AUDIO
MIXING VOCALS : IT ’ S ALL ABOUT THE VOCALS | Bill Gibson
Okay , lemme see your eyes , please . It ’ s . All . About . The Vocals . Music is about touching the listener ’ s soul with insightful lyrics that dig deep and intriguing melodies that infect your psyche . Whether we ’ re talking about church , a coffee shop , or an arena , the audience / congregation / moshers hang on the lyrics and delivery of the vocals . Our job as sound operators is to shine an auditory light on the vocals . And there are a lot of considerations : we can ’ t make a poor delivery good , but if we don ’ t do our job well , we can certainly make a good delivery poor . The sound person ’ s job is fundamental in the delivery of an often life-changing communication of an inspiring , emotional , and compelling message . It ’ s very important that we do our best to help vocalists do their best .
The lead vocal requires special attention to maintain visibility and impact . The dynamic range of most vocal tracks creates the need for either constant level adjustment or automatic control through the use of compressors or limiters — sometimes both . The primary focal point of the mix is almost always the lead vocal . Because of this , it must maintain a constant space in the mix . The style of the music generally determines exactly how loud the lead vocal should be in relation to the rest of the band ; however , once that ’ s been determined ,