Another reason to compress vocals is that a microphone doesn’t “hear” sound exactly the way our ears do. Especially if you’re singing close to a microphone, the difference between a few inches can make a significant change in how loudly the mic picks up sound that is not 1:1 with how loudly an ear would hear that same dynamic change. A singer is not only dynamic with their performance, their position in space relative to the pickup pattern of the mic is dynamic also! Think about singers who have mastered mic technique, they know a microphone doesn’t hear them the same way a person standing in the room with them does, so they compensate for that with the way they hold their mic as they’re singing so their performance sounds natural.

TY Joe

Joe, what can I say. This is one of your best mixing tips. Thanks brother.

Thanks Jo! 🙏🕊️

Thank you for this video

THANK YOU ANGKOL JOE

Hey friends, one important correction - 1176 style compressors have an attack time range of microseconds not milliseconds, so the slowest attack time on an 1176 is less than 1 ms! 10 ms is more like the average attack time of an LA2A. Carry on.

Great advice!!!

Been checking your videos out and all I can say you know what you talking about thank you

Thank you Joe ... I finally got the full explanation for the use of a compressor on the vocals I needed

Smokin vocal Joe

Nice singing Joe! X

You have a really lovely singing voice Joe. And thankyou for these videos!

Thank you

Hi Joe, I love these shorter videos! I always learn something & that translates into better mixes. Thx!!

Nice video … thanks

Great info! Thank you!

Hi Joe. This video showed up just as I was mixing some demo tracks to be entered into a song contest. (I'm a side man in this project.) The video was very helpful. I was under time constraints and following your guidelines I believe I got the lead vocal to sit nicely in the mix where it stands out. Thanks.

Great video, great voice and a great teacher! Thank you so very much!

Hello my friend, thank you for all the effort and effort you give us. I first want to thank you and say your voice is beautiful and the mix is beautiful. I want to know the drum mix. If possible, please explain, thanks.

Great video as always Joe. As a side note, I just discovered your music on Spotify. Wonderful music Joe! Any of you folks out there that haven't heard his music, have a listen. This is a very talented man!

This was so good! I'm glad I found your page and videos. I've learned so much from your videos and this one particularly because compression has been a mystery to me for a while. THANK YOU!

Sounds like a good thing but I think that the quiet part on vocals gives it a realistic feel to it for live settings imo.

Mild jedi stuff as i stand here in ableton with two vocal layers to sort with a dusty wash im torn about, ten hut big sir....

Beautiful and amazing voice!🩵 Compression can be a bitch.

Thanxx, that's what I needed. But the link is not opening.

Excellent compression and vocal tutorial Joe. The result is much like what I imagine a leveling compressor does, you push down the transients which gives room to bring up the quiet by the makeup gain. It levels out the audio. I do mine with several different compressors in series, taking a few dB off with each, EQ to reduce mud, de-esser. My opinion, you can't beat 1176 into an LA-2A on vocals.

Thanks for this Joe, very helpful. Should you put the de-esser before or after the compressor?

Hi Joe - question for you. My wife (singer) and I record a 25 minute non-stop recording session about once a month. We do three songs per session which vary from vocally aggressive to very tender throughout those 25 minutes. I watched this video and tried to apply it but it seems there are too many variables in her singing style for a "one size fits all" compression setting. Suggestions?

Hi Joe. I've been watching many of your videos. Great stuff. I hope I can ask a question. Does your compression style depend on the style of vocals? Would you want rap vocals to be compressed similar to what you did here? Also, do you need to match compressor settings to the beats bpm? Or is this a common misconception? Thank you Joe.

If I improve my engilish and my listening, I will definetly watch all your videos ( also first comment)

Hi Joe - Can you help me understand how Studio One could be used for live vocal performances. I would like to use a track or two for vocals with some added effects such as reverb, slight delay, compression, and even Waves Real Time tune (auto tune) but to be used for a live band performance , not for a recording. What's the way to approach this? I currently have a laptop running S1, an Audiobox USB 2 channel interface -

Can a vocal rider do the same thing?

Every syllable gets a trophy? Lol

Is it just me, or does the original vocal look like it has a loooot of DC offset?

Lies! There are no rules