Hello sound lovers!

My hard work and perseverance in mixing is starting to pay off as my mixes are getting better and better. However, when I listen to a reference, professional track I feel like something is missing in my mixes. I figured out that this 'something' is the way professional sound engineers process vocals. In the pro tracks, I feel like the voice is very consistent, has very little dynamics while it does not sound squashed at all. When I try to achieve this, my vocals sounds either too squashed and unnatural, or not enough compressed and start to pop out from the beat. I would like to know if you guys had any advice to help get my vocals the way I'd like.

My hardware chain is: pop filter -> RODE NT1-A -> Golden Age PRE-73 Jr -> Klark Teknik 76-KT -> Focusrite 2i2.

My plugin chain is: FabFilter Pro Q 3 -> Waves Deesser -> Waves C4 -> Waves 1176 -> Waves CLA-2A -> FabFilter Saturn
Sends to: Small Plate Reverb -> Parallel Comp -> 1/4 mono delay

Here is a snippet of my current mix:


Here is what I would like to achieve (verse starts 0:21)

Best,
Izem

 

"Pop out"? Maybe you have too slow compressor attack and compressing too much.

As a test, try boosting the mids going into the compressor. So that the compressor reacts more to mid range. Then maybe do compensating EQ post compressor, if needed.

 

Last edited: Jul 31, 2020

You have to understand that a dynamic vocal sound comes from a dynamic performance. You can try an aggressive compression with "medium attack" to let those transients hit, and then blend it with the original to accentuate the "punch" in the vocals.
I think that the mix will benefit from some stereo effects, I found it too "mono".
Keep it up!

 

Last edited: Jul 31, 2020

Try this chain:

compressor->JMP->eq(low<500hz)->comp2->oop->call->xct->push->lsd(x2)->LIM

remember Limiter always at the end of the chain!

 

That's pretty good! Maybe a bit too clear/crisp to me but I like it. Tell me your secret.

 

i'll mix this for you, if you like it i'll guide you how to achieve it...

 

 

Last edited: Aug 1, 2020

@No Avenger
It is REALLY impressive how you managed to bring that mix to another level, without having the individual tracks at your disposal. Uncanny, really. I am impressed. Like, my mind is blown.
Feels like I'd have to learn and practice for years until I'd be able to even hear and understand what a mix needs, and knowing what plugins to use in which way to accomplish it.
Crazy stuff.

 

No offense to your setup, because you can create beautiful outstanding music with it. YET, the pros you're referencing 99 times out of 100 have a much better front end. Telefunken and nuemanns mics, avalon pre amps, apollo, or antelope interfaces, on top of a stellar listening environment. Those tools are going to give you more headroom, and give your vocals more character and warmth, among other benefits. But you shouldn't fret over that and just keep doing what you're doing, because your music and your mix sounds great man

 

just put Gullfoss on every channel and re bounce it

 

Very good, sounds very tight! Would love to find how you achieved it!

 

Thanks, oops, didn't see that!