You recorded your vocals.

The performance sounds good. The recording is clean. You've got your doubles and ad-libs ready.

Now comes the next challenge:

How do you actually make those vocals sound like they belong on the record?

This is where mixing comes in. 🎛️

A raw vocal recording can sound dry, inconsistent, harsh, muddy, or disconnected from the beat—even when the performance itself is great.

Mixing helps turn that raw recording into a vocal that sounds clear, controlled, powerful, and connected to the rest of the song.

And here's the good news:

You don't need 50 plugins or an expensive studio to get there.

Most professional vocal mixes are built around a handful of fundamental tools like volume, EQ, compression, de-essing, reverb, delay, and automation.

The real skill is learning when—and why—to use them.

If you haven't recorded your vocals yet, start with our guide on How to Record Vocals at Home: 10 Tips for Professional-Sounding Recordings. Getting a clean recording first will make everything we're about to cover much easier.

Once you've got that, open your session and let's start mixing. 🎧

🎚️ 1. Start With Volume Before You Touch a Plugin

Here's one of the easiest mistakes to make when learning how to mix:

You immediately start adding plugins.

EQ.

Compression.

Reverb.

Saturation.

But before you do any of that, turn the plugins off and listen to your vocal against the beat.

Then adjust the volume.

Seriously.

Your volume fader is one of the most powerful mixing tools you have.

The lead vocal should generally feel like the focal point of the song without completely overpowering the instrumental.

Listen to the entire record.

Can you clearly understand the lyrics?

Does the vocal disappear when the beat gets louder?

Does the hook suddenly feel way louder than the verse?

Do the ad-libs compete with the lead?

Start creating that balance before processing anything.

Shure's guide to recording and mixing vocals emphasizes that vocals in popular music generally need to remain clear, intelligible, and consistently balanced throughout the song.

Plugins can help accomplish that.

But your faders should do the heavy lifting first.

💡 Quick Tip: Turn your listening volume down occasionally while mixing. At a low volume, it can become surprisingly easy to tell whether your vocal is sitting too far above—or disappearing behind—the beat.

🧹 2. Clean Up Your Vocal Before Processing It

Before making your vocal sound better, deal with anything that shouldn't be there.

Listen closely to the raw recording.

You may hear:

• Unwanted background noise

• Loud breaths

• Mouth clicks

• Pops

• Empty sections containing room noise

• Bad edits

• Headphone bleed

• Unwanted takes

• Harsh transitions between punch-ins

Some breaths are completely natural and should stay.

Others might be distracting enough that you want to lower their volume.

You can also clean up the empty spaces between vocal phrases if they contain noticeable noise.

Just be careful.

Don't edit the life out of the performance.

A vocal doesn't need to be completely sterile to sound professional.

The goal is simply to remove distractions before you start shaping the vocal.

This is also the time to make sure your vocal takes are properly organized.

Your lead, doubles, harmonies, and ad-libs should be clearly separated so you can process and balance them independently.

Once everything is clean, you're ready to start shaping the sound.

🎛️ 3. Use EQ to Create Clarity

EQ—or equalization—allows you to adjust different frequency ranges within your vocal.

Think of it like sculpting.

Instead of simply turning the entire vocal louder or quieter, you can change specific parts of its tone.

Maybe the vocal sounds:

Muddy.

Boxy.

Nasal.

Harsh.

Dull.

Too bright.

EQ can help.

But there's an important rule:

Don't EQ frequencies just because somebody gave you a chart.

Every voice is different.

Every microphone is different.

Every recording environment is different.

And every beat is different.

That's why iZotope's guide to vocal EQ specifically notes that there isn't a one-size-fits-all EQ solution for vocals.

That said, understanding common frequency areas gives you somewhere to start.

🎤 Vocal EQ Cheat Sheet

These aren't rules.

They're starting points.

For example, don't automatically cut 500 Hz because you read that vocals can sound boxy there.

Listen first.

If there's no problem, don't create one. 🎯

One useful technique is to temporarily boost a narrow EQ band and sweep it across the frequency spectrum.

When an ugly resonance suddenly jumps out, you've found an area worth investigating.

Then turn that boost into a subtle cut and listen again.

The key word is subtle.

You don't need your EQ to look like a roller coaster for it to make a meaningful difference.

📉 4. Use Compression to Control the Vocal

Vocals are naturally dynamic.

One word might be loud.

The next might be quiet.

A rapper might lean into one bar and pull back on another.

A singer might go from an intimate verse to a huge chorus.

Those dynamics are part of the performance—but too much variation can make the vocal difficult to hear consistently.

That's where compression comes in.

A compressor reduces the difference between louder and quieter parts of the vocal.

As iZotope explains in its vocal compression guide, controlling that dynamic range can help the vocal remain more consistent and present in the mix.

