The Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet for Pro Results
Learning anything is often a lengthy process with much trial and error before you become confident in the new skill(s). Vocal mixing is no different, and there are distinct techniques separating it from mixing instrumentals.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled this quick-and-easy-access cheat sheet of vocal mixing tips to ensure you skip the learning curve and get yourself up to speed with professional vocal mixing processes and techniques ASAP. If you combine this read with our Best Waves Plugins for Mixing Vocals and 10 Common Problems in Vocal Recording, you’ll be competing with professional vocal engineers in no time.
Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet at a Glance
Pick and choose from the tips and techniques below to level up your vocal sound.
Essential Frequency Ranges
- Remove low energy below the voice’s fundamental frequency, if there is any present.
- Ensure the high frequencies are polished and add sheen, without introducing harshness.
- The midrange frequencies should be controlled for dynamics, in the style of your music.
Tame the Peaks
Use a faster compressor like CLA-76, keeping a high Ratio, fast Attack and Release settings, then bring the Threshold down to catch just the highest peaks in the sound, giving more headroom.
Create a Squashed, ‘Radio-Ready’ Vocal
For harder, pumping compression, use a slow, characterful leveller, like CLA-2A, set with a high Input Gain, then set the Output Gain to match.
Band-Limited ‘Telephone’ Sound
Use a band-pass filter (or both low-pass and high-pass filters) to only let the vocal signal through between 300Hz and 3kHz. Adding distortion is optional.
Use a Channel Strip to Fast-Track Vocal Mixing
Overcome your fear of channel strips! Analog mixing desks came with their own EQ, compressor, noise gate, and sometimes more, built into each of their tracks. This meant you could access these effects instantly, without any third-party fluff or having to add individual plugins for each. The digital realm has all-in-one channel strip plugins that emulate traditional analog tech in this way. SSL EV2 Channel or the Magma Tube Channel Strip are good contenders.
Improve Your Vocal Reverb
Ensure your reverb is on a buss / Return channel. Add an EQ after the reverb and cut, or reduce, low frequencies, leaving high ones. Next, add a compressor to the reverb’s output, and sidechain it from the vocal, making the reverb signal duck down while the vocal is active, then come back to leave just ambience when the vocal is finished.
Get Backing Vocals to Work
Calm the transients of the backing vocal using fast compression or limiting, helping them to not stand out against your lead vocal. Otherwise, spread backing vocals across the stereo field while leaving the lead vocal as a centralized, mono source.
Why This Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet Works
This mixing vocal EQ cheat sheet works because it covers all of the essentials of professional vocal mixing in a concise list of simplified vocal mixing tips and tricks. Forget anything fancy-pants beyond this for now. If you master the processes covered in this cheat sheet, you will already be competing with industry professionals. Anything else is noise and just ‘nice-to-have’.
Goals of a Great Vocal Mix
The objective of mixing in general is to blend, or ‘mix’, different audible frequencies together in a methodical manner to create a pleasurable listening experience (ear candy). All elements complement one another, take up their own space in the mix, and aren’t fighting for room.
Vocal mixing is the same, however, you’re specifically blending, or ‘mixing’, the vocal recordings in with the rest of the instrumental. Because vocals are usually the central focus of a mix, there are dedicated techniques to ensure they sit snug at the forefront (or perhaps the back) of the mix, without tarnishing everything else. Mixing the main vocal, backing vocals, harmonizers, ad-libs, and other layers requires specific know-how and a technical approach.
The Essential Vocal Mixing Signal Flow
Signal flow is an important consideration in the studio, and there’s no exception when it comes to vocal mixing. First, your actual recording needs to be at a suitable level. Ensure your mic input isn’t clipping, or too quiet to work with. Aiming between -18dB to -12dB is usually the sweet spot.
If your recordings are good to go, you will now need to keep an eye on the signal level as it passes between each effect instance. Any boosts or attenuations will affect this, and most plugins have an internal metering plugin for input and output volume. Keep headroom in mind as your signal passes between each plugin, and avoid clipping.
Breaking Down the Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet
This vocal mixing cheat sheet covers the vital components to vocal mixing, as well as using filters for more traditional creative effects, like the ‘Telephone’ sound. Starting with managing frequencies through EQ, then moving onto compression, saturation, de-essing, reverb, and beyond, this cheat sheet covers all the essential vocal mixing tips and steps for a clean vocal mix.
Mistakes This Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet Helps You Avoid
When starting out mixing vocals, it’s easy to slip into common pitfalls, like overly boosting or attenuating specific frequencies, wasting time (and CPU power) duplicating unnecessary plugin instances, making a mess of your backing vocals, lathering your vocals in too much reverb, incomplete understanding of saturation and more. This vocal mixing cheat sheet cuts through the noise and gets straight to the point of all the necessities of vocal mixing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Every Vocal Need the Same Mixing Approach?
Naturally, not every vocal will need the EXACT same approach, and you will need to use your best judgement to mix each vocal accordingly. However, each vocal can be approached in the same method, using the same general mixing chain FX order, the same basics, and more.
When Should I Follow a Cheat Sheet vs. Use My Ears?
The cheat sheet should serve as your go-to guide to direct your decision-making, especially when just starting to familiarize yourself with vocal mixing as a practice. However, your ears are always king in the world of audio engineering and music production. Anyone who advises otherwise is a fool, and should have their mixing rights revoked.
Should I Mix Vocals in Solo or in Context?
Usually, mixing your vocals in context with the rest of the mix is most advisable. However, there are some instances and stages where it may be wiser to solo the vocals. For example, if you want to hear how your harmonizing layers are engaging with the main vocal, soloing all the layers will give you better clarity.
What Plugins Are Essential for Vocal Mixing?
As long as you have a reliable EQ, compressor, reverb, saturator/distortor, de-esser, delay and pitch effect, you will have all the basics of mixing vocals covered.
Conclusion
If you fancy levelling up your vocal mixing game even further, check out the article links in the intro paragraphs of this mixing vocal EQ cheat sheet, or head over to our Vocal Production Complete Guide for a more comprehensive overview of the process. You can think of this cheat sheet as the reliable, go-to guide, and that other article as the final boss fight to vocal mixing.
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