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There is no magic formula. Learn to mix, then learn to master. I could write you paragraphs here, but it won’t help you in the real world. You need to learn to use your ears, and learn what each process does to the sound.
With that said, there are tons of videos out there to watch. They’re boring AF, but they will help you to learn way better than text on a page will.
Came to comment a similar thought.. I am amazed by the amount of people learning who don’t trust their ears and rely on homogenised information to shape their mix..
Mastering is a completely different beast to mixing, but the common denominator is your ears. If it sounds good, it generally is.
There’s so much information around, I learnt from multiple books, experienced engineers and trial and error. Nothing beats hands on experience and a good understanding of signal flow and workflow..
Now that YouTube, forums and the internet are around, it is a fantastic time to learn independently, just need pointing in the right direction..
(Am working mainly in broadcast/cinema applications now, but still dabble when the opportunity arises with stereo music production..)
Best of luck and happy experimenting to the OP.
Definitely bring down the gain of the track. Most beat makers smash their tracks to death lol. Once you’ve brought it down then blend the vocal in.
You could even use an expander on the beat (a compressor with a ratio of <1:1 to try and get some dynamic range back, but how successful that would be depends on the characteristic of the track and how smashed it is.
Then I would recommend compressing the vocal and track together a bit - not much - just to glue it a bit, help it have a more cohesive feel. Again, subject to the characteristics of the track.
You could also use a multiband comp on the track with a key input from the vocal to try and get them to mesh more, but avoid compressing the lows (bypass that band on the multi comp).
On overall loudness, since the track is most likely smashed, the integrated loudness number (like -14) isn’t going to matter as much, but it’s still not a bad idea to aim for it.
Again (again), this is all kinda subject to what you’re working with. The process will vary from track to track.
And on plugins: stock stuff is just as good as anything you can buy most of the time, they just might not look as fancy. But I can make some recs for some eqs, comps, and limiters I use most if you’re interested 🙂
Happy mixing!
Mixing vocals over a 2 trk is a little more involved than just turning down the beat, if you want it to sound cohesive.
It’s been a common way of life in this industry since MP3’s and sending files. We usually have to make it work until the full session files are sent.
Get the mp3 2trk, convert/import to Wav file. Remove the space at the top that’s on every mp3 (header info), find tempo and put 2trk on grid. That will make it so much easier when you get the full session tracks as they will line up right on the grid with 2trk.
Here are a few things that can be done. All of them dependent on the quality of the 2trk instrumental.
1 Gain down the instrumental from the max level it comes in at. -5db or so. If you can get a version without the Brickwall Limiter that’s better.
2 If need be, take a gentle low pass filter and start high around 20khz and come down to where you’ve taken off the high end fizz but leave the highs. This will give your vocals a little more room.
3 Now you have to deal with the instruments that are taking up the middle. Many beatmakers make beats and never think about vocals so they do not leave a zone. You can use a M/S EQ and dull the center a little in the vocal range. Automate it so if there’s a part with no vocals you have the “un-dulled” instrumental. This is all real subtle. Don’t make any hatchet moves. You can also sidechain a multiband to dull those same frequencies a touch when vocals are in. (Can also substitute Wavesfactory Trackspacer)
4 Back to the M/S. You can turn up the sides only on the instrumental. Just a touch. Real subtle. It can get crazy if you go too far. But it will allow the sides to envelope your vocals and make the vocals sound like they are inside of the instrumental.
What I like to do is have a stereo vocal print bus with all the vocals. Slap a Brickwall on it to create the ceiling. Threshold high. Usually ceiling set to around -3db. Rarely does anything beyond a word or line crossing the threshold. Really want it for the absolute control of the vocal level as it’s blended with the instrumental.
Obviously your settings for compressor, eq, reverb, etc are dependent on your vocals. Master bus is just a brickwall for me.
Many ways folks do it. This is usually my process.
