How to EQ a Pop Vocal (2023)

FAQs

How do you equalize pop music? ›

When working with a harsh vocal, you can typically tame it by attenuating frequencies above 2kHz and below 12kHz using a subtle bell filter via an EQ. Attenuating 3-5kHz will help significantly, as will using a de-esser on 5kHz to 12kHz to reduce harsh-sounding sibilance.

Vocal recordings are naturally dynamic, which means they have a wide range of loud and soft parts. Compression reduces the distance between the loudest and softest part of the vocal, making it more consistent in volume throughout.

Use Bright Reverb

Bright reverb both causes the vocal to sound bigger, and amplifies the high-frequency range, causing clarity. To accomplish this, you can use a reverb plugin that includes some form of equalization, like dampening, or an eq.

As a rule, using EQ in front of your compressor produces a warmer, rounder tone, while using EQ after your compressor produces a cleaner, clearer sound.

Your vocals should sound louder than the beat between -10dB and -15dB. A reliable method would be to set your lead vocal track to -12dB, then push back your instrumental tracks accordingly.

The easiest way to use an EQ to fix muddy vocals is to use a low-cut filter and high-pass everything below a certain frequency, typically around 90-100Hz. This will help reduce proximity effect and any boominess in the performer's voice.

Why do my vocals sound sharp? ›

The true problem with harsh vocals is that they are caused by specific frequency resonances within the high frequencies of the vocal track. These resonances often don't happen all the time but rather only when certain consonants, phrases and notes occur within the vocal performance.

In my opinion, apply EQ before and after compression. Whether you agree with that or not, it's up to you, but that's how I like to work. Give that a try.

Just dial in a soft knee, moderate ratio (try 2:1 or 3:1), gentle attack & release times and set your threshold for 2-4 dB of compression. This type of soft knee vocal compression pairs especially well with the sort of targeted dynamic control I described in my ratio article.

Classical or “legit” singers are not the only ones that need a strong head voice. Both pop and classical singers need to know how to use head voice IN DIFFERENT WAYS. How a pop singer shapes her head voice resonance is NOT the same way that a classical singer does it – yet it's ALL still head voice.

Too much compression produces a flat, non-dynamic performance that doesn't have a “live” feel to it. An overly compressed vocal will feel unnatural and dull to the listener, so it's key to avoid this point if at all possible. Lead vocals should be consistent, but still, have a degree of dynamic fluctuation.

Generally speaking, faster attack and release times will give you more aggression, grit, and loudness, while slower times sound smoother. Many engineers choose to begin applying compression with a slow attack speed and a fast release speed for the most natural, transparent sound.

In general, effects like high pass/low cut filters, subtle EQ, de-essers, and gentle compression/dynamics should be used before Auto-Tune in the effects chain. All other processing such as delay, reverb, spatial effects, distortion, etc should be applied after Auto-Tune.

Thus, it is best to record vocal renditions with an average of -18 dB, assuming you are using the standard definition 24-bit. However, louder parts such as screams or breakdowns should be -10dB. This works the other way around – the loudest and quietest recordings should be at least -24 dB.

What is the normal dB for vocals? ›

A normal voice level is between 60-70 dB. A raised voice is between 65-75 dB. A very loud voice is between 75-85 dB. A shouting voice is above 85 dB.

To make vocals sound better, start by editing - when editing, cut out background noise, use clip gain to balance dynamics, and even remove plosives or unwanted sibilance. Then you can introduce subtractive EQ, Compression, Additive EQ, Saturation, Exciters, and various forms of short and long reverb.

What causes weak voice? Weak voice can be caused by the normal ageing process but can occur at any time due to poor vocal hygiene. Professional voice users may also experience weak voice due to overuse of the voice.

Just as it sounds, vocal fatigue results when you've overused your voice without proper recovery time. The vocal folds are muscles and just like any other muscle or muscle group, they get tired, sore, and don't work as well after a strenuous workout.

Dip Sibilance, Boost Air

An easy way to make bright vocals is to first attenuate sibilance and then boost the air or highest frequency range available. The sibilance will be between 4kHz and 10kHz, while the airband which will be a shelf, can be centered at 12kHz and above.

