My Favorite Vocal Chain (83% of the time)

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Hope this video helped you out - if you want to join that Live Workshop on October 15th, 2022 - you can join it right here 👉 www.produceracceleratorcourse.com/october-live-workshop

[@CHRYSTALIZEmusic]

I thought this video wasnt gonna be useful but then I CHANGED MY MIIIIND

[@galadhonx9825]

Lmfao!! Fr tho

[@EspinalPhotography]

…TO REALIE”?

[@KBpro54]

I see what u did there

[@KBpro54]

@@EspinalPhotographyYeah, rie?

[@AndreasSchaefer-xh4qi]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:42 🎙️ The crucial first step in any vocal chain is ensuring proper recording, maintaining audio levels around -6dB, and addressing room acoustics to avoid issues like clipping and unwanted reflections. 01:25 🎚️ Corrective EQ comes next, focusing on subtle adjustments rather than aggressive moves. Shaving off frequencies below 100Hz and addressing harsh tones in the vocal are key considerations. 05:18 📉 Initial compression aims for 3-5 dB of reduction, using a 2A-style compressor to control peaks and maximize volume without causing clipping. 06:41 🎤 De-essing is essential to manage sibilance and prevent issues during later stages of mixing. Adjust de-esser settings carefully to maintain natural vocal characteristics. 11:21 🎛️ The plugin chain starts to deviate based on the desired outcome. Adding EQ with a color-giving plugin like Vintage EQ or Oxygen can enhance specific frequencies for desired tonal characteristics. 11:50 🔄 Serial compression, using a second layer of compression with a different character, is introduced. Choosing a compressor with color, grit, and punch is crucial in this step. 13:34 🔊 After all the processing, the vocal transformation is evident. Even though the volume remains similar, the vocal sounds punchier, more aggressive, and louder due to the applied compression and EQ adjustments.

[@toichead8984]

What AI did you use? I'm curious

[@HardheadedInsight]

The value of information in this video is damn near priceless. Once you know the process and can execute it, you've gotten past the most difficult part and never gave up. As for the ones who are still trying to wrap their head around the mixing process as a whole while still learning on their own the individual processes within it, LISTEN to this advice: Do NOT over confuse yourself by watching countless other KZbin videos in an effort to move past wherever you are in the process. You will waste hours, days, and months collectively trying to put a sense together behind the bits and pieces of information that you will collect from all the half-ass information out there that's totally irrelevant to the actual information you need to help your certain situation and your mind's understanding. Instead, save this video. Rely on it. Rewatch it. Follow his processes. Try his processes. Whatever sense you need to put together to further your understanding will end up being found within your own trial and error and it will come waaaay faster this way than not. It's one of the most critical pieces of advice I can give after 4.5 years of learning on my own and can 100% say it's the advice I wish I had gotten. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[@xxccessive]

Reading this helped me save a whole lot of time and energy, cause I know watching this types of videos can be really informative but also takes a lot of discipline and patience which you don’t have when trying to make something “cool” so I thank you tons for this comment!

[@kennyt7628]

God sent me to your comment n this vid, I genuinely believe it. I've written and completed so many songs since middle with not one ounce of proper production to show for it due to my combination of self-doubt and perfectionism despite having the equipment for it(which is probably my biggest source of guilt💀). But I have a final project due in a month for a Business of Music class, and what do you know? It happens to be to release a song. I'll be checking back in in a month. God Bless yall.

[@mandarino_official]

thank you man, I am right now in that situation of watching 400 videos about production and not even practising because I want to find the right path but I'm getting confused all the time so I will follow your advice

[@Leous]

Knowing the basics on EQing vocals can change everything, thank you Nathan!

[@junie502]

Good recorded vocals don't need to be eq

[@REZMIXBEATZ]

@@junie502 they do.

[@junie502]

@@REZMIXBEATZ hearing my vocals come threw a u87 in the past. Didn't need much eq facts. Besides the low end removed. Quit listening too these KZbin producers and mixers 🤣 mixing ain't a template ok.

