I always use that trick of slapping a compressor on my vocal reverb and side-chaining the vocal back into it. I use a fast attack, 2:1 ratio and bring the threshold down until the vocal starts cutting into the reverb, probably about 5-7 dB. Play with the release and threshold until you find the sweet spot. This is basically DIY ducking for the reverb and helps maintain clarity while allowing the echoes through. It works on delays too although I really like Deelay by Sixth Sample and it has an automatic ducking feature.
Dude, I've listened to several compressor sample over the last couple years and never heard a difference and never knew what it did. I didn't care enough to research it. Very simply, you schooled me on it. Thank you!!! Now I know why I need one.
Using analog emulation plugin to record and mix my vocal in the box is a game Changer for me I love what the Kiive audio and plug-in alliance are giving out there
This advice was so good I had to like, comment, AND subscribe! Lol. Seriously, thank you for making the world a better place by teaching us all to make better mixes!
I kinda like that delay trick. But another way which you could maybe use in tandem with that is parallel compression. A send with a compressor getting like 20db of heavy gain reduction, and then barely turn it up blending with the original vocal for added thickness. Vocals in your face
Great video man! I think the biggest rookie mistakes are using only one compressor and no side chaining the reverb. That can take a great vocal and drown it out
One of my go-to tricks when mixing vocals is to add a compressor to the vocal reverb and sidechain the dry vocal signal into it. This technique helps control the reverb so that it "ducks" or reduces in volume whenever the vocal is present, creating more clarity and preventing the mix from sounding muddy. Here's how I typically set it up: I start by adding a compressor directly to the reverb return track (or the reverb plugin itself, if it allows sidechaining) and setting the vocal track as the sidechain input. For the compressor settings, I usually go with a fast attack time to ensure the reverb gets reduced quickly as soon as the vocal comes through. I set the ratio to about 2:1, which is a moderate amount of compression, and then adjust the threshold until the vocal begins to cut through the reverb, typically resulting in about 5-7 dB of gain reduction on the reverb. The real magic happens when you tweak the release time and threshold to taste. A shorter release will make the reverb come back in quicker after the vocal phrase ends, while a longer release will smooth it out and keep the reverb lower for a more controlled sound. It really depends on the song's tempo and vibe, so take some time to experiment and find the sweet spot. This approach is essentially a DIY way of ducking the reverb. It allows the vocal to remain clear and upfront in the mix while still leaving space for the reverb tail to shine through between phrases. It's a subtle effect but makes a big difference in maintaining clarity, especially in dense mixes. You can apply the same technique to delays as well, which can be particularly useful for keeping them from cluttering up the vocal. That said, if you're looking for a quicker solution for delay ducking, I highly recommend using a plugin like Deelay by Sixth Sample. It has an automatic ducking feature built in, which saves time and gives you excellent results right out of the box. Still, if you prefer to fine-tune things manually or have more control over the dynamics, the sidechain compression trick is hard to beat.
Funny how we all end up close to this. I do about 3db reduction with a limiter first, and also add a heavily compressed parallel channel too but very similar chain.
Brother.. EQ and compression.... and then occasional De-Essing.. sometimes not even needed with certain vocalists... and helpful tip from a live sound guy, DUMP anything harsh. Ppl hate it, and over time all that cranking of the highs, ESPECIALLY in a chorus will add up. Try to mix in subtraction only adding if it's color or actually good sounding to you, the engineer/producer/writer or the client
This is such a dope video but it’s country music and I don’t record country music if I did this would be my go to for it can you make a video with rnb or hip hop trap drill or Detroit style music
Honestly I wouldn't, for an overall main vocal it would be best to just do the whole thing in stereo. If you wanna play with mono vocals use them for stuff like harmonies (maybe) or ad-libs. But a really sneaky thing I do is put a delay on the vocal then mono the delay rather than have to stereo or ping-ponging (panning).
Hey Izzy, I can see you're putting in the effort, and that's great, but let me give you some honest feedback to help you improve. The issue here is that you skipped the most important step: fixing the core problem with the vocal before stacking plugins on it (high mids there just aren't under control man). Our job as engineers is simple at its core: 1. Fix any issues with the recording (though not every recording can be saved). 2. Balance the sounds properly before adding anything fancy. Throwing compressors, EQs, and effects on a vocal that isn’t addressed properly first just amplifies the problems, so just stop relying on plugins because you’ve seen others use them, use them with intention and purpose, and never forget that the best tools you have aren’t made by flashy manufacturers, they’re in your DAW and are gain staging and volume control. Master those first.
mixing aside. please mix those colors man. it’s waaaaaay too saturated and the colors too bright. makes it harder to watch. other than that, super top tips on the audio part
Quick question…are you recording the vocal simultaneously or separately from the examples as I notice you’re not using headphones WHICH I WOULD PREFER TO DO so curious to how #ThatsMyWord
Suggestion - don’t say “and this is with it on, this is with it off” and pause the comparisons because then you can’t really tell the difference because the interruption was a bit too long
Oh dude, you lost me at Waves Tune. That thing sucks all the soul out of every performance! It makes every singer sound the same :/ I must say though, that vocal sounds awesome. Do you ever use parallel compression?
