Altering vocals on an already mixed-down track

[Cellotron]

Unless it's mixed as vocals as one channel and any other instruments on the other any effect you apply to process vocals will also effect the other elements of the mix.

I'd say overdubbing more vox over the existing mix and processing these as the client would like will get you a potentially better rout to try,

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[millennial]

This is something that should be done in the mix, not during mastering.

That being said, tell him to send you a stem of just the vocals. Pull this file up on a separate track, and use prefader sends to reverb, delay, etc... (so you can mute the actual stem, but still hear the effects). That should work well.

Jason

[wado1942]

I'd say just ask him to record a few extra vocal tracks and send them by themselves to just add on top of the existing mix. Anything else would sound really artificial and without having an instrument only/vocal only, would ruin the sound of the instruments.

[CJ Mastering]

You need the separate tracks to do this or at least all the individual vocal tracks. you cant adjust the flour content in an already baked loaf of bread.

If you just wanted to raise the vocal up some in a single stereo wav file, then you can use some mid side eq techniques to achieve that, but what your wanting to do is not done in the mastering stage. Thats the mixing engineers job, not a mastering engineers job.

CJ

[davidjfranco]

Hey folks.

Thanks for your advice. Well aware this is a mixing job and there are extreme limitations here. Problem is the song was made in the 80s and he doesn't have the stems, only the final master. So I'm just trying to think of ways to thicken up the vocal section (currently sounds like 3-4 children singing) to make it sound more like 10 without destroying everything else.

[CJ Mastering]

Problem is the song was made in the 80s and he doesn't have the stems, only the final master. So I'm just trying to think of ways to thicken up the vocal section (currently sounds like 3-4 children singing) to make it sound more like 10 without destroying everything else.

There's nothing you can do that will only effect the vocal section and make it sound like there's more vocals. It is what it is.

Tell the client the truth. If they don't have the individual wave files or at least the song with the separate vocal track, then it cannot be done. There asking for something that's impossible.

If the song is important to them, then they will need to re-record it and mix it the way they want it to sound.

CJ

[Cheebs Goat]

Originally Posted by davidjfranco

So I'm just trying to think of ways to thicken up the vocal section (currently sounds like 3-4 children singing) to make it sound more like 10 without destroying everything else.

I'd round up 6-7 children and record them singing.