Help on vocal mixing for our bands track

[Leper]

Hey dudes,

I'm having major problems getting vocals right on this rough mix, its probably the source itself. But it would be great if anybody could recommend some ways to make it better.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8695211/Billy%20Bob%27s%20Blood%20Drenched%20Brew%20-%20Kill%20Sea%20Otter%20%28with%20Vocals%29.mp3

 

[Chris Lucas]

Sounds like some cupping an sm58, in which case yeah the source is probably the issue =P.

Needs more presence overall, but again, boosting highs that aren't there isn't gonna work.

 

[RiF]

To my ears, those vocals (all of them, especially the low grunts and the "mid voiced" vocals from 1:47+) could benefit from some serious compression. The backing track is pretty dense and I would want the vocals to ride evenly just a bit above the backing tracks. The density of the backing track calls for quite some vocal fader automation or simply compressing the dogsnot out of them (the latter would be my approach). An 1176-style compressor going for 8-12 dB of GR with a medium attack and fast release at a whopping 8:1 ratio would be my starting point.
Needless to say, a Distressor would do the job quite easily.

 

[Leper]

Woah, those settings are pretty extreme.
Would it be better to use one compressor with extreme settings or 2 - 3 compressors with medium settings?

 

[Melb_shredder]

I dare say for lead vocals those settings aren't too drastic, that's roughly where mine sit if not a bit more brutal :l

 

[DanLights]

I agree with Mr. Rif, compressing the crap out of them will definitely help them sit better. It´s pretty common for the genre to smash them hard, right now it sounds like a Karaoke track on top of a well done mix (Pretty nice btw, love the mix). You could also try doing in series, one with a decently high threshold but with a killer ratio and attack, acting almost like a limiter, to control the extremes and then the next one leveling it up, with the threshold very low but not so killer, like a 3:1 or such. Just an option, experiment.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Woah, those settings are pretty extreme.
Would it be better to use one compressor with extreme settings or 2 - 3 compressors with medium settings?

Not extreme at all. In this style of music (and many others), you can slam the shit out of the vocals and then ride them with the faders. I repeat, ride the vocals. Did I mention you have to ride the vocals like a maniac? Good.

I prefer compression in several stages. Depending on the source, I often end up with a filtering EQ into an LA2A style plugin into a 1176 style plugin into the shaping EQ into an opto style comp or RVox.

 

[Leper]

Thanks for the advice guys, the mix already sounds a lot better with these compressor settings

What do you recommend for reverb, delay etc? Right now im using some kind of vocal plate reverb with slight delay on an aux.

Also, do you normally put distortion directly on the vocals, or do you seperately aux that as well?

THANKS!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

One short delay, one long delay, very very little reverb if at all.