How do you mix backing vocals?

The Top Seven Ways for Blending Backing Vocals

1. Less volume. Most of the time, the backing vocalists are supporting the lead singer.
2. Roll off some of their high frequencies.
3. Back off the lows.
4. Separate and blend with reverb.
5. Compress them.
6. Actively mix them.
7. Blend the vocalists together.

Where should backing vocals be panned?

If you have several background tracks, you’ll want to pan them away from the center. This will create space for your vocal to live in. How much you pan your BGVs is up to you.

Should I pan backing vocals?

If your mix is center heavy, panning the vocals hard left and right will give you more width. If you have group vocals with each part layered, an effective strategy to make them sound full and balanced is to pan them symmetrically so that each side of the harmony vocal submix is a mirror image of the other.

What level should background vocals be at?

Background vocals should sit somewhere underneath the leads in terms of volume. There’s no one-mix-fits-all dB amount to go by, but you should definitely be thinking in terms of quieter backgrounds and louder leads.

How do you blend vocal harmonies?

8 Tips for Mixing Vocal Harmonies

1. Edit your background vocals.
2. Use an auto-leveler for smoothing levels.
3. De-ess!
4. Clip-gain and EQ each vocal, but compress them all together.
5. Try pitch-correction–but not for the usual reason.
6. Route your vocals to a bus.
7. Ask the client for a genre reference—or find one on your own.

How do I make my vocal backing sound distant?

In this order:

1. Use a high shelf filter to lower some high frequencies (above 5-8khz) (enough so that the vocals sound a little bit less ‘present’) and a high pass filter to take away low frequencies (below 100-200hz).
2. Put a delay on your vocals to simulate reflections from trees.

Do you mix backing vocals first or lead vocals first?

Before you mix the backing vocals, you need to mix the lead vocal. In general, it’s best to mix the lead vocals after the rest of the instrumentation. Many mix engineers have observed that the thing they mix last is often the loudest. By mixing the lead vocal towards the end, you subconsciously make it louder.

How to mix background vocals perfectly?

When it comes to mixing background vocals, there are two simple truths that can help us place them perfectly in the mix. Truth #1 – Not every track can be the star of the show. The first truth tells us that not every vocal can be upfront like a lead vocal. Specifically background vocals should be (in most cases) a bit less “in your face”.

Where should backing vocals sit in the mix?

Before jumping into the top seven ways, let’s first look at where backing vocals can sit in the mix; Behind the lead vocalist as a means of supporting the verses or chorus. They are singing the same words but they aren’t as loud as the lead singer.

Why is it important to mix backing vocals?

Backing vocals are important, yet so many people neglect them. When they are mixed well, they play a supportive role that enhances the whole track—but when they’re mixed badly they can be distracting and poorly placed in the mix. Efficiency is also important when mixing backing vocals.