
Keep in mind that the instrumental track has already been processed with EQ, so you don’t want to tinker with it too much. You’ll want to lower its volume so the vocal can stand out. If the instrumental track is mastered, it’s probably a lot louder than the vocal track. The most noticeable element here is loudness. Space in a mix is achieved in several ways. The first step to achieving this blend is allowing space for the vocal track. Otherwise, these pieces will stack uncomfortably rather than mesh into one package. Your end goal is to match the sound of the dry vocal track to that of the mixed and mastered instrumental.

Make Room for the Vocalįrom the start, you’ll be looking at two distinct pieces: the instrumental track and the dry vocal track. So here are four tips for properly mixing vocals to an instrumental track. Even if you don’t foresee yourself doing this, it’s a useful skill to have. Those who produce music that uses pre-existing beats or requires new vocal features or remixes will often find themselves mixing vocals over a fully-realized track. But what if you have to mix vocals to an instrumental track that’s already been mixed or even mastered? This might sound like a unique scenario, but it’s fairly common, especially for hip-hop producers.

Every aspect can be put in solo, muted, compared, and adjusted accordingly. You can access each piece of the puzzle individually and make changes to a single track or group of tracks at your discretion. You’ll be mixing vocals alongside guitars, bass, drums, synths, and anything else. If you’re producing your own music or recording a full band, you’ll likely be recording and mixing the whole song or album in a single project.