Four controls you'll commonly encounter are:

Threshold: Determines when compression begins.

Ratio: Determines how strongly the signal is compressed once it crosses the threshold.

Attack: Determines how quickly the compressor reacts.

Release: Determines how quickly it stops compressing.

You don't need to memorize perfect settings.

There aren't any.

Instead, ask yourself:

What am I trying to fix?

If certain words jump out aggressively, compression can help control them.

If quieter phrases keep disappearing behind the beat, compression can help create a more consistent vocal.

But be careful.

🚨 More compression doesn't automatically mean a more professional vocal.

Over-compression can flatten the performance, exaggerate breaths and background noise, or make the vocal feel lifeless.

Start conservatively.

Then adjust based on what you're actually hearing.

🐍 5. Control Harsh "S" Sounds With a De-Esser

Ever mixed a vocal that sounded pretty good until the artist said:

"SSSSSSOMETHING."

Suddenly your ears hurt. 😅

That's sibilance.

Certain consonants—particularly S, T, Z, SH, and CH sounds—can produce sharp high-frequency energy.

EQing the entire high-frequency range down might fix the harshness...

…but it can also make your entire vocal sound dull.

That's why we use a de-esser.

A de-esser essentially targets those harsh frequencies when they become excessive instead of permanently removing them from the entire performance.

This lets you control aggressive sibilance while preserving the brightness and clarity of the vocal.

The exact frequency varies from voice to voice, which is another reason you shouldn't blindly copy somebody else's settings.

Solo the problem area.

Find where the harshness lives.

Then reduce it enough that it stops distracting you.

Don't try to completely eliminate every S sound.

The vocalist still needs to sound human.

🎯 6. Make Space for the Vocal in the Beat

Sometimes your vocal doesn't sound bad at all.

But once you play the beat...

…it disappears.

So you turn the vocal up.

Now it's too loud.

You turn it back down.

Now it's buried again.

This might not actually be a volume problem.

It could be a frequency problem.

Your vocal and instrumental may be competing for the same space.

For example, instruments occupying the midrange frequencies responsible for vocal intelligibility can partially mask the vocal.

Instead of endlessly turning the vocal louder, you may need to create some space in the instrumental.

That could mean making a subtle EQ cut in a competing instrument or—in a more advanced mix—using dynamic EQ or sidechain processing to temporarily create space when the vocal is present.

This is one reason having the track stems for a beat can be so valuable.

Instead of mixing your vocals against one finished stereo instrumental, your engineer can control individual elements like drums, bass, melodies, instruments, and effects.

If you're looking for production for your next record, you can browse Ric & Thadeus beats and choose the license and audio files that best fit your recording and mixing needs. 🎹

The important lesson is this:

Mixing isn't about making every sound huge.

It's about giving every important sound enough room to do its job.

🌊 7. Use Reverb Without Drowning Your Vocal

A completely dry vocal can sound like it's sitting on top of the beat instead of inside it.

Reverb helps create space and depth.

But reverb is also one of the easiest effects to overuse.

We've all heard it:

The vocal sounds like the artist recorded the song from the other side of a cathedral. 😂

Unless that's intentionally the effect you're going for, you probably need less.

Common vocal reverbs include:

• Plate

• Room

• Hall

• Chamber

Each creates a different sense of space.

One particularly useful control is pre-delay.

Pre-delay creates a small gap between the original vocal and the beginning of the reverb.

That gap can allow the dry vocal to remain clear and upfront while the reverb creates space behind it.

Shure's vocal mixing guide specifically highlights pre-delay as a way to preserve vocal clarity while still adding depth. It also recommends EQing the reverb return to prevent unnecessary frequencies from competing with the lead vocal.

💡 Try this: Put your reverb on an auxiliary/send track instead of directly inserting it onto the lead vocal.

Now you can independently control and process the reverb while keeping your original vocal intact.

You can even EQ the reverb itself.

Cut unnecessary lows.

Control harsh highs.

Shape the effect so it supports the vocal instead of covering it.

⏱️ 8. Use Delay to Add Space and Energy

Reverb isn't your only option for creating depth.

Delay can be incredibly effective on vocals—especially in hip-hop, R&B, pop, and melodic rap.

Instead of creating a continuous wash of reflections, delay repeats the vocal after a specific amount of time.

You can use:

• Slap delay

• 1/4-note delay

• 1/8-note delay

• 1/16-note delay

• Stereo delay

• Ping-pong delay

Tempo-synced delays can make the repeats move rhythmically with the song.

But here's where things get interesting:

The delay doesn't have to stay at the same volume throughout the entire song.

Maybe you want almost no audible delay during a verse.

Then at the end of a line...

BOOM.

One word echoes into the empty space. 🔥

That's called a delay throw, and it's a great example of why effects don't have to be static.

Reverb and delay aren't just corrective tools.

