The Lead Vocal: Tricks for the mix part 2
by Tony Koretz http://www.koretzmusic.com/tony.html
 

It has taken me a while to get to part two of the lead vocal mix tricks, but   finally here it is. In this the second article, I want to concentrate on   equalization, compression and panning. Every voice is different, and   depending too, on the style of music, and the density of the mix, you will   have to treat each voice accordingly. But there are some general principles   that can give you starting points to work with at least. So let us begin.    Equalization:  Equalizing can be done either pre or post compression and will give different results depending on which order it is done. If you EQ before   compressing , any frequencies that you add a boost to, are likely to get   squashed, while the frequencies that are below the compressor's   threshold, will be left untouched and may appear to be louder than the   squashed frequencies. Generally I find it is best to add compression first,   and then have the equalizer follow the compressor in the signal chain. That   way the compressor works on the whole frequency spectrum, and will not   be affected by the equalization that follows. In fact, if you have compressed the vocal fairly hard, sometimes it can muffle the sound a bit, and   equalization can restore some of the sparkle to the sound. An exciter or   enhancer can also be used in this way.  To get the vocal to sit nicely and clearly in a mix, you want it to occupy a   frequency range that has it's peaks in a different range than the other   instruments that occupy the same space in the stereo field. For example   the lead vocal is most often placed up the middle, between the speakers at   around 12 o'clock. If you have another instrument placed at the same place   in the stereo field, and occupying the same frequency range, you can get   conflict. For instance, a hihat may fight with the crispness of the vocals T's,   S's and word endings, or an acoustic guitar may fight with the voice over   most of the frequencies, because they both cover a similar range naturally.   Also male and female voices generally require different treatment. Female   voices often require a bit of a boost at around 200-300 Hz, whereas   sometimes a male voice may need a slight cut in this range or below. A   nasally sounding voice can be improved with a cut between 500 and   1000hz. Most voices can use a slight boost between 2 -3 kHz to bring out   the mid range. Usually male voices benefit from a boost above 7 kHz, while   female voices may need a cut in that range. If sibilance is a problem, use a   de-esser rather than trying to cut with EQ. Some voices can really bite   between 3-5 kHz, and may sound better with a cut honed into the right   frequency in that area.   

Panning:

Panning is a very effective way of getting a nicely balanced mix. Put your   guitars and keyboards into a different space than your lead vocal to give   them separation. If your lead vocal is up the centre of the mix, as it most   often is, it's good to have your hihats a bit off to one side if you can. Bass,   kick and snare drum though usually occupying the same area of the mix,   don't generally interfere too much with a vocal. Panning your reverbs and   delays used on the voice slightly away from the centre, can be used to   create some cool effects and help keep some clarity as well. 

Conclusion:

Usually the main vocal is what sells a song, so it is important that it comes   out clearly, and is somewhat "in your face" without being annoying. So, do   what you can to keep the clarity of the voice, but try not to get it to stick out   like a sore thumb, or sound unnatural through over-boosting some frequencies or compressing it too hard so as to lose all dynamics. Well   there you go. Hope this will be of some help to you in nailing some killer   vocal tracks in your music. 
© March 2005 - 2007

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