[@junie502]

@@REZMIXBEATZ I really been around a platinum mixer and engineer. Face to face not off KZbin. I really been around the equipment that you dream of not no Apollo the real hardware. I do alot of my stuff now on a laptop I don't care about big studio's no more. But for the rookie's listening there's a old saying...if you eq a vocal too much you will destroy it. Tell the artist to redo the take. Can't polish a turd. New mixers think eq will save the day. But really it's alot of crappy artist who need tech to save them nowadays 🤣

[@REZMIXBEATZ]

@@junie502 i'm not saying it needs a template or as much eq as in this video but as you said yourself some frequencies still need to be removed like low end. there is no song out there that is 100% without eq. and the most popular songs out there even have a lot of eq if you listen in properly.

[@eaglei0n]

Don’t hate in those frequency sweeps. You listen for constant ringing frequencies that pinch the ear more than the others. It works wonders if you know what you’re listening for.

[@ManiacalMidget13]

I record in a fully finished and carpeted, thick concrete basement. (Old school recording). The only noise I get is if my dogs bark upstairs or if anybody walks around upstairs. My studio room is very flat in terms of reverb but if I clap, it does this stutter back echo. Not if I yell though. I always have to do de-essing

[@Fiveash-Art]

Thank you so much for using Logic's built in plug-ins for this ... really makes it easier since this is what I'm familiar with.

[@JeffyG]

The EQ advice is really helpful. I’ve been trying to do too much with a single channel EQ - mostly subtractive. These extra steps with small adjustments are key to success.

[@ManiacalMidget13]

Besides acoustic treatment, i've found recording in a finished and carpeted basement helps. Heres a test, if you clap your hands in a treated basement, and you here a fast delay or the classic slap back effect, it means you may want some treatment like acoustic panels.

[@tatemcmillan4660]

This was great man. Made me realize that I’ve been doing a little too much with all the plugins. When I listen to some of my first songs (although they’re not as cleaned up as what I do now) had a raw quality to them that really gave the track some life. Sometimes less is more, thanks to

[@vewilli]

Watched it again after about 7 months and again I say I‘d need your years to hear all the subtle changes and your knowledge what and how to get your results! 👍🏻👏🏻

[@stevierico5934]

You’re a good engineer and producer. Respect.

[@MelodiousEtude]

this is probably the simplest and most efficient vocal compression demonstration I've seen in a while. THANK YOU.

[@DbpLukcy]

One of the best videos ive watched yet thank you again my friend

[@DbpLukcy]

Thank yu for pionting out and going over and breaking down the exact changes your making

[@menacemalatoent]

Found your channel 2 days ago, and you have helped my mixing skills tremedously already. Thanks!!

[@vewilli]

If only i had your musical hearing skills and your knowledge how to correct vocals with a perfect vocal chain! 👍🏻👏🏻🙏🏻

[@grandphenally3928]

keep going bro! one way to gain a skill for learning to hear something sonically is to take your fav song put it in a DAW. Add an eq and start messing around with the different eq knobs

[@petrikaivanto]

I don't have time to see most of your great videos with monitors or headphones, but incredibly even with a cellphone speaker I could hear most of the differences in the high end. Really well made video.

[@xelent1]

Great breakdown on mixing vocals!

[@jdeery1990]

This video was so helpful. I’ve been working with most of the elements in the chain, but so much more informed on the aspect to be considered as working though. Fantastic job!

[@hannanathan564]

2:43 TRUTH. THANK YOU.

[@noice2378]

Newbie here. For step 3 (initial compression), you talk about taming the peaks/transients and yet you went with an opto comp. Why?

[@hepphepps8356]

I wondered the same thing, and I’ve mixed professionally for 20 years. I don’t find this video very good, although most of what he is doing is what you’ll learn first year in music college as being at least the popular myth of standard practice, but I think he fell asleep in class when learning about the attack time of the classic optical vs. FET compressors and their plug-in look-alikes.

[@rodstone]

Dope guide! Gonna check out your other stuff!

[@cemsarioglu5947]

Thanks for using the default plugins.

[@0fficiallyERICA]

You are an amazing teacher! So so helpful!

[@_JohnnySav]

That vocal gives me life!!! Who is singing???

[@rxbn8903]

I like how you really be explaining why you're using the plugin. Keep up these videos.

[@kushlinfield7106]

Thank you for all your help, Bobby from Queer Eye!

[@MsLawRaw]

At what point do you add pitch correction? After this base is set? Thanks for the helpful video!

[@danic.3760]

Personally I prefer to get rid of much more lows for the vocals, only keeping what you can really hear, it gives space for low sounds.

