How to Mix Vocals: The Mindset Pros Use Before Touching a Single Plugin
In this episode, Dee Kei breaks down how he actually thinks about mixing vocals — and it's probably not what you'd expect. Before touching a plugin, an EQ, or a compressor, the most important step is understanding the intention behind the song. Is it a club banger or an intimate bedroom record? A polished pop vocal or something raw that's supposed to feel that way? Dee explains why blindly applying mixing techniques without reading context is the number one mistake engineers at every level make.
From there, he dives into the fundamentals: how low-mids shape intimacy versus energy, why most beginners over-de-ess their vocals, when heavy compression works in your favor and when it fights the song, and how vocal placement in the mix is determined by the density and genre of the track. He also gets real about something not enough people talk about — the rise of intentionally "rough" sounding mixes that are racking up streams, and what that means for how you serve your clients.
Whether you're a bedroom producer mixing your first song or a working engineer looking to sharpen your instincts, this episode will shift how you approach every vocal session.
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The Mixing Music Podcast is sponsored by Izotope, Antares (Auto Tune), Sweetwater, Plugin Boutique, Lauten Audio, Filepass, & Canva
The Mixing Music Podcast is a video and audio series on the art of music production and post-production. Dee Kei, Lu, and James are professionals in the Los Angeles music industry having worked with names like Odetari, 6arelyhuman, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Benny the Butcher, carolesdaughter, Crying City, Daphne Loves Derby, Natalie Jane, charlieonnafriday, bludnymph, Lay Bankz, Rico Nasty, Ayesha Erotica, ATEEZ, Dizzy Wright, Kanye West, Blackway, The Game, Dylan Espeseth, Tara Yummy, Asteria, Kets4eki, Shaquille O'Neal, Republic Records, Interscope Records, Arista Records, Position Music, Capital Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group, apg, Hive Music, Sony Music, and many others.
This podcast is meant to be used for educational purposes only. This show is filmed and recorded at Dee Kei's private studio in North Hollywood, California. If you would like to sponsor the show, please email us at [email protected].
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