It took me 15 years to realize we were recording vocals way too quiet

I always thought the singer should sit in the mix, you know, blend with everything else. Then last week I pulled up a 2009 demo from our practice space in Akron and could barely hear her over the drums. A buddy who does live sound said 'you're not mixing, you're hiding the lead' and that hit different. I went back and remixed it with the vocal up 6dB and suddenly the whole song made sense. Has anyone else had that moment where a tiny level change revealed what the song was supposed to be?

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oscarwright3d ago

Ugh, that 6dB thing is so real it hurts. I had the same flip with a bass track once, I kept cutting it to "make room" for the kick and it just sounded like this hollow, limp noodle of a song. Then I cranked it like 4dB and suddenly the whole bottom end had this weight that made the drums hit harder without even touching them. It's funny how we treat levels like they're some kind of math problem when really it's just, like, what does the song need to breathe. Once you hear the vocal sitting on top instead of hiding in the weeds, you can't unhear it. That friend of yours is a keeper, that's a lesson that sticks.