How to SEAT A VOCAL Down INTO THE MIX
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Struggling to get a vocal to sit in a mix? Maybe it's a combo of when and how you're mixing it... Gregory Scott shares more tips and tricks than ever in this 13 minute slice of studio gold!
For more from Gregory Scott and Kush Audio, check out thehouseofkush... - เพลง
Hey Greg! Im listening to Sweet Low Afterglow right now. This has got to be one of my fav songs, im just wondering how you made those vocals sound so tender but so honky at the same time. Did you edit out the breaths and processed them different tho? Idk if its already been done, if not then I'd like to see how you edit your tracks before mixing, especially vocals and drums.
Thank you!! That soft-but-pointy vocal tone is in the delivery, we actually sing like that. The softness comes from the near-whisper volume. The honk comes from making sure our tone stays bright and resonant as if we were belting. That combo is actually REALLY hard to pull off, most soft singers get throaty and/or breathy, they lose the midrange. Inspiration: Bee Gees, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick. From there, I tracked with a LOT of clipping from the Omega preamp, judicious sculpting with Axis, and heavy buss squeeze from Novatron. I group Sarah and me separately and automate the group balances for drama. In those choruses, you’re gearing 4 part harmony, me on low, her on high, both of us on the middle 2 , everything doubled and panned out. So… 12 voices stacked floor to ceiling and wall to wall, but nothing hard pan or center. Drums and bass inside , synths and guitars outside. Panning is a massive part of the vibe. 🙂
@@TheHouseofKushTV What's the max value of the panning on the harmonies? 90? And this mix is heavenly!
@@TheHouseofKushTV Thank you so much for sharing!
I mixed that tune in Logic , which pans from -64 to 63 (because it's 1992 and midi should still control your panning, apparently). Anyway, in that scheme, vox tend to max out at +/-60. So probably closer to +/-93 on a +/-100 scale.
As always...great stuff!!
Thought provoking and relevant to our core!!
Love that basic human conditions are part of your lessons! Lol
It's all valid and good to keep in mind if you're recording and mixing music. Gonna definitely try the 1/4 note delay high passed st 600...
Just imagining that has me buzzin....
Cheers!
THIS IS A VOCAL MASTERCLASS
This video is a lot of really great things
It’s better
every video in this channel is pure gold
I’ve spent decades learning this game. Pay attention to this man, he speaks experienced, artistic truths.
Really is one of the best on TH-cam
Jesus... I came here for the mixing advice, I stayed for the charisma and mesmerising way of speaking (and the mixing advice).
Me too! 😂😂
My notes from this insightful video (thanx!):
Try turning off the vocal until 60 % - 70 % of the mix is done. Doing that, leave out some space around 2.5 kHz.
Some advice on the subject of "Clarity vs. Volume on vocal", as it is matters more when you start with just the instruments:
1. Somewhere around 2 - 3 kHz the main clarity zone lives, as it helped our ancestors to survive without internet pornography for all those years.
2. 1 dB or more on 800 Hz - adding old-school mid-range. This puts the vocal in front of the mix and gives it a little more of that 2 - 3 kHz kind of clarity (the range we, modern man, still hear so good, as human evolution will take a long time to "tone down" the unnecessary).
3. Delay, stereo spread to 1st quarter note after and 2nd somewhere ± 5/10/20 ms. The dude typically panned it closer to the center, but it might work better otherwise. Add a Low-Pass set around 600 Hz, the thing should sound pretty dark once you do - it gives "a warm, wet, kind of gluing thing" to the vocal.
4. On reverb:
a) To see how much you can get away with while keeping the vocal intelligible and to grasp the flow of effects-dry relationships as such:
1) add reverb and send 100% wet out from it to a separate channel;
2) set it to the level at which you are starting to hear it;
3) try making the reverb just a bit longer and the vocal just a bit quieter as far you can with the vocal line still intelligible.
b) Most of the time mixes generally benefit from having some kind of reflection pattern that serves as content for the sound. A lot of times, emulation of small spaces is used for that.
c) 1 or 2 reverbs are typically enough. Better to be subtle with it, unless the idea is that it should be heard.
