3. “Add Brightness, Not Harshness: Apply a gentle boost using a wide-band bandpass filter above 6 kHz. Use the sweep control to sweep the frequencies to get it right.” As for “brightness,” high frequencies control how bright and airy a vocal can sound.
For example, crank the high EQ all the way up during a practice on a vocal mic. It will be very airy and then you can reduce it to where it sounds good. So much of what sounds good comes with having a good ear and knowing the music.
4. “Smoothness: Apply some cut in a narrow band in the 1 kHz to 2 kHz range.” Much of the natural frequencies of a voice are in the mid-range. By cutting or boosting in the mid-range, we can optimize the sound so it sounds best. We can also boost or cut to separate it out in the mix from other vocals and or instruments that might be vying for the same frequencies.
Think of it like this, a bass is low end. A flute and even a drum kit’s high-hat are on the high end. You want to fill up the sonic space (freqs) with as much as you can over the whole range. When you get a bunch of stuff in the same place, it usually results in a muddy sound.
Same with bass, boost a little or cut…or not. Here’s the thing—the best thing you can do is get a solo track of a vocal on CD (or do this during practice). Move the EQ dials, one at a time, to an extreme. Once you hear what is bad, it’s easier to then move the dial until you hear what sounds good. We just need to know the bad to help identify the good.
Additionally, for singers with slightly wavering voices or younger singers, add a little vocal reverb effect that will even out their vocal fluctuations.
Maybe it’s something deep within our minds that says “if there’s a problem with the sound then we need to boost the problem area.” However, when it comes to EQ and even cross-channel balancing, this is not always the case. Cutting frequencies is often the cure.
For example, if two instruments are sharing common frequencies and you want one to stand out, don’t boost the frequency for that instrument. Cut the frequency of the other. Lowering other channel volumes can bring the boost to the single channel that you need. Louder isn’t always better.
One last very helpful tip (!) If you’re having trouble cleaning up a male vocal, take a 3-6 dB cut in the 325 Hz to 350 Hz range. This is where a lot of the muddiness in a male vocal can be found.
Vocal EQ is where the science of audio manipulation is surpassed by the art of audio manipulation. The tips presented here might get you exactly where you want to be. But more likely, they’ll only point you in the right direction that will eventually lead to the sound you really want.
Listen to several genres of music, hear the different types of vocal EQ for each style of music. Then add in individual taste in EQ. You might think that a singer’s vocal EQ is perfect, while he/she might think it needs more breathiness or more brightness or more bass. It’s quite subjective, sorry to say.
The Take Away
—Use some foundational EQ work to get started
—EQ in a way that matches the style of music you are mixing – listen to the same song from a professional recording to hear it
—EQ to match what you want to hear, and don’t ask yourself the question “does this sound good?“ Rather, ask “does this sound like I want it to sound?“
Ready to learn and laugh? Chris Huff writes about the world of church audio at Behind The Mixer. He covers everything from audio fundamentals to dealing with musicians. He can even tell you the signs the sound guy is having a mental breakdown.