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“Compression Week” continues at the Radio Lounge
Quick Voiceover Tip: What Is Ratio?
So here we are, “Compression Week” at Radio Lounge. Hopefully, this is beginning to make sense. Bottom line, you don’t need a degree in audio engineering to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Today, we get a bit more complicated. Ratio determines how MUCH compression is applied to your audio as it hits the threshold. Let’s use 6:1 as an example. The 6 means the audio will exceed the threshold by 6 dB, and 1 means the audio will be reduced by 1 db.
Again, less is more. Higher ratios such as 8:1 and 10:1 will be too much voiceover (unless you have extreme dynamics going on). Higher ratios are often used on musical instruments, however you are not mixing music; you are simply leveling out your voice to make it sound more consistent.
So, experiment with the settings, but remember that most vocals are best processed with a 1.5:1 or 2:1 setting…some big voices work well with a 3:1, but probably not more than that..
Learn more about Radio Lounge’s voiceover coaching and voice over demo production services.
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Quick Voiceover Tip: What Is Ratio?
M. Bruce Abbott is the Creative Director/Partner at Radio Lounge. Bruce has over 30 years experience as a voice actor, casting and production director, as well as extensive advertising, marketing, and podcasting experience.
