Mix Backing Vocals In 10 Minutes - RecordingRevolution.com

►► Download my 8 Step Mixing Checklist and multitrack stems here: mixingchecklist...
If there's one rule for backing vocals in a mix it's this: support the lead vocal, don't compete with it.
As much as I love doubles, harmonies, and any other type of background vocal (I used to sing in an all-male a cappella group for 4 years for goodness sake!) I never let them sit side by side with the lead vocal. They need to be tucked under.
So in today's video, I'm going to show you a simple little trick you can use to make your backing vocals fit nice and snug alongside your lead and never take over.

[@recordingrevolution]

►► Download my 8 Step Mixing Checklist and multitrack stems here: mixingchecklist.com/

[@KW-qd8gu]

Oh man...I usually end up just fighting the volume and pan on my backgrounds, with mixed results. This is a great tip that I really feel like I should have thought of myself. Thanks Graham, I can’t wait to give this a shot!

[@chrishernandezmusic]

God ALWAYS BLESS You for everything you do to expand the kingdom and to teach us!

[@jetmerlin412-_2]

Amen indeed! 🤜🎵🤛

[@MixChecks]

He's a gentleman and a scholar

[@wingsab]

Hi and lo EQ cuts on back vocals. This advice has the most bang for the buck. One of your best advice ever. I tried it and it's now one of my go to's. Already applied it to some of my tracks.

[@MixChecks]

For sure. Can definitely help in a lot of situations

[@timhewitt32]

I push my background vocals to a different bus, compress and EQ them to push them down a bit, and put on a different reverb and delay with a gate to keep the tail short. They are sometimes ducked a little with a sidechain on the lead vocal bus as well.

[@MikoMusik]

This really helps thanks. Compressing the vocals makes a world of a difference!

[@seantreyfr]

this song is faya🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🐐🐐

[@Harry.Isaacs]

Graham man you angel... Hands on mouth, far from mic, rolling off top end on doubles. Great tune as well Thank you!!!!!!!!!

[@johnhowarthmusic8706]

I use a mixed Group track for my BGVs and mix/place it/them like an instrument, to separate them as they'd be onstage(?). Less verb, or a sidechain trigger to cut it back during actual singing to give clarity but still verb tails. Again, this is all subjective and genre influenced. Thank you for all the vids and help that has enabled me to know, and say, this. (-:

[@viddythisthen]

Thank you!! I roll off the low end on BGVs, but somehow I never thought to roll off the high end! The call and response is inspiring as well -- much more interesting than the traditional versions. Great rockin' track too!

[@Braillionaire]

I've started bussing all of my BGV's together, so that I can EQ them all at the same time. When doing pop or R&B vox with lots of moving harmonies, I'll use heavy tuning, high and low pass filtering and then also using a compressor like the Dyn3 with a high ratio (almost like limiting). That allows for the backgrounds to sit almost static in volume, so that all of the moving lines aren't as noticable. I also allow them to have all of the same verb and delay as the main vox, but usually I low cut the delay and give it some sort of auto panning so that you have this high air just bouncing around to off-set the static nature of the vox.

[@shaturiaintheflesh]

Oh WOW did this help! Thank you!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@demaginheart1180]

I dont really record vocals a lot but i use vox samplings/phrases/songs/one shots and i use that trick sometimes : on a lead vocal, put a ''kiloheart's'' pitch shifter, mix knob at 12 %, pitch a whole tone up. it creates some kind of wider vocal track. i never seen anybody doing that anywhere. i'm happy to share this trick now. it works fine sometimes... i know it's not conformed to the perfect rules of theory (no consecutives major seconds intervals) but what matters is what comes up of the speakers and that trick is cool !!! Chears !!!

[@switchbladesquirrel7802]

This came right when I needed it. Working on an EP with my son and I've never really known what to do with BGVs. I usually just drag the volume down, but then they get lost in the back. You've given me a lot of amazing things to think about and try.

[@threeeyedtribe]

How’d it come out?!

[@pauliestorm]

Amazing vocals on this track. I'll be tweaking my new track with these tips!

[@ilyjesusable]

Your songwriting has come along way man! Great video too

[@JarardKenneth]

dude I love this I can feel the energy behind the vocals!

[@bloodyharprecords4910]

I love using tool like brauer motion or reel adt, auto panning or sidechain panning tools. Adds another touch of depth to it

[@soulpriest1866]

Adam Ivey sent me. You guys are awesome... keep ROCKIN....

[@monsterbeatz5003]

Hey Guys ! I am too much inspired by this channel . After watching your channel I also started making beats and I have my own KZbin channel.

