5 Hacks To Make Vocals Sit Upfront In The Mix

The vocals are the most important part of any song, so they need to sit upfront; right in the listener's face.

The vocals not only carry the lyrics, but also the melody, which is why we want them to be front and center, and easily audible and distinguishable. 

However, it can be easy for vocals to get lost in your mix, and lose intelligibility.

The good news is in this guide I'll share with you 5 tips for getting your vocals to sit upfront in the mix.

That being said, there is ONE key strategy to making your vocals sit up front.

1. Use Serial Compression

Serial compression or "stacked compression" is going to be your main weapon for mixing vocals that sit upfront in the mix. 

Here's how it works:

1. You will use one compressor to apply some mild compression to tame the initial transients and loudest peaks of a sound
2. You'll use a second compressor to then further tame and smooth out the newly compressed source

To accomplish this, use around a 2:1 ratio when you compress and apply 3-6db of gain reduction with each compressor, and adjust the makeup gain to account for volume loss.

By the way, if you're not sure which type of compressor you should be using on your vocals...

Then check out my article here which breaks down the best types of compressors for vocals.

This strategy alone should go a long way toward helping your vocals sit upfront; however, there are some other things you can do to help your vocals cut through...

2. Improve Your Arrangement

One of the biggest things impeding your vocals from standing out could simply be the arrangement of your song. 

If you have other instruments or sounds occupying the same space where your vocals need to sit, they can mask your vocals, and no matter what you do, your vocals will be fighting for space. 

Consider removing some unnecessary elements from your mix. In general, less is more. 

2. Use Panning

You can also help your vocals to sit upfront by panning the competing sounds out of the center.

By moving other lead sounds to the left and right of the stereo spectrum, you allow your vocals to shine through.

4. EQ

Consider cutting the frequency ranges of sounds that sit in the same space as the vocals. 

This tends to be in the 5kHz to 10kHz range.

By turning down this range in the other instruments in your arrangement, you can help to reveal the vocals. 

5. Volume Automation

Finally, if all else fails, you can apply some volume automation to those sections of your vocals that are getting lost in the mix. 

Simply use your pencil tool to draw in the volume changes you want to make, and increase the volume on those vocal phrases that seem to disappear or lose intelligibility.  

Finish More Songs, Faster

The fastest way to grow as a producer (and to grow a fanbase) is to finish more music faster.

The more songs you finish, the more you'll improve, and the more songs you'll have at your disposal to grow a fanbase. 

If you want proven process for cracking out professional, radio-ready songs quickly…