Silver Dynamic Microphone on Black Microphone Stand

Mixing Vocal

Mixing vocals is a crucial step in music production, as it helps the vocals sit well in a track and enhances their clarity, depth, and emotional impact. Here’s a step-by-step guide to mixing vocals:

Step 1: Organize and Clean Up the Vocal Tracks

What to do: Before applying any effects, make sure your vocal tracks are organized and cleaned up.

Steps:

  1. Organize vocal takes: Name and color-code the tracks (e.g., Lead Vocal, Backing Vocals, Harmonies, etc.) to stay organized.
  2. Remove background noise: Use a noise gate or manually delete any unwanted background sounds like breath noises or pops.
    • If necessary, use a noise reduction plugin (like iZotope RX or Waves NS1) to remove persistent noise.
  3. Edit out unwanted sections: Delete or mute sections of the vocal track where the singer is not performing to eliminate any stray noise.
  4. Crossfade edits: If you cut any parts of the vocals, make sure to apply smooth crossfades to avoid clicks or pops.

Step 2: Apply Basic EQ

What to do: Use EQ (equalization) to remove unnecessary frequencies and enhance the vocal’s tone.

Steps:

  1. High-pass filter: Apply a high-pass filter to remove low-end rumble (usually around 80-100 Hz).
  2. Cut muddy frequencies: Identify and cut low-mid frequencies (around 200-500 Hz) to reduce muddiness.
    • Be gentle with cuts; typically, a reduction of 2-3 dB in this range will help clean up the vocals.
  3. Boost clarity: Add a subtle boost around 2-5 kHz to enhance the clarity and presence of the vocal.
    • Be careful with boosting too much in this area, as it can make the vocal harsh.
  4. Air and sparkle: For a more open, airy sound, boost the high frequencies around 8-12 kHz slightly.
  5. Resonant frequency cuts: Use a narrow EQ band to find any harsh or resonant frequencies (around 3-7 kHz), and cut them slightly to smooth out the vocal.

Step 3: Compress the Vocals

What to do: Use compression to control the vocal dynamics, ensuring the vocal sits consistently in the mix.

Steps:

  1. Set the threshold: Lower the threshold until the loudest parts of the vocal are reduced by about 3-6 dB.
  2. Ratio: Use a compression ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 for most vocals to smooth out dynamics without making the vocal sound too flat.
  3. Attack and release:
    • Attack: Set a medium attack (10-30 ms) to let the transients through, maintaining the vocal’s energy.
    • Release: Set a faster release (40-100 ms) so the compressor reacts quickly and lets go of the signal quickly, keeping the vocal natural.
  4. Makeup gain: Adjust the makeup gain to bring the overall vocal level back up after compression.
  5. Optional: Use parallel compression: Blend a heavily compressed version of the vocal with the original to add fullness without losing dynamics.

Step 4: Add De-essing

What to do: Use a de-esser to reduce harsh sibilance (the “S” and “T” sounds) that can become prominent in the high frequencies.

Steps:

  1. Insert a de-esser plugin (like FabFilter Pro-DS or Waves DeEsser) after your EQ and compression.
  2. Set the frequency range: Typically, de-essing is needed around 5-8 kHz, where sibilance tends to occur.
  3. Adjust the threshold: Lower the threshold until the “S” sounds are softened but not completely removed.
  4. Fine-tune the amount of reduction to make sure the vocal still sounds natural and not overly dull.

Step 5: Apply Reverb and Delay (Space and Depth)

What to do: Add reverb and delay to create space and depth in the vocal, making it sit well in the mix without feeling too dry.

Steps:

  1. Reverb:
    • Use a send/return channel for reverb instead of inserting it directly on the vocal track.
    • Choose a short to medium reverb time for lead vocals (around 1-2 seconds) to avoid muddying the mix.
    • Adjust the pre-delay (around 30-60 ms) to ensure the vocal stays clear before the reverb kicks in.
    • Use a plate or hall reverb for a natural, lush sound. Plate reverb often works well for vocals.
    • Blend the reverb to taste, usually keeping it subtle to avoid drowning the vocals.
  2. Delay:
    • Use a delay send (instead of directly inserting) to control the amount of effect.
    • Slapback delay (short delay, around 80-120 ms) can add thickness without overwhelming the vocal.
    • For rhythmic effects, try quarter-note or eighth-note delays synced to the tempo of the track.
    • Adjust the feedback to control how many repetitions of the delay you want.
    • Use a low-pass filter on the delay to remove high frequencies and prevent the delay from clashing with the main vocal.

Step 6: Add Saturation or Harmonic Exciters (Optional)

What to do: Use saturation or harmonic exciters to add warmth, character, and richness to the vocals.

Steps:

  1. Saturation plugins like Soundtoys Decapitator, FabFilter Saturn, or Softube Saturation Knob can add subtle distortion, giving the vocal a warm and full sound.
  2. Start with light saturation to avoid distortion; you just want to add a bit of color.
  3. Blend the effect to taste, aiming for subtle warmth that enhances the vocal without overpowering it.

Step 7: Use Volume Automation

What to do: Apply volume automation to ensure the vocal remains consistent and clear throughout the track.

Steps:

  1. Identify any spots where the vocal dips or peaks in volume.
  2. Use volume automation to bring down loud peaks or raise quieter parts, especially in dynamic sections of the song.
  3. Automation can be done manually or by using plugins like Waves Vocal Rider to automatically adjust the vocal levels in real-time.

Step 8: Layer and Pan Background Vocals

What to do: Process your background vocals (if any) to complement the lead vocal and add depth to the overall mix.

Steps:

  1. EQ background vocals: Roll off more low-end (using a high-pass filter around 150-200 Hz) to prevent them from clashing with the lead vocal.
  2. Compress background vocals to make them more consistent and blend smoothly with the lead.
  3. Pan the background vocals to the sides (left and right) to create a wide stereo image.
  4. Add reverb or delay to the background vocals to push them further back in the mix compared to the lead vocal.

Step 9: Final Polishing with a Master Bus Processing (Optional)

What to do: Apply final touches on the mix bus to glue the vocals with the rest of the track.

Steps:

  1. Use a gentle bus compressor to glue everything together (e.g., 1.5:1 ratio with about 1-2 dB of gain reduction).
  2. Add subtle EQ on the mix bus to make slight tonal adjustments (e.g., small boosts in the high end for added brightness).
  3. If needed, apply a final limiter to control any peaks before sending the mix to mastering.

Step 10: Test and Adjust

What to do: Listen to your mix on different systems to ensure the vocals sound great across all devices.

Steps:

  1. Test on headphones, monitors, and smartphones to make sure the vocals translate well on different playback systems.
  2. Make final adjustments to volume, EQ, and effects based on how the mix sounds in each environment.