{"id":485,"date":"2018-03-10T22:25:25","date_gmt":"2018-03-10T22:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackiemjoyner.com\/studiotrix\/?p=485"},"modified":"2018-09-02T23:39:28","modified_gmt":"2018-09-02T23:39:28","slug":"7-trix-to-mixing-vocals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jackiemjoyner.com\/studiotrix\/7-trix-to-mixing-vocals\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Trix to Mixing Vocals"},"content":{"rendered":"

7 Trix to Mixing Vocals<\/h1>\n

By Jason Moss of\u00a0theproaudiofiles.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ever heard a modern hit record with a poorly mixed vocal?<\/p>\n

Probably not. Likely, because it doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

The sad truth is\u2026<\/p>\n

If your vocals don\u2019t sound great, you may be dooming your music to obscurity.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

But knowing this alone doesn\u2019t make mixing them any easier.<\/p>\n

Vocals are tricky. They\u2019re often the loudest thing in a mix, which leaves little room for error. And since we\u2019re so familiar with the sound of the human voice, we\u2019re quick to notice any imperfections.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to craft studio-quality vocals, these seven tips are a great place to start. Read on to discover the keys to mixing vocals like a pro\u2026<\/p>\n

1. Bring Them in Early<\/h3>\n

The beginning of a mix is like a blank canvas.<\/p>\n

Whatever track you bring in first has all the space in the world. You don\u2019t need to shape it to fit with anything else.<\/p>\n

But as you move through the mixing process,\u00a0space fills up<\/a>. Newly added tracks start getting in the way, so you EQ and process them to fit with the rest of your mix.<\/p>\n

The effect?<\/p>\n

These tracks usually end up sounding smaller than the ones you started with.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This makes the order in which you mix\u00a0crucial<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t wait too long to bring in the vocal. If you pull up the fader and realize there\u2019s no room, you\u2019ll often need gobs of EQ to solve the problem.<\/p>\n

The result?<\/p>\n

The most important track in your mix will sound small, thin, and harsh.<\/p>\n

Instead,\u00a0bring the vocal in early<\/a>. This way, you\u2019ll shape the rest of your mix around it. You\u2019ll end up with a vocal that\u2019s full and present, without lots of processing.<\/p>\n

2. Process Them in Context<\/h3>\n

The solo button is your enemy.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

Because mixing is all about context. The goal is to make tracks sound good\u00a0together<\/em>.\u00a0But the solo button removes this context.<\/a>\u00a0Which makes it nearly impossible to make good mixing decisions.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"Avoid<\/p>\n

Avoid the solo button!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When you solo a track, you stop hearing how it relates to others. This can lead you to make decisions that seem like improvements, but actually make tracks sound\u00a0worse<\/em>\u00a0in context with the rest of your mix.<\/p>\n

Yikes.<\/p>\n

Avoid the solo button when shaping vocals. Instead, make adjustments with everything playing at once.<\/p>\n

At first, this may be difficult, because it\u2019s hard to hear subtle changes when 50 tracks are playing together. But resist the urge to give in. Remind yourself that avoiding the solo button\u00a0will lead to better mixing decisions.<\/p>\n

3. Use Pre-Delay<\/h3>\n

Matthew Weiss<\/a>\u00a0recently said that reverb is back in style.<\/p>\n

I agree.<\/p>\n

The problem with reverb, however, is that it can make a vocal feel far away. In most cases, you want the\u00a0vocal to sit front and center. So what do you do?<\/p>\n

Add pre-delay.<\/p>\n

Pre-delay is a parameter that you\u2019ll find most reverb plugins. Cranking it up will separate\u00a0the reverb from the dry vocal with a short delay.<\/p>\n

The effect?<\/p>\n

Your brain will no longer fuse the two together. You\u2019ll hear the space and dimension that the reverb adds, but the vocal will remain up-front.<\/p>\n

4. Find the Right De-Esser<\/h3>\n

You can craft\u00a0great mixes with just about any tools (including the\u00a0stock plugins in your DAW<\/a>).<\/p>\n

