How To Mix Vocals For Live Events
How To Mix Vocals For Live Events
Vocals are the crown jewel of the song. You can only do so much by riding the fader. For
excellence and professionalism, your mix requires more preparation, knowledge and skill.
Photo of Blue Ridge Community Church, Forest, Virginia courtesy of Tim Gosnell.
In general, bass and drums are the cornerstone of a musical theme in a band. Then guitars,
keyboards and other instruments complement the harmonic setting of the musical arrangement.
Finally, on top of all this, vocals are the crown jewel of the song.
I'd like to direct focus to a not-often-discussed subject: vocal mixing. The approach of the subject
matter in this article is toward live events such as concerts, houses of worship, or any other event
where one or more singers are performing.
The human voice is one of the most—if not the most—common sources of sound. It has a wide
frequency range (75 Hz—8 kHz, including harmonics), comparable to that of the piano. The
human voice also has a wide dynamic range covering an impressive 80 dB (40—120 dB).
You can expect a lot of variability and stability issues. A sung melody can contain a sample of
the entire dynamic range just in a single verse, an example of how much its intensity can vary.
Another attribute of the voice is its timbre or tonal color. This distinguishes one instrument from
another, a guitar from a banjo, or a violin from a flute. Now, in many cases it's quite difficult to
distinguish one electric guitar from another, but the timbre of human voices distinguishes one
singer from another singer.
To capture and reinforce vocals for live performances, the most foolproof technique is close-
mic'ing. You need to have, at the least, an idea of how the vocals sound, as well as the
microphone handling technique of the singer(s), in order to make a good decision on what mic(s)
to choose from (assuming you have this luxury). Know your mics—know their characteristics,
the types, the polar patterns, the strengths and weaknesses.
Some voices may take advantage of the proximity effect that certain mics provide to accentuate
the low end of a weak voice, but sometimes a mic with a more open polar pattern is necessary in
order to be able to capture an exited jumping singer.
Using a single mic for two singers at the same time generally isn't a good idea unless you're it's
right mic, and in the right ambient setting.
And in general for live applications, the tighter the polar pattern, the better and cleaner the vocal
pick-up will be. It's also advisable to use mics with a directional pattern as opposed to an
onmidirectional pattern.
Another tactic that can help is to train vocalists on the proper use/handling of mics as well as the
various types. They should understand basic mic properties and polar patterns—this knowledge
can help them do a better job.
In addition, it's usually a good idea to use high-pass filters (roll-off at 70—100 Hz) on vocals.
Depending on how your subwoofers are fed (aux feed or main mix crossover), POP filtering
(HPF,or high-pass filter) helps in eliminating the explosiveness of some consonants. HPF also
helps in eliminating background/stage rumble and mic handling.
When mic'ing an ensemble or vocal group, it's a good idea to use the same mic for all vocals.
Remember that different mics have different polar patterns and frequency responses, and this can
complicate the EQ of your stage monitors when trying to eliminate problematic frequencies.
The second stage after capturing the voice is a good preamp. If your console/mixer lacks this,
acquire and insert a quality external preamp. There are a huge variety of options available and at
different price-points.
The preamp will define how good the quality of the signal being passed to the rest of the audio
path is. EQ for the voice can be tricky. My approach is to eliminate what is not needed, like a
sculptor remove the unnecessary material from the stone to uncover a masterpiece. Keep EQ flat
as much as possible, only eliminating those frequencies that cause trouble, particularly mid-lows
that “opaque” the voice.
Between 250 Hz – 1.5 kHz, a notch filter can help in reducing nasal resonances which, most
times, are annoying. These frequencies are different for each person, and are created by a
combination of the natural resonance of the nasal cavities and the skull. In certain cases, a boost
at 3 kHz can add clarity to the voice, making it more intelligible and/or helping it stand out (cut
through) in the mix. A boost at 5 kHz can add brilliance, while a boost in the 8 kHz range adds
“air” or high end to the source material.
1. Bass: 75 – 300 Hz
Another frequently used treatment or effect is compression. Unfortunately, a lot of folks don't
have the slightest idea of how to apply compression to a voice. To me, it's both science and art,
and took me years to really understand it. I continue to experiment and search for new
approaches and techniques.
As with any other piece of gear, fully understand your compressor. Read the manual, it was
printed for a reason. Compressors have personality. A particular unit may work beautifully well
for one thing, such as drums, but may be terrible for voice. After identifying the right compressor
for your needs, use it on all vocals (especially on the worship leader or lead singer).
Ratio: Very strong and aggressive voice (4:1 to 6:1); all others (2:1 to 3:1)
Attack: 20 ~ 60 ms
Threshold: begin at the max and start reducing it until you get 3 – 5 dB of gain reduction during
the louder passages.