I’ve used it for several of my placements (HBO, Epic Games, etc..) and have even used it when i was supposed to use autotune 😂 nobody ever noticed. Just gotta get used to dialing in the settings for each specific session
@ oh man. I can see what you mean for sure. Especially with the super strong settings used in recent years. Being that we don’t have the budgets anymore to spend weeks recording one verse it’s definitely been a game changer especially with more “natural” sounding algorithms like melodyne
@ yes, I understand the advantages of using it and frankly, if you don’t tune a pop song these days, it just won’t sound right. I still hate it though 😂
Cause if someone can't afford the vocal chain they can just easily copy what I do and build upon it, I want everyone to win and have great sounding vocals. And the vocal chain that I sell is with the third party plugins and one with Stock plugins
Couldn’t you use animation and panning with reverb and get a crispy effect as well? I like the way you’ve used the delay but I think it could sound way better like in Fl studio I can use the stock stereo separation plugin on the main mix and just lower it’s volume knob until I got the desired sound and if I need more control I could just side chain it. Also after that C6 compressor was applied I believe her voice lost its character. But that could honestly just be my opinion but when I listen to vocals like let’s say Mariah Carey and I’m having fun sampling her vocals they don’t sound overly compressed and the reverb is just enough to complement her voice not to cover up compression. It is more time consuming but you can use an automation clip and bring vocals closer together without losing any Dynamics. It’s the little things you have to think of and experiment with to achieve greatness. When you send it out to be mastered that’s more compression that is going to be added. Just saying I think we need to go back to the drawing board again. Oh also the emulated plugins are adding the color and warmth Through the recording signal there is a difference of quality pre and post when you record with it on it not only prints it to the vocals but the electricity that is powering your interface and running through the circuits adds to the color. Yes that could be for better or worse but it’s still a layer of electrifying soul 😅
You did great bro, i have an album to mix and i wanna give you a track to mix to see how that goes.. Anyways you got a new sub😊 send me some contact so we can discuss the project.
I always use that trick of slapping a compressor on my vocal reverb and side-chaining the vocal back into it. I use a fast attack, 2:1 ratio and bring the threshold down until the vocal starts cutting into the reverb, probably about 5-7 dB. Play with the release and threshold until you find the sweet spot. This is basically DIY ducking for the reverb and helps maintain clarity while allowing the echoes through. It works on delays too although I really like Deelay by Sixth Sample and it has an automatic ducking feature.
the Howard Benson vocal plug in does it all, literally as well as his amp sim by STL tones, and im talking for anything, including RnB!
Dude, I've listened to several compressor sample over the last couple years and never heard a difference and never knew what it did. I didn't care enough to research it. Very simply, you schooled me on it. Thank you!!! Now I know why I need one.
This is the ULTIMATE Tutorial!
Glad you did step-by-step!!
Discovering you literally just now is an immediately revelation in my journey as a self-produced artist.
Your studio and lighting is beautiful!
Using analog emulation plugin to record and mix my vocal in the box is a game Changer for me
I love what the Kiive audio and plug-in alliance are giving out there
Great presentation. One of the best videos I found on YT showing serial compression and the thought process behind it. Keep up the good work!
This advice was so good I had to like, comment, AND subscribe! Lol. Seriously, thank you for making the world a better place by teaching us all to make better mixes!
Bro phenomenal video and mix!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Really helpful, that's how you earn a follower, looking forward to more content like this
The C6 made a huge difference. I'd always been afraid to use multiband compressors but your explanation made it not so scary anymore.
I kinda like that delay trick. But another way which you could maybe use in tandem with that is parallel compression. A send with a compressor getting like 20db of heavy gain reduction, and then barely turn it up blending with the original vocal for added thickness. Vocals in your face
this technique changed my life no cap
Love how you sidechain your reverb!
That room is a vibe bro
Man this channel is bringing me good vibes I like it!
I appreciate you for this man honestly, So helpful!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
i just found out ur channel and i'm already loving it!!!
Great video man! I think the biggest rookie mistakes are using only one compressor and no side chaining the reverb. That can take a great vocal and drown it out
This is a great tutorial please do one for the male vocals as well
Dope video! I’m on that stop mixing phase right now but I’m building everything back up. I really like the limiter on the vocal, I want to try that.
