The threshold will never be quite right, because the level coming into the compressor will be all over the place. This means it’s still possible to over-compress the vocals, or at least struggle with fine-tuning the compressor. Volume fader automation is great, but on vocals there is one small problem… this type of automation comes at the end of the signal chain, AFTER the compressor and other plugins. I quickly discovered that most engineers use detailed volume fader automation to manually smooth out the vocal. The Little-Known Automation Trick For Killer Vocals That’s exactly why I stopped entirely relying on compression and started looking for better ways to tame the vocals. The human voice is incredibly dynamic, and a singer can go from a whisper to a shout in seconds. When your vocals sound professional, the mix becomes more musical, emotional and accessible. Get the vocals right, and the whole mix will improve. Let me tell you – that element exists, and it’s the vocals. If you knew what that element was, you would focus the majority of your time there, right? Imagine if there was one element of your mix that could make or break your song. That’s when I started exploring other ways to control the dynamics of the vocal… The Most Important Element of Your Song When I tried to create the same level of consistency with compression, the vocals sounded over-compressed and lifeless. Every single word needs to be clear, audible and loud. That’s when I discovered something…Ĭrazy levels of consistency are required for vocals that sound modern and radio-ready. I spent hours comparing my mixes to my favourite records, focusing on the dynamics of the vocals. The vocals I produced never quite sounded like the songs I heard on the radio. In most cases, I felt that the vocals were consistent enough to sit on top of the mix.īut I knew there was something missing. Listen to his approach to vocal mixing – it’s different than mine, but it makes total sense – and then go check out his site for all kinds of awesome free content.įor years I used compression alone to control the dynamics of vocals. Not only does he have a great knowledge of real world audio strategy, he’s a great teacher. Today my buddy Rob Mayzes of Musician on a Mission shares a super practical and powerful technique to getting upfront, and consistent vocals. The good news? There are many techniques at your disposal to help, including one that doesn’t even require compression.

This is something that I’ve had to learn the hard way over the years.

Here’s a little bit of mixing advice for you: no matter how awesome your mix is, if the lead vocal doesn’t shine through and sit beautifully from start to finish, you don’t have a good mix.

Waves vocal rider on piano