do I need a compressor?

[rainsong86]

for vocals I have a shure SM58 mic running into an alesis 12r rackmount mixer which goes to a peavey cs800s power amp.. I'm wondering if a rackmount compressor/limiter with gate would improve sound quality.. I've also heard good things of the BBE sonic maximizer so the BBE Maxcom dual-channel compressor seems like a good buy

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...sor?sku=180936

will the compressor really help the sound quality.. anybody have any thoughts on the glorified EQ known as the BBE sonic maximizer

[ImmortalSix]

Re: do I need a compressor?

Rule #4 of Truck-Building (I'll assume it applies to guitar playing too, they're pretty similar ):

If you have to ask, you don't need it.

[rainsong86]

Re: do I need a compressor?

no, but seriously..ha ha

[daemon barbeque]

Re: do I need a compressor?

Yes...MAybe not a compressor ,but a limiter..Human voice have lots of "top"s ,wixh is good for the dynamic ,but not that good for a good record.The voice needs to be in the same loudness with other instruments.That is the key for a good recording.So with a limiter ,you will limit the peaks of the vocals and let the other instruments recorded at the max possible loudness!Compressor "kills" the dynamic of the vocals IMHO.

[StrangeSound]

Re: do I need a compressor?

I'll ask my bro! I think he even wants to know what kind of singing it is (what you have to set effect-wise), female or male?

[rainsong86]

Re: do I need a compressor?

it's a male singer.. and I could always use a compressor for recording situations, but this will be used primarily for a live PA.. I just want something that will improve sound quality.. something it might eliminate is that raspy distortion you get when your PA is being pushed and someone sings a loud note.. will a limiter stop that from happening or is that just a property brought about by overdriving the speakers?

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: do I need a compressor?

Yes, a compressor is a good idea.

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: do I need a compressor?

If possible, I'd always track a vocalist with a compressor on the way in. Nothing too heavy, maybe 2:1 or something, with a high threshold.


I wouldn't touch a BBE for most things, and especially not vocals.

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: do I need a compressor?

Compressor "kills" the dynamic of the vocals IMHO.

that's more or less the point of a compressor. not necessarily to kill the dynamics, but to keep them more under control.

i wouldn't describe a compressor as something that "improves" sound quality. typically, compressors are used if you have a source that fluctuates too much in volume, being too quiet in some parts/ too loud in others, and when used correctly they will bring out the quiet parts more without making the parts that are too loud any louder, if that makes sense.

it sounds to me like a compressor isn't what you need, as there is likely something else within your setup that will still be the weaker link. how much power is your PA pushing? if you're distorting the PA by pushing it too hard, it sounds like you need to upgrade to a more powerful amp. the only way to get around that is to either turn it down, or get an amp that pushes more power.

[daemon barbeque]

Re: do I need a compressor?

that's more or less the point of a compressor. not necessarily to kill the dynamics, but to keep them more under control.

i wouldn't describe a compressor as something that "improves" sound quality. typically, compressors are used if you have a source that fluctuates too much in volume, being too quiet in some parts/ too loud in others, and when used correctly they will bring out the quiet parts more without making the parts that are too loud any louder, if that makes sense.

it sounds to me like a compressor isn't what you need, as there is likely something else within your setup that will still be the weaker link. how much power is your PA pushing? if you're distorting the PA by pushing it too hard, it sounds like you need to upgrade to a more powerful amp. the only way to get around that is to either turn it down, or get an amp that pushes more power.

Yeah ,and tht's what a vocal do not need IMHO!A vocal have to be louder and quiter...it's not a grinding rythm guitar!

[Zerberus]

Re: do I need a compressor?

If possible, I'd always track a vocalist with a compressor on the way in. Nothing too heavy, maybe 2:1 or something, with a high threshold.


I wouldn't touch a BBE for most things, and especially not vocals.

Agreed. BBE is something that when used properly can really bring out the aggression in guitars, but otherwise I donīt generally advocate itīs use either

DB: In a nutshell, the point of (properly used, not "modern major label recording") compression, esp. on vocals, is to limit the dynamics, not to kill them. This serves to have the soft parts still audible while keeping the more powerful parts from smothering the other instruments sharing the same part in the mix, such as in this case guitars. A good example of where this can be almost essential is a band like Otep where the vocals sometimes go from a whisper to "Satan inside your head" in the blink of an eye

[daemon barbeque]

Re: do I need a compressor?

Agreed. BBE is something that when used properly can really bring out the aggression in guitars, but otherwise I donīt generally advocate itīs use either

DB: In a nutshell, the point of (properly used, not "modern major label recording") compression, esp. on vocals, is to limit the dynamics, not to kill them. This serves to have the soft parts still audible while keeping the more powerful parts from smothering the other instruments sharing the same part in the mix, such as in this case guitars. A good example of where this can be almost essential is a band like Otep where the vocals sometimes go from a whisper to "Satan inside your head" in the blink of an eye

Yepp .that's why i go with a limiter ,not a compressor.I love it when the singer gets really quiet ..and i want him to get quiet.To compress the dynamics and make his whispering as loud as his grunting is "not" my favor.But everybody has tehir own way