Vocal Mixing Tips Part 6 – Automation

Welcome to the final installment of our vocal mixing series. Over the past few posts we have covered compression, EQ, reverb, delay and creative effects. Now it’s time to wrap things up with one of the most important aspects of vocal mixing: automation.

If you’re a singer looking for mixing tips for singers, or if you’re just starting out, automation will help you take your vocal tracks from good to great. We’ll also recommend some of the best plugins for vocals to help you achieve professional results.

What Is Automation in Vocal Mixing?

Automation involves programming changes to parameters like volume, panning and effects over time. Instead of applying static settings across your mix, automation allows you to make adjustments that evolve and change as your song progresses. 

Automation has many benefits when applied to vocal mixing. These benefits most commonly include smoothing out inconsistent volumes, highlighting emotional moments in a performance, bringing added variety and movement to effects, and maintaining a clear and upfront vocal throughout the duration of your song.

Key Areas of Automation for Vocals

Volume Automation

Volume automation is one of the most fundamental tools for creating a polished vocal mix. While compression helps control dynamics, automation allows for even more precise control over individual phrases, words, syllables or breaths.

You can use volume automation to level out your vocals by smoothing out peaks and bringing up the quieter parts. This creates a more consistent and more impactful performance. You can also use volume automation in the opposite manner-by increasing the dynamics of the vocal. Using this technique can enhance emotional moments in the song by slightly increasing volume during key phrases or choruses.

Volume automation is also used to add clarity to the mix by ducking Instruments Around the Vocal. If the vocal is competing with other instruments in the song, you can use automation to subtly lower the instrument levels during vocal passages.

Whilst many of these volume automation techniques are best achieved through manual adjustment, similar results can be achieved automatically through the use of a plugin such as the Waves Vocal Rider. 

Automation for Effects

Dynamic effects automation can add life and interest to a vocal mix. Instead of keeping reverb, delay, or other effects static, try automating their parameters to crescendo at key points within the track and match the song’s energy.

Reverb tails are commonly automated for dramatic effect. Increase the vocal reverb on specific phrases or at the end of a vocal line for a dramatic and theatrical effect. A similar effect can be used for delay as well. Automate the wet or feedback settings on your vocal delay to emphasize key words or phrases, especially during transitions or hooks. This is sometime given the term “Delay Throws”.

Aside from reverb and delay, effects automation can also be used to great effect on your creative effects plugins. Experiment with automating flanger, tremolo, or saturation effects for creating interesting and evolving textures in your vocals.

Panning Automation

Through using panning automation you can add stereo movement to your vocals. While lead vocals typically stay center, panning automation can be effectively utilized for background vocals or ad-libs.

Common techniques for using panning automation include panning ad-libs or harmonies left and right to create a back-and-forth effect, and gradually widening the stereo image of vocal harmonies or doubles during a chorus to enhance its impact.

Best Plugins for Vocals

Here’s a roundup of essential plugins to use throughout the vocal mixing process, including automation:

Compression & EQ

FabFilter Pro-Q 3: A versatile EQ with dynamic capabilities for precise tone shaping.

Waves CLA-2A: A classic compressor that’s great for adding warmth and leveling out vocals.

Reverb & Delay

Valhalla VintageVerb: A lush reverb plugin for adding depth and atmosphere.

Soundtoys EchoBoy: An industry-favorite delay plugin with creative automation options.

Saturation & Effects

Soundtoys Decapitator: Adds warmth and grit, with dynamic automation possibilities.

Eventide H3000 Factory: A multi-effects plugin perfect for creative vocal textures.

Utility Tools

Waves Vocal Rider: Streamlines volume automation for consistent vocal levels.

Melodyne: Ideal for pitch correction and subtle timing adjustments.

Thanks for joining us on this journey through vocal mixing! We hope these tips and recommendations for the best plugins for vocals have been helpful.

If you missed any part of the series, be sure to check out:

Part 1: Vocal mixing 101

Part 2: Compression

Part 3: EQ

Part 4: Reverb & Delay

Part 5: Creative Effects