Insider’s Secrets
_____________________________________________________________
13
Vocals, Vocals, Vocals
The 1176LN has long been considered the preeminent tool
for recording vocals. Veteran engineer Andy Johns (Led
Zeppelin, Rolling Stones) says flatly, “For vocals there really
isn’t a better compressor.” Bruce Swedien is another
legendary engineer who is a die-hard 1176 fan. “I love them
on vocals,” he says. “All of the Michael Jackson and James Ingram vocals that everyone has heard so
much were done with at least one of those 1176s. I couldn’t part with them for anything. They sound
fabulous.”
Added reviewer Hugh Robjohns, writing in
Sound on Sound
magazine in June, 2001: “The 1176LN is
judged by many to be unsurpassed as a vocal compressor, and I would certainly agree that it can be
extremely effective. It can be surprisingly transparent when used fairly gently on a 4:1 ratio, a setting
whose warm, [tube]-like quality can be sublime on softer voices. Yet it can also accommodate the
raunchiest hard compression demands too, which can be fantastic on strong, belted-out rock vocals.”
Reviewer Trevor Curwen, writing for
The Mix
in August 2000, reported that “When recording vocals, the
1176[LN] was... used with a low ratio, resulting in a very natural, smooth sound and even performance
being captured. Strapping the compressor across the vocal when mixing, and adding just a little more
squeeze, gave it the presence it needed to sit consistently in the mix, with a nice top end to the
sound.”
Producer/engineer Mike Shipley (Def Leppard, Shania Twain) says, “I grew up using 1176s—in
England they were the compressor of choice. They’re especially good for vocals... most anything else I
can do without, but I can’t be without at least a pair of 1176s and an LA-2A. The 1176 absolutely adds
a bright character to a sound, and you can set the attack so it’s got a nice bite to it. I usually use them
on 4:1 [ratio], with quite a lot of gain reduction. I like how variable the attack and release is; there’s a
sound on the attack and release which I don’t think you can get with any other compressor. I listen for
how it affects the vocal, and depending on the song I set the attack or release—faster attack if I want
a bit more bite.”
Producer/engineer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Sammy Hagar) agrees. “I find that I actually use 1176s
more now than I ever did,” he says. “I like them because they bring out the brightness and presence of
a sound—they give it an energy. It seems like when I’m mixing I end up using an 1176 on the vocals
every time.”
Jim Scott, who won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album for Tom Petty’s
Wildflowers
, says “I use
1176s real conservatively and they still do amazing things. I always use them on vocals.... I’m always
on the 4:1 [ratio], and the Dr. Pepper [Attack/Release settings]—you know, 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock, and it
does everything I need... They have an equalizer kind of effect, adding a coloration that’s bright and
clear. Not only do they give you a little more impact from the compression, they also sort of clear things
up; maybe a little bottom end gets squeezed out or maybe they are just sort of excitingly solid state...
The big thing for me is the clarity, and the improvement in the top end.”
Last but not least, if you’re trying to get an extra dose of attitude in a lead vocal, try “All-Button” mode
with fast attack and release times. Not recommended for the faint of heart (or for balladeers), but it
can definitely give a male or female rock vocal track an in-your-face sound that you can’t get
anywhere else.
“
For vocals there really isn’t
a better compressor
”
—
engineer Andy Johns
