Wavehammer for vocal tracks -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Wavehammer for vocal tracks Posted by: 1daat Date:6/27/2001 12:06:07 PM I am currently using Acid Pro 2.0, and hopefully 3.0 if I can get the bugs worked out. I also have Vegas Audio and Sound Forge 5.0. I have some vocal tracks I have recorded where the singer is quite dynamic. She sings real hot at times and than softer at other times. I recorded the vocals thru a fairly good performance mic running thru a Mackie 808M. My sound card is a Delta 1010. The tracks came out "ok", but I wanted to enhance them, thus this leads me to the tool within Sound Forge called "Wave Hammer". I have been told that this can help out vocals that have a "wide peak range" - not clipping - Just trying to start some discussions on the best uses of WaveHammer to enhance vocal tracks.
Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks Reply by: Rednroll Date:6/29/2001 11:02:20 AM This is probably not the best use of the wave hammer plugin. It would probably help, because wave hammer works as a mastering "compressor". That's where the term "compressor" comes from. It "compresses the dynamic range between loud and soft parts. The best thing to use is the simple compressor in Vegas. For a highly dynamic vocal like the one you described, set up the compressor to have a 6:1 compression ratio, the attack of 10-30mS and a release around 300mS. Set the knee to a nice round knee. Goto the loud parts of the vocal performance and adjust the threshold until the gain reduction reads about -10dB....on the output setting increase this to +6dB. What you've eccentially have done with these setting is compressed your dynamics range by 10dB and then raised the level of the entire performance 6dB. The other thing you might want to look into, is purchasing a hardware compressor to use when recording your vocals. A DBX 280a is a great mic-pre/compressor/desser...all in one vocal processor for a very affordable price tag of $200. I bet you have a very difficult time with recording that vocal performance as far as controling levels without one. Brian Franz
Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks Reply by: 1daat Date:6/30/2001 7:49:01 PM Thanks so much for the tip ! It really worked great !
Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks Reply by: Rednroll Date:7/1/2001 8:42:53 PM Good to hear, You're welcome!!!

Subject:Wavehammer for vocal tracks

Posted by: 1daat

Date:6/27/2001 12:06:07 PM

I am currently using Acid Pro 2.0, and hopefully 3.0 if I can get the bugs worked out. I also have Vegas Audio and Sound Forge 5.0. I have some vocal tracks I have recorded where the singer is quite dynamic. She sings real hot at times and than softer at other times. I recorded the vocals thru a fairly good performance mic running thru a Mackie 808M. My sound card is a Delta 1010. The tracks came out "ok", but I wanted to enhance them, thus this leads me to the tool within Sound Forge called "Wave Hammer". I have been told that this can help out vocals that have a "wide peak range" - not clipping -

Just trying to start some discussions on the best uses of WaveHammer to enhance vocal tracks.

Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:6/29/2001 11:02:20 AM

This is probably not the best use of the wave hammer plugin. It would probably help, because wave hammer works as a mastering "compressor". That's where the term "compressor" comes from. It "compresses the dynamic range between loud and soft parts. The best thing to use is the simple compressor in Vegas. For a highly dynamic vocal like the one you described, set up the compressor to have a 6:1 compression ratio, the attack of 10-30mS and a release around 300mS. Set the knee to a nice round knee. Goto the loud parts of the vocal performance and adjust the threshold until the gain reduction reads about -10dB....on the output setting increase this to +6dB. What you've eccentially have done with these setting is compressed your dynamics range by 10dB and then raised the level of the entire performance 6dB.

The other thing you might want to look into, is purchasing a hardware compressor to use when recording your vocals. A DBX 280a is a great mic-pre/compressor/desser...all in one vocal processor for a very affordable price tag of $200. I bet you have a very difficult time with recording that vocal performance as far as controling levels without one.

Brian Franz

Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks

Reply by: 1daat

Date:6/30/2001 7:49:01 PM

Thanks so much for the tip ! It really worked great !

Subject:RE: Wavehammer for vocal tracks

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:7/1/2001 8:42:53 PM

Good to hear, You're welcome!!!