Background Vocals; How to move them back....

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singer202

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This may be perhaps a recording technique question as well, but I always seem to have trouble mixing background vocals into a song. They always seem to sit too far up-front but if I pull back the volume they start to get lost. I have experimented with reverb levels, gentle and hard pan, varying levels of compression and eq and I cant seem to get it quite right. Any suggestions??
 
Reverb and compression are the usual ways. You might look on how the vocals are getting tracked.
 
mjbphotos said:
You might look on how the vocals are getting tracked.
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Always the first part. If you want "space" and "depth" in your recording, you need to use space and depth while you're tracking.

If you record everything a foot away from the mic, expect the image to feel a foot deep. Yes, you can "fake it" to some extent using reverb, rolling off the top and what not -- but the mic hears a completely different sound when the source changes distance -- And that sound fits into the mix differently.
 
Pickup Patterns too?

Would it also help to try an Omni pattern as opposed to a cardoid? (Yes, I do have a very nicely treated room.)
 
roll off highs.

add some space with verb or delay.

lots of ways to skin a cat.
 
When treble is decreased on a track in a mix, it often has the effect of making things sound farther back, in contrast with brighter-sounding tracks. Try using a dynamic to record the BG vox and a condenser on the leads; Then you'll have less work to do at the mixing stage.
 
When I know my backups are gonna sit back a little in a mix, I naturally sing further off the mic. I never really thought of the correlation, it was just a happy accident. But it works. If you've already got the tracks done, a little delay and/or reverb will get it done. With reverb, don't go for a long decaying tail sound. Go for a big room, quick decay. Try it. It'll make those up front vocals sound like they're a mile back.
 
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