I have been doing live sound for many years now and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that vocals are one of the most important parts of any mix.
The first step in establishing a successful mix is to make sure that the proper microphone is being used. I will assume here that you have already picked out a good microphone but if you have not, I recommend you start with a Shure SM58. It is a standard vocal microphone which works for almost anyone.
Next, proper placement of the microphone is mandatory. The microphone should be positioned approximately perpendicular to the vocalists mouth with the windscreen just touching or a couple of inches away from the lips. If the vocalist is more than 5 or 6 inches away from the microphone, the resulting sound quality will be very poor. Also, make sure the vocalist is placed properly on the stage. If you place your vocalist directly in front of the drum kit, you might be picking up more drums in the vocal microphone than you want to.
Once the microphone has been properly placed, the task of mixing can begin. One of the first things I like to do for vocals is add some compression. You do not want to add too much compression or it will squash the vocals but a light compression, about 3:1 or 4:1 can really help add consistency to the mix. Next, work on EQing your vocalist. Most human singing is located around the middle frequencies, 500Hz to 10kHz, so a high pass filter can be applied around 80Hz. Also, adding a wide boost at about 2kHz can help the vocalist stand out in the mix. Finally, a little bit of air can be added to the vocals by boosting them in the 5-7kHz range. Remember that each vocalist will need to be EQed a little differently, these numbers are just a general starting point.
Lastly, try adding some effects. My personal preference is to use either a short reverb which is about 10% wet or a tap-delay on lead vocals. Either one of these can really add the proverbial icing to the vocal mix cake.
Remember, these recommendations are just a general starting point. There is no one way to mix anything, just bad and good ways. Each vocalist is different and you will most likely establish your own preferences for how each one is mixed.
0 Responses to “How to: Mix Lead Vocals”