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Writer's pictureKoncreat

Vocal level. The louder the better?

In the world of audio, we have a war that we all partake in; The loudness war. Is it just for the overall mix? Or can vocal level play a part of the war?


Today's #MixTipMonday will be on how loud vocals should be in music. While there aren't exact decibel levels for vocals to have in order to have the perfect mix, there are measurements. One good tool we all should have, is our ears.


What if we're unsure, or we want to use our eyes to make sure? Using the master fader's meter is definitely a good way to measure.


Have your song play (music and vocals) and see your overall level. Then, mute the music, (or solo the vocals whichever's easier) and see where the vocals are in the meter. Is it showing up loud (close to 0db), or is it showing up low in the meter? If it's showing loud on your master fader's meter, you might want to consider turning down the vocals.


In general basis the music is supposed to be loud in the master fader's meter, and the vocals fill in the remaining db (excluding the head room). It's a tough job to get the vocals to sit on top of the music, and not have it compete in loudness with the music. Practice and panning will take you a long way. #HappyMixing

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