1. Fazu - Owl O’ Lantern 2. Tarabia & Taratube Distortion - Smaolab 3. Emergence - Daniel Gergely 4. Lost-tapes - Superfly DSP
When making space for your vocals, almost everything you do will need to affect 250Hz, and more importantly 2-5kHz. We’ll want to amplify 2-5kHz on the vocal while attenuating 250Hz and 2-5kHz on competing signals - EQ and multiband compression work well for this.
Attenuate Out of Key NotesDe-ess Sibilance, Avoid SnareIntroduce Upward ProcessingUse Subtle Master Bus CompressionExpand with Mid-Side MaximizationInsert Dynamic MB Upward CompressionCreate Complex SaturationIsolate M/S Image, Dual Mono CompressSeparate Left/Right, Use Gullfoss EQEqualize With Pultec EmulationsLimit Left and Right Channels
When making a powerful vocal, start with finding and amplifying the fundamental, then introduce saturation and compression, followed by more saturation, short reverb, and 1/16th note delay. On a vocal bus use upward compression, parallel compression on the highs, and then collectively equalize the signal.
Use Side Image Transient ExpansionEmulate Natural Surround PlacementCreate “Depth” With Mid ImageCreate “Width” With Side ImageMix with Impulse ResponsesObserve the Delta of ProcessingThe Out-of-Key Resonance TrickMake Drums More MusicalSide-chain the Click TrackMonitor with Impulse Responses
When mixing an 808, keep in mind what frequencies are included - you'll mainly notice the fundamental somewhere around 40-100Hz, which can be attenuated on competing instruments. Additionally, we can use saturation, equalization, and upward compression to make the 808 more impressive, impactful, and to help it cut through.
When learning how to mix vocal delay, be sure to first understand how to compress, EQ, and saturate your vocal, since this processing should occur prior to time-based processing. Additionally, using auxiliary tracks to set up delay processing lets you affect just the delayed signal.
When mixing, start by organizing your session into color-coded groups with respective bus outputs. Then get a rough level with your faders and with panning, before equalizing, compressing, saturating, processing your busses, and introducing temporal effects, like delay and reverb as inserts or as additional sends.
Where to Insert Vocal ReverbShould Vocal Reverb be Parallel?PreDelay and Vocal ReverbHz. Specific Vocal ReverbLayering Various Reverb TypesSaturation Before Vocal ReverbParallel Compression Vocal ReverbUpward Compression Vocal ReverbHow to Duck Vocal ReverbHow to Accurately Time Vocal Reverb
When equalizing instruments, we need to consider how they interact with one another - a good place to start is determining if multiple instruments have fundamentals that overlap. If so, it is likely a good idea to attenuate that fundamental on one or more instruments to create spectral balance.
Getting a vocal to sit in a mix has a lot to do with amplifying or attenuating 2-5kHz to make the vocal stick out or pull back respectively. Compression and a compressor’s attack and release times are also big components in having a vocal sit in the mix.
When making a wide mix, phase cancellation will need to be used in one way or another to push the signal into the 180-degree stereo field. Mid-side processing is a great way to widen a mix if your stereo track has varying left and right channel signals.
Start with RX De-ClickUse EQ for Low-Pass and BoostIntroducing Natural TuningThe Most Transparent De-esser2nd Harmonic SaturationBringing Vocals ForwardSoothe 2 to Reduce ResonanceSend 1 & 2: Long/Short DelaySend 3: Mix Glue ReverbLayering Lead Vocal MelodyVocal Bus Routing and EQ
When mixing for clarity be sure to find a good balance between low and high frequencies - often a mix that lacks clarity needs some additional high frequencies. Saturation, equalization, and transient expansion are all good ways to add high-frequency content and increase mix clarity.
When chaining vocal effects, consider how the signal will be affected as it transfers from one processor to the other. For example, I could place an EQ before a compressor and amplify a band - this will cause the compressor to work harder on those frequencies.
