Bringing up your vocals in a mix (short tutorial)

[na_th_an]

I usually mix this way:

1.- Drums first. Make them peak @ -10dB, more or less. Adjust panning and stuff, compress together several drum and percussion tracks.
2.- Vocals. Once drums are OK on their own, bring up the vocals. EQ them and make them fill the center channel.
3.- Bass.
4.- Guitars.
5.- Keyboards.
6.- FX and special arrangements.

In every step from 3 to 6 I readjust the vocals once and again.

This usually gives me good results

[bruno]

Normally get the vocals and drums to what I think they should be, and then add 10% extra.
B

[HarmonicDistortion]

For example, this song uses sidechain compression in the bass track (which was generated playing live a Nintendo DS with Korg software). Note how the kick "mutes" the bass track somewhat:

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You've hit on "ducking"  when you feed an aux send of one track to the sidechain or key of a compressor on another track.  When the first track has audio, it triggers the compressor to duck the level of the second track.

I was going to mention this as a possible way to bring a vocal up in a mix.  You could check the mix and identify which tracks seem to be competing with the vocals the most, then apply some gentle ducking to bring those tracks down- only when the vocals are present.  This would prevent having to alter the character of the competing tracks throughout the entire song.

Youze guiz is sharp, you beat me to it!

[na_th_an]

What you are suggesting will work nice with heavy guitars in a loud hard rock track

I learned about that technique in a very very accidental way. Fifteen years ago when I used cheap and crappy casette tape recorders to record my demoes I learned to lean forwards and sing close to the tape deck's mic. That somehow lowered the guitar volume to make room for my vocals while I was singing, but left everything loud and heavy when I wasn't, so to say. I later understood that it was simply the deck's input compressor doing its job

Ah, the good ol' times!

[phantasm777]

what I have come to notice about vox or any track, is less is more, as per vol. I have, for a long time, been putting the levels up high in the mix especially since they were not clipping, but I wasn't realizing that all of the tracks together can collectively make clipping.

so I had to turn them all down more than I was normally doing, I get minimal clipping, and my recordings sound far less muddied (especially when a lot of tracks are involved) less distorted and sound clearer in placements. much of this I learned from reading on this site or was advised by people commenting on my music, and for that I am thankful!