How To Make Vocals Cut Through the Mix Using EQ and Compression

Making the vocals consistently cut through the mix without feeling glued “on top” of the arrangement seems to be a common problem for home studio producers.

If that’s something you’re dealing with, I have some suggestions on how to fix it.

Cut the Lows and Get Rid of Boom

Sometimes the vocal sounds on top of an arrangement because it doesn’t sit well in the low end. You might not necessarily hear the low-end in the vocal, but the low frequencies make the vocal feel glued on top of the frequency spectrum.

Start by cutting the very lows with a filter up to 100 Hz. Then use a parametric EQ to cut the low-mids somewhere from 150 – 250 Hz until it sits better.

Use Compression for Consistency

Certain phrases of the vocal tend to get buried in the arrangement, especially if the vocalist is very dynamic and sings both loud and soft parts.

If that’s the case, then it’s time to pull out the compressor to tame those dynamics. Compression isn’t just for keeping the loud parts at bay but also for pushing up the quieter parts.

It’s easier to deal with a vocal part with a more limited dynamic range, so squeezing the vocal a little bit can make your life easier, as long as you’re not over-compressing and squashing the vocal (unless that’s what you’re going for).

A low ratio and a high threshold can push the quiet and loud parts closer together, making the vocal more consistent.

• If you’re confused by what the ratio does on your compressor, this article will help.

Boost for Character and Presence

If you do the two aforementioned things, you should have a clear and balanced vocal in frequency and dynamics. But you might need to add some extra character to get the vocal cut through a busy arrangement.

If that’s the case, head over to the high-mids and add character boosts. 1 – 2 kHz sometimes works to bring out enough edge to the vocal, but beware of boosting too much because it might make the vocal too honky and nasal-sounding.

Alternatively, a dose of 3 kHz can add some clarity to the vocal, whereas a bit of 5 kHz can add some presence.

Use Serial Compression to Make the Vocal Cut Through the Mix

I was mentoring a musician on their mix the other day, and their vocals sounded good, but they sort of dipped in and out of the mix.

Sometimes they sounded loud enough, but the instruments buried them in other parts of the arrangement.

This is easily fixed by a technique I call the Fast/Slow Compression Method, and if she was having trouble with her vocals, I’m sure some of you can benefit from it too.

Watch the video to see how to make your vocals cut through the mix with serial compression:

Try That Next Time to Make Your Vocals Cut Through the Mix

If you’re having difficulty getting the vocal to cut through in your mix, try those three tricks out next time.

EQ and compression can solve almost every problem when it comes to creating separation between your instruments. That’s why I spend significant time teaching you how to master those plug-ins inside Step By Step Mixing: How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins.

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