Why do vocals on musical recordings sound so good but the opposite on your productions? The answer is that a mixing engineer has processed the vocal tracks to get them sounding better. Keep in mind, there's no magic going on, and we can't take a poor performance and make it sound good, we are just building off what is already there. The engineer will use EQ to accomplish two things: to turn down or take out unflattering frequencies such as muddiness or nasal tones, and then to bring out pleasant frequencies such as clarity and airiness. Compression is an often misunderstood process which is basically an automatic volume knob. It reduces the vocal down by a certain 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. Post compression, vocals usually require some sort of de-essing to control sibilants. This is a high ratio compressor that only acts on certain problem frequencies, effectively reducing each S sound only while letting the rest of the vocal remain unprocessed. Too much de-essing can make the vocalist sound like they have a lisp, so be cautious. There are many more techniques to learn, but begin with basic EQ and compression to give your vocal track a more professional sound.

Posted by: audreylangley21 at 01:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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