Thank you!
Thanks!
Thank you chat GPT
There I was, already asleep in bed on a rare early night. Then my eyes abruptly opened (just like in the movies), I got straight up and went downstairs, looked at my browser and intuitively just went straight to TH-cam.
And there it was staring right at me... a new Kush After Hours on mixing vocals. Just as I am in the middle of, um, mixing some troublesome vocals on a project.
Thanks again, Wizard.
And great tip on using the Clariphonic directly on the vocal! I’ve been using it on the 2-buss with great success; but your tip looks like it may replace a vocal top-end parallel bus 5 plug-ins deep. This sounds better. Just step through the 4 stages to find what’s needed and set Clarity to taste. Simple and done.
I am not afiliated with this compnay at all. Im in the process of testing this out as it seems interesting.
Hahaha made my day
Recording with poor mic in mattresses fort here, and my founds are 100% according to this video. Cutting the boomy-boxy-muddy resonnance a lot, putting a stereo-widener delay to fit the mix and creating artificial room with reverb (+eq/comp according to the song) is the key. For all broke people doing things like me : watch and re-watch this video : these words are gold
Sir, at first I wrote you off as being some hair-dressed, full-of-yourself, egomaniac. Now I see you for what you really are: A decent man, helping people to create beautiful art. I really appreciate your videos which remind us why we got into music in the first place.
It's possible I'm a bit of 'all of the above', but I try to keep a level head and give the decent guy the most space to do his thing 😛
Well, I’m anti-hipster.
My hipster radar is very finely tuned.
And from day one I’ve had nothing but a genuine vibe from this man and this channel.
Keep on keeping on!
Greetings from Aberdeen Scotland!
listen to his podcast Ubk happy funtime hour, its a real guy with knowledge having fun sharing, great to listen too on long journeys
Hard dressed.. 🤣
I’m the exact same, always mixed in my vocals last, just easier way to mix. Getting the track sitting right then you only have the vocal to worry about.
Number one rule, there is none, do what works for you. But I’m glad I’m not the only one that that understands this process.
kush is the only notification i’ll click this fast for
If I close my eyes it almost feels like I am being served sage wisdom about the mix from Owen Wilson. Thanks again for all the great advice!
I can't even imagine mixing vocals first. I never thought mixing vocals first was even a thing. I'll go back under my rock.
Two great TH-cam tutor on mixing and sound I've found
Gregory Scott
Dan Worrall
These ppl are GOAT
Dan is the shit, no doubt about it.
Dude, where have you been this whole time??? Thanks for posting stuff!
Just here to show my support & absorb this wisdom don’t mind me 😵💫
2 years later and im back to this video, still struggling D:
Gregory Scott you are the ultimate WIZARD 🧙♂️
This guy rules. Whether or not someone agrees with everything he imparts, in the guise of making art, his viewpoints are a wonderful perspective. Also, as a businessman who owns Kush, he is a standup guy. I purchased a Kush Clariphonic from an online reseller and it got messed up in shipping and wasn’t going to arrive in time for the session I needed it for. I called him and he sent me a new unit overnight, free of charge , and just told me to ship the unit I was waiting on back to him when it arrived. He fucking rules!
Yes - The Kush is in the house 🔥🥰⚡ Theres SO much gold in Here , for the budding mixer and producer , its not even funny !
I just take it in like....KUSH 🤔✨🙏
I trust Gregory not only because of what he is saying but how his voice sounds on The House of Kush. He definitely knows how to mix.
"67%" is my favorite part of the video. Thanks again master kush
As a biologist I can really appreciate your evolutionary perspective! never thought of it in that way. We needed to understand each other in both the open field and in caves. So counter- intuitivly reverbs can actually help to understand! That is an eye opener!