One of my go-to tricks when mixing vocals is to add a compressor to the vocal reverb and sidechain the dry vocal signal into it. This technique helps control the reverb so that it "ducks" or reduces in volume whenever the vocal is present, creating more clarity and preventing the mix from sounding muddy. Here's how I typically set it up:
I start by adding a compressor directly to the reverb return track (or the reverb plugin itself, if it allows sidechaining) and setting the vocal track as the sidechain input. For the compressor settings, I usually go with a fast attack time to ensure the reverb gets reduced quickly as soon as the vocal comes through. I set the ratio to about 2:1, which is a moderate amount of compression, and then adjust the threshold until the vocal begins to cut through the reverb, typically resulting in about 5-7 dB of gain reduction on the reverb.
The real magic happens when you tweak the release time and threshold to taste. A shorter release will make the reverb come back in quicker after the vocal phrase ends, while a longer release will smooth it out and keep the reverb lower for a more controlled sound. It really depends on the song's tempo and vibe, so take some time to experiment and find the sweet spot.
This approach is essentially a DIY way of ducking the reverb. It allows the vocal to remain clear and upfront in the mix while still leaving space for the reverb tail to shine through between phrases. It's a subtle effect but makes a big difference in maintaining clarity, especially in dense mixes.
You can apply the same technique to delays as well, which can be particularly useful for keeping them from cluttering up the vocal. That said, if you're looking for a quicker solution for delay ducking, I highly recommend using a plugin like Deelay by Sixth Sample. It has an automatic ducking feature built in, which saves time and gives you excellent results right out of the box. Still, if you prefer to fine-tune things manually or have more control over the dynamics, the sidechain compression trick is hard to beat.
THANK YOU IZZY!
Thanks king 🤺
Nice vocal chain. Mine is similar but I hadn’t tried doing a stereo short delay. Will start implementing that technique
Wow, great video young man..
Keep going in logic 🔥
This was a great video learned a lot man ❤
Sounds clean asf, gotta start doing more multiband compression to my vocal mix sound tight
6:31 blacky setting is a crazy name lmaooo
Racist.
Funny how we all end up close to this. I do about 3db reduction with a limiter first, and also add a heavily compressed parallel channel too but very similar chain.
Thank you bro so much !
Suggestion: use a high cut on that stereo delay too. It gets distracting.
This blew my mind
Hopefully it will work on my vocals too
Brother.. EQ and compression.... and then occasional De-Essing.. sometimes not even needed with certain vocalists... and helpful tip from a live sound guy, DUMP anything harsh. Ppl hate it, and over time all that cranking of the highs, ESPECIALLY in a chorus will add up. Try to mix in subtraction only adding if it's color or actually good sounding to you, the engineer/producer/writer or the client
Bro just dropped so much game for yall, it took me 5+ years to figure some of this stuff out
This is such a dope video but it’s country music and I don’t record country music if I did this would be my go to for it can you make a video with rnb or hip hop trap drill or Detroit style music
The process is quite similar for other genres tbh. Maybe a bit more processed overall tho
Excellent video. Thank you! I will subscribe :)
Can you do a list of all the plugins?
Very good video thank you
would this also work in fl studio or only logic
Love this vocal chain. I'm going to try it on our new material. Subscribed
just use rvox if the voice is lost in the mix, in yo face vocal preset tune it to your liking from there
MAn, I wanted to watch this again.. Was the room treated when she was doing the vocals?
Thanks! Yes the room was treated.
Would like to see a tutorial in how you used waves tune
Good video 🔥
Just always do u fam
what are the difference between mono plugins and stereo?
Great job - do you have settings for a Behringer XR 18?
Subbed great video. Would love to see your chain for male baritone vocals
Am I really the only one who hears the entire video in mono?
wow........Great
can i us stero if its for a verse then mono for the hook/chorus
Honestly I wouldn't, for an overall main vocal it would be best to just do the whole thing in stereo. If you wanna play with mono vocals use them for stuff like harmonies (maybe) or ad-libs. But a really sneaky thing I do is put a delay on the vocal then mono the delay rather than have to stereo or ping-ponging (panning).
@@svperman_lod thank you appreciate it
Who is the artist?
Skylie Thompson! You may have seen her on American Idol
Hey Izzy, I can see you're putting in the effort, and that's great, but let me give you some honest feedback to help you improve. The issue here is that you skipped the most important step: fixing the core problem with the vocal before stacking plugins on it (high mids there just aren't under control man).
Our job as engineers is simple at its core:
1. Fix any issues with the recording (though not every recording can be saved).
2. Balance the sounds properly before adding anything fancy.
Throwing compressors, EQs, and effects on a vocal that isn’t addressed properly first just amplifies the problems, so just stop relying on plugins because you’ve seen others use them, use them with intention and purpose, and never forget that the best tools you have aren’t made by flashy manufacturers, they’re in your DAW and are gain staging and volume control. Master those first.