Be sure to use the output compensation button. It's there for a reason. Use it to compensate for
the gain reduction of the compression stage circuitry. Without this compensation, the gain
reduction and pumping effect will be very noticeable to the ear.
Remember that what the compressor does is to reduce the dynamic range of a variable signal,
confining it into a smaller range. The ratio and threshold define the upper limit of this range, and
the output compensation defines the lower end of this range. Without it you're only half-done.
Properly used compression should not be noticed by the audience.
A note about individual versus group processing: if there are not enough compressors for each
vocal, you can use a stereo processor inserted in the vocal subgroup. However, there is a higher
degree of freedom with implementing individual compressors. Group processing is
recommended for a choir or background vocals.
Mixing Vocals
A lone singer in a band is usually rather easy to mix—make sure the lyrics can be heard
intelligibly without overpowering the band. Toss in background vocals (BGV) in addition to the
lead and the mix can easily get out of control.
The EQ approach for BGV is different than for lead vocals. You can be more aggressive with
BGV EQ to keep feedback or bleed under control without affecting their overall sound within the
mix.
Pay special attention to the lead vocal mic. The lead vocal or worship leader has to be clearly
distinguished without overpowering the others. The lyrics, as well as any spoken words during
the performance, need to be heard clearly by the audience. The BGV and/or choir level must fit
in the whole mix.
A little background in music theory: chords. When there's a lead singer and a BGV group, it's
likely that the group is doing a two-voiced harmony. By adding the lead's first voice (or melody),
you now have a three-voiced chord for every note where the BGV sings. It's like a piano where
each finger playing a key represents a human voice. Fully defined chords are composed of at
least three notes. Each note contributes to the quality of the chord (major, minor, seventh, ninth,
augmented, suspended, etc.).
The melody is always the first voice (typically sopranos in choir setting). If one of these notes
can't be heard, then the intended quality of the chord is missed. Translating this into the mix,
make sure that all voices are present. In live mixing, I've noticed that the BGV singing the first
voice requires a little boost over the other vocals.
Duo—two-voiced chord
A) Identify each voice's note, especially the first voice or soprano. The harmony of each chord
has to be heard (quality).
B) Pair equal voices (people singing exactly the same thing), try to make them sound like one
(level wise).
C) Balance each group relative to other groups – consult the musical director or group leader to
get feedback about the balance between the different voicings. Sometimes a background vocalist
may sing the melody to support the lead singer.
D) The group with the first voice or sopranos should be a bit over the other groups (perceived
level). If there is a leader or lead, then the leader has to be slightly on top. Compressors (properly
used) are a huge help in placing the lead voice in the mix, and they also free you from having to
“ride the faders” all the time. Another use for the compressors is that they help to maintain the
harmony (i.e., the relative level between the different voicings). After the initial compressor
setup, use the compressor output level and the faders to fine-tune the balance.
E) The perfect balance is reached when you can't distinguish individual voices or singers
(besides the leads). The entire choir or group sounds like one huge instrument or an organ.
F) Once your voices are mixed, use the console's sub-groups to set the balance between the
music and the vocals. In general, the vocals are set around the same level as the music. What
makes the vocals stand out in the mix should be how well you planned and managed the
frequency distribution of the band and the vocals. When “EQing” the band's instruments
remember to leave room (frequency wise) for the singers.
G) You should hear a “sound” that is proportional to the size of the choir or vocal group (i.e., if
you have a 6-piece choir, it should sound like a 6-piece choir, not like a quartet, a trio or a duet).
I have to confess that I'm a big fan of effects, but can't use them all the time for various reasons.
A mix must be artistic, and part of this is refraining from certain things we like and being
sensitive to each song—and even to each performance of the same song.
Some songs may require long reverb, while other songs require nothing at all. Reverb and delay
can be used subtlety to provide ambience to the vocals. In some particular (and extreme) cases,
long delays can be used to create the illusion of a second BGV group repeating a small passage.
Be creative and feel free to experiment. Not all songs require the same reverb or delay. As with
any piece of gear, know your effects processor(s) and parameters.
Psychoacoustic Phenomena
Perceived balance of vocals and the band—when mixing the same group performing a well-
known song (to you) on a regular basis, unconsciously you might tend to put the vocals at a level
(relative to the rest of the band) too low, thereby making it hard for the audience to hear them.
Now, you may “hear” or perceive the lyrics clearly because you already know them and/or have
heard them many times. However, this is not the case for the audience. I've seen this
psychoacoustic phenomenon happen with professional shows and tours many times.
In this business, your ears are your most valuable possession. They are more important than your
legs or arms (food for thought). So take good care of your ears by visiting a hearing specialist at
least twice a year, and don't ever introduce anything solid into your ear channel, not even to
clean it (even a cotton-tip stick can cause damage to your ear drums).
