Home Studio Series Vol5

ANDRE CALILHANNA

JON MARC WEISS

is a writer, editor, and musician who serves as editor and contributor

is the Senior IT Systems Engineer for Disc Makers and also an ac-

to Disc Makers’ Echoes blog. His band Hijack recently recorded and

complished recording engineer, studio designer, and musician with

released an EP at home and in local pro studios using many of the

over 20 years’ experience. He owns and operates Kiva Productions

techniques addressed in these guides.

right outside of Philadelphia in Hollywood, PA to develop local and national acts. Check out Kiva Productions on Facebook.

KEITH HATSCHEK

JEFF CRAWFORD

is Director of the Music Management Program at the University

is a recording engineer and producer with more than 30 years

of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. He is the author of two books:

industry experience. He also teaches music technology at

The Golden Moment: Recording Secrets of the Pros

University of the Pacific.

(Backbeat Books, 2006), and How To Get a Job in the Music Industry (Berklee Press, 2007). He regularly contributes to Echoes, and has recently published an article about the impact of the Cold War jazz ambassador tours of pianist Dave Brubeck.

Get all of Disc Makers’ Home Studio guides as PDF downloads today! Volume 1:

Volume 2:

BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL HOME STUDIO A no-skimping guide to turning your living room into an A-Room

CREATING A HOME PROJECT STUDIO How to get optimal results from your space and budget www.discmakers.com/HS-vol2

www.discmakers.com/HS-vol1

Volume 3:

Volume 4:

THE $999 HOME STUDIO GUIDE The essential gear to get your studio off the ground

THE HOME STUDIO MICROPHONE GUIDE Finding the right mics for every situation and every budget

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PRESENTS

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VOLUME 5: Using Processors and Effects How compressors, gates, reverb, delay (and more) can help your recordings USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

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PAGE 8

BY ANDRE CALILHANNA, KEITH HATSCHEK, JON MARC WEISS, AND JEFF CRAWFORD

Front Cover

In addition to your microphones, DAW/console, and room, an essential part of any home studio set-up is your

“The next generation of reverb units were plate and spring reverbs.

tap a sensor pad in time to the music to set your precise delay time.

signal processing gear. From the dynamics control of compressors, limiters, and gates to the effects processing of

They’d send the signal through a long spring, or a series of them,

The delay also has low and high-cut filter parameters, so you can

and they’d produce reverb. Or there was a plate, literally a thin

change the frequency content of the delay generation when feed-

plate of sheet metal inside of a box, with pickups on it, and you’d

back is used. You can also modulate the delay time using the depth

adjust the reverb time by how much you were dampening the plate

and rate parameters, and create variable moving rhythmic echoes.

reverb and delay, these tools are integral to producing a professional-sounding product.

For an inexperienced engineer, the precise functions of these effects can be somewhat mysterious, and the overuse of plug-ins and outboard gear is commonplace – even among the pros. Understanding how processors like compressors and limiters function, and knowing how and when to use effects such as delay and reverb, will make

with a piece of felt. Even now, I don’t think digital processors can really replicate the sound of that plate reverb. It’s such an amazing the same.”

ranges from very quiet with low recording levels to very loud and pushing the levels. Commonly, vocals and bass guitar are candidates for compression, as is anything that varies in intensity during

In audio recording, a compressor reduces the amount of output signal level in relation to the input signal level, according to a given ratio, beginning at your user-defined threshold. More simply, it brings the loudest sounds down, and brings the softest sounds up. How much a compressor will affect the dynamics of a track is ultimately determined by the ratio setting. First, you set a threshold for the output signal, then you set your ratio. A compression ratio of 2:1 means that for every 2 dB the input level is above your set threshold, the output level is reduced by 1 dB. A ratio of 4:1 means that if the input signal is 4 dB over the threshold, it will be brought down to 1 dB over the threshold, or reduced by 3 dB. It’s as if you were riding the gain on a console fader. When the input signal gets too loud, you pull the fader down, lowering the gain. When the signal gets too soft, you push the fader up, raising the gain. Compressors are typically used on any performance that includes a wide range of dynamics – meaning the volume level of the take

hall, apartment building foyer) and

Today’s reverbs emulate a wide variety

Compressors

rectangular room (gym, garage, church clap your hands loudly and listen to

you a better producer and help to enhance the sound quality of your recordings.

Dynamics Control

One simple way to describe a delay is as an echo. Go into a large

sound – they get close, but it’s not quite

the course of a track.

of

acoustical

see if there is a discrete echo. The

spaces.

smaller the room, the closer to-

Some of the more common en-

gether the original sound and its

vironments include a concert

echo or echoes will be. Go into a

hall, room, church, arena, club,

cathedral, and you’ll hear how the

and stage. Some reverb plug-ins

echo time is increased proportional

offer plate, spring, and chamber

to the room’s overall cubic dimen-

emulations as well. In all cases, there

Let’s assume you’re recording a song where the vocals have verses that are dynamically consistent and are at a moderate volume, but in spots, the vocal level drops to an intimate, whispery style, and the signal is getting lost in the mix. Here is a situation where compression will do the trick.

sion.

are common parameters that can be selected and adjusted.

