How to blow your Speakers? Compression and EQing by Brendan…

You all know Brendan Tacey as the Head of Imaging for MMM in Melbourne. He is also known as the PRODGUY and runs his own Youtube channel showing YOU tipps & tricks for great radio production. A few days ago I asked Brendan to do a work shop on Compression and Eqing and he came up with an unbelievable detailled post, showing you step by step how he creates an unbelievable VO sound in his daily productions.  This post IS the ultimate roadmap to make you blow your speakers. Enter Brendan!

We have 2 VOs… one male (Nick Tate) one female (Jen Wilson)

I take the original file and process it with a RCompressor

I have left the male VO on the top track using the eq on the LHS of the screen shot, and dropped the

female VO down to track 2 which runs thru the eq sitting on the RHS of the screen

Each VO after going thru the eq runs thru another Rcompressor unit

then are bussed thru a

trueverb and metaflanger.

These are effects that were shown to me by the Legend that is Matt Nikolic (Austereo-Fox FM)

I loved the sound it created and have worked with it for a number of years now.

Then on my master track I have a C4, L1

another slight eq for a little bright ‘kiss’ in the top

end, then another Limiter and just the uv meters at the end of the chain.

Now.. back to the VO….

Audio 1 is the result of all the above

[soundcloud width=”100%” height=”81″ params=”” url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14267818″]

From here… to effect up the voice… I like to duplicate the original VOs down to a stereo track

(I use 2 mono tracks, panned and paired for my stereo… I find it gives me much more flexability in

editing and doing stereo tricks in the imaging)

Then with a thin EQ  i process the male VO

and another thin but hotter eq, I process the female VO

The result is audio 2.

[soundcloud width=”100%” height=”81″ params=”” url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14267822″]

Doesn’t sound too good yet…. so go to the next step.

Run some modulation like a flange over the male VO

and something else over the female VO… I used a

sans amp preset

the result is now audio 3.

[soundcloud width=”100%” height=”81″ params=”” url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14267826″]

Finally…. take the effected VOs on the stero tracks, make sure they are panned left and right, then

off centre them from one another and the original file … only slightly

Then adjust the volume accordingly…. as to how much of the effect you want mixed with the original

VO.

the end result is audio 4.

[soundcloud width=”100%” height=”81″ params=”” url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14267836″]

Why do I do it like this and not just drop plug ins on the mixer and do it all in real time…. basically

cos I am running a 6yo mac and if i loaded her up.. it would never operate.

I also like to have the freedom of adjusting the amount of effect I put into the mix this way.