How to Mix a Vocal

The human voice is one of the most complex instruments in the history of music. Created primarily by employing the vocal cords, it is the combination of the sound originating from these cords and resonating in the oral and nasal cavities, among others, that produces the familiar phenomenon of speaking and singing. It is also because of this organic nature of the human voice that we are highly perceptive of it in any piece of recorded music where it is present, which is why we often hear how the vocal has the power to make or break a song.

To make sure that a great vocal mixes well with the rest of the song, steps to properly recording the vocal performance must be taken, such as identifying the correct mic position to use, assisting the vocalist in her/his mic technique, and choosing the appropriate vocal microphone and preamp combination that suits the vocalist and the material to be recorded.

Once you've finished capturing the performance, it's time to mix the vocal in the context of the song. There are two ways to do this, either by mixing in the vocal last after everything else has been processed, or by tweaking the vocal first before anything else and mixing in everything else around it. Both will have different results, and one isn't a better approach than the other, as it all depends on the way you'd want to work.

The engineer may want to use some EQ to make the vocal sit in better with the rest of the song, either by subtracting some frequencies (particularly the low mids, where there is a tendency for muddiness) or adding some top end for clarity. Again, it all matters on the type of music the vocal is being set against, but generally it shouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.

A compressor may be used if the vocal performance has great dynamic range, and the song calls for a smoother, more upfront vocal style. The downside to using this, aside from having a more unnatural vocal response, is that it dulls down the sound because of using too much compression. Learn how to use the attack and release settings to get a suitable compression time, and also experiment with the threshold setting and ratios to get the right amount of compression that you want, and ultimately achieve the sound that you are looking for.

Once you've gotten the EQ and compression down, you may want to use reverb and other modulation effects to impart an image of greater space, depth and size to the listener. Depending on the kind of music that you're mixing, just be sure that the reverb does not drown out the vocal, unless of course that's the effect that the song needs.

The biggest tip when it comes to mixing a vocal is to always have a reference song handy with the vocal sound and mix that you'd want to achieve. Having a track for your ears to refresh with while you're mixing that great vocal may very well be the one that helps you properly approximate it, and thus satisfy the requirements of the song.