Flange and Chorus In addition to the time-based effects

Reverb type refers to the room being

like reverb and delay, there are a host of

emulated (hall, room, etc.). Reverb size

modulation effects that have remarkable

refers to how large of a space you can

Depending on how great of a dB variation, start by setting the ratio to approximately half the difference between the highest and lowest vocal level on the track. For example, if there is a 10 dB difference between the vocal’s dynamic high and low point, you can set the compressor’s ratio to 5:1. Now reduce the threshold setting to the point at which you want the gain reduction of the vocal to start. Once applied, you may find that the overall vocal level has been reduced considerably after being processed by the compressor. It is often necessary to raise the output gain of the compressor to bring the compressed track to a usable listening level.

histories and owe their existence to the

create. You might have a large room, a

creativity and determination of pioneer-

small church, or a medium hall. Diffusion Today’s digital effects like flange and chorus emulate

apart each reflection spreads out from

sounds that were originally created using two tape ma-

the instrument, giving a sense of depth of

chines. Both were loaded with the same recording, and

the use of them such a matter of taste,

by altering the speed of one (or both), flange and chorus

genre, and musical personality, we won’t

effects were achieved.

endeavor to explore things like ring mod-

the enclosure. Decay adjusts how fast the reflections die out after the initial attack of the sound. Pre-delay is an important

parameter that determines the time differential between the direct sound and the point at which listeners perceive the reverb reflections. Finally, most reverbs have low and high cut filters that can reduce or increase harmonic partials as a part of the reverb’s reflections. These filters are very useful to create transparency within the

COMPRESSORS

ing engineers, artists, and producers. As

is a parameter that determines how far

reverb process.

there are so many different effects, and

ulation, tremolo, etc. – but a brief study of the origins of flange and chorus gives insight to the original techniques that today’s digital processors are trying to emulate. Flange is named after the flange on a tape machine. In order to achieve a flange effect in the days of analog (think of the vocals on Queen’s “Killer Queen”), you’d have two tape machines right next to each other, queued up to the same exact spot. You’d press play on both, and then put your finger on the flange of the second ma-

Delay

chine so you literally slowed down the tape on the second machine,

A delay is a time-based processor that generates discrete wave

then you let go, then slow it again to achieve that flange effect.

fronts of the input signal according to the delay time. Delay settings of 250 to 500 ms will create rhythmic interest while smaller

Chorus is similar, Though not as dramatic. With a chorus, you have

times such as 20 to 80 ms can create a sense of depth. You can also

the two tape machines with one running just a few milliseconds

create echo effects by increasing the amount of feedback, a pa-

after the other, and that’s your basic chorus.

rameter that returns the output of the delay circuit back into itself. Volume 6 in our Home Studio Series will delve into techniques you

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

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PAGE 2

Many delays provide rhythmic note values, such as whole, half,

can employ in your home studio to get better tones on tape, and

quarter, eighths, etc., and offer a sync option that times the delay

Volume 7 will focus on getting a killer mix, including more insight

precisely to the tempo of the original track. A tap delay lets you

into the use of processors and effects.

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PAGE 7

De-esser

for reverberation) is one of the oldest and most widely-used time-

Ultimately, the de-esser was designed to specifically reduce the significantly louder – and uncontrollable – “ess” sound made by some vocalists (hence the name), but it can also be handy on an acoustic guitar and other instruments with a lot of high-frequency content. It basically works the same as a compressor: there’s a threshold control, a ratio control, and a usually a parametric EQ selector so you can target the frequency with the sibilant sound. “For some vocalists, when they make an ‘ess’ sound, it’s the loudest thing you’ve ever heard,” remarks Weiss, “but if the first thing you do is reach for your de-esser, you’re making a huge mistake. First,

LIMITERS

based effects. It can add lush ambient room sound to any instrument. Like delays, reverbs generate multiple wave fronts, but there are a large number of fronts and the time differential between each is extremely short. It’s easiest to think of these fronts as reflections of the original sound, like the way an instrument sounds when played in a concert hall with good acoustics. The sound generated by the instrument moves out in all directions. It comes directly toward the listener but it also hits the floor, walls, and ceiling. The sound reflections from these surfaces return back slightly delayed from the original sound, depending on the size and depth of the space. Of course the reflec-

When first applying your compression, you may actually notice sound of the gain reduction being applied, which can make the try to fix it by adjusting the microphone’s angle. A 10 degree hori-

tions off the floor, walls and ceiling also continue to bounce off of

zontal offset to either side of the vocalist can make a huge differ-

the surfaces in the space, and listeners perceive all those reflections

ence. Also, the distance between the vocalist and the microphone,

at slightly different times. Reverb units and plug-ins are designed to

and in some cases changing to a different microphone, can fix the

re-create the perception of these concert halls and other environ-

problem. I’m not one to try and ‘fix it in the mix.’ I try to capture the

ments.

best signal possible to avoid having to over-process tracks later. I hear de-essers overused a lot – even on professional recordings.