Every time you hear a sound, your brain tries to decipher what it is and what it means. This
indicates that those structures of your brain dedicated to process sound, communication, and
speech are constantly working, even when you're just sitting around the house doing nothing or
even sleeping. Particularly when working with audio, this consumes energy and eventually you
get tired. Behold, you've reached the threshold for hearing fatigue. It happens even at lower
sound pressure levels. A good way to prevent this fatigue is by taking regular breaks when
exposed to continuous music, say, every 30 minutes or so.
Flu, cold, allergies and congestion affect your perceived sound field and also the frequency
response of your ears. Don't mix a show if you have one of these conditions.
And finally, don't fly-by-wire: Use your ears, not your eyes. Be prepared, plan ahead, and take
notes. The goal is professionalism and excellence.
Jose David Irizarry has been heavily involved in live sound for over a decade, mixing Christian
music and popular events, he is also a freelance technical advisor for many churches in Puerto
Rico. Reach him at [email protected].
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Comments (12)
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Best Recalling
Thank you very much , Churchproduction.com team for providing these Vocal mixing details.
it helps me while i mix in my church.
as well my request is, how much Hall Acrostics will effect the sound and how to take care about
this.
Jose, thanks for the comments back. I think the coolest thing about this whole deal is actually
hearing a response back from you, the writer. I guess in my post, I seem to be talking with others
more so then you... Having not posted on something like this before, apparently I never thought
that you would respond back.
One other thing... Kind of funny but was mixing on a digital desk a couple weeks back and found
myself bumping the comps output stage just a bit, for the slightest amount of gain since the input
stage was setting good.... Ha Ha!!! :-)
like this...
like this
I want to thank all who have commented on this article. I really value all the feedback (comment
wise) and responses provided. First of all, the "outout gain" term must be a typo during the
publishing process. Jimmy Fleming is absolutely right, it should say "output gain". Regarding
compression, remember that these are general rules, not absolute settings. Also, we are assuming
that the initial settings (ratio, attack, release, etc.) were set appropriately before using the output
gain control. Under this setting, the output gain definitively helps to conceal or disguise the
compression applied to the vocals. I did not meant to use it as a tool to correct an already
pumping compressor or signal (due to incorrect settings). My apologies if this was what you
guys understood. About using the output gain "to fine-tune the balance" (along with the faders) is
just a trick that I discover that could be used as another extra "valve" available to control the gain
in the channel (again, along with the preamp, trim and fader) and assuming that the reader
understands and uses a correct gain structure (which is out of the scope of my article). Finally,
the word "aggressive" maybe was not the best one to use but the idea was just to illustrate that
the BGV can be treated differently from the main or lead vocals (again, depending on your
particular setting environment and occasion). When I use "aggressive" it does not mean extreme.
I really enjoyed Jimmy Fleming's comments. It's great to talk with people (you all) who have an
in-depth knowledge of the art of mixing.
I seldom read articles on mixing and don't know that I've ever responded to one, so here goes...
"Be sure to use the output compensation button. It’s there for a reason. Use it to compensate for
the gain reduction of the compression stage circuitry. Without this compensation, the gain
reduction and pumping effect will be very noticeable to the ear."
Simply comping too much and/or setting your attack and release wrong will cause the pumping
or breathing... in other words, using the comp the wrong way unless you are striving for that type
of effect. You can't do anything after the fact to get rid of it contrary to what the author indicates.
The output gain (or outout compensation button as he calls it in the article) is used as he
mentions to regain the level lost by comping, but it is not intended for nor will it hide over
compressing as he indicates.
"After the initial compressor setup, use the compressor output level and the faders to fine-tune
the balance."
The output level shouldn't be used to fine tune the level for the channel. It should be used to
regain level lost by compressing in order to keep gain stages set properly, one of two areas where
most sound people make their biggest mistakes. (The other being eq)
"The EQ approach for BGV is different than for lead vocals. You can be more aggressive with
BGV EQ to keep feedback or bleed under control without affecting their overall sound within the
mix."
If you have to be "aggressive" with any channel eq then other then the now and then vocal that is
just a nightmare tone wise, your system eq is not done correctly. Channel eq is not meant to fight
feedback...
Quite honestly, I mix ALL instruments the same, vocal or otherwise... I eq to make it nice and
clean with plenty of clarity and intelligibility... whatever that may take for a particular vocal.
Once again, unless you're looking for a particular effect... ie AM radio vocal, guitar etc...
Why would you not want the bgv to be just as clean and clear as the lead vocal, regardless of
where they sit in the mix dynamically?
Try starting your mix by turning off the band and ...