However, there are exceptions. De-essing is one of them.<\/p>\n

\n

\"FabFilter's

FabFilter\u2019s Pro-DS plugin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Finding the right de-esser is crucial. Poor ones will make your vocals sound dull and flat. Great ones will\u00a0control sibilance<\/a>\u00a0while maintaining\u00a0clarity and presence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My favorite is\u00a0FabFilter\u2019s Pro-DS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Don\u2019t forget\u2014you can also automate sibilance out manually. This is often the most transparent solution, though it may be too time-consuming to be practical.)<\/p>\n

5. Avoid Ultra-Fast Attack Times<\/h3>\n

Ultra-fast\u00a0attack times<\/a>\u00a0are seductive.<\/p>\n

Many mixers like them because they tightly\u00a0control a track\u2019s dynamics. The downsides, however, are significant.<\/p>\n

Fast attack times destroy punch and annihilate impact. They can suck the energy from a performance, leaving a track sounding muffled and distant.<\/p>\n

In most cases, you\u2019ll want to avoid using them on vocals. And if you\u2019re having trouble getting a vocal to cut through a mix, slowing down the attack time can help.<\/p>\n

6. Don\u2019t Rely on Compression Alone<\/h3>\n

Compression often isn\u2019t enough to achieve a great vocal sound.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Automation

Automation and compression work together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Words and phrases may\u00a0still get lost. In other areas,\u00a0the compression might sound\u00a0too aggressive.<\/p>\n

Either way, if you try to rely on compression\u00a0exclusively, you\u2019ll often come up short.<\/p>\n

A better strategy?<\/p>\n

Use compression in conjunction with automation. Get 80 to 90 percent of the way there\u00a0with compression, and use automation to finish the job.\u00a0Both are essential.<\/p>\n

To learn some of my favorite vocal automation techniques, watch the video at the bottom of this article.<\/p>\n

7. Pay Attention to Breaths and Other Noises<\/h3>\n

I often hear vocals that sound\u00a0almost great<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re well-EQ\u2019d and balanced. The effects are tasteful. They\u2019re not compressed to all hell.<\/p>\n

In these cases, the problem isn\u2019t the vocal, but what\u2019s getting in its way.<\/p>\n

Compression can bring up all sorts of distracting noises\u2014including breaths, lip smacks, clicks, pops, and rumbles. The best mixers handle these sounds properly.<\/p>\n

If breaths are too loud,\u00a0turn them down until they sit at a reasonable level<\/a>. Don\u2019t remove them completely, as they can often be a crucial part of a performance. (For example,\u00a0a big breath<\/a>\u00a0before a chorus can add\u00a0tension and create anticipation for what\u2019s to come.)<\/p>\n

On the other hand, lip smacks, clicks, and pops can often be removed altogether. iZotope De-click is my favorite tool for this job.<\/p>\n

Want to Take Your Vocals Even Further?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve made it this far, you should be well on your way to mixing vocals like a pro.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re ready to dive deeper, I\u2019ve put together a bonus video with five powerful, little-known vocal mixing tips that I didn\u2019t cover here. In this video, you\u2019ll also learn how to apply these tips in your DAW, so you can improve the sound of your vocals immediately. To watch it, click the link below:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

7 Trix to Mixing Vocals By Jason Moss of\u00a0theproaudiofiles.com Ever heard a modern hit record with a poorly mixed vocal? Probably not. Likely, because it doesn\u2019t exist. The sad truth is\u2026 If your vocals don\u2019t sound great, you may be dooming your music to obscurity.\u00a0 But knowing this alone doesn\u2019t make mixing them any easier….<\/p>\n

Read More “7 Trix to Mixing Vocals”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials"],"yoast_head":"\n7 Trix to Mixing Vocals - Studio-Trix<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/jackiemjoyner.com\/studiotrix\/7-trix-to-mixing-vocals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Trix to Mixing Vocals - Studio-Trix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"7 Trix to Mixing Vocals By Jason Moss of\u00a0theproaudiofiles.com Ever heard a modern hit record with a poorly mixed vocal? Probably not. Likely, because it doesn\u2019t exist. 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