4. Color and a place in the band
Presence and air with care, how to make room in the guitars instead of turning the vocal up, and the balance between the vocal and everything else.
With the vocal clean, even and free of harsh sibilance, here comes what makes it sound like a record. The key is that you gain more by making room for it than by adding brightness.
Make room before boosting
The voice and distorted guitars compete at 2–4 kHz. If it can’t be understood, your first reaction will be to turn it up or boost it. Try the other option first:
- A gentle 2 to 3 dB cut at 2–4 kHz on the guitar bus.
- Lower the guitars slightly rather than raising the vocal.
It’s the same adjustment as making room for the vocal. It’s often enough on its own, with no need to touch the vocal’s EQ.
The color EQ
With the Pro EQstock, always with the band playing and with wide boosts:
It gives weight to a thin voice. If you already sang close to the mic, you almost certainly don't need it. Too much brings back the mud you removed when cleaning.
It makes the lyrics jump out and be understood. It's what brings the voice closer to the listener. Too much and it sounds harsh and quickly gets tiring.
It gives an open, expensive feel. The NT2-A is already bright, so go carefully: it may not be needed. Check the sibilance if you raise it.
Saturation, optional
A touch of saturation, for example with the Console Shaperstock, adds harmonics and helps the voice be heard without raising it. If you can clearly hear the distortion, it’s too much, unless you want it as an effect on a screamed vocal.
The balance
With everything playing, the fader decides more than the EQ:
- Lower the vocal until you stop understanding the lyrics.
- Raise it little by little until you understand everything, without effort.
- Check it at low volume: if you can understand it there, it’s right.
- Compare it with a reference in the same style, at the same volume.
In metal, the vocal usually sits further into the band than in pop. But the reference rules, not a formula.
Compare
Try the A/B to feel what a little air and compression add, and how easy it is to overdo it:
The vocal with and without color
Load your vocal and alternate. If the AFTER only sounds better because it's louder, match the levels before judging.
“AFTER” applies this chain to the sound:
- High boost (+4 dB from 4.5 kHz) → more “air” and brightness.
- Gentle compression (≈3:1) → more even and “glued”.
- A touch of volume to compensate.
What to listen for: “AFTER” sounds more bright, present and stable.
- •BEFORE — the raw, unprocessed sound.
- •AFTER — with the chain applied (air + compression + level).
- •🎸 Bass — a synthesized riff with dynamics: ideal for hearing compression.
- •📢 Pink noise — an even sound across the whole spectrum: ideal for “seeing” the EQ.
- •🎵 Load your audio — your own file (MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, M4A…); it's processed locally in your browser and isn't uploaded anywhere.
The balance between the vocal and the band is what the listener perceives first. Fine boosts can wait, but the place in the guitars and the level get settled here.
Common mistakes
What NOT to chase yet
Quick path: color and place
Quick path
- A gentle 2 to 3 dB cut at 2–4 kHz on the guitars.
- Presence of 1 to 3 dB at 2–5 kHz, if it's still needed.
- Air of 1 to 3 dB at 10–12 kHz, with care.
- Saturation only if it adds something, without showing.
- Fader: the lowest level at which all the lyrics are understood.
- Check at low volume and against a reference.
Expected result
Expected result
A vocal that can be understood without seeming stuck on top of the band, with presence and no harshness. The guitars stay firm, and you can follow the lyrics at low volume. It still sounds dry, which gets solved with space.