Limiter or technique to handle claps?

norsehorse · Post by **norsehorse** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 11:23 am

I let claps clip the A/D or limiter. Not a problem. Often better than messing up the audio with a compresor, EQ, or de-esser.

If the claps are truly out-of-balance with the rest of the material, I concur with suggestions to try bringing up other mics/tracks.

Anthony Caruso · Post by **Anthony Caruso** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:30 pm

If the claps are that much louder than the other material, it's probably pretty clear in the waveform where they are. A little automation, maybe? With similar situations of taming super fast transient stuff without compression, I'll just zoom in a little, highlight the part of the waveform that is "taller" than what comes before/after the transient, and duck it. Square trough, no taper to the automation, that often makes it stick out more.

That may only work for the intro, but when the ducks are happening as fast as a clap transient you may also be able to get away with it when they're singing, especially if you don't have to duck as many or you can get away with ducking only a few choice loud claps.

60% of the time, this will work 100% of the time, most of the time.

Good luck!

stylus flanger · Post by **stylus flanger** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:42 pm

tape machine or one of those tape head emulators? seems like one of those things where a vu meter is superior to led meters.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:30 am

double post. yay.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:30 am

A combination of a lot of things, used a little, rather than one thing, used a lot.
That is almost always the answer when you are looking for a non-bvious solution to something like this.

A little bit of limiting, a notch filter pulling down the fundamental of the claps as much as you can without making everything else sound like poop, and maybe even the sonic parlour trick of the flipped phase situation.
Going after a sound like this with pre and post EQ limiting, along with multiple devices, is the way. not an inverse ratio gong bananas on a look ahead thingy. The attack time is probably not what is killing you.

Do everything you can. I would have like 8 layers of compression, all riding different aspects of the track, so you are bringing the voices up to the claps, rather than trying to snipe every clap down into the track... make the RMS higher, and the peaks dont seem so annoying.

fossiltooth · Post by **fossiltooth** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:53 am

Galen Ulrich Elfert wrote:
have them slap their thighs with both hands, automatically gives you twice the clapage per pass and does away with the intense transient of hand on hand action.
This is huge. Thank you.

Brilliant solution to try. Love it.

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Limiter or technique to handle claps?

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