Hello Everyone,
Warren Huart here.
In today’s video, I want to share some brilliant insights from my friend Matthew Weiss on tackling a common issue in vocal recordings: too much reverberant “room sound.” We’ve all encountered this problem, where a vocal or audio source ends up sounding distant and muddy because it was captured in a less-than-ideal environment. Matthew, however, turns this challenge into an opportunity to create something unique and compelling. This particular demo is centered on a hip-hop track.
It’s worth noting that hip-hop, a wildly popular genre, has evolved to become as creatively rich as many other genres that exist in the experimental space, such as prog or jazz. In fact, Matthew even likens it to punk rock at one point in the video, highlighting its rebellious and innovative spirit. With that in mind, it’s essential for engineers to develop a strong vocabulary in hip-hop mixing and production. There is no shortage of potential clients eager to leverage our skills to create great hip-hop tracks.
To master these techniques and more, I highly recommend checking out Matthew’s course on Pro Mix Academy for only $87!
In a recent session, Matthew showed us how to transform a mix with straightforward vocals into something exciting and commercially competitive, using a series of small, clever moves. He starts by addressing the excess room sound with some essential Waves plugins. The “R Vox” plugin helps to bring the vocal forward, making it more present and punchy. Next, “R EQ” is used to carve out problematic frequencies and enhance the clarity of the vocal. Finally, “Clarity VX” plays a crucial role in reducing unwanted ambient noise and refining the overall sound. After that, Matthew shows us other directions we can go to truly lean into aspects of imperfect recordings to create exciting outcomes, which we may not have achieved by simply “fixing” them.
What I love about Matthew’s approach is his ability to adapt these techniques based on genre. In this case, we’re dealing with hip-hop, where vocal clarity and impact are paramount. Matthew emphasizes that understanding the genre’s specific production needs can significantly influence the choice of tools and techniques. His knack for turning flaws into features allows the mix to not only sound clean but also creatively engaging.
For those of you eager to dive deeper into Matthew’s mixing strategies, see “Matthew Weiss – Mixing Rhythmic Music Bundle” on Pro Mix Academy.
There, you can learn a wealth of tips and tricks like the ones demonstrated in this video, especially if you’re into mixing hip-hop. Watching Matthew work is incredibly educational and inspiring, as he consistently turns potential problems into standout elements of the mix.
Many Thanks,
Warren
