Raw to Radio-Ready Vocals using Waves Horizon Bundle

Nov 16, 2021 | 46,157 Views

Mixing lead vocal tracks is one of the most critical jobs in any production. Modern music often demands super clean, tuned and upfront sounding vocals while also needing to feel big, purposeful and emotive. For many, getting all this right is challenging, but with the plugins in Waves Horizon, achieving highly polished commercial sounding vocal tracks couldn’t be simpler.

In this video, songwriter, producer and mix engineer Paul Drew from The Studio Rats shows you 7 essential steps you need to know to get your raw sounding vocal recordings radio ready.

0:00 Introduction
0:17 Listen to the vocal example
1:13 Step 1: Pitch correction with Waves Tune LT
2:23 Step 2: Sweeten vocals with V-EQ3
3:29 Step 3: Control dynamics with CLA-2A
3:58 Step 4: Reduce harshness with Renaissance DeEsser
4:47 Step 5: Add color with Kramer Tape
5:22 Step 6: Get upfront vocals with L1 limiting
5:54 Before and after example (with and without steps 1 to 6)
6:23 Steps 6 and 7: Vocal depth with reverb and delays
8:23 Final before and after example
8:82 Sign off

Waves Horizon bundle includes 83 Waves plugins for mixing and mastering. It’s our most popular plugin bundle to date. Learn more about Waves Horizon and see all the modeled EQs, compressors, effects and more included in this epic bundle. Discover Waves Horizon here!

Song: “Falling Deeper” - The Studio Rats Feat. Abi F Jones.

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