Featured · Practice Layer · Real Audio
Mix the Vocal
Walk through Chris Lord-Alge's seven-step vocal chain knob by knob — on a real vocal. Drop in any vocal stem you've recorded (WAV/MP3, 5–30 sec is ideal) and hear each stage process the audio live. Toggle any stage off to hear what it's doing.
High-Pass Filter
Strip rumble below where the voice lives.
No voice (except a low bass) needs anything under 80 Hz. The HPF removes plosive thuds, mic-stand rumble, AC hum.
HPF @ 80 Hz, 12 dB/oct slope
Subtractive EQ
Cut the mud before you add presence.
A gentle dip around 250-400 Hz removes the "boxy" build-up most mics give voices. This is what makes additive EQ later feel clean instead of harsh.
-3 dB @ 300 Hz, Q = 1.2
De-Esser
Tame sibilance before compression hypes it.
Without de-essing, the two compressors below will lock onto the 6-8 kHz sibilance and pump everything else around it. De-ess first, compress after.
-4 dB @ 7 kHz, Q = 2.5
Compressor 1 — Slow
Opto-style. Catches level changes, keeps texture.
CLA's first comp is a leveler — slow attack, slow release, gentle ratio. Smooths the overall ride without squashing transients. Think LA-2A.
Threshold -18 dB · Ratio 3:1
Attack 30 ms · Release 250 ms
Compressor 2 — Fast
Peak control. Catches what comp 1 lets through.
Stage 2 is the fast guy — catches transients comp 1 missed. Think 1176. Together they form a "serial compression" chain doing 5-7 dB of total reduction.
Threshold -10 dB · Ratio 4:1
Attack 3 ms · Release 80 ms
Additive EQ
Now boost presence and air, after dynamics.
Compression first, EQ second — that way the boost is hitting a controlled signal. +2 dB at 4 kHz brings consonants forward; +2 dB shelf at 12 kHz adds air.
+2 dB @ 4 kHz, Q = 1.0
+2 dB shelf @ 12 kHz
Saturation
Harmonic glue. Forward without being louder.
A touch of tape-style saturation thickens the mids and adds even harmonics — the vocal sits forward without needing more level. Subtle is the move.
Drive: 15% · Mix: 50%
(soft-knee, tube-style)
Reverb + Delay
Room around the voice, never on the voice.
Short plate reverb + 1/4-note delay creates space without smearing the dry vocal. CLA sends a tiny amount — the vocal is in front, the space is behind.
Plate verb: 1.2s, -20 dB send
Delay: 1/4 note, -22 dB send
Bring your own vocal: drop a WAV or MP3 into the loader above. A 5–30 second isolated vocal stem works best — the dryer the better (no reverb, no autotune, no comp). If you don't have one to hand, record yourself singing or speaking through any phone or interface for 20 seconds and load that. The chain is calibrated for a typical pop/worship lead vocal.