vox sound too "out front"

D

djessence

New member
i'm mixing a hip-hop album that i recorded using a rode NT 1, and the digi 001 mic pre into Pro Tools...most of the tracks, the vocals sound too in front of the music and i'm wondering how i can get the frequencies or whatever to be more dimensional...

i'm not sure how to exactly describe everything in a technical way, but i know how it sounds and it could be a lot better...i usually only run the vocals through a limiter, and then the bomb factory B LA2A compressor...the only other thing i can think of is to EQ, but is there anything else i should be doing?
 
Reverb is one way of making the vocals less out front in the mix, but maybe you don't want reverb on a hip hop vocal.

One EQ chart I printed out recommended cutting at 3K to help a vocal sit in the mix. I've been trying this and it seems to work, but I could be fooling myself. (Ha ha, nearly posted this with a K instead of L in fooling :) )
 
Is that a 4-band parametric? You need a parametric EQ to be able to cut at a specific frequency. Just seen you've got ProTools. Is there a parametric EQ included in the software? On a software parametric EQ you can set the precise frequency, then cut using the fader or whatever. On a hardware unit cut or boost using Level or whatever knob adjusts the dB level.

Cutting 3K is the simple version BTW. I've seen people talking about carving a hole in the mix with EQ for the vocal to sit in.
 
Last edited:
An paragraphic EQ is better in my opinion (maybe you mean one of those?). Its often a good thing to roll of lower frequensies on vocals and maybe the really high ones. If needed even boost in the 7,8-9K range for "silk". This will sit it better in the mix. small reverbs (short) pull things back and creates distance to things.

Hope this helps
 
A paragraphic EQ is a processor that fine tunes your posts (or paragraphs) before being read by other engineers here in the forums. :lol


I'm as clueless as you are.....
 
Cutting 3K is the simple version BTW. I've seen people talking about carving a hole in the mix with EQ for the vocal to sit in.
Click to expand...

carving a hole in the rest of the mix will make the voice even stand out more because the vocal's mids get 'boosted' in relation to the mix.

djessence: try cutting the lows. start to cut off below 100 Hz, then you can move up until it sounds unnatural. but: if it starts to sound unnatural - leave it and listen to it some hours later, it may sound more natural again (no joke!) because you don't know anymore how it once sounded.
you can also add the tiniest bit of chorus and I guess you WILL need just a bit of reverb to simulate at least some space.

after all I have the same problem again and again (though I do hard rock). the steps I mentioned didn't ever completely solve the problem but always helped a bit.
 
Get Paragraphic

My favorite paragraphic films are.... er....

Actually I find the paragraphic EQ plug to be the EQ I most often use... I get 4 bands at once so it helps cut back the number of processess needed. You can set the octave width (Q), frequency, and amount of cut/boost.

But to push the vox back in the mix without reverb, try a short short SHORT (almost inaudible) delay (perhaps 5 milliseconds). Helps get the vox out from in front of the speakers and back into the mix. Your mileage may vary.
 
Definitely try the delay option above. EQ will help it fit into the mix alright but the delay (or reverb) move it forward and backward.
 
Nice that someone backs me up on the existance of paragraphic eq´s. I use Soundforge and there u have graphic, parametric and OH! paragraphic eq.

With that u can cut or boost from +20 to -20 db´s (dont do that) in four bands at once with exact precision and chose how wide octave wise you want each of the bands to affect. High and low shelf eq is built in also.

There...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top