[@AnywayHeresMyCleanTone]

this is so interesting, even if i cannot hear difference in any of these steps AT ALL

[@RealSiViX]

I know the focus here is really on the actual chain itself, but I really feel like gain staging should have been covered so you have a strong foundation to start from before you even begin building your vocal chain...

[@flowin100]

Bro! This really helped. Thank you! My recording was no where near as bad as I thought. This cleaned it up so much. 👍🏼

[@jacobsecrest1995]

I guess this illustrates how everyone has diferent styles. Not up to industry par, but good for beginners!

[@paulquinnvoiceover8354]

This is great, I wish I had a clone of you processing my voiceover before I send it out!

[@EE-yv7xg]

More like these please. For vocals :) awesome video

[@EE-yv7xg]

Maybe a course too

[@eskrimadorchris]

Hey Nathan, Love your channel and the knowledge bombs you drop. I have had terrific success applying some of the techniques you show to my own works and they have helped. One area I have questions about is when you are using the secondary EQ (Fresh Aire / Oxygen / Tube EQ) and what that's actually doing to the track. I'm not a fan of any "black box" solution that doesn't show/display what is actually happening to your frequency response, so when I listen to these, I hear a boost around 6K with the Tube EQ (as you show and state), and a boost around 8~9K with the Oxygen EQ that is also bringing out the "pushing air" from the vocalist like a white noise...but that value is not shown or stated which IMHO is critical for the "know your gear" approach. I would find it beneficial to see what this plug-in (and any of these single setting manipulation plug-ins) is actually doing to the track and what it is adding/subtracting/manipulating. Again, thank you. I have a great appreciation for the knowledge you impart to your followers!

[@robbiepalmer1]

So good man. Thank you. Subscribed

[@2wosiq]

I think u guys need to note what equipment was used to capture the audio. Were the vocals ran thru a preamp etc. cause this vocal chain is too much compression. Ratio 4:1 is pretty heavy compression that you can hear. 3:1 ratio allows more of the raw vocal to be heard, whereas 4:1 starts to make it sound squishy. On top of that, you’re slapping TWO compressors on it with 4:1 ratios. I think that pushes the audio away from a natural sound

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

I mean - frankly - preamps really do not make that much difference... I'm saying that having worked with literally just a small interface to owning a nice pre to also cutting vocals in a million dollar environment. As far as compression - what I showed in this video is actually quite minimal compression depending on the genre... if you are in folk then yeah you don't wan that much - but if you do pop or EDM - it's gonna hit WAY harder than I did here... so I am not a big fan when people comment blanket statements about "too much compression" - if anything that kind of tells me you've probably never worked around people who do this for a living and are in the industry. Basically every modern record made in the last 10 years probably uses 2-3 times more compression than you think. Again... there isn't a blanket statement and this is a creative choice - not objective... some people want a really transparent vocal, but if you want your records to sound like they compete with what's being released by top tier producers/engineers then compression is actually a big part of it - and using two or more (serial compression) is a common practice

[@Frostyg]

Why you showed everything except the reverb and delay

[@shahrozkhanworld]

Make one with UAD Plugins 🥺

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

@@shahrozkhanworld don't use UAD 🤷‍♂️

[@max_win.]

amazing thanks for the knowledge ❤️

[@abzee733]

What was used for tracking? Was there compression or / and EQ on the way in?

[@mykeezzproduction]

Straight up man! Your videos just click with me. I'm totally locked in!

[@chillingout2690]

Thank you for sharing your amazing skills. You are a legend! x

[@rabizzle254]

Why are people so conscious about how many DB the compressor is showing on the attenuation meter? I believe you should just compress by ear instead of looking at what the meter is telling you. Your vocal still sounds like it needs a hell lot more compression. Listen to when she say "my mind", it's jumping out of the speaker. Btw, try a limiter before a compressor to tame the peaks then follow with a compressor. Don't be afraid to push harder man.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

I do push harder for sure. This is a starting point and I almost always continue compressing in the vocal bus and will squeeze a lot more. So like I said - this is a starting point

[@lucanjones5351]

Little goes a long way thank you great tutorial

[@lewisdanes2806]

Dude I am absolutely digging ur videos! Quality info and quality demonstrations! If you haven’t already, could you do a video on things to do when your in a recording/writing session with a vocalist or musician? Thanks again for your great videos!

[@ElecticYemzi]

Song Name ?