Right on! It’s also about reality aligning with expectations. If the ‘space’ of a mix has cave-like properties, and the voice is too dry (or vice versa), we’ll not only experience it as disconnected, we’ll likely feel unsettled, we intuit that something isn’t right. Raising someone’s hackles is maybe not the ideal strategy for endearing them to the work 😜
@@TheHouseofKushTV thanks
Unfortunately its more evidence of devolution :-(
@@iam-music If you're looking for evidence of something --- whatever that something may be --- you'll find it. 🕺🏻
@@TheHouseofKushTV the guys with the funny hats must have found the evidence...whip it good ;-)
"We are not men...we are..." I spent too much time at the online gene accountant...tells am interesting maths story :-)
Unfortunately (devo)olution is not religion/evidence...its a decremental state. Loved your tracks btw.
Best channel on youtube ever
The obsessive focus on vocals and lyrics in modern pop music really grinds my gears sometimes. Most songs feel like three-minute-long choruses rather than songs. It's so nice to hear people advocating the focus on all the elements in a composition. Keep up the great work man, you've earned another subscriber. Peace!
Awesome 👏🏻 (as always)
Just noticed this... you plugging the claraphonic was the first time i heard you plug one of your own products..... Think about the other popular engineer channels.... How much do they try to sell you on some new product... I guess I can produce like a pro if I pay for this this and this membership. Corporate slugs.. Thank you for being absolutely real to the art of mixing.. No financial intentions are anywhere in these videos... You are pure my friend.
The vox in the phobe bridgers metallica cover are amazing. They are super dry like a cruton but wet like a 6am table outside. Check it out.
I like your take on things because you focus less on the "what" and the "how" and more on the "when" and the "why". Anyone can learn the mechanics, the real art is in knowing why you are turning knobs and when it is appropriate.
Brilliantly explained! Thanks
That moment you are watching a Kush's video and a new one just popup haha. Always great stuff man :)
Bro, that quarter note delay is EXACTLY what I needed! All of your videos are fantastic. Thank you!
This is bang on dude. I've always found it fascinating how some of the most powerful sounding vocals are not actually mixed all that loud. Back in black is an example that comes to mind. Intelligibility instead of loudness, what a great mindset to have.
Right I do this also mix the vocal as last.
First balans the music if you that get right than you can do bring the vocal perfect in harmony with everything.
I felt a disturbance in the force. I needed this exactly now, and there you were. Stalker.
man you leave like angel and left us with devils pls come back and do more videos
Best education channel on TH-cam
Here I was thinking I was wrong this whole time. Thanks for the encouragement Dr. Sexy!
Great talk thank you.
I have no formal training yet instinctively I always mix the vocals in last. Nine times out of ten a song begins with the music and then the singer comes in. So it makes sense to me to do that.
The tips on effects will come in handy.
Thanks Greg!
@7:29 that tip on panned, 600Hz low-passed vocals with a 1/4 delay to glue things together ... I tried it and it's gold! Thank you!
I don't usually comment on anything, ever, but thank you for always providing great advice!
Just wanted to say how much i enjoy your posts, such good vibes... this is what youtube could be like ahhh so nice.
Thanks, I’m digging the experience too!
The fact that you bless us with this information and experience for free makes me so happy
May be the best advice on mixing vocals on the internet.
Oh yeah, I just had to pop over to my DAW to try out the 1/4 note low passed delay, and omg where have you been all my life? You don't hear delay, it just *melts* the vocal into the mix. Awesome!
gregory scott a true life saver
One thing I appreciate about your channel is how often you encourage experimentation. It's always such an over looked thing on a lot of other Audio Engineering channels. Most have strict rules that they work with but those channels always fail to mention that they got to those rules through playing with different ideas and coming to their own conclusion.
Wow. This is so very well explained. You speak the language of an artist. And us other artists can rally grasp the language you speak. Thank you
Honestly it's like you're reading my diary....so helpful!
I always have the hardest time taking audio mixing tutorials on youtube seriously when the audio on the video itself sounds bad. It's like a sign store having a crappy sign out front. That being said, I just discovered this guys youtube channel today, and subscribed almost immediately. I gotta say, these videos aren't just really good info, they also SOUND really good!
its an amazing day when the mix master uploads!
This filtered quarter note Haas delay effect is pure gold! I've wondered how low I hear that in so many mixes and yet I rarely go below 1k. Such great philosophical info along with some technical detail too. Another vocal fx favorite of mine is a 1/16th note mono delay for subtle glue that isn't quite reverb. Always works
This... This is the video I needed in this moment!