Do you have stock preset vocal chain available as well ?
Yes! When you get the preset patch it comes with both Stock and Third party Presets
good!!!
mixing aside. please mix those colors man. it’s waaaaaay too saturated and the colors too bright. makes it harder to watch. other than that, super top tips on the audio part
Quick question…are you recording the vocal simultaneously or separately from the examples as I notice you’re not using headphones WHICH I WOULD PREFER TO DO so curious to how #ThatsMyWord
You have clean input and dry vocals what is the secret?
Thank you, all it is gain stage, good microphone and good performance when singing
Best video but can you tell me the name of that song 😮
Move On by Skylie Thompson
i am having low buzzing sounds after 3 compressors
yo whats your camera set up
Its a old camera a Sony A7R mark 2 and I use a log format when filming
Bro it’s not for protools???
Soon!!
Does any one know the name of this song and or the artist?
Move on by Skylie Thompson
@@Izzyrealmusic Thank you!
Would this work for rap vocals as well?
Yes!!
Mano muito bom !
Suggestion - don’t say “and this is with it on, this is with it off” and pause the comparisons because then you can’t really tell the difference because the interruption was a bit too long
🔥🔥🔥
Nice
Oh dude, you lost me at Waves Tune. That thing sucks all the soul out of every performance! It makes every singer sound the same :/ I must say though, that vocal sounds awesome. Do you ever use parallel compression?
I’ve used it for several of my placements (HBO, Epic Games, etc..) and have even used it when i was supposed to use autotune 😂 nobody ever noticed. Just gotta get used to dialing in the settings for each specific session
@ I wasn’t referring to Waves Tune specifically, I was referring to tuning in general! I absolutely hate it, it makes everyone sound the same!
@ oh man. I can see what you mean for sure. Especially with the super strong settings used in recent years. Being that we don’t have the budgets anymore to spend weeks recording one verse it’s definitely been a game changer especially with more “natural” sounding algorithms like melodyne
@ yes, I understand the advantages of using it and frankly, if you don’t tune a pop song these days, it just won’t sound right. I still hate it though 😂
Why the audio is in mono?
i just say the same
screen recording put it in mono 💀
Under 60 Hz there is no mud, there might be rumble though.
Great job on the video!! I would love to see a full mix breakdown
NO VOCAL DOUBLES?
Y’all overthink mixing… especially compression
It became an art.
Can someone like my comment, so I can get back to this video later?
Let's be honest it's a waves plugins sponsored video😂😅
A good one too
Hahaha I wish!
why are you selling the vocal chain if you are guiding us through it in this video?
Cause if someone can't afford the vocal chain they can just easily copy what I do and build upon it, I want everyone to win and have great sounding vocals. And the vocal chain that I sell is with the third party plugins and one with Stock plugins
You look like Juan Gabriel hahaha
So 4 compressors 1 chanel 2 delays gaaaaddaium😂
Couldn’t you use animation and panning with reverb and get a crispy effect as well? I like the way you’ve used the delay but I think it could sound way better like in Fl studio I can use the stock stereo separation plugin on the main mix and just lower it’s volume knob until I got the desired sound and if I need more control I could just side chain it. Also after that C6 compressor was applied I believe her voice lost its character. But that could honestly just be my opinion but when I listen to vocals like let’s say Mariah Carey and I’m having fun sampling her vocals they don’t sound overly compressed and the reverb is just enough to complement her voice not to cover up compression. It is more time consuming but you can use an automation clip and bring vocals closer together without losing any Dynamics. It’s the little things you have to think of and experiment with to achieve greatness. When you send it out to be mastered that’s more compression that is going to be added. Just saying I think we need to go back to the drawing board again. Oh also the emulated plugins are adding the color and warmth Through the recording signal there is a difference of quality pre and post when you record with it on it not only prints it to the vocals but the electricity that is powering your interface and running through the circuits adds to the color. Yes that could be for better or worse but it’s still a layer of electrifying soul 😅
Bro credit the artist your using, ik you don’t mean any harm by it but give that credit where it’s due
the real secret is blowing $50,000 on a microphone that sounds 1% better than a TEMU mic, and hoping your 5 monthly listeners hear the difference
WAY too much processing. Robs the vocal of its character and makes it far less compelling. People don’t want perfect, they want human
AWESOME JOB!!! 💪🏽🫡 #ThatsMyWord
You did great bro, i have an album to mix and i wanna give you a track to mix to see how that goes.. Anyways you got a new sub😊 send me some contact so we can discuss the project.