[@SacredOm369]

WOW a youtube producer who actually lets us listen to the RAW INPUT! But fr, I can't hear the difference in that first adjustment. You must be using some special headphones.

[@BG-jg4pt]

You know in a graphic EQ like you were using you can see the Spikes happening in the mid range and 99% of the time that's what you are trying to lower.

[@MiSFiTEDM]

I'll be honest, I don't like this vocal chain. For one, I would use a dynamic EQ for the corrective eq and would have another band serving as a DS. You could even do what you did with the tube EQ on the first EQ and not even use the tube. And rather than using serial compression, I'd ride the fader in place of the first compressor and just use one compressor. And just like that you are going from 5 plugins down to 2. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad chain. But you could save on the amount of plugins you use by just adjusting how you use each plugin

[@sautiyapsamu]

I don’t have a mic, sound card just my MacBook Air laptop then I use a filter like thing as my filter. When I want to record I go under my duvet and record using my laptop’s mic. Can’t afford all those things.

[@dimitri_mark]

That's great, thanks! I'm recording my own vocals for the first time, very useful, thanks!

[@marico.artist]

Sorry I have to say this... We can see when you turn on/off a plugin, you don't have to say it before. I mean I can still hear a difference but if you speak before you turn on/off a plugin I feel very uncomfortable. Whatever overall your video is very informative and helpful, thanks!

[@rezawildan]

Great video. Can you please make how to use the delay & reverb too ?

[@STARKNAKEDVIDEOS]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ7FmpiOe5t2o5Y

[@liammaxwell6114]

I bet all the people who watch mixing tutorials online haven’t recorded properly maybe there vocal is a bit loud or something like that and are in there bedroom you should do videos on them. That would be really helpful

[@jtd8595]

I'm 14 years old writing my own songs but the way i write them is difficult like i have to imagine what it sounds like and play the exact sound on the piano to record.I can't sing well and i can't practice singing either cause i have thin walls and don't wanna be humiliated 😅.And im worried once i move out, it'll be too late to practice in my 20s. Idk what im doing and i could use a advice from a pro like u.

[@HJ-nr7iq]

I don’t know your situation, and you might not be able to do this, but I’m 16 and writing music too. I used to feel the same way about singing, but one day I just told myself that I have to commit to getting better, so I just sang anyway. It doesn’t matter what your family thinks about your singing, you’re doing it to get better. Just stick with it

[@jtd8595]

@@HJ-nr7iq thank u ♥️

[@gaborb6577]

school choir

[@jtd8595]

@@gaborb6577 we don't have one (TvT)

[@andrewmalekmusic]

Thank you for this! I need to get my vocal game up and you are helping a lot.

[@dratuagreg]

is it better to use the deesser before compression so that youre not boosting the '"s" sounds?

[@ionwraymedia]

Why -28 threshold at little above -5 transient squeeze? You didn't really explain. Thanks!

[@maxmayorov6258]

Damn dude, as soon as I watch your video, I immediately have a huge desire to write a cool song, thank you so much

[@toddcollins6746]

Great video - the cumulative impact is great - I don’t think my ear is good enough to figure out all the individual moves so appreciate you showing the chain. Question - what can be done with just a mediocre performance? - That’s the boat that a lot of us just starting out end up in.

[@lavigueur99]

yo! You can look out the plugin Melodyne for pitch and timing correction, its pretty transparent, unlike autotune, but is not in real time. I don't own it but I usually just change the pitch and timing with Ableton wrap mode, you just have to go super precisely on super short time frame (tune the pitch of a simple vowel can sometime do miracle to the whole bars / sentence).

[@VeryBestLiving]

great video, thank you!!

[@Lorka_music]

so you do all this directly in the track effects, prior to bussing for mixing , correct?

[@ArmyGideonTV]

No multiband comp?

[@stephenbeeby8850]

Awesome, thanks 😊

[@austinc2997]

Are you compressing the vocal before it comes into the session?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

@@austinc2997 sometimes yes but my analog compressor is currently out of commission so if I do it's via dsp Definitely not necessary

[@austinc2997]

@@NathanJamesLarsen sweet, so just for my brain. Did this vocal have compression applied before you started working on it? Also big Thanks for responding on this older video btw.