[@valentinagirott]

thank you! i use panning a lot for backgroung vocals usually, great idea to cut the high end a bit amazing song btw

[@dreambeliever3652]

Your tenor would make a great country song. Lol. Feel ya man when I hear my own... because I’m really straining the high note. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Great video

[@brainiceland]

Still loving this 10 minutes series! I personally like to use something like Waves Doubler to widen up the BGV (if they're in mono) and slap some reverb on them! This lowpass filtering makes a lot of sense, though! I'm going to give it a try!

[@MixChecks]

I'm right there with ya. Except I use the Reel ADT instead of the Doubler

[@CrankCase08]

To make backing vocals, I will usually make one backing track and then duplicate to, say, three copies, placing all four on a separate buss to the lead vocal. I'll then adjust the formants a little of them all so that they are all different. If I want some female backing vocals included, I'll raise one or two tracks by an octave too - this will sound somewhat artificial on their own, but when mixed carefully with the others, is quite effective. Then double each one and minutely time shift them all. Add just a tiny bit of reverb to the buss, and it works well, but too much tends to reduce the punchiness.

[@riktascale4]

The chorus melody is sweet!😁

[@networkunplugged]

so useful advice! I do a lot of vocals, I will try this top end trick! Thank You!

[@StevePedersonOfficial]

Always great advice and always greatly appreciated!

[@MonsieurVersatile]

Use a really fast compressor on bvs set to fastest attack. Use a slower attack on the lead vocal. So the lead vocal has more attack and sits in front of the bvs.

[@HEATHfromOZ]

Great stuff here, and terrific song too! So good😁👌

[@honkytonk2010]

Thank you for sharing your awesome!! video it was so,so helpful

[@mountaintop1368]

Quickly...I sing leads into any various condeser mic available (crisp & clear) and harmonies into a ribbon mic (MXL R-40, much more understated tone). Keeps background vocals in the background! Very easy to EQ later for blend. Also... cracked me up to hear you cringe at your own solo'ed harmony vocal😁. My own have the effect on me!

[@tifbeats4343]

This video makes so much sense, thanks a lot for this video, I will use this tip in the future for sure

[@starman5754]

Step back from the mic, 12 - 15 inches or so, or more even... less articulation and no proximity effect is the goal. Make sure in tune, knock some out-of-tune edges off with Autotune or your favorite tuner. Top and bottom end rolled off even more than you did here, hi pass 200 - 400, lo pass 6-7k depending on male or female, but to taste and flavor of the song. Compress the ever loving crap out of it, but lay off the saturation and dirt, keep in cleanish. Run through ITS OWN light/different short reverb bed to setup some distance behind the lead...only barely notice the 'verb when soloed, shouldn't stand out in the mix. Pan 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock or so behind and around the lead. Hard L and R is too severe for real background/harmony. I treat most true background vocals somewhat more up front than a pad in the mix, just another instrument to color the mix. Obviously if back vocals are more highlighted as in a duet, trio or, barbershop quartet, each vocal is treated almost the same as the "lead" and brought up front. The only 'verb effects if any, on the group as a whole, not individually.

[@konamipls]

Thanks

[@jenniferlaynemusic]

Thank you. Does your last sentence apply to the last paragraph only or to BG vox as a whole?

[@louiegroenewald]

Good morning, Thank you for all the videos and amazing info sharing for me to learn. Is it possible to make a short or long video😊 about when to gain stage. There is a lot of videos about gain staging, balancing, etc. but which comes first and which second. For example. After tracking. Should I balance first and then gain stage before mixing and adding plugins? Tanks

[@MalcolmLally]

Catchy song!

[@JayYarbroughMusic]

Wish you had discussed more about panning placement, still ~ really enjoyed this vid.

[@adamwasthefirstman]

I move further away from the mic and cup my mouth for bg vox. I'll generally double left and right harmonies, aside from lows, which tend to live in the center if not needed as an extreme stereo effect. I'll process them generally as a group with both LP and HP filters and actually take their submix into an overall vox submix so the overall compression will always level balance the BGV behind the lead.

[@timsh4208]

What a great Song !

[@JerryR-Remixes]

Good video 🖒 Anywhere we can check out the finished song used in the example? "Kinda diggin it" ✨😎

[@mochirari]

Great video!

[@JohnDoeBaylonArt]

Been waiting for this hahaha I always dont know what to do with backing vocals 😂 thank you ❤️

[@jetmerlin412-_2]

Genius advice: Things never thought of normally! 🤜🎵🤛

[@MartinWeeksmw]

Muffled Background vox? Interesting and surprised me as so often we are told to add in reverb and so on to put the vocals more towards the back. Thanks for the tip Makes sense now.

