Mixing outbursts of loud vocals

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anonymous_vkfan

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I'm working on a song where the lead vocals are primarily quiet/soft. During the climax (final chorus) there are two parts where I break this off and use hard/loud vocals. I've heard this pulled off countless times in songs but I can't seem to make it work in my mix. Obviously I'll want some hard compression. I know I want the vocals to fall back a bit, so I'm playing around with reverbs and delays but nothing seems to work for the mix. Are there any general tips for accomplishing something like this? I can post a clip if it helps.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
Do you mean you want tips on using compression? Sure. Watch this video a few times. It may help explain most of it.

comp_vid
 
Why do you think you need hard compression? Use automation or put the louder part on different channel and pull the fader down. Of course you could use some compression to take care of peaks, but nothing too extreme.
 
Breaking the compression vs automation question down; Think of compression not just in terms of its leveling. You may want the sound of compression in one of its styles of waveform alteration, vs the more pure leveling of automation. (Or a bit of both.

but nothing too extreme.
Click to expand...
--> Really. You're sure about that? ;) :listeningmusic:
 
post a clip of your track it might help.
I'm unclear on what you want to achieve. Perhaps post a clip of a referance track of the kind of thing your trying to do too.
 
a clip would be nice.

compression may be what you want, as an effect. or automation if you just want to lower the level. or even cut the part in question and put it on it's own track.
 
Seidy said:
Why do you think you need hard compression? Use automation or put the louder part on different channel and pull the fader down. Of course you could use some compression to take care of peaks, but nothing too extreme.
Click to expand...


This, your mixing. Get the general volumes to work together.

You could also be tracking far to hot for those loud passes, you can turn down the gain there as well, leaving you with very little head room to work with. You can always use a little makeup gain latter if needed.

Also, literally back off the mic if you want to add distance.
 
From what it sounds like, automation would fix the problem more than compression. Plus then you aren't affecting anything but volume. Compression tends to affect tonality as well as volume.
 
The technique I prefer starts with the recording. For this sort of thing I use two mics, one up nice and close in the normal way and the other a foot or two (or more if you're REALLY yelling) farther back. The difference is as much to do with the tone in the voice as absolute levels in the mix and this lets you capture both in the same take.
 
Thanks for the input thus far. I'm comfortable using compressors/automation/faders at that point. What I'm trying to achieve is an outburst of hard/rock vocals that doesn't sound foreign or out of place. Clip available at the link below. Mix is still pretty rough but the 0:25 and 0:38 marks are what I'm talking about.

 
Now not so shure what you're going for. As it is there's no where for it to go dynamically. Seems you'd have to set it up (make room for it ahead of time.
add..
"the lead vocals are primarily quiet/soft"
In other words, actually they're sort not. They may be sung that way but they're allready up in your face'.
Arrangment to set it up?
 
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