600 Hz–3,000 Hz (Mids)—the range that humans can hear the best. The majority of the sound of vocals is here, so EQing this range represents the perfect equalizer settings to play with if you want to affect someone's voice.

Often, you will find that cutting a harsh region, like 2.5kHz to 3.5kHz on a lead vocal and then slightly boosting just above that range, like 6kHz to 8kHz, will add back the shine so that the cut doesn't result in a dull tone.

The word harsh typically describes a shrill or cold sound and generally speaking, harshness exists in the range of 3kHz-5kHz. Usually, this is the problematic area bothering listeners when they claim “the vocal sounds too bright,” even though “bright” can also be a term to describe higher, airy bands.

Most commonly, dysphonia is caused by an abnormality with the vocal cords (also known as vocal folds) but there can be other causes from problems with airflow from the lungs or abnormalities with the structures of the throat near the vocal cords.

Should you master a beat before vocals? ›

Master Beat Before or After Vocals

The learning process will be much more lively and active if you do it at one time without delay. Your best bet would be to blend vocals with beat and hone them together. Likewise, mixing vocals and beat sounds will allow you to experiment, open up new boundaries and go beyond.

We ultimately want to achieve clarity and brilliance — a basic sound we can modify later however we want — so we need to clear off the dirt. So the first working step of EQing vocals is always a basic “low cut.” Take away anything under 40 to 60 Hz. Because we rather feel than hear what's going on there.

It really depends on what sound you're going for and what other effects you're using. If you're using a lot of other effects, it might be best to put the eq before the compression so you can really shape your sound. If you're going for a more natural sound, you might want to put the compression before the eq.

In short: So many songs sound the same because they use the same underlying sequence of chords. Different keys, different arrangements, different styles – but the same progression! Learn about this progression and playing songs by ear becomes much easier!

For pop, the most common technique is to hard-pan double-tracked elements and use this to delineate sections (say, verse and chorus).

Pop Singers Use Chesty Vowels

Pop vocalists use loud and chesty vowels. For example, to make a high belt more approachable, an "AH" sound may be changed to an "A" sound. Vowels used by classical vocalists are often stronger.

The root of the "three-minute" length is likely derived from the original format of 78 rpm-speed phonograph records; at about 3 to 5 minutes per side, it's just long enough for the recording of a complete song. The rules of the Eurovision Song Contest do not permit entries to be longer than three minutes.

Pop Music Appeals to a Wide Audience

Unlike other genres that cater to a specific group of people, pop music has mass appeal and can be enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. This makes it the perfect genre for parties or other events where you want everyone to be able to enjoy the music.

The trick being used is called dynamic range compression. It boosts quieter passages of music so that, overall, the music sounds louder. The waveform shown in the video contains all the tell-tell signs of compression.

What are 4 characteristics of pop music? ›

There are four characteristics of popular music that are usually found in songs that become hits. They are a good rhythm, a catchy melody, easy to remember lyrics, and a repeated chorus. These elements come together to create a song that is enjoyable to listen to and easy to sing along to.

Homophonic. Homophonic texture (homophony) is the most common texture in Western music, both classical and popular.

Don't worry, you're not 'getting old', nor are you the only one. The average tempo of pop songs has decreased by over 20 per cent in the last five years and researchers think it's down to the rising popularity of laid-back hip-hop and people's need for more soothing and comforting music in times of unease.

Listening to pop music as you study will help relax the brain and focus on the creative side of things. Make it a point to listen to your favorite pop music stars and albums each time you feel a break in the creative flow. Music relaxes the brain muscles, improves concentration, and thereby enhances creative ability.

Pop songs usually have a simple composition, which is based on repetitive elements that are easy to remember. Several lyrical and musical elements, such as the choruses, verses, hooks, and riffs, are all written and constructed with simple lines and notes.

Most pop/rock songs have a mixture of syncopated and “straight” rhythms. The syncopated rhythms are usually easy to sing, since they often match speech better than straight rhythms. However, they are more difficult than straight rhythms to sight-sing, dictate, or transcribe.