“Before the advent of reverb machines,” explains Weiss, “like in

When you overuse them, you can start losing too much high end.”

Sun Studios where Elvis was recording, they had a tiled room – an

Effects Processors Reverb

echo chamber – with a speaker on one side and a microphone on the other. They’d send the signal out to the speaker and the microphone would bring the signal back to the console, and viola, reverb! Sometimes, they’d add a baffle to dampen the room and achieve a

Reverb and delay are both time and space-related, and they are most easily differentiated by the discrete time that elapses be-

tighter echo, or move it around to control the reflections and highfrequency energy.

performance sound unnatural. This can be addressed by adjusting the attack and release parameters. Attack is how quickly the detector circuit picks up and affects an input signal that exceeds the threshold. Release is how long the compressor stays in effect after it’s been triggered. Let’s say you want a bass guitar track to sound punchier – you want to make sure the attack of the beginning of every note gets articulated clearly. Set up a slower attack time, maybe 10 milliseconds, so the attack at the beginning of the note doesn’t get compressed, but the body of the note does. You’re telling the detector circuit not to kick in right away, but to kick in after 10 milliseconds. Another setting on some compressors is the “mix” button, which in the output. You can have it on full, which means you’re hearing nothing but the compressed signal, or mix it in so there’s a blend of

THIS PLATE REVERB IS ROUGHLY 5’ X 7’ AND WEIGHS HUNDREDS OF POUNDS.

THIS SPRING REVERB TANK IS ABOUT A FOOT LONG.

compressed and uncompressed signal. “The harder you hit a compressor’s detector circuit, the more you’ll hear it,” warns producer/engineer Jon Marc Weiss. “It’s definitely a science, using the compressor, it’s something you have play with a lot to understand how it affects the sound. Ultimately, you want to control the dynamics but you don’t want to hear what the processor is doing. It can severely change the sound of the instrument if it’s overused.

heard a source – vocals, guitar, bass – that didn’t need compression of some kind, especially in a digital environment. With analog, there was a certain amount of compression that would happen when you went to tape, and even then, you’d still use a compressor. “

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PAGE 6

variable output level, limiters have a fixed output level. A limiter allows you to set a maximum output level that will not be exceeded, regardless of the amount of input signal level. So while it can be described as a 60:1 ratio, or ∞:1 ratio, anything that exceeds your de-

Let’s say in your latest recording project there are phrases where the singer screams and growls at a much louder volume and with much more dynamic range than the verses. This is where you might choose a limiter. First, if the verses and the screaming phrases are on the same track, it’s a good idea to separate the sections by copying the screaming and growling vocals to a new track. Let’s say the screaming is consistently much louder than the growl, and that the growl is near the level you want the verse vocal to be. Apply the compressor on the new track and set the limiter’s ratio to the maximum value. Now adjust the threshold to a point at which both the scream and growl vocals produce the same output signal level. With a limiter you can easily knock down the louder scream so it’s equal to the growl’s amplitude. As you learn about compressors and limiters, try experimenting with different ratio and threshold values. Tweak the attack and release parameters and experience their effect. Try playing with the factory presets, designed by recording professionals to serve as a

“At the same time, it’s absolutely critical in recording. I’ve never

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

A limiter is basically a compressor, but where compressors have a

fined threshold is brought down to the output level you’ve defined.

determines how much of the unprocessed signal comes through

tween the original sound and its delayed reflection. Reverb (short

Limiters

starting point. You can also experiment with using – but not overusing – compression on the incoming signal when going to tape (or disk, drive, etc.). Nothing beats hands-on experience and experimentation to really understand how these processors will affect your recordings.

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PAGE 3

Expander

Loop the phrase so it plays continuously, then insert the noise gate

An expander is the opposite of a compressor. Where compression takes a given dynamic change and reduces it, an expander increases it, so louder sounds get louder and softer sounds get softer. There’s a threshold, an attack, release, ratio – the same controls you’ll find on a compressor. In fact, some compressors can function as an expander (sometimes referred to as an upward compression function). So when a signal comes in that is below the threshold, an expander boosts it to be above it. “They may not be the most commonly used processor,” says Weiss, “but an expander could be used with percussion, if you really want to accent the harder strokes. Or maybe on bells that have sort of flat lined and you need them to be more expressive. On some occasions, expanders can undo compression mistakes. If you’ve over

on the floor tom track and set the threshold level to the point at which the hit on the tom just barely opens the gate. Now adjust the attack, hold, and release parameters to achieve the desired floor tom effect, reducing the long decay.

