How to Mix Vocals for Psychedelic Rock

If you want to know how to mix vocals for psychedelic rock, then you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips and tricks to help you get the perfect mix.

Introduction

Psychedelic rock is a type of rock music that is inspired, or influenced by, psychedelia. Psychedelia is a subculture that began in the 1960s that was associated with the use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and mescaline. The music of psychedelic rock often incorporates elements of psychedelic music, including extended instrumentals, colorful sound effects, and distorted vocals.

What You’ll Need

-A vocalist with a strong, nasal tone
-A well-recorded vocal track
-Equalization (EQ)
-Compression
-Reverb
-Delay

Psychedelic rock is defined by its trippy, mind-bending sound. To create this sound, you’ll need to heavily process your vocal tracks. This type of music is all about creating an altered state of consciousness, so don’t be afraid to go overboard with the effects.

Start by equalizing your vocal track. Boost the highs to make the vocals sound more nasally, and cut the lows to give them a airy quality. Next, add compression to keep the vocals from getting lost in the mix. You’ll want to use a heavy amount of compression, with a fast attack and release time.

Now it’s time to add reverb. This is where you can really get creative. Try using a long tail reverb with a high wet/dry mix. For even morepsychedelic effects, add a delay after the reverb. Set the delay time to around 1/8th note and turn down the feedback so it doesn’t get too overwhelming.

By heavily processing your vocals, you’ll create a sound that’s perfect for psychedelic rock. Just be sure to keep an eye on the levels so your vocals don’t get lost in the mix.

The Process

There’s no one way to mix vocals for psychedelic rock. It depends on the song, the style, and the production. However, there are some general tips that can help you get started. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to mix vocals for psychedelic rock.

Step One: Choose Your Vocalist

The first step in creating the perfect psychedelic rock vocal sound is to choose your vocalist. The best psychedelic rock singers have unique voices that are able to convey emotion and convey a message through their music. If you are looking for a list of some of the best psychedelic rock singers of all time, you can check out this list.

Once you have chosen your vocalist, the next step is to start working on getting the perfect sound for their voice. This is where mixing comes in.

Step Two: Choose Your Instrumentation

Instrumentation is critical in psychedelic rock. The right instruments will create the perfect atmosphere for your song. To choose your instrumentation, start by deciding what mood you want to create. Do you want your song to be energetic and driving? Or do you want it to be slow and dreamy?

Once you have an idea of the mood you want to create, start thinking about what instruments will best achieve that. For an energetic song, you might want to add a distorted guitar and some percussion. For a dreamy song, you might want to add a soft keyboard and a ethereal voice.

Choose your instrumentation carefully, as it will play a big role in setting the tone of your song.

Step Three: Record the Vocals

Now that you have your vocalist warmed up and the mic set up, it’s time to hit record! For this genre of music, it is important to get a dynamic performance. This means that the vocalist should be moving around and changing their volume and tone throughout the song. A good way to achieve this is to have the vocalist sing the verse in a softer voice and then get louder for the chorus. This will give the song more energy and make it more interesting to listen to.

Once you have recorded the vocals, you can move on to step four.

Step Four: Edit the Vocals

Now it’s time to do some fine-tuning on the vocal tracks. Using a combination of the methods described above, edit the tracks so that the final product is tight and polished. Remember, the goal is to make the vocals sound as if they were all recorded in one take, even if that’s not the case.

To do this, you may need to experiment with different techniques. For example, on some tracks you may want to use copy and paste to create a seamless vocal line, while on others you may want to use automatic double tracking or hard-tune a note or two for effect. There are no hard and fast rules — just use whatever sounds best for the song you’re working on.

Step Five: Mix the Vocals

Now that you’ve recorded and edited your vocals, it’s time to mix them. This is where you’ll bring out the best in your performance and make it sound polished and professional.

The key to mixing vocals is to find the right balance of EQ, compression, reverb, and delay. These four elements will shape your sound and help you achieve the desired effect.

EQ: Equalization is used to boost or cut specific frequencies in your vocal track. This can be used to correct for imperfections in the recording, or to enhance certain qualities of the voice.

Compression: Compression is used to even out the dynamics of a vocal performance. This can make the voice sound fuller and more consistent, or it can be used to create a more aggressive sound.

Reverb: Reverb creates a sense of space around the vocal track. This can be used to make the voice sound bigger and more powerful, or it can be used to create a more intimate sound.

Delay: Delay can be used to add dimension and interest to a vocal track. It can also be used to create special effects, such as echo or doubling.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no one perfect way to mix vocals for psychedelic rock. Every song is different and will require a unique approach. However, by following the tips above, you should be able to create a great sounding mix that will compliment your psychedelic rock songs.