[@Scream4vengeance]

Great track and great tip!! Thanks!!

[@guitar8617]

Like doing a lot of the stuff you're showed in the video. Also use different mics for my BV's from the lead vocals and sing from different distances. If they are separate from main vocals, I'll give that group of vocals their own bus and treat them differently (eq, compression, etc.) to give them their own character but bring put them back in the mix significantly.

[@matthewvictorywarren]

Great tips. Thank you

[@GirishHothur]

Hey, can you please make a video on how to use analog styled EQs and compressors ? Very few explainer videos on how to use them and their parameters..I just purchased a new interface and got a bunch of EQs and Compressors..Or if anybody can shine some light on some already exiting videos that would be great :)

[@chucksadosky]

Am I imagining what I see, but do you also offset your voices to each other? Great advice. I have a track that I'm trying to get a small choir sound on multiple female vocals, this should help.

[@Aharshreality9281]

wheres that song ? sounds like it came out good . I would like to hear it

[@JohonYT15]

should I apply the same effects for backing vocals?

[@RanDieBam]

What song is this? Sounds nice!

[@eleanorgiovanni]

Brilliant! thank you!

[@dejavudvora]

Can you listen to the song on Spotify or somewhere? :)

[@frankb8616]

side chain comp to slightly push them back against the LVOX

[@hleet]

super tip !

[@dafingaz]

Nice!

[@TheBandGuide]

Is that a delay straight on your lead vocal channel???

[@ilyjesusable]

Its a delay bus

[@KamuBodohYaKan]

I think that eee vowel needs a dynamic eq

[@GetSongsDone]

Does SansAmp work in Studio One?

[@UPjovai]

What software do you use?

[@dmitry.krukov]

It's a pity you never satisfied😂😂😂 Have you ever used the Track Spacer for vox tracks could not compete?

[@timhewitt32]

I use TrackSpacer to push the music out wide so that I can keep the lead vocals in the middle. I don't use it for background vocals.

[@dmitry.krukov]

@@timhewitt32seems to me the plug is much more creative than sitting lead vocal into the mix. Just interesting if someone has done it, and impressions...😉

[@mpmusic9378]

Am I the only one who sees a Unison ad on every one of these videos?

[@mattevans3319]

Ha ha... Thought you were going to say the backing vocals were muffled because you were wearing a mask!

[@ibby7118]

From Walkz😂😂

[@PiercombProductions]

Maybe it's just my ears, but with every vocal track swimming in delay it really reduces the clarity.

[@nickpafundi9650]

I agree, I feel like if there's a delay on all vox (especially bg) it just feels too cluttered/overtaking. Obviously good ducking/side chain techniques can help but I feel like it's just better to keep a more apparent delay on the lead. Depends on the song of course, sometimes alot of delays on different sources are cool and add great effect.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