EQ An equalizer, or EQ, is a frequency-specific amplifier, and it comes in two basic flavors: graphic or parametric. Both essentially make tonal adjustments by increasing or decreasing a frequency’s amplitude, but in the case of the

Noise gates are very useful when you need to eliminate any unwanted incidental sounds that may have been recorded. For instance, use one on vocals to eliminate breathing sounds between lyrical phrases, or on a distorted lead guitar to eliminate overdrive noise between lead passages. Noise gates can even be used on the stereo mix bus output to really tighten the breaks in the song. Noise gates can also create problems, since everything recorded on the track you are gating is eliminated according to the gate’s envelope, including any ambient leakage. This can sometimes cause

To fine tune the kick drum, a 7-band parametric EQ should do the trick. It provides a moderate number of bands while giving you more precise control over each band than a graphic EQ. Each frequency band has a dB control, usually +/-15 dB, a sweepable frequency range control, and a “Q”

graphic EQ, the bands are set at

control that sets the width of the

fixed center frequencies across

frequency band to be adjusted.

the 20-20 kHz bandwidth. The

The higher the Q, the narrower

number of bands may vary from

the frequency band that will be af-

5 to 30.

fected. Conversely, lower Q values result in a wider bandwidth range

A parametric equalizer is more

being boosted or cut.

complex, and controls more parameters of the sound including

In the case of the kick drum, the

the level, the primary frequency,

low-mid to mid-range frequencies

and the range of each frequency.

– 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz – might be the culprit causing the “tubby” kick

Let’s use a drum track as an ex-

sound. Tune the EQ’s frequency

ample. Although you may use

band to emphasize the tubbiness

some dynamic processing on the

in both amplitude and bandwidth.

drums, such as a limiter placed on

Don’t be afraid to be extreme with

a stereo group channel output, if

the frequency’s amplitude control.

recorded individually, each drum

You want to really hear the influ-

compressed something – an input signal going to tape – some-

a perceptible and distracting dropout on a given track. To address

needs to be listened to and treat-

times, if you’re lucky, an expander can bring back some of that

this, many gates have a balance or mix parameter, which allows you

ed on its own. During recording,

dynamic range.”

to choose how much of the original signal and how much of the

it’s often difficult to distinguish

gated signal is heard. With a drum kit, for instance, there’s typically

between the direct sound of the

a lot of noise in the room, and all of that combined noise is con-

drums in the room and what was

tributing to make up the overall sound of the drums. So while you

being recorded. Now at mix,

might want to gate the snare and kick, you don’t want to do a hard

you’re hearing things you didn’t

gate and lose all the ambient noise. Using a blend of the gated

notice during the tracking session, including the fact that the kick

and direct sources allows you to balance the two, so you lose the

drum sounds a bit “tubby.”

Noise gate Noise gates function by setting a threshold level that determines the amount of input signal required to open the gate, then only letting the selected audio pass through to the gate’s output. Any sounds that comes in below the threshold value will not open the gate – in other words, they will effectively be removed from the track.

ence of the EQ on the kick drum’s PARAMETRIC EQ PLUG-INS OFFER LOTS OF EXTRAS AND OPTIONS, IN ADDITION TO GIVING YOU A VISUAL GRAPHIC TO HELP YOU FINE TUNE YOUR SETTINGS.

sound you want to produce. For rock, the kick and snare are primary. They need to be tight, clearly defined, and in-your-face. Let’s

Like compressors and limiters, the noise gate has a user-definable

start with the kick. After placing a limiter on the kick to even out the

threshold, provides variable gain reduction, and offers attack,

level, you found the overall kick drum timbre did not cut through.

hold, and release time parameters. Some gates also have select-

The large diaphragm dynamic mic you placed on the kick delivered

able frequency ranges where you can focus on everything from 1k

a deep fat bottom, but the midrange frequencies are over empha-

down (for example), or 1k up, or a custom range of frequencies.

sized and the top-end frequencies are weak. To make adjustments

This function makes the unit a lot more accurate, and you’ll get

sound is most extreme, drag the frequency point into negative val-

proper frequency range to minimize the kick’s unwanted tone. The technique of emphasizing and then subtracting unwanted fre-

First, it is important to keep in mind the type and style of drum of the instrument you’ve recorded.

frequency at which the tubby

ues. This should greatly reduce the

distracting noise without compromising the drum sound. A noise gate reduces incidental noises from a track while maintaining the attack

sound. Once you have found the

quencies is one way to eliminate annoying hums, rings, and any other frequency zones that need to be equalized. This technique will also be very effective on a ringing snare drum overtone. Finally, to give the kick drum a bit more definition, you can use the same method of experimenting to find the right frequency to boost and emphasize the kick drum’s attack. By boosting the EQ to brighten the transient attacks, the kick sounds fat, but now has the attack to punch through the mix without overpowering the other tracks.

relating to frequency, the EQ is the right tool.

fewer false positives. Let’s say you’ve got a floor tom track in which the drum was close

(EQ) EQUALIZERS

mic’d, and listening back critically, the five-second decay blurs the tom’s definition. You can live with some of the ringing tone, but you want to clearly hear the attack of each hit on the floor tom. This is a situation where a noise gate can be very effective.

