Guides
Short guides on mixing and mastering your own songs, from the team behind KUBOMI.
- How to Mix Harmonies and Backing Vocals Around the Lead
How do you mix harmonies and backing vocals so they sit around the lead instead of fighting it? Clear steps for home cover recordings: timing, tone, level, panning and reverb, plus quick checks for the blend.
- How to Make Vocals Sit in the Mix Instead of Floating on Top
How to make vocals sit in the mix instead of floating on top: the usual causes, plus home-studio steps for level, tone, compression and shared reverb, and a final checklist.
- How to Mix a Home-Recorded Cover Vocal: Steps, and What a Mix Can't Fix
How to mix a home-recorded cover vocal, in order: cleanup, balance, EQ, compression, level rides, reverb and export. Also covers the recording problems a mix can't fix and when to sing a line again.
- How to Double-Track a Lead Vocal and Make It Sound Fuller Without a Mess
How do you double-track a lead vocal so it sounds fuller instead of messy? Steps to record a matching second take, clean up its timing, consonants and breaths, set its level and panning, and check the result.
- Vocals Too Quiet in the Mix? How Loud Should the Vocal Sit Against the Instrumental?
Vocals too quiet in your mix? Work out whether the cause is level, space, uneven dynamics or effects, then set the vocal against the instrumental with a step-by-step listening method.