Limiter on Vocals

[CyberCat]

OK, I read somewhere on this forum (can't remember where) that a Limiter on the vocals can bring up the volume on the soft parts and reduce it on the loud parts.

Can anybody explain how that is done please?

[zwh]

Originally Posted by CyberCat

OK, I read somewhere on this forum (can't remember where) that a Limiter on the vocals can bring up the volume on the soft parts and reduce it on the loud parts.

Can anybody explain how that is done please?

A limiter is basically a compressor at a high ratio.

It reality it doesn't just bring up the soft parts.
It compresses/reduces volume of your loud peaks so that the rest of the track (quieter parts) can be raised up in overall volume. This reduces the dynamic range of the track, meaning there is less volume difference between your loud parts and quiet parts.

There are various articles and how-to's on the topic of compression and limiting. There may even be some on this site. Maybe someone else can chime in if there are.

[sparqee]

It may be that you were reading about a limiter/compressor that included a downward expander. An expander is kind of like an upside down compressor. When a sound drops below the threshold the expander starts lowering the volume (i.e. an expander will cause a sound to fade out more quickly). You can also think of it as a slower/gentler gate. A gate normally works quickly to cut off a sound where as an expander will do the same thing only more slowly. The end all is; by combining an expander with a compressor you make the loud parts louder and quiet parts quieter.

I have not encountered a limiter that included a downward expander but they are not so uncommon on compressors.

- Sparqee

[brandondrury]

I read somewhere on this forum (can't remember where) that a Limiter on the vocals can bring up the volume on the soft parts and reduce it on the loud parts.

That sums it up. It needs to be said that knocking off the loud stuff and bring up the soft stuff is essentially the same thing depending on how you utilize the make-up gain.

I have an entire chapter on my stupid, upcoming home recording book about compression. I have a hard time explaining stuff in a single post that I explained in 20 pages or whatever it was. (It may not have been that long of a chapter).

You asked "how" this is done. I have no idea how a compressor does what it does. I just use the damn thing. I don't fully understand the bernoulli effect either but I've ridden in planes many times.

Brandon

[CyberCat]

Well, thanks for the info.