Mixing vocals - fat and wide
I see lots of questions regarding vocals. Everybody is after those “cool fat platinum vocals”. So lets see how to approach this mission!
The tried and tested method to make things fatter is layering, or multi-takes. The theory is simple - you record the same vocal parts multiple times, then use them to create an “enhanced” vocal track.
For examples of vocals I mixed using the methods mentioned here, listen to the samples below. These are songs of a hungarian hip-hop group Szawalók.
Now lets assume you have the takes recorded already, layed out in different tracks, routed to different mixer channels. What now?
When composing the vocal takes, make sure the timing is as close as possible. Audition the composite carefully, then if needed, cut and move parts. Always try tu cut in between syllabes or words. To make things even more smooth you can use fade ins/outs on the slices. If the take is really messed up (that means you have to correct more than 3 places), re-record it.
You can blend the vocal takes in a variety of styles and this is the moment you can go really creative. But to help you out with a good start, I will cover a few methods and tricks.
1. Stereo spread
This is usually done with 3 takes, one used as a main take - placed dead center and with the highest level of the three. The other two are panned left and right respectively. The exact level of panning is up to you. I usually give them a pan about 30-50%. This does not mean hard panning isnt an option, as I said before its up to your creativity. However hard panning can sound a bit obtrusive when the spread takes are too high in level, in this case simply lower them.
2. NYC compression
Well this trick with compression is usually used with drums to make them sound fuller. The main thing behind is that you make a copy of the track, apply an EQ (mostly a smile type, boosting lows and highs) then applying heavy compression to squeeze the sound. This track is then blended with the original and well… they sound cool together! Now who said you cant do this with vocals? However you can use the original take, to make things even more cool you can apply NYC to a new take, or even set up the EQ-Compressor chain on the two panned tracks from point 1!
3. A final sheen using a reverb unit
Notice the singular there - unit, not units. The reason behing using reverb on a vocal track is mainly to re-create the spatial feeling lost when recording with a mono mic. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad with recording vocals in mono. Stereo miking for vocals is quite rare. Imagine a vocalist singing in a room, facing you. You hear her with both ears, her voice is what hits you first (main track). But then her voice hits the walls, and the reflected sound hits your ears again (early reflections). Then the reflections of the wall are reflected again, now a bit weaker - depending on the material of the room (damping). These multiple reflections are brought to your ears as well, fading out in time (reverb). In the case the room is a bit bigger, you can even hear echoes (delay).
Notice the words in the brackets. You probably seen them on the reverbs interface - and now you can relate them to real world and use effectively and make the reverb sound more realistic.
So, to get back to our job. You set up a reverb unit on a send channel - this will be our room. One and the only room for the main vocal track and all the other vocal tracks. Now make your vocal tracks “wet” (sounds sexy, eh?) by routing some of the signal to the send. The main/centertrack should be the most dry so the vocals remain intelligible and clean. You can give the spread channels a lot more reverb, they are lower in level nevertheless.
4. EQ it a bit
Two uses of EQ come in my mind now - corrective and creative. If your vocal comp sounds too muddy, you can try cutting lows, low mids or mids on the spread takes to give the main vocal more room. You can compensate this by boosting higs a bit, but watch out for excessive sybillants.
The creative approach is about experimenting, you can EQ the two sides differently for example or boost some areas a bit (works with vocalists that lack some “weight” in their voice).
So, happy recording and mixing!
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vocal takes are known ..but multiband compression in vocal layers sounds interesting …Good that u share ur knowledge..
thanx and hope to c more of those…..
cheers …
greetings from India..