Why do vocals on musical recordings seem so good but so bad on your recordings? The answer is that a mix engineer has processed the vocal tracks to get them sounding great. Mind you, there's no sorcery going on, and we can't take a poor performance and make it sound great, we are just building off what is already there. The mixer will use EQ to accomplish two tasks: to turn down or remove unflattering frequencies such as muddiness or nasal tones, and then to bring out good frequencies such as clarity and airiness. Compression is an often misunderstood effect which is essentially an automatic volume knob. It reduces the vocal down by a specific ratio when it gets too loud. This keeps the volume of the track more consistent in the mix and additionally gives the vocal some character and feeling. There are many differing styles of compressors and they are all sought after for their traits such as harmonic distortion and circuit style. After compressing, vocals often need some sort of de-essing to control sibilants. This is a high ratio compressor that only acts on specific problem frequencies, effectively lowering each sibilant only while letting the rest of the vocal remain untouched. Over de-essing can make the singer sound like they have a lisp, so be careful. There are many more techniques to learn, but begin with basic EQ and compression to give your vocal a more professional sound.

Posted by: audreylangley21 at 12:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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