Any Tips For EQing Background Vocals?

[jdhogg]

Problem. Two or more backing singers and 1 pair of headphones.

Solution. Get a figure 8 mic and split the singers. Half singing in the front and half into the back.

Then set up an old set of speakers equidistant pointing at the mic side nulls.
You will hardly be able to hear the spill from the speaker monitor mix as it is pointing into the null and as the speaker waveforms are out of phase they will cancel at the mic.

You can use this for people that just hate headphones.

[Dwayne Russell]

I'm constantly having trouble getting my background vocals to sit just right in the mix. Does anyone have any tips for Eq-ing them in relation to the lead vocal? Thanks, --Brooke

You might want to post a tune so we can hear.

The first place you should start is the parts themselves. What are the notes? The notes you sing and the range they are sung and who sings them makes a difference. Those parts and notes must relate to the instruments in a way that lets them be heard REGARDLESS of EQ.

The other instruments maybe covering them up. Have you EQed the other instruments so that they cover the BG vocals? In particular the bass.

I don't see how anyone can say use this EQ or that EQ or EQ this way or that, or use this or that mic or anything like that when they have not heard your stuff. You might not be an EQ problem at all.

[mojobone]

Yeah, could be you just need the right compressor settings, if your BGs are't 'sitting' right. Maybe there's a well-known recording you have in mind that has the sound you're after, as well.


Eliot's tip about the consonants is a great one, too; it's partly what the distant miking is intended to fix, cuz condensers can be so sensitive, you can hear a singer's lips peeling back from her teeth, when you're close, and multiplying consonants while stacking a ton of vocal tracks can really exacerbate these kinds of problems. Using a pop filter helps, too, even if you're two feet or more from the mic. Try to edit out plosives, lip-smacks, unwanted breath noise and sibilance before the mix stage, so they don't trigger your compressor unnecessarily and cause pumping or breathing. Most compressors tend to react more to plosives because they have a lot of low frequency energy; another reason to cut lows and low-mids. Dipping 1kHz or even a shelving cut of everything below 1.5-1.8kHz can be useful too, it's called a doughnut hole-you leave space for the lead vocal, which will usually have a lot of energy around 1kHz. When I push the highs on BGs, I use a broad shelf for everything above about 10kHz, depending. People won't hear the extra 'air' in their car, or on most earbuds, but it's nice for the folks who have a good system.

[feaker66]

Eliot

Would you please explain what "eq: pull about 4th out of 1k" means?

Great thread for me. Never knew that doubling etc was done.

Thanks

Paul

[BrookeBMitchell]

[/quote] You might want to post a tune so we can hear.

The first place you should start is the parts themselves. What are the notes? The notes you sing and the range they are sung and who sings them makes a difference. Those parts and notes must relate to the instruments in a way that lets them be heard REGARDLESS of EQ.

The other instruments maybe covering them up. Have you EQed the other instruments so that they cover the BG vocals? In particular the bass.

I don't see how anyone can say use this EQ or that EQ or EQ this way or that, or use this or that mic or anything like that when they have not heard your stuff. You might not be an EQ problem at all.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure the notes themselve aren't the issue. I am singing all the parts so all the the voices are the same. I get what you mean though about having them around a frequency range that doesn't get too clouded by other specific instruments. I haven't tried eq'ing the bass to create space for the BG vocals yet. I do need to check that. I will try to get a post up soon with a specific example. I think it will end up being a combination of compression, light EQ, and panning from hearing everyone's suggestions.

[BrookeBMitchell]

BTW, I know I took your question in a little bit different direction. I hope that's ok. If you're doing a little more of a subdued arrangement, mojo's tips are excellent.

No, no....All your tips are excellent! Thank you very much. I'm definitely trying for the wall of sound vocal thing.

[Dwayne Russell]

I think it will end up being a combination of compression, light EQ, and panning from hearing everyone's suggestions.

You can pan compress and EQ them all day, but if what you do to the other instruments covers them up then you wasted your time.

I think they should be heard clearly BEFORE you pan EQ and compress. Are they?

[mr clean]

Hey, what a great thread. Lots of good tips.

[BrookeBMitchell]

You can pan compress and EQ them all day, but if what you do to the other instruments covers them up then you wasted your time.

I think they should be heard clearly BEFORE you pan EQ and compress. Are they?

I don't know. You can click the link to my page and listen to "Short Of Enough". I don't like how they sit in that song at any given point. I know there are probably 100 0ther things I have to fix in that mix, but the BG vocals are just one of them. It is a simple instrumentation with very little on the low end.

http://www.taxi.com/brookemitchell

[Dwayne Russell]

You can pan compress and EQ them all day, but if what you do to the other instruments covers them up then you wasted your time.

I think they should be heard clearly BEFORE you pan EQ and compress. Are they?

I don't know. You can click the link to my page and listen to "Short Of Enough". I don't like how they sit in that song at any given point. I know there are probably 100 0ther things I have to fix in that mix, but the BG vocals are just one of them. It is a simple instrumentation with very little on the low end.

http://www.taxi.com/brookemitchell

Your viola/violin parts are competing with your BG vocals. Work with that a bit and see what happens. If you just have to have those string parts that way then send me the tracks. I'll mix it for you.
You will have to know mixing tricks to get them both to work with out competing.

But, it sounds like your BG vocals are panned in the middle too with your lead vocal and part of the strings. Pan them right and see what happens.