Tips for processing/mixing?
- Thread starter MoaHarbor
- Start date
Instruments or vocals?
For instruments: Gain stage. Turn your instruments down so they peak at -12 to -18db. As you add more tracks, your output bus will start to get closer and closer to 0db. You want to leave some space (it doesn't need to be the oft-mentioned -6db, but you need some room) so you can put a compressor or limiter on and bring the volume up (peaking at slightly under 0db still) while reducing the dynamic range. This will create more perceived loudness and avoid clipping.
For vocals: I was sort of leading up to this with the previous one. I've seen a few people online complain that Piapro Studio/whatever outputs very quiet audio, and how they end up dragging the volume slider way over and/or pulling the fader way up. Don't do that. This results in a thin and bland sounding vocal. The quiet output is actually a feature. It's right in that -12db to -18db range
Human vocals are typically recorded in this range...and like vocal synths, they often also sound not-so-great straight from a microphone. What's missing from both is a mixing chain.
1. Compress, don't just turn the volume up. Voices are all over the place when it comes to volume. You will create more presence by (lightly) using a compressor to average them out more. As that compressor lowers the peaks to be closer to the quieter parts, the gain control is used to bring them all up to where you want it...which is generally a little louder than your instruments.
2. EQ. Cut out everything on the low end (I don't know, below 100-120Hz) with a high-pass to avoid some noise. Add a little on the top end of the visible spectrum with a light high-shelf to add some "air." There are parts of the midrange that are good to slightly boost or lower to change the character or remote muddiness. There are whole videos on YouTube about EQing vocals, which can probably explain better than I can.
3. Reverb. This adds more life to the vocal. It's essential, even on the light side.
4. If you need something bigger, for a chorus or whatever...this is usually done with multiple tracks. You have harmonized vocals (same or different things in a different pitch) mixed under the lead, panned left/right variations of the lead vocal, etc. For human singers, this is usually done with multiple takes. For vocal synths, you could make alternate versions with slight differences in timing/pitch/expression, or use Artificial Double Tracking. (Izotope makes a free plugin for this.)
For instruments: Gain stage. Turn your instruments down so they peak at -12 to -18db. As you add more tracks, your output bus will start to get closer and closer to 0db. You want to leave some space (it doesn't need to be the oft-mentioned -6db, but you need some room) so you can put a compressor or limiter on and bring the volume up (peaking at slightly under 0db still) while reducing the dynamic range. This will create more perceived loudness and avoid clipping.
For vocals: I was sort of leading up to this with the previous one. I've seen a few people online complain that Piapro Studio/whatever outputs very quiet audio, and how they end up dragging the volume slider way over and/or pulling the fader way up. Don't do that. This results in a thin and bland sounding vocal. The quiet output is actually a feature. It's right in that -12db to -18db range
Human vocals are typically recorded in this range...and like vocal synths, they often also sound not-so-great straight from a microphone. What's missing from both is a mixing chain.
1. Compress, don't just turn the volume up. Voices are all over the place when it comes to volume. You will create more presence by (lightly) using a compressor to average them out more. As that compressor lowers the peaks to be closer to the quieter parts, the gain control is used to bring them all up to where you want it...which is generally a little louder than your instruments.
2. EQ. Cut out everything on the low end (I don't know, below 100-120Hz) with a high-pass to avoid some noise. Add a little on the top end of the visible spectrum with a light high-shelf to add some "air." There are parts of the midrange that are good to slightly boost or lower to change the character or remote muddiness. There are whole videos on YouTube about EQing vocals, which can probably explain better than I can.
3. Reverb. This adds more life to the vocal. It's essential, even on the light side.
4. If you need something bigger, for a chorus or whatever...this is usually done with multiple tracks. You have harmonized vocals (same or different things in a different pitch) mixed under the lead, panned left/right variations of the lead vocal, etc. For human singers, this is usually done with multiple takes. For vocal synths, you could make alternate versions with slight differences in timing/pitch/expression, or use Artificial Double Tracking. (Izotope makes a free plugin for this.)
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Well, Vector already gave pretty good tips, so I will just give some of my thoughts about mixing and how I mix.
The first thing you should paying attention when talking about vocals is compression. You need a lot of compression and probably you will need to have more than one compression on, and when you think it's enough add more compression! XD Okay, I'm kidding, but compression really brings out more warm, more foward, to your vocals and make them sound less muddy. Don't forget that compression's function is to equilibrate the volume of your whole sample by making everything sound more or less in the same volume, so it's not necessarily a tool to change your vocal's tone, but it really helps to bring out more warm to your vocals.
Try messing around with as many compressors you want in your vocal chain and you will see how much is enough to you. For you to have an idea I use 3 compressor, a equalizer and a saturator. Maybe I'm using too much? Maybe, but I think it's pretty great so far so why not? I wanted to give an example, but almost all sound host sites seems to add their own effects to the audio samples in their own way. So how I hear the original sample will not be the same way you hear it.
For eq is pretty cool for you to understand the "vocal zones" and how each one of them will affect the audio if you boost or cut them.
I like to cut this part in 68 Hz, it gives me enough low end and don't make the voice too thin, but it's different to every vocal so you will probably need to test it yourself.
Good examples of Vocaloid boxed vocals, in my opinion, are Luka and Merli. They are soft, but not like Aoki Lapis that is airy, more like if they are shy singing and are singing quietly to themselves.