🕺🏼
Im glad its not just me mixes the music as an instrumental- seems the way to do it workflow wise for me and computer power wise - adding vocal stems to a bounced down instrumental - keeps it snappy - thanks again Gregory for the tips on frequency and fx
Gregory answers my questions before I have a chance to ask. What a Guru!
Awesome tips, Guru!
You Gregory have perfected an articulation of spectral subjectively in a relatable way, according to me at least.
My brain 🧠 doesn't unify reflected stuff so well and it's always a challenge to get cognitive empathy....I just can't do it in a cafe or a bar where there's speech and music.
I used to tape op and tea boy in prehistoric times but never progressed to be a decent enough engineer to make a living doing it.
Kush after hours is interesting and your delivery is informed, smooth and valuable.
Glad I stumbled upon 👍👍
Hi Greg - just got home from my smoky Friday night at my studio - built around an ancient A&H 8 Bus - and - quess what - one of your stereo Electra rack eqs . . Its taken a few sessions to find out where to put it, and with what, but gota say - my mixes tonight sounded TOP DOG, JUST THE WAY I HAD IN MY HEAD.. A PRO SOUNDING mix..Very cool kit.. loving it..
I bought it from Studio Care UK - I think it must have been the last one in the World .. lol
Anyways, thanks bud ..
I tried the 1/4 note delay but I found it too long so instead I did it with a 1/16 note delay 20ms apart (165ms on the left and 185ms on right) and it sounds amazing. The vocals are really GLUED into the mix. Wouldn't have thought that one little technique can make such a difference. Thank you so much!
Right on! As for the timing, it might or might not matter but the music I do tends to be reaallllly slllooowwww...
@@TheHouseofKushTV it definitely matters. Your delay and ambience exists in context of the tempo. I feel 1/16 - 1/32 is the sweet spot for glue delay. For dramatic FX delay, 1-2 - 1/4 works really well.
Truth, my man. Groove-driven music, for me, it's where it's at. This is a resource, pure and simple. Very well put.
You are glowing a little bit extra today Gregory!!!
The timing of this video’s release couldn’t have been any better during the mixing of my current session. Thank you, Mr. Scott, for your inspiration.
same gave me a little confidence
i wasn't even aware of when or where i mix my vocal til i saw this.. great perspective. i just mix in the vocals whenever i feel is the right time for the individual mix at hand. usually like to get my drum n bass working together first n move from there
definitely agree with you here. having vocals as the central element of a mix might be a pop music thing, idk, but most genres and styles are actually about the whole music. the vocals should not pop out then, but fit in. i also think that it sounds much healthier and more natural than a mix that pretends like the vocalist is the only important entity in the world
More nuggets of gold from kush after hours
OMG I've been an Instrumentalist MOST of my life and THIS is my Workflow too ... and as much as I *LOVE* the Final Mixes of my songs, I've Always felt this sense of Guilt that I have been "doing it Wrong" but when I TRY to do Vocals First I NEVER get the Emotional Impact that I do when I mix the INSTRUMENTAL FIRST then Balance the Vocals in LAST ... I wonder if it's because we're both Drummers and that's just how we Hear things...? But Thank You: Now I can let this feeling go and simply enjoy the Process of Creating. Like You Say: Music Is Art. There IS no "right or wrong" since it's ALL Subjective anyways 😎 ... let the Music Speak for Itself ☺. So Cheers!
You have an awesome talent for communication, teaching, and making complex topics into simple, easy-to-digest information. I really enjoy your videos and the way you work. Thank you so much for amazing content!!!
I love how you explained this. You didn’t oversaturate this video with a bunch of fancy terms and advanced techniques that an average amateur like me wouldn’t be able to comprehend. Almost feels like having that one classmate help you with homework and they just somehow know how to explain it better than the teacher. Thumbs up 👍🏾
You are a guru. Thanks again for the conceptual and ptactical approach
Wow. Thanks for that, Gregory. I learn something from every one of your videos. Cheers.
