When mixing have you ever found yourself battling a really dynamic vocal, trying to get it to sit just right in a large arrangement? Heavy rock songs, and “wall of sound” pop songs are particularly susceptible to this issue.

Next time you find yourself in this position, you might want to try this technique I picked up from my days as an assistant engineer, hanging out with some of the best mix engineers. It allows you to get the natural dynamic quality of an uncompressed vocal, yet still use some pretty heavy compression too.

In your DAW, create two auxiliary inputs, and arrange them so that they are right next to the lead vocal track. Route the lead vocal track so that it’s output is bussed to the input of these two aux tracks. Label the first aux track something like “Lead Vocal Main”, and the second one something like “Lead Vocal Crunch”. Pull the fader of the second aux track all the way down.

On the first aux track, don’t insert any type of plugin. On the second aux track, insert a compressor and set it so that there is a pretty substantial amount of compression – even perhaps limiting. A good starting place would be: Threshold at -16db, Ratio at 6:1 (maybe even notching it up to 10:1 or higher), Attack fast to medium fast (5-50ms), and Release also fast to medium fast (5-50ms).

Bring the primary vocal track up to the level you feel is appropriate in the mix, and then pull it back just a bit. Now tuck the “vocal crush” track just underneath the primary vocal enough so that the presence on the vocal feels more solid, but the gain reduction characteristics of the compressor are not obvious. As the song transitions from section to section, you can add more or less of the compression track as needed.

Once you get the levels for the two tracks generally dialed in, you can fine tune their levels with automation. This trick allows you to sneak by with some pretty heavy compression, yet because the compression is somewhat hidden underneath the uncompressed vocal, you still retain the natural characteristics of a relatively dynamic vocal, all without hearing too much compression. It’s pretty much the exact same thing as adding buss compression to a drum mix, which is a very popular way to mix drums.

Try this out and then leave your thoughts in the comments. Would love to know how this vocal compression technique has worked for you.

Photo by Jules Holiday - http://www.facebook.com/juleshollidayphotography

//Jon
Website: jonstinson.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stnsn
Twitter: @stsn

There are so many magazines, books, and blogs on the subject of producing and recording music. Throughout the years I’ve read my fair share of all these books, often times focusing on each and every technical step to the point of overcomplicating the learning process for myself.

Unfortunately most of these published works put a heavy focus on the “A,B,C’s,” and the “tips and tricks” aspect of record making as if the process of recording can be simplified down to a homogenized operation-with a strict right and wrong attached to that process.

Or that there is some magic bullet that will work for any and all situations. And because some hit record-maker thought up this trick, if you use it, everything the trick is applied to will magically be a hit.

Granted, I have written a few “step-by-step” posts myself, and I think that in the grand scheme of things, there is powerful knowledge and wisdom that can be garnered from learning about the tricks that the hit-makers invented (but you have to understand the theories behind why it works).

But what I really try to shine light on with Producer Notes is the underlying artistic and human qualities within creating and recording music. Every situation has a specific context. Each one of these contexts requires an artistic choice which is congruent with that record, and that artist’s identity and vision. When you understand, really understand, the underlying scientific theories which compose the environment in which you are making these choices, you will realize an empowerment that hit-makers experience every day.

But to get there, ironically, you have to first DO-Learn By Doing

Certainly there is a scientific base point upon which pretty much all recording concepts were invented. But that does not make recording any less of an art form than the underlying scientific base point of music itself makes playing an instrument.

Producing and recording is mostly art, and a little bit science. Approach it that way. Take risks. Think up your own ways to do things. Don’t worry if you’re breaking some scientific theory. And Don’t carbon copy the hit-makers tricks. Study them like a musician studies other musician’s compositions-to better understand music. Record-making should not be cheapened to a “one, two, three” process. There is no “right.” There is no “wrong.” And tricks are not invented to be applied to all things. That also cheapens the trade.

Photo by www.photos8.com. Licensed under a Creative Commons license.

A few of my friends have been trying this little trick for recording electric guitars: They have been putting the amps in the car. My friend Andy Hunt told me about it [www.myspace.com/andyhunt]. He said a friend of his had to do this out of necessity. I then told another friend about it, J.D. Tiner, who tried it out too [www.glassonionrecordingstudio.com]. This trick seems to be a really good make-shift iso booth if you have no options, but need separation. It’s quick, simple and does not cost anything (assuming you already own a car). In a time where we are seeing an increasing number of home recordings with a DIY approach, this is a trick worth putting to use.

Rigging It Up
To get started you need to park your car close to your recording space. You are going to have three relatively long cable runs-a power cable, a mic cable, and a guitar cable. You might have the luxury of an outside electrical outlet near your studio door that you can use to cut down the length of your power cable. But the mic cable is going to have to be long enough that it can reach the mic pre, and the guitar cable is going to have to be long enough to reach the amp.

If you don’t have one long mic cable, you can just connect several together to make one quickly. The guitar cable can be extended by using two guitar cables and a direct box. Take the first cable and go from the guitar to the DI. Use the “pass thru” jack on the direct box to connect the second run of cable to the amp. I recommend using a passive DI, such as the Radial JDI [www.radialeng.com/di-jdi.htm].

The amp can be set up pretty much anywhere in the car. If you have an SUV, I suggest putting the amp in the back cargo area. Experiment with folding the back seats down to see how it changes the sound. If you drive a compact car or sedan, I suggest putting the amp in the back seat. You can also experiment here by putting the amp in the trunk, and then folding the back seats down. Using a smaller car is a little bit trickier because the tighter space will make it harder to find a stable place to set the amp. If you are using a tube amp in a small car, you want to make sure that you don’t lean the hot components of the amp up against a seat. This could prohibit the amp from venting heat properly, which could then damage the amp, or worse, start a fire.

While on the subject of precautions, it’s important to note weather conditions. Think twice before you attempt this trick if it is bitter cold or brutally hot outside. You are going to be putting your precious expensive equipment inside a car with no ventilation for hours. And absolutely DO NOT try this if it is raining or snowing. Taking advantage of a garage or carport can save you here. Use good judgement when setting this up. If you have any doubts, you probably just shouldn’t do it (don’t say I didn’t warn you).

The last step to setting up this recording trick is dealing with the cables. The best way to handle this is to crack a window and run the cables through. Then take some towels and seal up the gap. When micing up the amp, there are a variety of choices you can make. The most simple approach is to use the tried and true 57 close up on the speaker.

The car as an effect
Don’t be afraid to get creative. Feel free to use the car trick as a way to get a unique sound for the guitar tracks. Experiment with more than one mic if you have the resources to do so. Get crazy with the mic placement. Try different areas of the car, and different mics/polar patterns. Maybe a ribbon mic near the windshield, or an omni mic near the driver’s position. Perhaps even try recording a different instrument altogether, like bass or background vocals. The latter will be particularly tricky, because you will have to run long cables for the headphone system.

In Practice
Let me know how this turns out for you. I would love to hear examples of this trick put to use. Post comments about your experience with links to your recordings. Good luck! Hope you have fun with this one.

Photo by: J.D. Tiner. Please note: The above suggestion and link to the Radial DI box is NOT a paid ad. I simply think these are great DI boxes.