Vocals in a mix, setting levels question
 

It seems like it varies so much from speaker to speaker. I have a new song, but I can't tell if the vocals are too loud in the mix. Is there a good rule of thumb for this, or is it all about training your ear? Anyone willing to listen and tell me if it's too prominent?

https://mcmakinmusic.com/track/2656604/she-danced

Sure -- can you throw it up on Soundcloud or Youtube so we can all opine?

Thanks! I have added a link to the song in my original post. General comments are very much welcomed, but I am mostly concerned about the way the vocals fit in the mix.

Well its all subjective of course. So beyond personal preference To some extent it has to do with genre. Rock often tends to move the vocals a bit more back into the mix . Were things like country , folk, and singer songwriter , tend to bring them a bit forward .


As far as your linked song I do think the vocal is perhaps a few db 3-5, too loud for the rest of the mix. If your not using a compressor you might try one, start with 2-1 to 4-1 ratio , medium fast attack. If you are using a comp, you might back off the makeup gain a bit .

For me, the vocal's a little hot when it comes in. A mix is a blend of sounds, but it's also a sequence of events. The ear always latches onto the "new thing," so new things can be a little underplayed when they first appear.

I think the vocal's also a tad bright. But your ear seems to like things brighter than mine in general, so that's more of a taste issue.

I would agree that the voice is a little hot in the mix.

A great deal of this is due to the other signals. I'm not hearing much in the lower midrange to counter the vocal, and that 'lack of competition' seems to highlight the vocal even more.

Did you roll off low mids on the guitars? If so, try rolling off a little less.

Mixing often involves using EQ to 'carve out' space for important instruments (like vocals!!!). Sometimes we cut a little too deeply and an instrument ends up isolated.

Thanks everyone for listening and for your comments. I am going to back off on the vocals a bit and perhaps add compression. I'll also consider the overall brightness and how the vocals sit in the mix.

For compression, are we talking compression on the vocals only, or the whole song?

I have revised the song a bit. I brought the vocals down a bit, added some vocal compression, and tried to integrate things a bit better. Any additional thoughts?

New link in the original post.

Yeah, nice. Very smooth, easy on the ear.

Do you have any reverb on the vocal? Compared to the instruments, it doesn't sound like it. The rhythm guitar sounds a little muddy to me - its smooth, but doesn't have much definition. The lead guitar (slide. dobro?) can only be heard on occasion. When its louder, you might want to pan it partway to one side, and slide the acoustic over (via automation) to the opposite side a little to balance it out.
Note that when it comes to mixing, everyone has a particular sound they prefer. Do you use reference mixes?

I like the song and the vocal a lot. Nicely done. To my ear the vocal might still be a tad bright. However, I've been working on a song where I want the vocal particularly dark so my ear is likely skewed by what I'm doing with my song.

I really appreciate the kind feedback. I have now gone back through the song and tried to make it sound a bit more cohesive. Please take a listen and see if this sounds any better? I have updated the link in the original post. Here it is again:

https://mcmakinmusic.com/track/2656604/she-danced

Any comments on the newest mix?

I kinda wished all versions were here to listen....would love to have heard the evolution of the recording