Studio gold hits the nail squarely on the head. Thanks Gregory, for more solid advice!
Best coach in the whole damn world
Another great video Sir.
I thought I was crazy! It has never worked for me at all having the vocal as the center piece. I will now keep doing what I've done on my latest tracks - vocal last. Thank you, the way you talk about mixing gives me my confidence back honestly :) .
Lovely 'Reflexion' of Vocals Nature🤙🏽😄☺️
As always, you say what I feel in my heart but never hear others say.
More fantastic stuff. The mixers I appreciate most seem to say vocals last. The nugget for me here was the heavy low-passed 1/4 second stereo delay on vocals. More Kush goodness 🤩
Not to nitpick, but he said quarter note delay. I'm sure that's what you meant, but some of us noobs need to mind the difference. "Quarter note plus 5-20ms on other side."
@@operarocks Thanks noob 😅
To much knowledge and realism in this package to respond effectively to it all❤️
I record my raw vocal with a guitar behind me.... then I build my music for the song. After that’s finished, I re-record my lead and backup vocals.
Ty for saying that so now “It’s not just me “ that’s doing that. I want the arrangement to be jamming before I mess with it. Great video man!
Your words are like honey to my ears (well, I guess I mean : sweet, not gooey, right? lol!). In any case, thanks a lot Greg! You're a really good communicator and you know your stuff pretty well. Have a wonderful day!
Glad to see someone else with the same process as me! I've always built a mix from the foundation, the drums, the rhythm section in general! I always use the analogy of building a house. You start with the foundation, then the framing, the roof etc, etc. This allows you to create a space for the melody. If you want the vocal to "sit in the mix" you need to have a place to sit in first. Furniture is important but it's not very comfortable to sit in the rain.
vc é zika, brabo demais
Eu sou tudo que você diz que eu sou.
@@TheHouseofKushTV Ayy, thank you for the reply! love the channel, amazing content! thank you
Love this concept. I had never thought about this, but it rings completely true.
Man this guy is the best. Become my new professor
Brilliant man...I love how these videos discuss concepts versus actual stone cold editing techniques
That's my workflow and has been for nearly 20 years. I honestly can't do it any other way, especially because I do deliver instrumentals a lot of the time, as well.
The music is part of the journey, and should be treated as such.
Im 100 percent with you on setting vocals in last
This man is a gift
You are the man, Kush!
Saved in the mixing folder.
Genius level info. Your videos are some of the best on the web!
Im glad its not only me who produce that way. I produce everything I do by myself from start to finnish. I usually start out with an idea for a hook and then finish writing my lyrics to the instrumental most of the time. That usually means that the instrumental is essentially finished by the time I get that far. I know its 100% not the most efficient way of doing things but Im extremely particular about my craft and I feel this approach helps me stay the most true to my creative process. Min-maxing efficiency has never been a consideration in my world :)
Even though the music I make is a 180 degree turn from what you typically show, I love how much your ideas and ways of thinking of mixing align with mine. But you've codified so much that I have just learned intuitively. It's nice to hear it put into words in a logical way.
6:51 Awesomesauce delay trick
Ahoy. Spot on bro. That is what works for me! Thank you.
This is exactly how I work as well (instrumental mostly mixed before vocals are added), thanks for the additional advice
I can’t tell you how helpful your videos are for me. Every day I mix. And almost every day I feel completely defeated. Your videos help me regroup and try to take the hill the next day. Thank you man.
Your way has always been my way I've done it! Amazing!
ever since i first heard sneaky little devil, i thought yeah im listening to this guy for tips, those productions and mixes are masterful, thats my aim, to get that good , so glad you do these. I have always mixed music first too, glad i'm not off the ball doing that
Went from a baby reference to “a screaming tribesman” 😂 love it
Hey, I just subscribed two days ago. You've taught me so much in so little time, just want to thank you for the value you're bringing. Really outstanding, man.
I’m drunk. I’ve been thinking about this concept all day with the vocals I’ve been mixing, I love your videos and the way you explain things. Thanks
You so much house of kushhhhhh once again!!!:);)
Exactly. Been doin that for 30 yrs. Works great