Mixing vocals in metal is not necessarily an easy task.
Mixing a voice is no small feat in any other style of music — but in metal, whether we are talking about clean or guttural singing, we add a point of complexity: the density of the mix.
Indeed, it is difficult to make our vocal tracks stand out in a mix where guitars and drums take up so much space.
So, through this article, we will see together some tips for best mixing your vocal tracks with the rest of the instruments, for heavy metal and all associated sub-genres.
Layering and Panning
Often, when mixing metal, we are looking for powerful vocals that cut through the mix and especially have real density.
But what we often forget when listening to commercial productions, is that this “in your face” effect primarily comes from the arrangement.
Listen to the following passage from the chorus of the song “Dark Chest of Wonders” by Nightwish:
What do we hear?
Well, we notice that Tarja Turunen’s (the singer) voice is supported by several vocal takes that are:
- at different pitches;
- at different levels in the mix;
- and surrounding the voice in terms of panning.
If we removed all these harmonies, it is very likely that the chorus would lose its power.
Another example in a much more extreme register (watch your speakers):
Again, the lead voice is positioned in the center of the stereo image but is surrounded by harmony lines, which sometimes only reinforce the last word of each phrase.
Without necessarily using it all the time, do not hesitate to use this layering technique to enhance the power of your vocal tracks through a stacking of vocal layers.
Don’t forget to properly adjust the panning of these tracks (which you can mix like choirs) so that they surround the main voice.
Equalization of Metal Vocals
For metal vocals, equalization is both important and unimportant.
Important because poor equalization can ruin the mix.
But unimportant because if the take is of good quality, there is generally very little to do.
Equalize at the Recording Stage
In this regard, the choice of microphone during recording is crucial: whether we are talking about clean or guttural vocals, you will not get the same result with an SM7B or with a condenser microphone.
The recording will therefore determine your vocal track’s ability to integrate into the mix — much more than any equalization.
Also, take into account, when recording, the proximity effect: if your singer’s voice seems too weak, try moving the microphone slightly closer to their mouth for a more supported response in the low frequencies.
► On this subject, feel free to read my complete guide on recording vocals
Clean Your Tracks
Of course, especially if you are recording in a home studio context, there are almost always small things to correct.
Generally, much like for guitars, I recommend placing a high-pass filter to cut the lowest frequencies.
Often, a cut around 80 Hz is effective.
This simply eliminates certain frequencies that you won’t need, which just contribute to making the sound more cluttered: electrical noise, rumblings from a passing car, etc.
Be careful not to cut too high: if you feel that your voice is losing power / body with this high-pass filter, it means you’ve gone too far.
Moreover, different resonances may be present in your recordings.
Often, these are resonances related to the acoustics of the room or the physical properties of the microphone (like a capsule that is a bit more sensitive to a given frequency).
If these resonances are too pronounced and bother you, feel free to attenuate them with a bell filter with a high Q factor, being careful again not to harm the density of the vocal track.
Sculpt your sound
When equalizing a voice, you are always limited because you need to ensure it remains realistic.
Unlike guitars, for example, where you can afford to be a bit more creative.
For metal voices, this rule does not change — so I advise you to have a light touch when equalizing.
However, I often find myself raising the highs to give some air (typically with a high-shelf filter) or boosting the upper mids to increase the intelligibility of the lyrics (typically with a bell filter around 4 kHz).
And that’s it.
If your recording is of good quality, you often won’t need to do much more! 🙂
Note that attenuating the low mids and then raising the volume can also be a way to bring out the highs. Some find this technique more natural and easier to implement… why not.
In any case, the challenge of this equalization phase is clear: your scream or clean voice needs to fit into the rest of the mix, which is often very dense due to the walls of guitars.
So don’t forget to equalize your vocal track with the full mix, especially to listen to the impact of the guitars and cymbals on the intelligibility of the vocals.
Compression of metal voices
For me, compression is THE criterion that differentiates a professional mix from an amateur mix.
Especially concerning scream / screamo / guttural vocals for metal.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, in metal, the mix is often dense.
Managing compression on your vocal tracks well is therefore crucial for them to stand out properly.
1176 type compressors work excellently for this kind of application.
Indeed, these compressors have a very “rock” attitude, with a lot of character.
They will help give punch to your vocals while leveling the overall volume.
As a first approach, set the ratio to 4:1, adjust the attack to enhance the punch of the syllables — but don’t hesitate to really push into the compressor: a gain reduction of 10 or 15 dB is not necessarily a problem!
If you find the effect too pronounced, feel free to combine your 1176 with another compressor for more gradual compression.
A little technique: it is common to use a gain automation line to align the volumes of different words, even different syllables before the compressor.
This allows the compressor to be engaged more evenly across the entire track, and often yields interesting results (although, it is true, it can take time to set up…)
Saturation of metal voices
Specifically for guttural singing, it is common to add saturation to go even further in aggression.
This can also help, of course, with imperfect vocal performances: after all, the singing techniques in extreme metal or anything screamo are far from easy to master, and a bit of extra distortion can help correct some flaws.
To saturate your vocal tracks, you can use all sorts of plugins.
Decapitator is a common choice, and thus a name we often see, but I encourage you to also try other tools like tape simulations, which do the job very well and sometimes in a more subtle way.
Here are some plugin suggestions:
- FabFilter Saturn 2
- iZotope Trash 2
- Overloud GEM Tapedesk
- Waves Kramer Master Tape (-10% using this link and the promo code that appears then)
- Nembrini Audio Vintage Clipper
- Soundtoys DevilLoc
Feel free to also check out my selections of free distortion and saturation plugins.
Reverb and Delay on Metal Vocals
By default, without knowing what style of metal you are working with, my instinct would be to advise against using reverb.
Simply because with the overall density of mixes, a reverb (even more so if poorly set) will contribute to making the track messy much more than it will help to add ambiance to the vocals.
A delay set to the tempo of the track and properly filtered will often be much more effective.
However, one must be aware that it all depends on the musical style.
Typically, in Black Metal, where the intelligibility of the lyrics is less important than the overall atmosphere of the piece, it is common to find marked uses of reverb as creative tools.
One example among many:
So it’s up to you to choose based on your universe.
But what is certain is that on modern and dense mixes, the delay will likely be the effect that allows you to give a 3D impression to the vocals without drowning them in the mix.
In Conclusion
There you go, you now have all the tools to equalize, compress, and process your metal vocal tracks, whether it’s clean singing or guttural singing.
As you can see, there is not necessarily a need for dozens of effects for it to sound good. 😉
► Continue reading with my guide on mixing guitars for metal.