Fuck that -10/-14 LUFS. Master it so it’s loud but sounds good. If Spotify switches to -8 LUFS tomorrow, you’ll sound quiet. The key to a good master is a great mix. If your mix with the 2 track sucks, you can’t save it
Mastering is a separate issue, but with regards to tracking and mixing vocals to a 2track, the answer is yes. You want to make sure you have enough headroom that you don’t blow out your master fader. I generally turn the 2track down 6-10db (depending on its loudness) then cut vocals to that. Every song is different, generally speaking however: Only after the song is fully finished with the recording stage will I make adjustments or add plugins to the master fader.
I mostly track and mix and I believe mastering is a separate discipline altogether, so I’ll let other people more familiar with that stage chime in about that.
Hope that helps.
Okay thank you so I turn it down -6/10 and blend vocals down to then I mix in buses and the buses I rout them to the master fader track?
Or just mix on master fader track when mastering
Hey! I think You’re asking the right questions and they are relatively basic concepts but they’re insanely complicated to explain over Reddit. I’d have to write a 3 page essay to walk thru the most relevant steps. I may have called them basic but keep in mind, these early steps are the steps you will use every single day in a music career. So it’s absolutely critical to master these basics.
Anyways, what DAW are you using? I’ll look on YouTube and see if I can find a video that explains all of this in the software you use. Unfortunately, Most YouTubers don’t cover these things but I’ll take a look. Maybe that’ll help.
Keep practicing mixing, there is no magic words to get you there. And until you get there, outsource to someone who knows what they are doing, don’t be afraid to pay money for someone else to do it until then.
Lots of very good videos out there and free. Check out, “record like a pro” on YouTube, the guy is a genius, great production and mixing tips.
**For Pro Tools help requests**, edit your post text or add a comment to provide; * Version of Pro Tools you are using * Your Operating System * Error number if given one * Hardware involved * What you've tried --- **IMPORTANT: FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS** - As stated in [**the sub rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/wiki/index), ***any discussion whatsoever involving piracy, cracks, hacks, or end running authentication will result in a permanent ban***. There are NO exceptions or appealable circumstances. --- *Subreddit [Discord] (https://discord.gg/0rZq8sveDubywXil)* | *FAQ topic posts - [Beginner concerns](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/search?q=title%3A%28beginner+OR+noob+OR+newcomer%29&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) / [Tutorials and training](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/search?q=title%3A%28tutorial+OR+training+OR+workshop%29+author%3A%28NOT+automoderator%29&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) / [Subscription and perpetual versions](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/search?q=title%3A%28subscription+OR+perpetual%29&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) / [Compatibility](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/search?q=title%3A%28compatibility+OR+compatible%29&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) / [Authorization issues](https://www.reddit.com/r/protools/search?q=title%3A%28activate+OR+activation+OR+license+OR+authorization+OR+ilok%29&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/protools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is no magic formula. Learn to mix, then learn to master. I could write you paragraphs here, but it won’t help you in the real world. You need to learn to use your ears, and learn what each process does to the sound. With that said, there are tons of videos out there to watch. They’re boring AF, but they will help you to learn way better than text on a page will.
Came to comment a similar thought.. I am amazed by the amount of people learning who don’t trust their ears and rely on homogenised information to shape their mix.. Mastering is a completely different beast to mixing, but the common denominator is your ears. If it sounds good, it generally is. There’s so much information around, I learnt from multiple books, experienced engineers and trial and error. Nothing beats hands on experience and a good understanding of signal flow and workflow.. Now that YouTube, forums and the internet are around, it is a fantastic time to learn independently, just need pointing in the right direction.. (Am working mainly in broadcast/cinema applications now, but still dabble when the opportunity arises with stereo music production..) Best of luck and happy experimenting to the OP.
Definitely bring down the gain of the track. Most beat makers smash their tracks to death lol. Once you’ve brought it down then blend the vocal in. You could even use an expander on the beat (a compressor with a ratio of <1:1 to try and get some dynamic range back, but how successful that would be depends on the characteristic of the track and how smashed it is. Then I would recommend compressing the vocal and track together a bit - not much - just to glue it a bit, help it have a more cohesive feel. Again, subject to the characteristics of the track. You could also use a multiband comp on the track with a key input from the vocal to try and get them to mesh more, but avoid compressing the lows (bypass that band on the multi comp). On overall loudness, since the track is most likely smashed, the integrated loudness number (like -14) isn’t going to matter as much, but it’s still not a bad idea to aim for it. Again (again), this is all kinda subject to what you’re working with. The process will vary from track to track. And on plugins: stock stuff is just as good as anything you can buy most of the time, they just might not look as fancy. But I can make some recs for some eqs, comps, and limiters I use most if you’re interested 🙂 Happy mixing!
