Quick Help for Vocal Processing

Making vocals fit in the mix is a notoriously challenging task. Sometimes, making vocals sound right takes tremendous time, effort, and a lot of processing. Many tools are available for processing the vocals, from standard dynamic processors like EQs and compressors, reverbs, delays, and creative effects like granular delays, various pitch shifters, doublers, and whatnot. Using all these in the vocal processing chain can be time-consuming. Still, some multi-effect processors are available today that significantly decrease the time and effort needed to process the vocals. Therefore, in the following tutorial, we will present one such effect. As usual, in the SoundBridge: DAW,  we have already made a sequence that contains all the essential elements of the whole mix, including the vocal. So, let us hear how it sounds.  

~Full Mix - Unprocessed Vocal

The mix sounds quite full, while the vocal sequence is unprocessed. Let's hear it solo.  

~Vocal - Unprocessed  

EZMix 2

As mentioned above, many multi-effect processors can be used to cut the effort and amount of time needed to process the vocals. However, in this case, we decided to present the EZMix 2 designed by Toontrack. So, let's start by adding a fresh instance of it on the vocal channel.  

EZmix 2 is a multi-effect plug-in that lets you assign professionally designed audio processing effect chains to any audio source. The EZmix 2 philosophy is as simple as it is complex. You only see the easy part – everything else goes on behind the scenes. It was designed to be as easy and intuitive as humanly possible but still leave you creative leverage – hence the two rotary controls. These are the central pieces of the software. They let you dial in and customize each setting. However, they don't simply add more or less of a specific signal chain; they control each setting's sometimes complex network of effects and allow you to tweak a creative take on each. In other words, each preset is much more than just one plain setting.  

Interface and Main Features

We can see a preset browser on the interface's top part. It lets you filter your selection by instrument, effect, EZMix pack, type, or genre. Besides that, there is a text search where you can type any word to narrow your selection and find what you are looking for. What's more, the lower part of the interface is reserved for two big knobs, which are called "Shape Controls." Moreover, these control the shape and customize the selected preset. Next is a shape control info window, which describes how the shape control responds. Finally, in this section, there are input and output parameters. On the right part of the interface, an excellent section represents the effects used in the selected preset. Some are effects like Delay, Reverb, De-Esser, Distortion, and Cabinet—the effects used in the preset light up, while effects not utilized stay darkened.  

Audio Examples

After briefly describing this multi-effect processor, let's hear some presets on the vocal and finally hear the vocal processed with EXMix 2 and all other elements in the mix.

~Vocal - EZMix 1

~Vocal - EZMix 2

~Vocal - EZMix 3

~Full Mix - Vocal Processed with EZMix 2