Is this configuration correct please?

[TEEF]

Maybe the technique I posted seems a little complex (no one seemed to comment on it) but you can get really creative with it with selective inverted phase cancellation. For instance you can create comb filtering if you want or a specific eq curve (you create the subtraction curve by ear), you can also insert an MS inline plugin and choose to remove a portion of the guitar’s stereo field so the vocal spatial effects replace the guitar spatial effects or do a blend of the mid side for specific cancellation to make the stereo field of the song very interactive.

If anyone tries this, make a channel preset after you set it up. Once you get familiar with it and the flexibility and depth in which you can sculpt, you will want to use it other places. I first came up with this for low bass frequency attenuation so a kick could be really punchy without losing the low-mids of a bass guitar.

You can also use this technique in the opposite, to trigger boost in certain frequencies (I usually go for higher frequencies that are at the edges determining width) so that when the vocal enters, the effects of a pad/synth it excited. You don’t need much. The added sonic information, even though it is coming from a different instrument, will draw attention to the content that brings it out because they are linked to each other when they are present. It is a very cool thing how a mind+ear interpret things.

I tend to be really technical in how I approach things.


Or, just purchase a plug that gets your groove on and let it do it for you. Like I said: Million of ways to skin a cat

[raino]

@Grim

You keep talking about sending which I can’t tell is just you misdescribing what you’re doing or is the reason it’s not working!
If you want to reduce frequencies in the instruments you must route them to the group not send them…otherwise the original is untouched and whatever happens in your compressor can only add more to it rather than take anything out.

So route instruments to group, insert dynamics on group and sidechain from vocal.

Good point. Kevin it might be useful if you posted a screenshot that shows both the compressor setup and the routing for your instrument tracks. This could be a situation where a picture is worth much more than a thousand words.

[shadowfax]

@Grim

You keep talking about sending which I can’t tell is just you misdescribing what you’re doing or is the reason it’s not working!
If you want to reduce frequencies in the instruments you must route them to the group not send them…otherwise the original is untouched and whatever happens in your compressor can only add more to it rather than take anything out.

So route instruments to group, insert dynamics on group and sidechain from vocal.

So yes…this is my mistake…routing is a source of never ending confusion for me and I’ve been sending instead of routing the instrument tracks…
so many interesting answers to this question…the de esser one for instance…but my problem is solved,

thank you everyone for your help…
I am now a little less stupid than I was before you guys helped me…

[peakae]

@matjones

Actually… kevin, it might be worth you just using the stock de esser to do this, just put it on the group/channel you wish to reduce frequencies in, identify which frequency range you wish to duck, activate the S/C button on it and then go to the channel you wish to use as your control channel and assign it to S/C the de esser from the sends panel from that channel… probably a little more straight forward for you.

Was about to write the exact same thing, fast easy, and the de esser in Cubase is really nice to work with.
Also work wonders on harsh overheads and frett noise from both guitars and bass.

On vocal I use Melda’s AutoVolume that is a vocal rider sort of plugin. It can also write automation of the volume changes, makes it easy to adjust later on. Best thing the price 28 us or 25 euro right now. I mention it because lately when needing to get the vocals louder it has been absolutely fantastic at doing that without destroying the dynamics.

[Stephen57]

Excellent discussion on using sidechain and other compression/expansion techniques.

Using compressors as tone shaping tools is, I think, one of the more challenging applications to get good at, but I hear amazing things being done with this kind of usage in commercial music of all kinds and I strive to improve my own. Thanks to all who generously shared their techniques and insights. TEEF, thanks for taking the time to post in detail about your techniques. Good posts all.

[shadowfax]

@Stephen57

Excellent discussion on using sidechain and other compression/expansion techniques.

Using compressors as tone shaping tools is, I think, one of the more challenging applications to get good at, but I hear amazing things being done with this kind of usage in commercial music of all kinds and I strive to improve my own. Thanks to all who generously shared their techniques and insights. TEEF, thanks for taking the time to post in detail about your techniques. Good posts all.

Agreed, everyone was very helpful…cannot thank them enough