Understanding the Basics of Audio Compression

If you are new to audio mixing and want to gain more knowledge about the various techniques used in audio mixing, the online audio mixing school audioschoolonline.com provide the right kind of audio lessons required for a person new to audio mixing. The lessons available in this online school have been reviewed thoroughly by Ken Lewis, an experienced sound mixer who has worked with many Grammy award winners. Some of the lessons that are available as downloads for registered users include audio compression lessons, vocal-comping lessons, and basic mixing and editing lessons.

The audio compression lessons covers the compression techniques used on a wide variety of drums including snare drums. The lesson takes the student through a wide range of sounds and settings. The lesson comes along with a pro tools session that can be easily understood by a sophomore as well an experienced musician. There is also the live drums basic mixing and editing lessons that would be a perfect opportunity for a beginner to go through the different editing techniques.

There are also lessons related to kick drum compression, where in the learner would be taken through the different techniques used in compressing and equalizing kick drums. As part of these audio compression lessons, the learner would also be exposed to the different bass Enhancers such as the BX boom and similar tools. As part of the kick drum compression lessons, the learner will be exposed to a number of plugins, as Ken Lewis has tried out a number of unique combinations for sound mixing by using a variety of plug ins.

For beginners and those at the junior level, there are also lessons on filters. These lessons would give an understanding of the different filtering techniques that can be used while mixing sound using logic and pro tools. Ken Lewis has designed lessons wherein the filtering techniques are combined with audio compression techniques for backing vocals, drum and bass. In addition to the live audio compression techniques, Ken Lewis has designed lessons for other instrumentals such as the electric guitar recording techniques. There are also lessons on the concept of delay effects, wherein the student would be exposed to the function of delay plug in.

The online school also has a dedicated blog section, where in the registered users can access material related to audio compression basics. This material makes the learner understand the lay out of the compression process and the different channels that are involved in compression.

Top Vocal Recording Tips

For an excellent vocal recording session, you first need to make sure your singer is comfortable with their surroundings, and they are under no pressure while they are recording. They also need to be able to focus. The easiest way to make sure the singer is not distracted is to make sure that it is only them and the producer in the studio when they are recording.

You also need to make sure that the room you are recording in is in good enough shape to be used as a studio. You would want a sound proof room with little to no echo so that the audio that you are singing doesn’t bounce off the walls and if someone is outside the room you cannot hear them. If you can hear people outside the room, you may be able to hear them on the recording and that will also cause a huge distraction to the vocalist.

Pop shields between the microphone and the singer help eliminate the unnatural “b” and “p” sounds. If you do not have one of these you can use panty hose stretched around a wire, this is a cheap fix but it works until you can afford actual equipment.

Make sure that the singer is provided a good microphone; this could be the difference between creating a hit and creating horrible sounding audio. Remember the saying, you get what you pay for, in this situation that is the case. The recommended microphone to use when recording is a large diaphragm condenser microphone. Also the microphone should be at the right distance from the singer. They should not sound too far away, but you also don’t want them sounding like they are standing right over the microphone. The right distance is about a foot away from the vocalists face.

Reverb on the vocals in the audio can also help make the audio sound stronger and is more acceptable to the listening ear. Also singing again over the track will help make the vocalist’s voice sound a lot stronger. Singers may also sing to the side of the microphone which will help eliminate some sounds that will sound harsh when they are spoken directly into the microphone.

One final vocal recording tip you should always remember is to listen to what you want you music to sound like before you begin, get a good idea of it in your head and go from there. Also make sure that you are always checking the audio and fixing it as you go, rather than doing a whole song over and over until you have it right.