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View Full Version : vocals - whats your process


samsome123
09-06-2013, 03:00 PM
can you mention the whole process you go through with vocals after they've been recorded?

rightonthemark
09-06-2013, 05:08 PM
no matter what instrument i go thru a similar process.
after everything is recorded i set all track output levels to -18db.
this gives me plenty of headroom.
that's a basic dry mix; no fx; no automation; etc.
i usually start with drums; then bass; then guitar and then other instruments (piano, synths, strings, etc).
vocals are last...
i always start with eq. i listen to the dry vox in the mix first and then solo while applying some eq.
i usually start with a high pass filter and make adjustments until i hear what i like. then listen back in the mix and make additional adjustments until they cut thru. this is still dry...no verb...no delay...yet...
i do this for each vocal track...lead and backing vox.
then i start panning the backing vox (lead vox i generally keep center).
before i reach for any fx i consider any possible edits and execute them.
then while listening back to the mix i try out some reverbs, delays, etc.
of course i generally have an idea of what I'm going for so it's not really a long process.
once i have a good static mix with eq and fx i listen back to find any place i might need to automate or where maybe a special fx might improve the sound and flow of the song.
maybe an echo on a single word or a sweeping flange on a particular section, etc...
i think that about sums it up.

rotm

jzquantum
09-08-2013, 12:32 PM
no matter what instrument i go thru a similar process.
after everything is recorded i set all track output levels to -18db.
this gives me plenty of headroom.
that's a basic dry mix; no fx; no automation; etc.
i usually start with drums; then bass; then guitar and then other instruments (piano, synths, strings, etc).
vocals are last...
i always start with eq. i listen to the dry vox in the mix first and then solo while applying some eq.
i usually start with a high pass filter and make adjustments until i hear what i like. then listen back in the mix and make additional adjustments until they cut thru. this is still dry...no verb...no delay...yet...
i do this for each vocal track...lead and backing vox.
then i start panning the backing vox (lead vox i generally keep center).
before i reach for any fx i consider any possible edits and execute them.
then while listening back to the mix i try out some reverbs, delays, etc.
of course i generally have an idea of what I'm going for so it's not really a long process.
once i have a good static mix with eq and fx i listen back to find any place i might need to automate or where maybe a special fx might improve the sound and flow of the song.
maybe an echo on a single word or a sweeping flange on a particular section, etc...
i think that about sums it up.

rotm

I have a heck of a time getting vox to stand out clearly and crisply without sounding boomy or muddy. Can you go into details of your EQ techniques? And differences you generally find between female EQ vs male EQ?

Lawrence
09-08-2013, 01:42 PM
If you want your vocals featured, mixing them last is probably a bad idea. What happens is that you bring them in (or start paying attention to them) after sculpting everything else and them you have to eq the crap out of them to make the fit and they don't sound good anymore.

Rather than going the other way, getting a really clear and pleasing vocal tone and mix and making everything else fit around that.

When the vocals are really great I usually mix "vocals down".

rightonthemark
09-08-2013, 02:15 PM
I have a heck of a time getting vox to stand out clearly and crisply without sounding boomy or muddy. Can you go into details of your EQ techniques? And differences you generally find between female EQ vs male EQ?

the difference is i find female voices generally thinner sounding than male voices.
my eq process for vocals almost always starts with a high pass filter.
with Reaper's ReaEQ the default has 4 bands and 1 is set as a low shelf; 2 band; 3 band; 4 high shelf. i usually set 1 as a high pass; and keep 2 as band; 3 band; and set 4 as band as well. if needed i'll add another band or two.
but i start with 1 (high pass) and drag it to the right until i hear the low end muddiness disappear & it starts to thin out --- this is with the vocal track solo & just one section time selected and set on repeat to dial it in. then i listen in the mix and make more adjustments...noting if i thinned it out too much with the high pass. if that's the case then i back the high pass back to the left in the mix until it sounds a little fuller. if that's not enough to give it punch and cut thru i might boost the upper-mid and listen to that. sometimes i even cut the middle-mid & boost the lower-mid just a bit so we don't lose all the fullness. that's pretty much it. i do this before adding any other fx like reverb or delay, etc.
below is my latest finished project. note that besides the eq as i listed above there's an additional eq within the ezmix2 preset i used on the vox.

chbfZ0E80DI

hope that all makes sense.

rotm

rightonthemark
09-08-2013, 05:32 PM
here's a video about mixing vox from Graham Cochrane at the recording revolution. this is part of a series called five minutes to a better mix.


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http://therecordingrevolution.com/5minutes/


hope this is helpful.


rotm


.

OpIvy
09-08-2013, 10:50 PM
Like most of vids, I found this one was particularly good.