How to Use Auto-Tune for Vocal Tuning

The really interesting thing about Antares Auto-Tune is that just about everyone has an idea of what it is. For engineers, it’s a very useful tool and effect; but the fact that it’s recognized by almost everybody, beyond studio pros,…

Antares Harmony Engine Review: Craft Incredible Vocal Harmonies

Antares Harmony Engine isn’t new, but it’s gotten better and better over the years, making it worthy of a fresh review of features and specs. The company is well known for developing real-time plugins that make the lives of musicians,…

Antares Duo Review: The Ultimate Vocal Doubler Plugin?

As many may know, Antares Tech are the masterminds behind one of the most influential software plugins of all time: Auto-Tune. Their current suite of vocal effects includes numerous tools used by engineers and producers everyday to enhance the sound…

Finding the Best Pop Filter for Recording Vocals

If you’ve recorded vocals and wondered why you heard loud bursts of air when the singer hits certain consonants, then you already understand the use of a pop filter. While it isn’t the most earth-shattering piece of studio equipment we…

The Best De-Esser Plugin for Your Vocals (Free & Paid)

Mixing professional sounding vocals isn’t easy. Before even getting to that stage, it starts with an amazing performance and an excellent recording. Covering those two bases is fundamental and certainly helps make the mix stage more creative and fun rather…

13 Best Vocal Plugins For Home Studios in 2023

When it’s time to mix a singer, you should be armed with some of the best vocal plugins you can get your hands on! We’ll be looking at a variety of compressors, EQs, and other plugins that really shine on…

What Is Sibilance (And Is It Always a Bad Thing?)

What is sibilance? We hear about it all the time, and how it’s this ugly sound in vocal recordings that we have to tame. Is that always the case? What Is Sibilance in Audio? By definition, sibilance is a kind…

The Best Wireless Microphone for Singers [2023 Guide]

The best wireless microphone sounds great, is reliable, and most importantly, lets a performer roam the stage without restriction. Historically, there’ve been reservations about wireless systems, namely due to questions about interference, sound quality, and overall reliability. The truth is,…

What Does a Pop Filter Do? Recording Vocals

(Alisa Apps Featured in Photo) A pop filter is a simple mesh shield we place in front of a microphone. Typically made of nylon or metal, they clamp to a mic stand with an adjustable gooseneck. For most close-miked vocal…

Vocal Compression for Beginners

Learning to mix an up-front, in-your-face vocal takes practice. Understandably the most important aspect of a song across numerous genres, a great sounding, competitive vocal has the power to stand out from the pack. But how do we even get…

Overloud Voice Review: The Ultimate One-Stop Vocal Production Plugin?

Ever wondered how the world’s top engineers craft award-winning vocals? Everyone has their own approach and techniques, but many of the same kinds of effects go into vocal chains on each and every mix, across genres and from mixer to…

Celemony Melodyne 5 Review

For over 20 years, Melodyne has been the not-so-secret weapon behind pristine vocal and instrumental performances. Celemony’s founder, Peter Neubäcker, started developing the Melodyne concept in 1997. Three years later he began the company, and in 2001, industry-changing software was…

Acoustic Guitar and Vocal Recording Tips: How to Nail Your Takes

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time experimenting with recording on a professional or just a hobbyist level, there’s a good chance you’ve been asked to capture a singer-songwriter before. In today’s world of modern digital recording, our natural…

Creative Reverb and Delay Tricks for Vocals

Vocals are the centerpiece to any song and generally require a bit more attention than basic rhythm tracks. Since the human voice is the most expressive instrument, you can have a lot of fun mixing them. There’s lots of pretty…

Mixing Vocals: The Produce Like A Pro Master List

Have you ever had trouble getting a vocal to sit right in the mix? Have you ever felt underwhelmed by the overall tonality of a vocal, whether it’s too thin or perhaps too muffled? Does the vocal feel too wet…

Avoiding Dull Vocals | FAQ Friday
We’re back with another episode of FAQ Friday! As always we have a ton of marvellous questions! Our featured question this week: "Vocals I record are always piercing in the +7K range. I notch and deEss but the vocal ends…
What is Vocal Tuning?

It’s no secret that vocalists sometimes need a little assistance to hit the perfect pitch. Even the most talented singers can sometimes hover, sharp or flat, around the note they’re trying to sing. An engineer might also have an otherwise…

Did they high-pass in 1979? | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly episode where I answer your most frequently asked questions! How do you get your question answered? Leave thought provoking, conversation starting questions or comments on the videos! If you've been wondering about something, ask away!…
When to give feedback to an artist | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly episode where I answer your most frequently asked questions! How do you get your question answered? Leave thought provoking, conversation starting questions or comments on the videos! If you've been wondering about something, ask away!…
Sonnox VoxDoubler Toolbox Plug-ins Review

By: Barry Rudolph The Sonnox’ VoxDoubler plug-ins are the first two new processors in their Toolbox Series coded exactly for vocals. Music mixers can now easily fatten up vocals dimensionally in stereo with the VoxD Widen plug-in or more conventionally,…

Vocal mixing, widening, compression and getting a great vocal performance- FAQ Friday
As always, I get tons of amazing questions from you guys on a daily/weekly basis! If a singer thinks that there he or she is the world's greatest singer and they have this amazing range but actually don’t, how do…
Producing Vocals with Grammy Winners Phil Allen and Bob Horn
Great vocal production is foundational in making a song sound great! Modern music relies heavily on the vocal track being big, up front, and clear! The lead vocal track contains many of the emotional elements in a song and can…