*PART #1* *No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.* *2 Timothy 2:4* *Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.* *Matthew **5:14* There is a young man called Graham Cochrane, owner of The Recording Revolution. He is a "Christian, but I thought he was just a regular, worldly person. He doesn't even mention the name of Jesus or refers to Him in his channel, because he caters to the world. He'd offend his audience, so he denies Jesus Christ with his actions of omission. His channel doesn't steer people towards making music to our Creator, which is what we were made for. He is busy with THE AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD, catering to unrepentant sinners. Graham Cochrane, like Dustin Abbott, is the type of person that considers himself a Christian and serves a function in a church, yet is uncorrectable by God's Word, because he has deceived himself. There is no door for correction to enter, because in his own eyes, he does no wrong. One thing is being a disciple of Jesus Christ and another is being a believer in Christ that identifies as a "Christian. Satan is a believer, too, because he, more than any human being, believes in Jesus Christ. Believing in the existence of Jesus Christ and believing the Word of God are two different things. When one believes in God's Word, ONE OBEYS GOD'S WORD, and lives by it...FULL-TIME, just like God keeps our hearts beating full-time. The *recordingrevolution* KZbin channel would not be as big as it is if Graham Cochrane put Jesus' name upfront to his audience AS HE SHOULD IF HE TRULY SERVED GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. That is denying the name of Jesus Christ. IT'S NOT CONVENIENT, AND IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE FOR HIM TO PUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD'S AGENDA FIRST IN THIS CHANNEL, BECAUSE THEN HE WOULD LOSE SUBSCRIBERS. He caters to the church-goers as the "worship" leader of his church, and also caters to the world by consciously and intentionally denying the name of Jesus Christ as to not drive away his worldly subscribers. The Bible clearly denounces people like him. Jesus called EVERYONE of us who received Him to preach his gospel to every creature. What preaching of the good news of salvation is happening to 585,000 subscribers? NONE. The numbers speak for themselves. This is not hating, but bringing a testimony to the light of God's Word. Who cares what church-related things happen behind the scenes in Graham Cochrane's life when as a witness to God, I DID NOT SEE THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST BEING LIFTED in this corner of the Internet. That is called LEADING TWO LIVES. That is called being a SPIRITUAL PROSTITUTE. There are 24/7, full-time Christians. THAT'S IT. Anything else is called being SPIRITUALLY LUKEWARM. There is nothing wrong with making music or teaching people how to do it. The serious thing here is the conscious denial of the name of Jesus in order to please the world. This is not judging, because the Word of God has already judged, but using SOUND JUDGEMENT, calling things by their name by passing them through the filter of the Bible, God's Word. If I don't do it, who else will? I refuse to sit back and wait for someone to act. WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE AS CHRISTIANS, because God has afforded us an authority that we must exercise with diligence, considering ourselves first when reproofing others. If it's not evident yet, I tell you that JESUS CHRIST SAVED ME, and I AM ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, and I LIVE A HOLY LIFE SEPARATED FOR GOD. *All my online identities point to the cross, leading to Jesus' feet. I will not deny the name of Jesus Christ, as Graham Cochrane has done so, in order to benefit from that act of conscious, intentional denial.* He only mentions occasionally that he plays in his church's "worship" band. The tracks he plays in his channel are "Christian" music, and that is what he produces, but what worth does that have if he isn't proclaiming the gospel of salvation, what Jesus called us to do? What if I lost my soul tonight because a believer's light was turned-off and I didn't see it? As Christians, WE MUST BE OPEN 24/7, READY TO MINISTER TO OTHERS FOR JESUS, IN HOPES OF WINNING SOULS FOR HIM. We were called to be priests of God, fishers of men for the Lord. Where is Graham Cochrane's net for Jesus Christ here? Nowhere. IT HAS NOT BEEN CAST OUT, because he is not fishing for the Lord. He is catering to the world, being friends with the world. THIS CHANNEL IS YOUR EVIDENCE. In what video have you heard Graham Cochrane steering his followers towards Jesus, encouraging them to repent? In what video have you heard Graham Cochrane confess with his mouth that he serves Jesus Christ, that he is a saint of God? You see now? If you do not serve Jesus Christ, THIS IS HOW SO-CALLED CHRISTIANS FAIL GOD, because they are fornicating with the world, who's owner is the devil, instead of remaining faithful to Jesus. Everywhere we stand, everywhere we frequent, physically or cybernetically, WE MUST LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT WE ARE FULL-TIME SOLDIERS OF JESUS CHRIST. Our ministry is all the time, everywhere. WE ALWAYS WEAR OUR CHRISTIAN UNIFORM. *I confess in the eyes of the Father and the Son that because of Graham Cochrane's incompetence and dereliction of duty, he failed to win my soul for Jesus Christ due to being busy and entangled with the affairs of the world.* Why do I say that if I have already received Jesus Christ? Because only God knows how many fish were sent his way to catch, and he is not paying attention. If I see he is not ready for me, HE IS NOT READY FOR ANYONE ELSE. In the end, what will it matter that he taught people how to produce music when he didn't uplift the name of Jesus Christ? He goes to church, but what does that matter when he isn't being a useful member of the Church of Christ outside of the church walls? Without God-filled people, those church walls mean nothing, because THE BODY OF CHRIST IS THE CHURCH. THIS LIFE IS TEMPORARY. HE IS INVESTING HIS TIME IN WHAT IS PERISHABLE. Is this gossip? No. This is me testifying that someone else's testimony is deficient. This would be a nightmare to anyone who cares about God, but these types of lukewarm folks are not bothered at all that they have a bad testimony, because they lead double lives. They have a uniform for the church and a uniform for the world. They are unable (or unwilling) to discern that they are far from God. Am I judging Graham? No. That is up to the Judge. I am exercising my God-given sound judgement based on his Word putting someone's testimony in the light of God's Word. If someone wrote this much about my failure as a Christian, grinding my knees to the bone in existential fear wouldn't be much of a hyperbole. I am first and foremost aware of my boat's condition, that it's not sinking. If I see someone else's boat sinking, I can point that out and that doesn't mean I am not guarding my own boat. Just because I love Graham and wish him the best doesn't mean that I can't point out what he is doing wrong, and HE IS IN DEEP TROUBLE while being all smiles in his videos as he caters to the world and fails as a Christian. I did my part by typing all this. I'm no good servant. I'm just doing the bare minimum in my spiritual duties. I have served God. The job is done. Did I waste my time? No. This was a great investment, and I can feel it. Whoever reads this comment probably thinks I wasn't minding my own business, and that is so true. This is not *my* business, but Jesus' business. James 5:20 says, *Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.* So, why would I care if I "ruffle feathers" when the ultimate goal is to edify and to correct? God doesn't tell us, "Correct he who desires to be corrected and pay no mind to everyone else." God's Word does say in Proverbs 12:1, *Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.* Proverbs 13:18 says, *Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.* Why would I not take God's Word seriously? Being a true Christian is an every day, every waking moment affair, not a church service thing. You read that? BEING A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS AN EVERY DAY, EVERY WAKING MOMENT AFFAIR, NOT A CHURCH SERVICE THING. Galatians 6:1 says, *Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.* We should consider ourselves first when correcting others. I have done so while wording this long writing, because it should apply to me first...and it does, but that is not a reason to refrain from correcting. No Christian is perfect, but our testimony to others can and should be perfect. There isn't any other way to go about it. Is it my problem? No. It's God's problem. It's why I have taken the time to be so wordy and specific, because this counts for eternity. Whoever needed to see it has already done so, which is God. If I remain quiet and do not point out a flaw, I will be held accountable for anyone's blood in my place of duty, just like my blood could've been on Graham's head had I died and he was out of base, as he is. Will I be ignored? Probably. But the Lord will not ignore me. Every letter we type, every letter we pronounce that is rooted in Jesus will not be a waste of time at the end.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

