VOCAL GUIDE

1. The perfect balance

A brand new series on best practice vocal production

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Before we even get to equalisation, a quick word on organisation! It’s so easy for a mix to get cluttered. Organising your components for a mix will really help speed up your workflow. In my example, my vocal tracks are all in yellow (because the vocalist is mellow…). Humour me. But do whatever works for you to help you work more efficiently.

The three fundamental controls of an equaliser are: the centre frequency (the frequency range that will be affected, plus the starting points for low and high pass filters); gain (the amount of cut or boost); and the bandwidth or ‘Q’ (which sets the width and slopes of frequencies being corrected). 2

The other (non-vocal) components of the song have already been mixed separately in Logic Pro X and mixed down into a single track ‘01 Beat’. That makes it easier for me to just focus on getting the vocals right, knowing everything else is sitting pretty. 5

There are several different types of EQ. In this example I’m using a parametric EQ plugin. This is the most versatile type as it gives full control over frequency, bandwidth, amount to be cut and the amount of boost to be applied. 3

You should have already done the admin parts of vocal editing before coming to corrective EQ and frequency removal. That is deciding which vocal takes you’ll be using, sequencing and editing on your timeline, making sure your clips have clean fades and that clicks or pops are removed. 6

Before attempting to make a first rough balance, apply a high pass filter to the EQ plugin on your vocal chain(s). This won’t change the character of your sound but it will make sure that there are no subsonic frequencies that will potentially interfere with the balance of bass or other instruments.

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The human ear doesn’t hear below 20Hz but frequencies are felt as vibration. Very low bass frequencies are between 20–40Hz. For vocals, you can easily set your high pass filter from 40Hz. A good rule of thumb is to move the filter up the spectrum until you start to hear the vocal/instrument change and then back off again.

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Watch the amount of Q you use and gain you cut. Only the frequencies you want to reduce should be affected. Also check the instruments in the rest of your mix. Avoid the vocals affecting the clarity of other instruments: so also cut or scoop in frequency range where other elements need to shine, while prioritising your lead instrument: the vocals.

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Use parametric bands to remove any unwanted frequencies. There may be horrible tones or resonances that need to be cut. Some examples that I found in my lead vocal can be seen in the video (at filesilo.co.uk) with commentary.

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In my example, the vocalist is a midhigh range singer and the higher range of his voice really needs to come out. I’ve boosted in the high-mid frequency and high frequency bands. The ear is most sensitive to 2.5-5kHz so this section of the equalisation has had the most work. This region gives clarity and the right boosting can provide an ear-pleasing vocal tone.

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A good tip for finding these unwanted noises is to narrow your Q by increasing the numerical value. Then use the gain pot to boost to a high value and then use the frequency pot to sweep around the full spectrum. Where you hear any ringing, rumbling or unpleasantness, that’s where you should make a cut.

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We also need to be careful as this is also the frequency region where sibilance can occur – making ‘s’ and ‘t’ sounds harsh. I recommend using a de-esser tool for this – many DAWs have their own. I like to use Sibilance by Waves, for an unmatched level of control over the extent to which these harsh sounds are filtered.