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

PAGE 4

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PAGE 5

Expander

Loop the phrase so it plays continuously, then insert the noise gate

An expander is the opposite of a compressor. Where compression takes a given dynamic change and reduces it, an expander increases it, so louder sounds get louder and softer sounds get softer. There’s a threshold, an attack, release, ratio – the same controls you’ll find on a compressor. In fact, some compressors can function as an expander (sometimes referred to as an upward compression function). So when a signal comes in that is below the threshold, an expander boosts it to be above it. “They may not be the most commonly used processor,” says Weiss, “but an expander could be used with percussion, if you really want to accent the harder strokes. Or maybe on bells that have sort of flat lined and you need them to be more expressive. On some occasions, expanders can undo compression mistakes. If you’ve over

on the floor tom track and set the threshold level to the point at which the hit on the tom just barely opens the gate. Now adjust the attack, hold, and release parameters to achieve the desired floor tom effect, reducing the long decay.

EQ An equalizer, or EQ, is a frequency-specific amplifier, and it comes in two basic flavors: graphic or parametric. Both essentially make tonal adjustments by increasing or decreasing a frequency’s amplitude, but in the case of the

Noise gates are very useful when you need to eliminate any unwanted incidental sounds that may have been recorded. For instance, use one on vocals to eliminate breathing sounds between lyrical phrases, or on a distorted lead guitar to eliminate overdrive noise between lead passages. Noise gates can even be used on the stereo mix bus output to really tighten the breaks in the song. Noise gates can also create problems, since everything recorded on the track you are gating is eliminated according to the gate’s envelope, including any ambient leakage. This can sometimes cause

To fine tune the kick drum, a 7-band parametric EQ should do the trick. It provides a moderate number of bands while giving you more precise control over each band than a graphic EQ. Each frequency band has a dB control, usually +/-15 dB, a sweepable frequency range control, and a “Q”

graphic EQ, the bands are set at

control that sets the width of the

fixed center frequencies across

frequency band to be adjusted.

the 20-20 kHz bandwidth. The

The higher the Q, the narrower

number of bands may vary from

the frequency band that will be af-

5 to 30.

fected. Conversely, lower Q values result in a wider bandwidth range

A parametric equalizer is more

being boosted or cut.

complex, and controls more parameters of the sound including

In the case of the kick drum, the

the level, the primary frequency,

low-mid to mid-range frequencies

and the range of each frequency.

– 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz – might be the culprit causing the “tubby” kick

Let’s use a drum track as an ex-

sound. Tune the EQ’s frequency

ample. Although you may use

band to emphasize the tubbiness

some dynamic processing on the

in both amplitude and bandwidth.

drums, such as a limiter placed on

Don’t be afraid to be extreme with

a stereo group channel output, if

the frequency’s amplitude control.

recorded individually, each drum

You want to really hear the influ-

compressed something – an input signal going to tape – some-

a perceptible and distracting dropout on a given track. To address

needs to be listened to and treat-

times, if you’re lucky, an expander can bring back some of that

this, many gates have a balance or mix parameter, which allows you

ed on its own. During recording,

dynamic range.”

to choose how much of the original signal and how much of the

it’s often difficult to distinguish

gated signal is heard. With a drum kit, for instance, there’s typically

between the direct sound of the

a lot of noise in the room, and all of that combined noise is con-

drums in the room and what was

tributing to make up the overall sound of the drums. So while you

being recorded. Now at mix,

might want to gate the snare and kick, you don’t want to do a hard

you’re hearing things you didn’t

gate and lose all the ambient noise. Using a blend of the gated

notice during the tracking session, including the fact that the kick

and direct sources allows you to balance the two, so you lose the

drum sounds a bit “tubby.”

Noise gate Noise gates function by setting a threshold level that determines the amount of input signal required to open the gate, then only letting the selected audio pass through to the gate’s output. Any sounds that comes in below the threshold value will not open the gate – in other words, they will effectively be removed from the track.

ence of the EQ on the kick drum’s PARAMETRIC EQ PLUG-INS OFFER LOTS OF EXTRAS AND OPTIONS, IN ADDITION TO GIVING YOU A VISUAL GRAPHIC TO HELP YOU FINE TUNE YOUR SETTINGS.

sound you want to produce. For rock, the kick and snare are primary. They need to be tight, clearly defined, and in-your-face. Let’s

Like compressors and limiters, the noise gate has a user-definable

start with the kick. After placing a limiter on the kick to even out the

threshold, provides variable gain reduction, and offers attack,

level, you found the overall kick drum timbre did not cut through.

hold, and release time parameters. Some gates also have select-

The large diaphragm dynamic mic you placed on the kick delivered

able frequency ranges where you can focus on everything from 1k

a deep fat bottom, but the midrange frequencies are over empha-

down (for example), or 1k up, or a custom range of frequencies.