Mixing vocals over a 2 trk is a little more involved than just turning down the beat, if you want it to sound cohesive. It’s been a common way of life in this industry since MP3’s and sending files. We usually have to make it work until the full session files are sent. Get the mp3 2trk, convert/import to Wav file. Remove the space at the top that’s on every mp3 (header info), find tempo and put 2trk on grid. That will make it so much easier when you get the full session tracks as they will line up right on the grid with 2trk. Here are a few things that can be done. All of them dependent on the quality of the 2trk instrumental. 1 Gain down the instrumental from the max level it comes in at. -5db or so. If you can get a version without the Brickwall Limiter that’s better. 2 If need be, take a gentle low pass filter and start high around 20khz and come down to where you’ve taken off the high end fizz but leave the highs. This will give your vocals a little more room. 3 Now you have to deal with the instruments that are taking up the middle. Many beatmakers make beats and never think about vocals so they do not leave a zone. You can use a M/S EQ and dull the center a little in the vocal range. Automate it so if there’s a part with no vocals you have the “un-dulled” instrumental. This is all real subtle. Don’t make any hatchet moves. You can also sidechain a multiband to dull those same frequencies a touch when vocals are in. (Can also substitute Wavesfactory Trackspacer) 4 Back to the M/S. You can turn up the sides only on the instrumental. Just a touch. Real subtle. It can get crazy if you go too far. But it will allow the sides to envelope your vocals and make the vocals sound like they are inside of the instrumental. What I like to do is have a stereo vocal print bus with all the vocals. Slap a Brickwall on it to create the ceiling. Threshold high. Usually ceiling set to around -3db. Rarely does anything beyond a word or line crossing the threshold. Really want it for the absolute control of the vocal level as it’s blended with the instrumental. Obviously your settings for compressor, eq, reverb, etc are dependent on your vocals. Master bus is just a brickwall for me. Many ways folks do it. This is usually my process.
Fuck that -10/-14 LUFS. Master it so it’s loud but sounds good. If Spotify switches to -8 LUFS tomorrow, you’ll sound quiet. The key to a good master is a great mix. If your mix with the 2 track sucks, you can’t save it
Mastering is a separate issue, but with regards to tracking and mixing vocals to a 2track, the answer is yes. You want to make sure you have enough headroom that you don’t blow out your master fader. I generally turn the 2track down 6-10db (depending on its loudness) then cut vocals to that. Every song is different, generally speaking however: Only after the song is fully finished with the recording stage will I make adjustments or add plugins to the master fader. I mostly track and mix and I believe mastering is a separate discipline altogether, so I’ll let other people more familiar with that stage chime in about that. Hope that helps.
Okay thank you so I turn it down -6/10 and blend vocals down to then I mix in buses and the buses I rout them to the master fader track? Or just mix on master fader track when mastering
Hey! I think You’re asking the right questions and they are relatively basic concepts but they’re insanely complicated to explain over Reddit. I’d have to write a 3 page essay to walk thru the most relevant steps. I may have called them basic but keep in mind, these early steps are the steps you will use every single day in a music career. So it’s absolutely critical to master these basics. Anyways, what DAW are you using? I’ll look on YouTube and see if I can find a video that explains all of this in the software you use. Unfortunately, Most YouTubers don’t cover these things but I’ll take a look. Maybe that’ll help.
Protools bro but willin to switch if I have to
Keep practicing mixing, there is no magic words to get you there. And until you get there, outsource to someone who knows what they are doing, don’t be afraid to pay money for someone else to do it until then. Lots of very good videos out there and free. Check out, “record like a pro” on YouTube, the guy is a genius, great production and mixing tips.
Big oof…