Control the Consonants

Mixing vocals is a wide topic, but here’s a tidy trick that will give you a head start.

Our brain and ears rely heavily on listening to the consonants when trying to understand speech.

The frequency range that provides most clarity to consonants is around 1.5kHz-4kHz – centered at about 2500Hz. The exact area varies depending on the vocalist.

Two things to remember:

• Make sure, using EQ or other means, that the consonants come through properly in the mix.
• Identify and deal with the conflicting elements in the mix to create space for the consonants.

Using these principles you can make the vocal come through better without having to make it louder than necessary.