Welcome to Sage Audio.
Today let’s look at How to Mix a 2-Track Beat and Vocals.
But first, If you have a mix that you need mastered, send it to us to receive a free
mastered sample of it with the link in the description.
Start with Clip Gain on the Beat
The chapters in this video are a chain, so we’ll look at each step one by one and build
on our processing with each demonstration.
The first thing I want to do is reduce the gain of the instrumental - I’ll use clip
gain for this since it occurs before any processing that we’ll introduce, whereas the volume
fader will occur after any and all processing.
By lowering the gain, we give ourselves more headroom.
Before we start processing, let’s just get acquainted with the track we’re working
on today, and solo the vocal and instrumental.
Use Rx De-Clip and Phase Align
This step is more or less optional, but I find it helps the overall sound - first I
export the reduced gain instrumental and import it into Izotope Rx.
Then I perform subtle de-clipping which is going to be especially valuable if you pulled
the track from YouTube or Soundcloud.
I don’t want to repair every clip, just the ones associated with the peaks.
While we’re here, we might as well fix the phase rotation, by clicking suggest, and then
rendering the changes.
This will help reduce unwanted clipping when we start to process the instrumental.
Let’s do a null test between the original instrumental and the de-clipped one to hear
the differences, and notice the occasion clipping in the left or right channel.
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Achieve a Few dB of MB Expansion
Back in our session, let’s add our first processor to the 2 track beat - which should
be a multi-band dynamics processor.
I use the Pro MB and create 5 bands, all of which have their gains reduced, but include
expansion with a positive range.
By lowering the gain and then introducing expansion, we increase the dynamic range while
keeping the overall level of the track about the same.
For the lows, I used a longer release and tried to time it to the track - for the highs
I used a quicker attack and release to retain detail.
Lastly, I increase the amount of the effect slightly with the mix slider.
Let’s listen and notice how this keeps the frequency response of the track more or less
the same, but it increases the dynamic range a good amount.
Equalize Beat’s Side Image
Next, I want to clear some space for the vocal by equalizing the beat - with a Mid-Side EQ,
I’m going to cut away frequencies that will interfere with the vocal, but only do so on
the side image.
I’ll attenuate roughly 2kHz on the side, as well as 250Hz.
To find the frequencies that interfere with your vocal, listen intently when centering
your band, but know that 200-300Hz and 2-5kHz are important ranges.
Let’s listen and notice how this gives the vocal more room.
Use Dynamic SC EQ on Mid Image
You may be wondering why I only equalized the side image in the last chapter - I still
need to attenuate some frequencies on the mids, but I don’t want these frequencies
to constantly be attenuated since they’re pretty important for the beat.
So, I’ll use dynamic bands on the mids.
Additionally, I’ll use the vocal as the external side-chain, so that the vocal’s
signal triggers the attenuation of these frequencies, meaning they’re only dipped when the vocalist
is performing
Let’s take a listen.
Expand Beat’s Side Image Transients
Part of getting the vocal to sit in the beat includes slightly widening the beat - to do
this, I like to use a parallel send, and with the free plugin MSED, I’ll mute the Mid
image, in turn soloing the side image.
Then I’ll insert a transient expander.
With the transient expander, I’ll amplify the transients, in turn dynamically widening
the beat, and shifting some of its energy away from the mids.
This both sounds great and gives the vocal more room in the middle, so let’s take
a listen.
Reintroduce Clipping and Saturation to Beat
I know it’s strange that I’m introducing clipping to the beat when I tried to reduce
it earlier, but there’s a big difference between clipping introduced from bad encoding
on the internet, and clipping introduced with a processor that’s designed to make it sound
good.
With the PSP saturator, I’ll Select hard clip, center low frequency saturation over
my 808 to give it some weight, and do something similar with the highs to accent the transients.
Additionally, I’ll find and engage the FAT function, which in this plugin is oversampling.
This will keep the highs clean and free from aliasing and phase distortion.
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Compress and De-ess Vocal
It’s taken a while to get to the vocal, but let’s start with compression followed
by de-essing.
For the compression, I want to capture the vocal quickly, so I’ll use a quick attack,
and a 50ms release to retain the detail of the track.
I also enabled lookahead.
This will help the compressor anticipate the incoming signal, allowing more to be captured
by it.
Then I’ll turn on auto make-up gain.
This vocal was already somewhat compressed, so I only needed 4 dB of compression, but
use a little more, up to 7dB if needed.
For the de-esser, I’ll attenuate about 4dB as well, using a split band setting to attenuate
only the selected frequencies, and the set that range between 6-14kHz.
Let’s take a listen to how this dynamically controls the vocal and brings it forward in
the mix.
Introduce EQ to the Vocal
Let’s start shaping our vocal with EQ, starting with a high pass to cut out some of the unneeded
lows.
We’ll also attenuate roughly 200-700Hz only by a couple of dB since these frequencies
often cover up or mask the higher, more clarifying frequencies.
With that said, I’ll amplify 2-5kHz to add more vocal clarity, while dipping a little
bit of sibilance frequencies.
Lastly, I’ll add a small amount of air from 12-30kHz.
Let’s take a listen to how this improves the vocal and helps it stick out when played
with
the 2-track.
Use Tube Saturation on Vocal
There's something missing from this vocal, and when that’s the case I often find saturation
helps a lot.
I’ll add Arturia’s new tube saturator and with the first setting enabled, slowly
introduce saturation with the drive and bias dial - while ensuring the EQ is off in the
advanced section.
The air setting helps add some clarity to the vocal, and the harmonics this plugin introduces
both fill the vocal and help separate its frequencies from the instrumental's frequencies.
Add Controlled Sibilance with Parallel Trick
Last up, I want to add high frequencies to the vocal, but I don’t want them to be harsh
or unpleasant - I’ll first set up a bus, and on the aux track for that bus, introduce
a linear phase EQ that isolates the highs.
Then, I’ll compress.
I’ll solo just this aux track while I’m compressing so that I can hear what compressor
settings result in the smoothest and most enjoyable sounding high frequencies.
I’ll typically use a longer release, softer knee, clean compression, and turn off auto-make-up
gain.
Then, I blend the processed highs back in with the original track via the fader.
Let’s take a listen to what these highs add - then let’s take a listen to how the
vocal and beat sounded when we started, and how they sound after our processing.
If you have a mix that you need mastered, send it to us to receive a free mastered sample
of it with the link in the description.
Thank you so much for watching.