Joeys Approach to Background Vocals

Joey shows you his favorite techniques to level up background vocals. What techniques do you use on your background vocals? Let us know in the comments!

0:00 Introduction
0:38 Aligning
1:38 Panning
2:35 Multiband Compression
3:40 EQ
5:27 Modulation
6:04 Reverb
6:56 Closing thoughts

Tags:home recording,audio production,mixing tutorials
#homerecording #audioproduction #mixingtutorials

[synthicify]

Just found your channel and been watching your videos all day. I cannot express how much a appreciate the editing quality, timestamps and pacing. There are many tutorials on mixing that just get lost in endless talk. Straight and to the point, with awesome visuals. Can't ask for more!

[aleksamrkela]

I set a faster attack when compressing my background vocals than on the lead vocal. Really helps to keep the background vocals in the background.

[MahmoudNader]

Thanks Joey

Btw reaper has its own Vocalign script that is for free

[pierre-claudemeriot]

Damn that back vocal arrangement is amazing

[Daysofsamara]

A trick I use often for layers that follow the lead vocal is to use a side chain gate on the BGV buss keyed by the main vox with fast attack and release.

[boxy]

i massively appreciate the clean editing, clear visuals and labelled chapter timestamps, as well as the helpful info you can put in short videos! perfect format, thank you jst team <3

[jessecantrell]

I watched a video a while back where this guy did like 30 backing vocal tracks to get that thick Def Leppard effect… i just did 18 takes with Howard Benson Vocals 😆

[philippgrunert]

Brilliant Video, solved a year long issue in my mixing

[willai]

what a legend this is so much good knowledge

[OlevInnie]

Amazing stuff again. I really like having some "dry" work that helps elevate the end product. Cleaning up the alignment doesn't take a ton of creativity, but makes every following step thát much more efficient and pleasurable

[ghastlyshimmer]

Joeys mixes are so clean. Damn.

I wish JST would explain the balancing video more tho or at least the limiter part.

[Mevzuderin]

I just wanted to say how awesome you guys are.. im almost watching your videos for 1, 5 hour now and they are so good and there is so much useful and informative. I like this video especially because i was stuck trying to mix my background vocals and i couldnt get it right. Now i know, thanks to you, how to approach them. Thanks for all of these information you share with us!
Keep up the good work, god bless you guys!

[CaseySabol]

I do everything you recommend here EXCEPT widening...I like to only widen the guitars in my mixes. Also, I like to put the ambience plugin before the compressor on the actual BGV aux, rather than on a separate aux send, and set it kinda bright and modulating. Think FabFilter Pro-R with the brightness knob turned up a tad and the "character" knob turned up all the way. Makes the bgv's sound like they were performed all together in a space, and the modulation sounds really natural but controlled. Also helps to make the predelay pretty slow, like around 50-90ms, so you retain some closeness and articulation in the diction. You just have to be much more careful with the dry/wet ratio on the reverb plugin since you're compressing after it. It's definitely a specific sound that won't always work, but it's epic when it does. Sounds very Def Leppard.

[riptideL]

Joey I LOVE these! The best visuals of a DAW also (how do you do that?) and finally, is there a tutorial videos of the conquer divide recording shown in the video. Would love to see that.

[IntoTheForest]

Pro tip: write in each vocal harmony on an instrument track using a basic piano sound and have the vocalist sing to that. Not only will they be more in tune by having a pitch reference, but they’ll also be more in time so you won’t have to edit the timing as much, or if you have a particularly good vocalist, at all.

[lylaznboi]

I always like to use a different compressor and eq compared to the lead vox to give it a bit more separation.

[lebcaleb]

Has the tune already been released? Thank you for your content

[onion]

oh i thought i was just bad with timing with vocals, didn;t know bands have this problem

[mfkrwill]

Would these still be a good starting place when attempting some of the layering styles that, say, Travis Ryan from cattle decapitation does in the stuff Dave Otero has been mixing? I have a song with a similar feel, and i feel like i hit a wall with trying to get everything to gel. doesnt sound BAD but it could be better.

I may start from scratch on that mix, since its been a while, and reference this when i get to the layers again

[worksofein]

Literally the problem I'm having right now so I will be giving these techniques a go. Are you putting all the reverbs on sends or directly on the tracks?