Try starting your mix by turning off the band and just listen to the sound of each vocal in the PA.
Then blend your harmony together and EQ the PA so that the vocals sound natural and clean.
Only then should you start working with eq'ing the other instruments. Vocals are not just a crown
jewel on top of the mix, they are the foundation of a good mix. If you don't get the vocals right,
the mix will never come together.
I am a LOW Bass and my range goes down to 40 HZ on some songs so consider what I do and
cut below 30 HZ to not thin out the low bass voice like mine.
E95 is a fine mic, costs twice as much as a 58, peaks at 1-2 k and probably wont stand being
dropped from the stage to the floor as well, but its not a bad mic certainly.
But 57s and 58s made Shure, not the other way around.
Just a couple of small additions to a helpful article. One reader commented on the subject of mic
choice. I'm sure we all have our favorites; for example, I'm impressed with the clarity of the
Sennheiser e935, and conversely, I don't like the SM58. Its proximity effect introduces way too
much mud when it's used up close, but that's just my experience. If you EQ for that, then when
the vocalist backs off, it ends up sounding thin. As for the SM58 being "the industry standard,"
maybe that's a case of the emperor's new clothes coupled with Shure's great marketing. After all,
50,000 flies can't be wrong ... right?
Regarding the reader comment about panning in a live situation, a little panning goes a long way.
Most of the audience will hear what's in the loudspeaker closer to them, and tend to miss
whatever is panned toward the other side. Remember that very few audience members are seated
along the center line between the loudspeakers. Mixing in mono or very narrow "stereo" will
ensure that most of the audience hears the entire mix, and not the just the side that's closer to
them. Unless, of course, you elect to go the route of source-oriented reinforcement and use a true
input-output delay matrix, such as a TiMax Soundhub, that ensures correct localization for more
than 90% of the audience, no matter where they are seated.
When all is said and done, it's important to remember that mixing, whether in mono or stereo, is
an approach to working with sound that was developed for sound reproduction over a limited
channel count,initially for the cinema and later for home audio systems, and not for live sound
reinforcement. As live theatre sound designers are discovering in ever increasing numbers,
mixing is not the ideal approach to live sound reinforcement, since it robs listeners of the very
localization cues that are so necessary for intelligibility. More on that here:
http://sounddesigndevices.com/index.php/press
Interesting thoughts. I'm not sure that the makeup gain has anything to do with the experience of
a "pumping" quality to a compressor. That's better managed with the attack and release times,
mostly release times. Also, for whatever it's worth, I mix my vocals very bright, just like you'd
hear on Top 40 radio. Part of that comes by rolling the HPF up beyond 120 Hz and adding a lot
of air above 10 kHz. If you do that, you'll need a good de-esser or multi-band compressor. I also
give a longer, louder delay to BGV singers to help push them back in the Z-axis, so to speak.
Very nice article. I've done more recording than live sound reinforcement, and am by no means
an expert, but I noticed a huge tool missing from your mixing arsenal: panning. With more and
more PA's and venues set up for stereo why not make panning an integral part of your mixing?
Sure you can carve out a space with EQ, but panning can really help achieve clarity and space
with vocals. I am missing something - some reason you left this out?
Use an SM58 unless you have a very specific reason not to, or a very well thought out
alternative. There's a reason its the industry standard. I dislike the Betas, they tend to aggravate
nasally voices, although they are great for muddy voices.
I'd be careful cutting at ~3k as listed above.. there is a ton of intelligibility info at 3.15k, its a
great frequency to cut through a mix without getting too nasally. In general its a bad idea to
overstack your frequencies, and since guitars and other instruments chew up a lot of the 1k and
some 2k bands, 3.15 is usually a good spot to showcase your vocals. All of this is on average of
course, different voices require different approaches, but i'd say this works pretty well. Some
voices you do have to carve out spots around 1k or even lower to make them work (usually
pretty good sounding voices actually) and move the instruments elsewhere.
Something else tricky about compression- you dont want to squash the vocals above all. Every
ear in the room can tell the life has been sucked out of it, because the human ear is well designed
to recognize oddities in the human voice. I tend to use comps essentially as limiters to kill any
yelling, transients, or the singer dropping the microphone etc. You generally want to ride the lead
vocal fader more than most anyway, so if they re dynamic just deal with it.
And be tasteful with effects. Consider your venue- if you're in a room that seats 100, a giant hall
reverb is going to take people out of the performance. It sounds processed. Ride you delays.
Harmonizers and other junk.. no thanks. Unless you are going for a very specific sound for some
reason, less is more, and natural is better. The more natural the mix, the more people are aware
they are in a live performance and they react accordingly. The more it sounds like an
overproduced album, the more it seems like lip synching, and people respond accordingly.