CUL has very strong "i" samples (and very nasal too) so she is a pretty good example of nasality. By cutting out the nasal frequency area you can make her "i" not so highlighted and give her a more stable vocal tone.
Also, don't forget to download Free plugins since, unless you're with a good (usually not free) DAW, some of the necessary plugins to vocal mixing aren't too good/easy to use for mixing as free options. Here is a list of plugins types I think you should look over:
-> Compressor;
-> Equalizer (Parametric equalizers are pretty good for newbies like us! o/);
-> Saturator;
I also like to hear the instrumental to see where I need to put my vocals. If you hear the original instrumental you will perceive that usually it lacks something. It's almos like there is a place inside the song that was created to insert the vocal, but since it's just the instrumental there is no voice out there. So I recommend you to pay attention to it and see where your vocals need to be placed, like, is it near to the guitars? Or the piano? And yada, yada, yada (Usually I like to think it's near string instruments, snares or wind instruments (like flute and recorders)).
For more professional mixing you need to consider a lot more, like multi tracking and adding certain effects to your voice in certain moments. There is also a process called automation that controls your vocals dynamics through the song and can be used to make your vocals more complexes, but since I know nothing bout it (Because I'm not a professional mixer yet XD) I will not talk anything about it, just mentioning it here for you to understand that vocal mixing is a little more complex than just the vocal proccessing tips I gave you (You probably already knew about it).
That's it, hope I helped you! ^3^/ Remember, this is just how I do my mixing and every voice is unique, so what works for me will probably not work completely for you. Don't be a perfectionist tho, if something sounds good to you so it's okay, no need to worry that much since your mixing skills will growl naturally over time.
And don't forget: never stop learning and enjoy the proccess! In the end we're all doing it to have fun, aren't we? ^3^/
Goodluck and byebye!
The first thing you should paying attention when talking about vocals is compression. You need a lot of compression and probably you will need to have more than one compression on, and when you think it's enough add more compression! XD Okay, I'm kidding, but compression really brings out more warm, more foward, to your vocals and make them sound less muddy. Don't forget that compression's function is to equilibrate the volume of your whole sample by making everything sound more or less in the same volume, so it's not necessarily a tool to change your vocal's tone, but it really helps to bring out more warm to your vocals.
Try messing around with as many compressors you want in your vocal chain and you will see how much is enough to you. For you to have an idea I use 3 compressor, a equalizer and a saturator. Maybe I'm using too much? Maybe, but I think it's pretty great so far so why not? I wanted to give an example, but almost all sound host sites seems to add their own effects to the audio samples in their own way. So how I hear the original sample will not be the same way you hear it.
For eq is pretty cool for you to understand the "vocal zones" and how each one of them will affect the audio if you boost or cut them.
- 20 to 300 Hz: body and muddiness.
I like to cut this part in 68 Hz, it gives me enough low end and don't make the voice too thin, but it's different to every vocal so you will probably need to test it yourself.
- 500 to 800 Hz: boxiness.
Good examples of Vocaloid boxed vocals, in my opinion, are Luka and Merli. They are soft, but not like Aoki Lapis that is airy, more like if they are shy singing and are singing quietly to themselves.
- 800 to 1.5 kHz: nasal.
CUL has very strong "i" samples (and very nasal too) so she is a pretty good example of nasality. By cutting out the nasal frequency area you can make her "i" not so highlighted and give her a more stable vocal tone.
- 3 to 6 kHz: presence.
- 4 to 7 kHz: sibilance.
- 10 to 15 kHz: air.
Also, don't forget to download Free plugins since, unless you're with a good (usually not free) DAW, some of the necessary plugins to vocal mixing aren't too good/easy to use for mixing as free options. Here is a list of plugins types I think you should look over:
-> Compressor;
-> Equalizer (Parametric equalizers are pretty good for newbies like us! o/);
-> Saturator;
I also like to hear the instrumental to see where I need to put my vocals. If you hear the original instrumental you will perceive that usually it lacks something. It's almos like there is a place inside the song that was created to insert the vocal, but since it's just the instrumental there is no voice out there. So I recommend you to pay attention to it and see where your vocals need to be placed, like, is it near to the guitars? Or the piano? And yada, yada, yada (Usually I like to think it's near string instruments, snares or wind instruments (like flute and recorders)).
For more professional mixing you need to consider a lot more, like multi tracking and adding certain effects to your voice in certain moments. There is also a process called automation that controls your vocals dynamics through the song and can be used to make your vocals more complexes, but since I know nothing bout it (Because I'm not a professional mixer yet XD) I will not talk anything about it, just mentioning it here for you to understand that vocal mixing is a little more complex than just the vocal proccessing tips I gave you (You probably already knew about it).
That's it, hope I helped you! ^3^/ Remember, this is just how I do my mixing and every voice is unique, so what works for me will probably not work completely for you. Don't be a perfectionist tho, if something sounds good to you so it's okay, no need to worry that much since your mixing skills will growl naturally over time.
And don't forget: never stop learning and enjoy the proccess! In the end we're all doing it to have fun, aren't we? ^3^/
Goodluck and byebye!
@Vector @AddictiveCUL (Add)
Thank you both so much! I wasn't expecting such thorough tips but these definitely help a beginner out, doing god's work
Thank you both so much! I wasn't expecting such thorough tips but these definitely help a beginner out, doing god's work