- 1). Open your preferred audio production program, such as Pro Tools or Logic. It may take a few seconds for the program to fully load.
- 2). Open a new session. The exact method for doing so differs slightly according to which program you are using, but you typically select a new session from the "File" menu. For example, if you're using Apple's Logic, click "File" and select "Open Recent." From the drop-down menu, locate the session containing the vocals you would like to mix. If you didn't record the vocals in your preferred audio production program, you should import the audio file into a new session. Again, the exact process differs slightly from program to program. In Logic for example, click "File" and select "New Session." Click "File" again and select "Import Audio." Browse and select the relevant audio file. Once you import the file, it will open in the new session.
- 3). Click on the vocal file to highlight it. Click the "S" icon to "solo" the vocal audio. This mutes all other audio.
- 4). Click "Tools" and select "Compressor." This is a corrective effect that limits the dynamic range of a piece of audio. In typical applications, compression "tempers" the volume of an audio signal by cutting very loud volumes and boosting very quiet ones to bring the overall dynamic range nearer to the average. However, you can "abuse" the compressor parameters to approximate the sound of an overloaded signal.
- 5). Adjust the "Threshold" dial and set it high. The threshold parameter determines at which point the compressor adjusts the signal. By setting it high, you configure the compressor to boost even slightly quiet signals and cut slightly loud signals. This creates a distinctly "squashed" sound. The guitar solo in "White Knuckles" by Chicago-based band OK Go features a prominent example of this sound.
- 6). Adjust the "Gain" dial. The compressor "Gain" compensates for the attenuation exacted by the threshold adjustment. Set it high to drive the compressor. This creates a warm, crunchy distortion that adds depth and character to your vocals. The verse vocal in "American Idiot" by Green Day has a characteristically compressed sound, similar to what this process achieves.
- 7). Press the "S" button to take off the solo function. Listen to the vocal in the mix.
- 8). Reduce the vocal channel volume. Because you are approximating distortion, the vocal audio will be thicker and deeper sounding. To prevent it from dominating the mix, drag the virtual slider dial downward.
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