sized and the top-end frequencies are weak. To make adjustments

This function makes the unit a lot more accurate, and you’ll get

sound is most extreme, drag the frequency point into negative val-

proper frequency range to minimize the kick’s unwanted tone. The technique of emphasizing and then subtracting unwanted fre-

First, it is important to keep in mind the type and style of drum of the instrument you’ve recorded.

frequency at which the tubby

ues. This should greatly reduce the

distracting noise without compromising the drum sound. A noise gate reduces incidental noises from a track while maintaining the attack

sound. Once you have found the

quencies is one way to eliminate annoying hums, rings, and any other frequency zones that need to be equalized. This technique will also be very effective on a ringing snare drum overtone. Finally, to give the kick drum a bit more definition, you can use the same method of experimenting to find the right frequency to boost and emphasize the kick drum’s attack. By boosting the EQ to brighten the transient attacks, the kick sounds fat, but now has the attack to punch through the mix without overpowering the other tracks.

relating to frequency, the EQ is the right tool.

fewer false positives. Let’s say you’ve got a floor tom track in which the drum was close

(EQ) EQUALIZERS

mic’d, and listening back critically, the five-second decay blurs the tom’s definition. You can live with some of the ringing tone, but you want to clearly hear the attack of each hit on the floor tom. This is a situation where a noise gate can be very effective.

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

PAGE 4

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PAGE 5

De-esser

for reverberation) is one of the oldest and most widely-used time-

Ultimately, the de-esser was designed to specifically reduce the significantly louder – and uncontrollable – “ess” sound made by some vocalists (hence the name), but it can also be handy on an acoustic guitar and other instruments with a lot of high-frequency content. It basically works the same as a compressor: there’s a threshold control, a ratio control, and a usually a parametric EQ selector so you can target the frequency with the sibilant sound. “For some vocalists, when they make an ‘ess’ sound, it’s the loudest thing you’ve ever heard,” remarks Weiss, “but if the first thing you do is reach for your de-esser, you’re making a huge mistake. First,

LIMITERS

based effects. It can add lush ambient room sound to any instrument. Like delays, reverbs generate multiple wave fronts, but there are a large number of fronts and the time differential between each is extremely short. It’s easiest to think of these fronts as reflections of the original sound, like the way an instrument sounds when played in a concert hall with good acoustics. The sound generated by the instrument moves out in all directions. It comes directly toward the listener but it also hits the floor, walls, and ceiling. The sound reflections from these surfaces return back slightly delayed from the original sound, depending on the size and depth of the space. Of course the reflec-

When first applying your compression, you may actually notice sound of the gain reduction being applied, which can make the try to fix it by adjusting the microphone’s angle. A 10 degree hori-

tions off the floor, walls and ceiling also continue to bounce off of

zontal offset to either side of the vocalist can make a huge differ-

the surfaces in the space, and listeners perceive all those reflections

ence. Also, the distance between the vocalist and the microphone,

at slightly different times. Reverb units and plug-ins are designed to

and in some cases changing to a different microphone, can fix the

re-create the perception of these concert halls and other environ-

problem. I’m not one to try and ‘fix it in the mix.’ I try to capture the

ments.

best signal possible to avoid having to over-process tracks later. I hear de-essers overused a lot – even on professional recordings.

“Before the advent of reverb machines,” explains Weiss, “like in

When you overuse them, you can start losing too much high end.”

Sun Studios where Elvis was recording, they had a tiled room – an

Effects Processors Reverb

echo chamber – with a speaker on one side and a microphone on the other. They’d send the signal out to the speaker and the microphone would bring the signal back to the console, and viola, reverb! Sometimes, they’d add a baffle to dampen the room and achieve a

Reverb and delay are both time and space-related, and they are most easily differentiated by the discrete time that elapses be-

tighter echo, or move it around to control the reflections and highfrequency energy.

performance sound unnatural. This can be addressed by adjusting the attack and release parameters. Attack is how quickly the detector circuit picks up and affects an input signal that exceeds the threshold. Release is how long the compressor stays in effect after it’s been triggered. Let’s say you want a bass guitar track to sound punchier – you want to make sure the attack of the beginning of every note gets articulated clearly. Set up a slower attack time, maybe 10 milliseconds, so the attack at the beginning of the note doesn’t get compressed, but the body of the note does. You’re telling the detector circuit not to kick in right away, but to kick in after 10 milliseconds. Another setting on some compressors is the “mix” button, which in the output. You can have it on full, which means you’re hearing nothing but the compressed signal, or mix it in so there’s a blend of

THIS PLATE REVERB IS ROUGHLY 5’ X 7’ AND WEIGHS HUNDREDS OF POUNDS.