[@Jarrettfan]

Nathan this is very useful. Thank you for doing this. I have a question though that I hope dont get misinterpreted. Your voice is EQ'd in a way thats quite throaty/quacky, a trend I notice these days among many youtubers. It is very present indeed, but it can be stressful to listen to if you dont mind my saying. Im sorry if i sound a bit negative. Im just curious why this has become like a trend now.

[@sandiz83]

you are damn good

[@mgmthegrand]

Nicely explained.

[@DbpLukcy]

Please what is this song and this artist it sounds beautiful

[@davidjagga4669]

what eq plugin are you using

[@kissaguitar]

Thank you once again

[@ianscreamsvideo]

Have to say I liked the oxygen, more soft air less of a harsh resonance. Given the context of the soft music it made more sense. I'd say the first compressor w the dark tone was smoother too. Easier in the ear. Blended better. Final version sounded a bit fatiguing w some harshness. Nasal tones and a little bit of a warble getting more pronounced w the processing. That 4-6K area always kills my ears. On everything. But..I was only listening on my phone. Could be totally off base. Great video, I enjoyed it.

[@wesleyrodrigo6420]

ótimo vídeo amigo. obrigado !

[@ericmartin6727]

Great video. Do you ever use virtual channel strip such as SSL9000j ?

[@superflytnt]

Omg. I get it! - btw I still struggle with compression and how much and when to use during actual recording (vs in production). See you at 11 :)

[@appayyayadav294]

Sir can u plz make a video on adding reverb to vocals in logic Pro stock plugin.

[@WasionKey]

PLEASE DO NOT SWEEP WITH HEADPHONES ON

[@suretunesdeuskpro5908]

Thank you 😍

[@CarlosSilva-te2em]

which headphones do you use for your mix ?

[@MixedByS]

Do you use Apollo or anything hardware or analog whilst tracking? If so would be lovely if you can make tutorial cause your Raw takes are sexy

[@roadopener]

Is it just me or is the first "MY" clipping? Sounds really harsh to me.

[@AenBeatz]

Sound more like the preamp giving it some grit to me!

[@djpyramid]

Can this also be done in the kirchhoff plugins? So useful this technique. Just came across the best video on vocal production by a producer named Nick Mavromatis and I realised how it’s not all about mixing. His production on vocals is just INSANE. You should the vocal production episode in particular.

[@BlackGove]

Thank you

[@kut3017]

i wish i seen a vid like this w a starting sound bad as me recording in my bedroom

[@believe-in-righteousness]

Thanks

[@lindadonald348]

Awesome and useful

[@ReflexROAR]

What's that app name

[@alexzandretta9198]

One thing I’d noticed was the miss representation on my urr22 on the inputs …it’s not hitting the compression at a good level…. The needle so to speak wasn’t moving when I was hitting compression. Kinda Ukrainianing in the level lol… (Meaning eyeballing in the input ) I’m usually hitting an Rvox on the first stage(gates ideal in my crappy room) Then hitting a 76 as the second comp..I also find these at4050s a bit poky on the dynamics ,so I’m having to hit a limiter….on the arse end of the chain.

[@eliahou1958]

Hello. Thanks for your very good tutorial videos. I see you have on the wall guitars between sound accoustic panels. don't they do opposite jobs and does the guitars send back resonance? I am also guitarist and I have guitars in the room I record, does it affect voice recording and sound listening while mixing? Thanks for your answer

[@brunoleidens]

Where did u bought those tube led lights? are they RGB? sorry, but they'r pretty good ahhaahah

[@kingzthevessel7281]

Great video.

[@wilhelm2016]

Cool This is exactly what my vocal chain looks like after months of just figuring out on my own what sounds the best. We should be adding our spatial effects through the sends and not directly into the track, right?

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

Yeah I almost never put effects directly on a vocal track - just use sends.

[@amvibeofficial9125]

Which recording software is this bro

[@LJ-ie8wj]

Could you mix rap vocals next please

[@bundafules6329]

For me it is sounds like you left all time in the undesired middle frequencies. But it is maybe because of mine stupid sound card in my computer.

[@iamdavehawkins]

Thanks Nathan - great video. I've been putting multiple compressors in chain just about every time since I first learned it in another one of your videos. Funny what an awesome and relatively significant tool compression is even though probably 99% of music listeners have no idea it even exists (say vs. autotune which everybody and their dog has an opinion about..) Btw, who is the vocalist? (sorry if I missed it)