*PART 2* All the content in this channel is utterly worthless, as it does not glorify God. Is it making Graham money? Sure. He has spent time making these videos, gaining subscribers and views, but at the expense of the salvation of others' souls, and you wish this was an exaggeration. Do you think his success is connected to God's blessing? Think again. God is just being patient and merciful, but we all have a timer that runs out. We must be at the right place at the right time so God uses us. We will not know, and it's not our place to know, if our work was effective. We live by faith in Jesus, and we preach the gospel of his salvation; faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God. There is no happy medium. We either belong to Jesus or belong to the world. These are truthful words, and the truth is harsh to whoever is found outside of it. Whoever reads this will think there is something wrong with me. GOOD. That is written in the Bible. Does Jesus know there is something wrong with me? OF COURSE. He knows I am not following the world, and that I am pointing at the light and saying, "THAT is the Light." He knows I am being a useful member of his Body OUTSIDE of the church walls. Am I a perfect human being? Who is? But I will not be denied by Jesus, because I am not denying Him. Who do I think I am for having written all that I wrote? Not only do I think, but I also know I am a follower of Jesus Christ, one of his disciples, a saint of God. I know my place in the kingdom of God, because I know God, because He is my Father. I converted from the darkness to the light. I am not convinced like many, but CONVERTED LIKE FEW. Are we reflecting Jesus' light to sinners? Are we complying with God's commandments? Are we truly being compliant to Jesus' teachings? *"Worship" is like dung to God when we fail the basics, when we don't check all the marks of his gospel.* Am I wasting time here? To most, I am. But what will God say one day? What will God say to lukewarm "Christians" who do not "ruffle feathers" and fail to attempt to awaken the asleep? Society and even "Christians" have an erroneous concept of what it entails to serve Jesus. Who should be productive members of the Church are asleep. Modern "Christianity" has lulled most into a deep slumber and Satan could not be happier. The world is offended by God's love, because it's not the "love" they expect. "Christians" do not want to be bothered, to be corrected, to be edified...because Christ is not in them. God seems them from afar and his Holy Spirit is not in them. Why "worship" in church then when it's a complete exercise in futility? You call it worship, but God calls it a stench. All this writing is proof that I love Graham Cochrane and I hope he converts from his ways. I personally do not have anything against him, and I like him. Spiritually, though, I am pointing to him so hopefully he feels ashamed and gets in with the eternity program, because what he is doing is a reason to feel mortifying shame. Graham, I won't be seeing you in the marriage supper of the Lamb if you keep going in that direction. You've been warned. Let go what you need to let go and do not look back. Don't be foolish. How extreme all this exhaustively-long writing seems to you is how far you've strayed from the truth. *And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”* *Revelation 16:9* I love you, Graham! Peace.

[@backpages4910]

To much echo it makes it sound muddy. Sorry, my friend.