THIS SPRING REVERB TANK IS ABOUT A FOOT LONG.

compressed and uncompressed signal. “The harder you hit a compressor’s detector circuit, the more you’ll hear it,” warns producer/engineer Jon Marc Weiss. “It’s definitely a science, using the compressor, it’s something you have play with a lot to understand how it affects the sound. Ultimately, you want to control the dynamics but you don’t want to hear what the processor is doing. It can severely change the sound of the instrument if it’s overused.

heard a source – vocals, guitar, bass – that didn’t need compression of some kind, especially in a digital environment. With analog, there was a certain amount of compression that would happen when you went to tape, and even then, you’d still use a compressor. “

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variable output level, limiters have a fixed output level. A limiter allows you to set a maximum output level that will not be exceeded, regardless of the amount of input signal level. So while it can be described as a 60:1 ratio, or ∞:1 ratio, anything that exceeds your de-

Let’s say in your latest recording project there are phrases where the singer screams and growls at a much louder volume and with much more dynamic range than the verses. This is where you might choose a limiter. First, if the verses and the screaming phrases are on the same track, it’s a good idea to separate the sections by copying the screaming and growling vocals to a new track. Let’s say the screaming is consistently much louder than the growl, and that the growl is near the level you want the verse vocal to be. Apply the compressor on the new track and set the limiter’s ratio to the maximum value. Now adjust the threshold to a point at which both the scream and growl vocals produce the same output signal level. With a limiter you can easily knock down the louder scream so it’s equal to the growl’s amplitude. As you learn about compressors and limiters, try experimenting with different ratio and threshold values. Tweak the attack and release parameters and experience their effect. Try playing with the factory presets, designed by recording professionals to serve as a

“At the same time, it’s absolutely critical in recording. I’ve never

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

A limiter is basically a compressor, but where compressors have a

fined threshold is brought down to the output level you’ve defined.

determines how much of the unprocessed signal comes through

tween the original sound and its delayed reflection. Reverb (short

Limiters

starting point. You can also experiment with using – but not overusing – compression on the incoming signal when going to tape (or disk, drive, etc.). Nothing beats hands-on experience and experimentation to really understand how these processors will affect your recordings.

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PAGE 3

In addition to your microphones, DAW/console, and room, an essential part of any home studio set-up is your

“The next generation of reverb units were plate and spring reverbs.

tap a sensor pad in time to the music to set your precise delay time.

signal processing gear. From the dynamics control of compressors, limiters, and gates to the effects processing of

They’d send the signal through a long spring, or a series of them,

The delay also has low and high-cut filter parameters, so you can

and they’d produce reverb. Or there was a plate, literally a thin

change the frequency content of the delay generation when feed-

plate of sheet metal inside of a box, with pickups on it, and you’d

back is used. You can also modulate the delay time using the depth

adjust the reverb time by how much you were dampening the plate

and rate parameters, and create variable moving rhythmic echoes.

reverb and delay, these tools are integral to producing a professional-sounding product.

For an inexperienced engineer, the precise functions of these effects can be somewhat mysterious, and the overuse of plug-ins and outboard gear is commonplace – even among the pros. Understanding how processors like compressors and limiters function, and knowing how and when to use effects such as delay and reverb, will make

with a piece of felt. Even now, I don’t think digital processors can really replicate the sound of that plate reverb. It’s such an amazing the same.”

ranges from very quiet with low recording levels to very loud and pushing the levels. Commonly, vocals and bass guitar are candidates for compression, as is anything that varies in intensity during

In audio recording, a compressor reduces the amount of output signal level in relation to the input signal level, according to a given ratio, beginning at your user-defined threshold. More simply, it brings the loudest sounds down, and brings the softest sounds up. How much a compressor will affect the dynamics of a track is ultimately determined by the ratio setting. First, you set a threshold for the output signal, then you set your ratio. A compression ratio of 2:1 means that for every 2 dB the input level is above your set threshold, the output level is reduced by 1 dB. A ratio of 4:1 means that if the input signal is 4 dB over the threshold, it will be brought down to 1 dB over the threshold, or reduced by 3 dB. It’s as if you were riding the gain on a console fader. When the input signal gets too loud, you pull the fader down, lowering the gain. When the signal gets too soft, you push the fader up, raising the gain. Compressors are typically used on any performance that includes a wide range of dynamics – meaning the volume level of the take

hall, apartment building foyer) and

Today’s reverbs emulate a wide variety

Compressors

rectangular room (gym, garage, church clap your hands loudly and listen to

you a better producer and help to enhance the sound quality of your recordings.

Dynamics Control

One simple way to describe a delay is as an echo. Go into a large

sound – they get close, but it’s not quite

the course of a track.

of

acoustical

see if there is a discrete echo. The

spaces.

smaller the room, the closer to-

Some of the more common en-

gether the original sound and its

vironments include a concert

echo or echoes will be. Go into a

hall, room, church, arena, club,

cathedral, and you’ll hear how the

and stage. Some reverb plug-ins

echo time is increased proportional

offer plate, spring, and chamber

to the room’s overall cubic dimen-

emulations as well. In all cases, there

Let’s assume you’re recording a song where the vocals have verses that are dynamically consistent and are at a moderate volume, but in spots, the vocal level drops to an intimate, whispery style, and the signal is getting lost in the mix. Here is a situation where compression will do the trick.

sion.

are common parameters that can be selected and adjusted.