They're creative tools.

Use them to help create movement, transitions, atmosphere, and emotion.

🎤 9. Treat Doubles and Ad-Libs Differently From the Lead

Your lead vocal is the star.

Your doubles and ad-libs are the supporting cast.

So why would you mix all of them exactly the same?

You probably shouldn't.

If your doubles are just as loud, bright, and centered as your lead vocal, they'll compete with it.

Instead, experiment with pushing supporting vocals into different positions.

You might:

• Lower their volume

• Pan them left and right

• Remove more low frequencies

• Darken them with EQ

• Compress them differently

• Add more reverb

• Add more delay

• Use distortion or saturation

• Make them wider

Ad-libs can be even more creative. 🚀

Some can sit quietly behind the lead.

Others can jump out between phrases.

Some can be heavily processed.

Some can be pitched.

Some can move across the stereo field.

The goal isn't simply to make every vocal sound good by itself.

The goal is to make the entire vocal arrangement work together.

Your lead vocal should still feel like the center of attention.

✍️ 10. Use Automation to Finish the Mix

You've EQ'd the vocal.

You've compressed it.

You've controlled the sibilance.

You've added reverb and delay.

But there's one more tool that can take your vocal mix from decent to polished:

Automation.

Automation allows you to change parameters throughout the song.

Instead of choosing one vocal volume and hoping it works everywhere, you can make small adjustments phrase by phrase.

For example:

Turn up a word that's getting lost.

Turn down a phrase that's too aggressive.

Increase the reverb during a transition.

Throw delay onto the final word of a bar.

Make an ad-lib louder for one section.

Pull the vocal slightly back during a dense hook.

This gives you a level of control that compression alone can't provide.

A compressor reacts automatically based on the signal.

Automation lets you make musical decisions.

And those small decisions add up.

Sometimes the difference between a vocal that feels "almost there" and one that sounds polished isn't another plugin.

It's simply spending another 20 minutes riding the vocal levels.

🎛️ A Simple Vocal Mixing Chain

By now, you might be wondering:

"Okay...but what order should I put all of this in?"

There's no universal vocal chain that works for every recording.

Even the question of whether EQ should come before or after compression depends on what you're trying to accomplish. As iZotope explains in its guide to EQ and compression order, changing the order can change how the processors react to one another.

But if you're completely new to mixing vocals, here's a simple starting point:

Cleanup → Pitch Correction → EQ → Compression → De-Esser → Tone/Saturation → Reverb & Delay → Automation

Or visually:

This is a starting point—not a rulebook.

You might EQ before and after compression.

You might use two compressors doing small amounts of work instead of one compressor doing everything.

You might de-ess before compression.

You might not need saturation at all.

You may even decide that a particular vocal barely needs processing.

That's okay.

Your plugins should solve problems or help you create something intentionally.

Don't add them simply because they're on somebody else's vocal chain.

Always Mix in Context 🎧

There's one final principle that ties everything together:

Stop soloing the vocal so much.

Solo mode is useful when you're trying to identify a specific problem.

But your listeners aren't going to hear the vocal by itself.

They're going to hear it with:

The drums.

The bass.

The melodies.

The effects.

The background vocals.

The entire record.

So that's where your decisions need to work.

A vocal that sounds slightly thin by itself might sit perfectly inside a dense instrumental.

A vocal that sounds huge and beautiful by itself might completely overpower the beat.

This is why you should constantly switch between listening closely to the vocal and listening to the entire song.

Reference professionally mixed songs in a similar style, too.

Don't necessarily try to copy them exactly.

Instead, listen to relationships.

How loud is the vocal compared to the snare?

How bright is it?

How much low end does it have?

How wide are the doubles?

How noticeable is the reverb?

How loud are the ad-libs?

Those comparisons can help train your ears over time.

🚀 Great Vocal Mixing Is About Balance

Mixing vocals can seem complicated because there are thousands of plugins, endless tutorials, and countless opinions about the "right" vocal chain.

But the fundamentals are much simpler.

Get the volume right.

Clean up the recording.

Use EQ to create clarity.

Use compression to control dynamics.

Control harsh sibilance.

Create space between the vocal and beat.

Use reverb and delay intentionally.

Give doubles and ad-libs their own space.

Use automation to add the finishing touches.

Most importantly:

Listen before you process.

Don't add an EQ because every YouTube tutorial starts with an EQ.

Don't compress a vocal because somebody told you every vocal needs 7 dB of compression.

Don't add reverb because that's what your preset does.

Listen to the vocal.

Listen to the beat.

Figure out what's missing—or what's getting in the way.

Then reach for the tool that solves that problem.

That's the difference between simply putting plugins on a vocal and actually mixing one. 🎯

And once your recording is clean and your mix is sounding right, there's one final stage before your song is ready for release:

Mastering.