I love novel approaches to existing processes and this particular process ranks right up there with the best of them.
Rap vocals require a different mindset to the norm when it comes to managing gains and the dynamic range. The sheer speed and aggression in delivery means we need to think on the micro scale. In effect, there are too many things happening too quickly and applying broadband processes doesn't always yield good results. With rap vocals you need to process in stages. BUT that's about to change.
An Old School technique that has been around for a while now is to use two modes of compression at the same time. The idea is to use a downward compressor to manage the peak transients and an upward compressor to narrow the dynamic range. This particular chain of processes is not complex to set up but it is a little difficult to implement as one compressor's settings are reliant on the other's and vice versa. In effect, you need to work both processes simultaneously.
This two stage process is a wonderful way to manage the dynamic range of rap vocals and emphasise certain parts. However, imagine throwing in another compressor but this time something that is very different to the standard downward compressor. Imagine use data transmission line compression sometimes referred to as chip compression. This type of compressor squeezes everything around the threshold and leaves everything else unaffected.
Now imagine using all three modes of compression in one single process. This has been made possible by the wonderful plugin manufacturer Hornet. They have created a plugin called Dynamics Control.
Instead of trying to explain how it works and what settings to use I think it best you watch the video as I run through many variations of dynamic control using this one plugin and one rap vocal.
Topics covered in this video are:
Compression
Downward
Upward
Telecom
3 Way Fixed Thresholds
Dynamic Range
Response
Techniques and Best Practices
