We all know vocal mixing can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. If you're…
How to Get Your Vocals to Sit Perfectly in the Mix: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learning how to mix vocals and getting them to sit perfectly in a mix can be one of the trickiest parts of producing music. Whether you’re an experienced audio engineer or a home studio enthusiast, balancing vocals is essential to creating a polished, professional-sounding track. In this blog, I’ll guide you through some tried-and-true methods to make sure your vocals are sitting just right.
1. Volume Automation as the Foundation
Volume automation is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal when mixing vocals. Here’s how to use it effectively:
- Start by setting your monitors at a comfortable listening level.
- As you play the mix, listen carefully and start writing broad volume automation across the entire vocal track. I usually just write a automation point at the beginning and end of each section (ie: verse) and then bring the beginning and end point up or down in volume until I like the vocal to track ratio. This is your foundation.
- The goal is to ensure the vocals have a consistent balance with the instrumental track. Repeat the process several times, adjusting the vocal level until it feels right in the mix.
This initial volume automation is critical for maintaining a steady vocal presence throughout the song. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where the vocals are neither too overpowering nor getting lost in the music.
2. Fine-Tuning Your Automation
Once the broad strokes of volume automation are in place, it’s time to get into the finer details. This step involves focusing on individual words, phrases, or sections that may need slight adjustments.
- Boost words or phrases that are getting buried in the mix.
- Sometimes entire sections may feel a little off-balance, requiring only a few tenths of a decibel (dB) adjustment. Don’t be afraid to make tiny tweaks—these subtle adjustments can make a significant difference in the overall clarity and impact of the vocal.
Fine-tuning automation is about bringing out the emotion and clarity of the performance while ensuring the vocals remain cohesive within the context of the mix.
3. Critical Listening on Multiple Devices
After you’ve dialed in the volume automation and fine-tuned the vocals, the next step is to put your mix to the test with some critical listening on multiple devices. This means checking the mix on:
- Studio monitors
- Headphones (preferably several types, including consumer and studio-grade)
- Different speakers, like car stereos or consumer speakers. You can check out the speakers I use over on my Gear page.
Make sure you also listen at different volume levels. A great mix should sound balanced on any playback system—if your vocal sounds perfect across the board, then you’re in a good spot. This process helps ensure that your mix translates well to various environments and devices, which is crucial for commercial and streaming success.
Bonus Tip: The Phone Check with Airfoil
A super effective trick is to use the Airfoil app to stream your mix to your phone while you’re doing other things around the studio. This informal, casual listening approach can offer valuable insights that you might miss when you’re fully focused on your DAW.
My personal favorite is using my iPhone for this. It’s often surprising how much your phone’s speaker can reveal about the vocal mix. If the vocals sound balanced and sit well even on a small phone speaker, then you’re likely in the sweet spot.
Final Thoughts
Mixing vocals is a delicate balance of technical skill and critical listening. By using broad volume automation as the foundation, followed by fine-tuning and critical listening across different devices, you can ensure that your vocals sit perfectly in the mix, no matter where or how the track is played.
Don’t forget to use tools like the Airfoil app for extra checks—it’s a quick and easy way to ensure your mix sounds great in real-world environments. Keep experimenting, keep listening, and happy mixing!
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