about selections - some days I can be learned.

@

Bat, I understand and agree w/ you. 

But the OP was talking about evening out the sound during the mix, not necessarily getting a hotter signal.  A hardware comp does both, obviously (it is what I use), but the VS DSP comp on the input, even after conversion, can still even out a performance as goes to the hard drive.  That way you don't have to compress so much to float the voice during mixing. 

I'm sure Norrie understands the chain - preamp, conversion and then DSP.  He didn't use the comp when recording and wants to even out the sound now after recording.

@

 
I'm sure Norrie understands the chain - preamp, conversion and then DSP.  He didn't use the comp when recording and wants to even out the sound now after recording.

@

I am geting there :D

I am like an open book at the momment wnating to learn everything I can haha

One thing I am experimenting with at the momment and I have to say is quite interesting is ....

I have a TChelicon voice works In my rack

I record direct in to the VS-700 then insert a external insert to the efx bin I make a send to the voice works and return back from the left and right outs on the voice works to preamps one and 2 on the VS-700.

By doing this I can then add any efx I want and when I am happy with it I can then freez the track :)

It also meens I can turn up the mic pre if I feel I need to before freezing to get the lift on the vocals

Its been fun to learn to do that I dealy I dont want to be playing about with the pre amps all the time at that stage but being able to use the efx almost like a vst is very very cool

I have also been doing the same with my recently bouught V-amp pro and V-amp bass pro doing the same thing and also getign good results :)

Every day is a school day for me and its been a long time since I was at school haha  ;)

Thanks again guys :D

Norrie

Sorry AT that is my fault I ment line in put from the voice works I just get jumbled up with a lot of it as I am learning so much at the momment :)

But its better to get the terminolagy right at this level rather than haveing my self more confused later on

Thanks again and also for your reply to my subwoofer thread :)

Norrie