VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Moosevoice · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:21 pm Post subject: Gate/Limiter question

Need a quick pointer on Limiter and Gate settings.

Mine is set just right for regular reads but what should I be adjusting for those reads that require an occasional ‘flourish?’, shall we say?

An example would be an Al Pacino type read where he’s soft and then occasionally blasts a line that sends the needed pinning.

How (attack, release, threshold, etc.) should I adjust my limiter for louder passages?

dBX 166XL is my limiter
http://www.dbxpro.com/en-US/products/166xl
Thanks

vkuehn · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:21 pm Post subject:

I feel today like I often do: Maybe I'm the LAST PERSON who should offer advice.

I like the idea of a limiter and gate in the chain when the input is going to have some consistency. I've done a lot of producing of audio from live seminars, group meetings, worship events, political Town Hall events.

If there is not going to be consistent input level and to some extent style, I don't want ANY automation in the chain. Let me capture the entire event (including a voice-over production) raw, go in manually and bring all the segments into alignment as far as level goes, and then use compression, limiting and other techniques in the software.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:30 pm Post subject:

If I'm the voiceover talent and not the producer, my limiter and gate settings are : OFF. Smile

_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

Chuck Davis · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:01 pm Post subject:

While I might use a limiter to catch extreme peaks in a similar situation, I think mic technique is more important than electronics in any situation.
_________________
Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Gate/Limiter question

heyguido · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:38 pm Post subject:

Yep. Leave the sweetening and the processing to the producer.
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

Bruce · Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:30 am Post subject:

And the "don't use any processing" idea is great when someone else down the line will take care of that, but if you're like me and a fair percentage of your work goes direct to final users who know little about processing, it is nice to offer it to them, and usually without telling them.

That being said, as a general rule, use as little of these modifications as possible. Go more by ear or final output volume levels than by any particular numerical settings. Does it sound right for the purpose Smile

or does it sound artificial? Shocked

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Jan Park Holm · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 16 Location: Denmark

Let the person best fit for the job do the processing. That is by no means always the client.

Delivering to

- Pro audio people, no processing
- Non pro end customer / most video people, processing (based on dialoge)
- When in doubt - both
_________________
Jan Park Holm
Gefell M940 | A-Design P1 Pre | BAC500 Comp | RME FF802

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:25 pm Post subject:

Jan Park Holm · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 16 Location: Denmark

Yup - that's the "based on dialoge" part. But there are situations where you can't ask or get an answer. That's where I do both, which makes me sure that the end product has a higher rate of being optimal.

All of my recordings have just a tiny bit of analog comp going in, which I consider the unprocessed version. Doing a processed version is just the touch of a preset button in the DAW.
_________________
Jan Park Holm
Gefell M940 | A-Design P1 Pre | BAC500 Comp | RME FF802