Flange and Chorus In addition to the time-based effects

Reverb type refers to the room being

like reverb and delay, there are a host of

emulated (hall, room, etc.). Reverb size

modulation effects that have remarkable

refers to how large of a space you can

Depending on how great of a dB variation, start by setting the ratio to approximately half the difference between the highest and lowest vocal level on the track. For example, if there is a 10 dB difference between the vocal’s dynamic high and low point, you can set the compressor’s ratio to 5:1. Now reduce the threshold setting to the point at which you want the gain reduction of the vocal to start. Once applied, you may find that the overall vocal level has been reduced considerably after being processed by the compressor. It is often necessary to raise the output gain of the compressor to bring the compressed track to a usable listening level.

histories and owe their existence to the

create. You might have a large room, a

creativity and determination of pioneer-

small church, or a medium hall. Diffusion Today’s digital effects like flange and chorus emulate

apart each reflection spreads out from

sounds that were originally created using two tape ma-

the instrument, giving a sense of depth of

chines. Both were loaded with the same recording, and

the use of them such a matter of taste,

by altering the speed of one (or both), flange and chorus

genre, and musical personality, we won’t

effects were achieved.

endeavor to explore things like ring mod-

the enclosure. Decay adjusts how fast the reflections die out after the initial attack of the sound. Pre-delay is an important

parameter that determines the time differential between the direct sound and the point at which listeners perceive the reverb reflections. Finally, most reverbs have low and high cut filters that can reduce or increase harmonic partials as a part of the reverb’s reflections. These filters are very useful to create transparency within the

COMPRESSORS

ing engineers, artists, and producers. As

is a parameter that determines how far

reverb process.

there are so many different effects, and

ulation, tremolo, etc. – but a brief study of the origins of flange and chorus gives insight to the original techniques that today’s digital processors are trying to emulate. Flange is named after the flange on a tape machine. In order to achieve a flange effect in the days of analog (think of the vocals on Queen’s “Killer Queen”), you’d have two tape machines right next to each other, queued up to the same exact spot. You’d press play on both, and then put your finger on the flange of the second ma-

Delay

chine so you literally slowed down the tape on the second machine,

A delay is a time-based processor that generates discrete wave

then you let go, then slow it again to achieve that flange effect.

fronts of the input signal according to the delay time. Delay settings of 250 to 500 ms will create rhythmic interest while smaller

Chorus is similar, Though not as dramatic. With a chorus, you have

times such as 20 to 80 ms can create a sense of depth. You can also

the two tape machines with one running just a few milliseconds

create echo effects by increasing the amount of feedback, a pa-

after the other, and that’s your basic chorus.

rameter that returns the output of the delay circuit back into itself. Volume 6 in our Home Studio Series will delve into techniques you

USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

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Many delays provide rhythmic note values, such as whole, half,

can employ in your home studio to get better tones on tape, and

quarter, eighths, etc., and offer a sync option that times the delay

Volume 7 will focus on getting a killer mix, including more insight

precisely to the tempo of the original track. A tap delay lets you

into the use of processors and effects.

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PAGE 7

ANDRE CALILHANNA

JON MARC WEISS

is a writer, editor, and musician who serves as editor and contributor

is the Senior IT Systems Engineer for Disc Makers and also an ac-

to Disc Makers’ Echoes blog. His band Hijack recently recorded and

complished recording engineer, studio designer, and musician with

released an EP at home and in local pro studios using many of the

over 20 years’ experience. He owns and operates Kiva Productions

techniques addressed in these guides.

right outside of Philadelphia in Hollywood, PA to develop local and national acts. Check out Kiva Productions on Facebook.

KEITH HATSCHEK

JEFF CRAWFORD

is Director of the Music Management Program at the University

is a recording engineer and producer with more than 30 years

of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. He is the author of two books:

industry experience. He also teaches music technology at

The Golden Moment: Recording Secrets of the Pros

University of the Pacific.

(Backbeat Books, 2006), and How To Get a Job in the Music Industry (Berklee Press, 2007). He regularly contributes to Echoes, and has recently published an article about the impact of the Cold War jazz ambassador tours of pianist Dave Brubeck.

Get all of Disc Makers’ Home Studio guides as PDF downloads today! Volume 1:

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BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL HOME STUDIO A no-skimping guide to turning your living room into an A-Room

CREATING A HOME PROJECT STUDIO How to get optimal results from your space and budget www.discmakers.com/HS-vol2

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Volume 3:

Volume 4:

THE $999 HOME STUDIO GUIDE The essential gear to get your studio off the ground

THE HOME STUDIO MICROPHONE GUIDE Finding the right mics for every situation and every budget

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PRESENTS

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VOLUME 5: Using Processors and Effects How compressors, gates, reverb, delay (and more) can help your recordings USING PROCESSORS AND EFFECTS

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BY ANDRE CALILHANNA, KEITH HATSCHEK, JON MARC WEISS, AND JEFF CRAWFORD

Front Cover