AKARSH SHEKHAR
What Is the Right Time to Mix Vocals ?
When it comes to mixing a track , mixing vocals poses a challenge like no other . Many people start their mixes with the kick drum , then the snare , the rest of the drums , bass , guitars , keyboards and finally vocals . Most people go about mixing in this order .
However , sometimes , this can lead to the mix sounding bad . Not just the vocals , everything can sound bad . The drums , bass , guitars , and the mix in general can lack a good balance . All elements of a mix are generally interdependent . Have you ever listened to a horrible mix , but the vocals sound amazing ? Probably not . Many people skip over this important aspect of mixing , for a great vocal sound , the drums have to sound a certain way , the keyboards and strings too , and so on , with each element .
That ’ s why in the first division we find thousands and thousands of songs with spectacular vocals and all with a different sound .
Contrary to what we discussed so far , some people also mix the vocals at the beginning instead of the end . This technique gives you absolute freedom to make any movement without harming other instruments . Working with the vocals track solo until it is
100 % enjoyable is a big change and will bring about significant improvement in your production .
When you mix the vocals first , you won ’ t only leave the vocals at a higher level : but you will also figure out how the rest of the instruments should sound so that they don ’ t interfere with the vocals .
If you want to mix the vocals at the end and mix all instruments before them , you must visualize and know how they should sound from the beginning . A seasoned mixer should be able to see past the next mixing move . The real experts and experts are visualizing and listening to what everything is going to sound like after a couple of hours .
So what are we left with ? Mix vocals at the beginning or end of the mix ? Well , every day can be a new story . Let ’ s assume that there is a great drum beat with a lot of atmosphere which really drives the mood of the song , in that case , it may be wise to start with it to set the context or mix the scene .
Perhaps a guitar riff that acts as a hook for the song . Or some stadium vocals that just say “ Whoa oh oh ”, where we clearly see that people will sing that part in unison . Everything that serves as inspiration and context for the well-done mix will be there , especially with that learning where you already know how much space the drums can occupy , what place the guitar should have , or how those vocals cannot have an immense reverb .
You will be mixing , but making decisions for the future . Not giving a guitar a huge reverb is already a decision for the sound of the vocals . Not overcrowding the center of the mix is already a mixing decision for the vocals . And so with everything .
Let ’ s not forget , we don ’ t just mix one instrument , then another , then another … until we ’ re done . We are mixing a song . A song will not sound good if just a single element sounds good . Ideally , all songs should be greater than the sum of their parts and fill the listener ’ s heart and mind with the emotions that the songwriter wanted to convey . Mixing everything properly goes a long way in that . And most importantly , mixing the elements in relation to each other is critical . A well-mixed vocal track that has a slick sound might not work well with instruments recorded to impart a raw feel . Be mindful of that .
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