Vocal mixing order: level, EQ, compression, and space

Vocal mixing is about the relationship between words and accompaniment, not the number of inserted effects. Start with two tracks and address one problem at a time.

Use faders first

Align the voice and backing, then lower the backing until words are intelligible. Distinguish quiet phrases from a globally quiet vocal. Using treble boost to solve an overall level problem can make consonants harsh.

EQ: address an audible problem

Remove low rumble only as far as you can without thinning the voice. If the recording sounds muddy, try a small low-mid reduction and compare with the original. Settings depend on the singer, microphone, and backing. There is no frequency that must be cut in every recording.

Compression: reduce level differences

Lowering the threshold puts more sound under compression. Ratio sets its strength; attack and release control onset and recovery. Start gently and check whether phrase endings become easier to hear. Suddenly loud breaths or pumping suggest too much processing.

Reverb and delay

A reverb amount that sounds pleasing in solo may blur words in the mix. Add a little and listen to the gaps between phrases. At 120 BPM a quarter note lasts 500 ms, a useful starting point for delay timing. Musical fit still requires listening.

Compare and export

Match playback levels when bypassing effects. A louder processed signal is not proof of improvement. After balancing the vocal and backing, export and check the beginning, chorus, and final decay in another player.

Before adding more effects

If the vocal clashes with the backing even at a useful level, check its key and note detection in the pitch editor before adding EQ. For tempo-synced delay, use the 120 BPM counting example to understand quarter-note timing, then verify your own song. Keep the original so pitch edits and mix effects can be evaluated separately.

Mixdown: bouncing the final mix

A mixdown or bounce combines the intended tracks into an audio file for listening or handoff. For the EQ controls themselves, see frequency, gain, Q, and the five-band rack guide. Here the task is finishing the already balanced arrangement.

1. Have audio or a MIDI region containing notes, with the required instruments loaded. An empty song cannot enable Export.
2. Check duplicate original playback, leftover solos, and mutes. Listen to the opening, densest section, and final decay.
3. Choose WAV and Full mix in Export. Separate tracks produces a ZIP of parts for a different handoff task.
4. Confirm sample rate, bit depth, and Normalize, then export. Open the file in another player and check the same passages.

The WAV dialog defaults to 44.1 kHz/24-bit. Choices are 44.1/48/96 kHz and 16/24-bit PCM or 32-bit float. The free plan supports 44.1 kHz and up to 24-bit; HQ choices of 48/96 kHz or 32-bit float have Pro conditions. These are implemented settings, not measured quality gains from higher rates. This WAV export uses the browser rendering path, separate from paid cloud reference matching.

The audio export implementation adds two seconds after the final region for decay, but verify that your actual long reverb fits. Normalize is not a target-LUFS control. With an enabled built-in master Limiter, the implementation skips this subsequent normalization. Diagnose a quiet result before repeatedly exporting it.

Unreadable sources and master devices unsupported by offline rendering can cause export errors. Resolve the stated cause; if needed, bypass the device or check the live-output recording path. Save the project too, and continue with the export guide for detailed delivery checks.