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vocal woes – sounding demo-y? not sitting? needs more fx?
hey guys! excited to be a new member here 🙂
i’m co producing this tune attached – Runaway Train, an 80s disco power ballad type – and we’re struggling with the lead vocal. The track in my opinion is sounding awesome, but the vocal is sounding like it’s sort of plopped on top, like it doesn’t belong in the mix yet. i’m trying to figure out how to embed it better into the mix, when the rest of the track is already feeling really good. so carving out a space for the vocal to live. i also want to add more fx (delay, reverb) in places, or would that sound tacky given we are already leaning into the 80s thing already? 😀 thanks guys!
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10 Replies
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Hi Phoebe! This is so cool!
The vocal feels connected to the mix to my ear, i wasn’t hearing it as being particularly “plopped on top”. One thing that struck me when listening was that you may want to ride the lead vocal a bit when the band is really hitting. The section between 2-3min I was finding that the lead vocal could have been louder. It felt like it was sitting great in the intro and the first verse when it didn’t have as much to compete with.
I think exploring more reverb/delay and special moments with FX throws, etc would totally fit the vibe. Couldn’t hurt to try!
Can’t wait to hear the final mix!
Best Wishes,
Jesse
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thank you!! definitely gonna be riding vox a little more and playing w fx 😀
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Phoebe,
Welcome.
I agree with my colleague from NY who suggests the vocal is getting a little lost during louder passages. If the spotlight is on the singer, and it should be, let’s keep her prominent and easily accessible for the audience / listeners.
You mention finding a space for the vocal and ask if it needs more FX to make it fit better. I said a few incantations and put the song back in the oven to let it cook it a little longer. My ears and tapping toes tells me that this version works better. Specifically, I turned up the vocals 1.5 – 2 dB, then used the separated vocal stem to trigger the overlapping frequencies and gently ducked the rest of the music a dB or so. See if that feels closer to what you’re aiming for vocally. I think you’ll find the vocal production work you did with FX is more audible now.
I sat out the disco era but certainly had some good fun messing with your production.
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awesome thank you Paul!
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Phoebe,
v2 of my voodoo.
Great job on your loudness level! I had to work to make it nearly as loud.
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Voodoo-master!! You’ve done it again! Nice (mysterious) work, sensei!
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Hey Phoebe!
Your backing track sounds super nicely mixed, compressed, and polished compared to the lead vocal — so just apply that same tone/processing to the vocal and you should be golden!
To do that:
- I’d start with a stock parametric EQ and gently scoop out some of the low mids — try a bell or shelf around 150–250 Hz (whatever sounds best to your ear). This helps reduce the “body” of the vocal. It’s a psychoacoustic trick: our brains associate more low end with closeness (like someone whispering in your ear), and less low end with distance (like that same person across the room). You know what I mean?
For intimate, gentle vocals, I’ll leave a bunch of that low, rich 100–250 Hz in — helps the vocal feel like a warm hug, like they’re right next to the listener (something we’ve talked about in other Member Spotlights!).
But for a track as massive and full as yours, I’ll often imagine it like a stadium concert — big energy coming from a stage farther away. Carving out that unnecessary vocal “body” gives the impression the singer isn’t in your ear, but instead standing in that space, blending perfectly into the production.Make sense?
- Next up: compression. Try adding a healthy dose and push it until you go, “eww — that’s too much”… then back off a touch. I reach for Waves Rvox all the time — dead simple and really effective. Just remember to dial down the output gain as you compress more so you’re not just making it louder — A/B using bypass to keep levels matched. The goal: same loudness, just more control and urgency. (And honestly, your vocal’s already sounding really great — this is just a little polish that might help tighten things up.
- After that, add a De-esser, or manually tame the harsh sibilant stuff — or do both! I’ll usually do a bit of manual work first, then light de-essing if needed. Massey De-Esser is the best one I’ve used — super natural results.
- And YES — absolutely feel free to add some fun FX! That’s another tool to help the vocal sit in a dense mix. Plus, FX are fun. 🙂
If you want to dive deeper into that side of things, check out this thread:
👉 Dialing In Delay & Reverb (in mix vs. after) - Oh, and one more trick: Once your vocal sounds dialed, tweak the automation so it sits just right. I use my crummy little RadioShack Realistic speakers from across the room — basically a “mix from another room” vibe. No sweet spot, no low end — just pure balance. It’s amazing how clearly vocal inconsistencies pop out that way. Once it rocks on the lil’ guys, I go back to my main speakers and make any final polish moves.
I know I just wrote a dang novel 😅 — but seriously, Phoebe, you’re already so close with this one. Awesome work. Can’t wait to hear what you do next!
Keep crushing it — and I’m so stoked you’re here. 🙌
PS – here are my initial listen notes which include a couple specific odds and ends:
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Gorgeous choral intro!
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Remove a bit of 200 bell or shelf to help it sit in the mix
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First line OPEN my eyes give a boost on OP-
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1:33 prechorus vocal sits a bit more tucked in (might be cool to use as reference?)
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2:04 – lead voc starts getting buried
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2:40 another example of de-essing, or just turn down the SH
mixprotege.com
Dialing in Delay/Reverb in Mix (During vs After)
Do you feel like it's better to add delay and reverb as you go, or getting a good mix without it and then sprinkling in…
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thank youuuu this is epic 😊
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You betcha! Here’s another thread you might find helpful re dialing in FX:
https://mixprotege.com/forums/discussion/vocal-delay-to-be-or-not-to-be/#post-7702
mixprotege.com
Vocal Delay - to be or not to be
I've had some really awesome, thoughtful responses on this forum around bass & reverb. Next up - vocal delay 😎It feels like every mix video…
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- I’d start with a stock parametric EQ and gently scoop out some of the low mids — try a bell or shelf around 150–250 Hz (whatever sounds best to your ear). This helps reduce the “body” of the vocal. It’s a psychoacoustic trick: our brains associate more low end with closeness (like someone whispering in your ear), and less low end with distance (like that same person across the room). You know what I mean?
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woooo thank you guys so much for your feedback!! this is awesome 😀
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