Here's mine tricks for upfront vocals

Discussion in 'Mixing and Mastering' started by Swg Itsyo, Jul 28, 2024.

  1. Swg Itsyo

    Swg Itsyo Member

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    My tricks for keeping a voice prominent in the mix involve compressing it quite a bit—often with a limiter and around 10dB of gain reduction. I also frequently use Trackspacer or Soothe for more detailed work. The Focusrite Fast is great, but it lacks mid-side processing and can sometimes produce an unpleasant effect!


    I struggle to maintain the voice consistently centered, especially when there’s an almost empty intro followed by a super dense chorus. I don’t like to automate the vocals; I prefer to "manage" the beat so that it’s tailored around the voice.


    What are your tricks? What suggestions do you have?
     
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  3. Kate Middleton

    Kate Middleton Producer

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    waves vocal rider
     
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  4. ELJUNTADERO2022

    ELJUNTADERO2022 Producer

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    At one point I used the waverider tg to then apply compression and more effects... but now sometimes I even do it by hand... it's not that much work... but these plugins make the work a lot easier.
    Then it is opto compression + another fet compression, distortion just to generate harmonics and then some limiter.
     
  5. Smeghead

    Smeghead Platinum Record

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    I have never had luck with extreme limiting and vocal riding. It all creates far more problems to fix than is worth it... I just use reasonable compression and mix, like ye olde days. With Automation and envelope drawing what could be simpler? Nothing's better than your ears for this kind of work.
     
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  6. Melodic Reality

    Melodic Reality Rock Star

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  7. shinyzen

    shinyzen Rock Star

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    Comp excellent tracks. You cant polish a turd.

    Tune using melodyne

    Align BY HAND. Zoom in and align the syllable by hand to the main vocal. This is more for pop vocals or even hip hop.

    clean your tracks. remove all clicks, pops, noise etc.

    Volume automate. Turning down esses etc drastically and using clip gain to automate syllables or words that need it.

    Light autotune to give it that sound. Shouldnt be noticeable since you already tuned using melodyne.

    Depending on genre, section of the song etc.

    Lead - centered

    2-4 layers - panned

    Spots 2-4 panned

    Harms - same as Lead, one centered 2-4 layers panned

    Now focus on the Lead, processing that alone. Use first fast attack compression to tame, then slower compression to glue / shape.
    EQ as needed, be sure not to overdo it

    you can process individual elements if needed, but it may be easier to process the layers in subgroups.

    Bring those in slowly to where they sit nicely against the lead.

    glue compression, MB Compression, EQ, Limit, De-ess, soothe the group.
     
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  8. bluerover

    bluerover Audiosexual

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    Inward Connections TSL4.
     
  9. shinyzen

    shinyzen Rock Star

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    used to have access to one of those. beautiful piece of gear.
     
  10. taskforce

    taskforce Audiosexual

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    Which is what exactly ...
    Help me here mate. So "that sound" isn't noticeable? Why do it in the first place then hehehe
     
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  11. shinyzen

    shinyzen Rock Star

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    its a subtle smoothing. Its become such a huge part of pop records nowadays. You dont want that t-pain classic auto tune sound, just to gently paint the autotune on. Smoothing out some of those pitch transitions. I meant to "give it that pop sound". It shoulnt be noticeable, as in it shouldnt have the drastic in your face t pain sound.
     
  12. Lad Impala

    Lad Impala Rock Star

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    vocal riding to me is a must.
    never had luck with limiting my vocals either.
    what has been working the best to me is parallel compression, i like it
     
  13. Lois Lane

    Lois Lane Audiosexual

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    I only record choirs so it's never an issue.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Sinus Well

    Sinus Well Audiosexual

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    Or in other words:
    Don't apply the artifacts caused by the pitch correction of autotune.
    Apply the artifacts caused by the resynthesizing process.
     
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  15. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    BIG +1 for trackspacer for sure

    i use to use vocal rider but its a pig resource wise

    i got introduced to TB Pro Audio's DynaRide2 a while ago and thats been my goto ever since. dont get me wrong i like Vocal rider just like alot of waves stuff just too much of a hit for what it does
     
  16. taskforce

    taskforce Audiosexual

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    I know what you meant mate, i was just messing with you :)
     
  17. shinyzen

    shinyzen Rock Star

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    haha. if you know what you are doing, melodyne can and should be transparent.

    trackspacer is great too! i use soothe in SC mode the majority of the time, but trackspacer often works better.

    hahah for sure :rofl:its impossible to tell nowadays
     
  18. curtified

    curtified Rock Star

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    Sidechain The vocals with mentioned plugs above or these.
    Focusrite Fast Reveal
    Melda MSpectralDynamics
    Wavesfactory Trackspacer
    Oeksound Soothe
    Soundtheroy Gullfoss
    Baby Audio Smooth Operator

    Also wanted to add iZotope Ozone Master Rebalance on vocal setting +1-3 db boost on your master works well too.

    As for the mid side feature. I use ableton and you can make a rack that separates a mid/side. You can put any of these plugs on the mid channel.
     
  19. Riddim Machine

    Riddim Machine Audiosexual

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    I just soothe it out on the sidechain mode on melodies, and apply regular compression (on the source and/or parallel). No limiters, vocal riders and that kind of stuff. Everytime i did it, i got artifacts, unwanted distorted/squashed feel, so i just level it up on gain and automation like a normal person.
     
  20. zadiac

    zadiac Kapellmeister

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    Reaper stock compressor
    EQ
    Waves MV2
    Limiter

    Sometimes tracks spacer, sometimes not. Depends on the song.
    Fix way off vocals by hand. This has worked for me for years.
     
  21. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

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    Automation, limiting (not 10dB GR though), EQ and dynamic EQ (focusing in on that 800-2k area which is "upfront"), compression and parallell compression, saturation, de-essing.
    I also use parallel processing with filtering and compression/saturation in order to enhance (but control) the upfront frequencies and articulation/intelligibility. Consistency is key. "Upfront" is also relative to the equal loudness curve and whatever else goes on in the mix. It's not all about frequencies, dynamic range, etc but also the space, distance, width/narrowness to other things in the sonic landscape.
     
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