Mixing Pop Vocals!

In this video I'll take you through the processing I used on a female lead vocal in a pop song I mixed recently.
Check out Chelsea Berman's song here:
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[@spinlightstudios]

Hope you guys enjoyed the video! 😊

[@philiphjelmstedt1860]

King! Thanks, loved this one! ☺

[@philiphjelmstedt1860]

How close do u usually stand to the mic? Just finished an album where i stood very close to the mic, right in the pop filter, and had to take out lots with izotope mouth deklick and also got bass heavy vocals with sharp consonants. Then made the last song on the album sung like more far away from the mic and found it sounding more smooth and "done" immediately, and less consonants and mouth sounds. 😆 Guess u learn by mistakes

[@spinlightstudios]

Usually I get vocalists to stand so they are about 10-15cm away from the pop filter - and the pop filter is about 10 cm away from the mic, so it puts a nice gap between the mic and the vocalist, this prevents too much proximity effect like what you’re describing! If you want bassy vocals, get closer, if you want a more neutral/balanced sound, you have to find that sweet spot a little bit back from the mic. This also helps stop plosives getting through the pop filter if you’re too close to it. You can also point the mic off axis to try and help with harsh consonants. Glad you like the video man!

[@philiphjelmstedt1860]

@@spinlightstudios got it! thanks!!😁

[@akeyzstudio6620]

nice mx can you do the break down of other elements of this track

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate! What would you be interested to know about the rest of the mix? I produced the whole track from scratch working off just a guide vocal and guitar 🎸 was a fun one to make!

[@buriburi06]

I cant help but notice , at 10:05 there are sub frequencies in the spectrum of smooth operator , and even in the Vocal bus Smooth operators spectrum later . Why is that , as far as i know we cut the hell out of sub frequencies right ? maybe im missing something here but im still curious

[@spinlightstudios]

It is interesting, but I’m going to say those frequencies are so quiet you couldn’t hear them, but the analyzer is just showing them. The high pass filter rolls that stuff away, but it’s not removing it completely from existence, just making it inaudible.

[@jellybean7253]

Hey man. Old live sound guy here. Question: You specifically used the "F" setting on the mic to add presence to the vocal and then use the next 5 plugins trying to control everything that the "F" setting did to the vocal. What am I missing? I am now doing some studio work and I would love to understand. Thanks.

[@spinlightstudios]

I had to skip through to remind myself what’s happening in this video, basically a lot of those moves are to deal with de-essing over multiple stages, but retaining the airy quality of the mic just reigning it in when it becomes too much. The F mode is nice on the Lauten, can just make the sibilance poke out a bit. Especially after compression.

[@impolitikful]

You look and sound like the BJJ guy Levi-jones Leary

[@spinlightstudios]

Thank you? Haha

[@impolitikful]

@@spinlightstudios definitely a compliment. He is a legend. Competing at worlds in one week to.

[@SHates]

Is there much difference for male vocals?

[@spinlightstudios]

The EQ would differ, depending on the tone of their voice and if they sing in a lower register etc but a similar approach should work alright