Why do vocals on musical records seem so good but so bad on your productions? The answer is that a mix engineer has processed the vocal tracks to get them sounding great. Keep in mind, there's no magic happening, and we can't take a bad performance and make it sound new, we are just building off what is already there. The mixing will use EQ to accomplish two things: to turn down or remove bad frequencies such as muddiness or nasal tones, and then to turn up good frequencies such as clarity and airiness. Compression is an often misunderstood processor which is basically an automatic volume knob. It turns the vocal down by a specific ratio when it gets too loud. This keeps the volume of the vocal more consistent in the mix and also gives the vocal some character and feeling. There are many different types of compressors and they are each sought after for their traits such as harmonic distortion and circuit style. After compressing, vocals usually require some sort of de-essing to control sibilants. This is a high ratio compressor that only acts on certain trouble frequencies, effectively turning down each sibilant only while letting the rest of the vocal remain unprocessed. Too much de-essing can make the singer sound like they have a lisp, so be careful. There are many more techniques to practice, but start with basic EQ and compressors to give your vocal a more professional sound.

Posted by: audreylangley21 at 01:34 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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