The Best Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

In many styles of music, vocals are the primary focus of the arrangement. From enchanting melodies and evocative lyrical imagery to inspiring mantras and upbeat party chants, the tangible human element of a song is often what resonates with listeners first. Generally, the art of mixing vocals involves fostering a visceral connection to the performance being sung, rapped, screamed or whispered, and you can get there a little easier with the right software in your toolkit.

This article will investigate some of the best plug-ins for mixing vocals, including everyday utilities and stylistic enhancers for voices in rock, rap, country, metal, pop and beyond.

Table of Contents

What Should I Look for in Vocal Mixing Plug-ins?
Comparing the Best Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals
The Best Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals
   The Best EQ Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals
       Apogee Pultec EQP-1A
       FabFilter Pro-Q 4
       Sonible entropy:EQ+ Plug-in
       Soundtoys Sie-Q 5 Equalizer Plug-in
   The Best Compressor Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals
       Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection
       Universal Audio SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Plug-in
       Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor Plug-in
   The Best De-Essing Plug-in for Mixing Vocals
       FabFilter Pro-DS
   The Best Processing/Editing Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals
       Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 Vocal Tuning/Editing Software
       Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential
       Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II
       iZotope Nectar Elements 4
       iZotope VocalSynth 2
       Soundtoys Little AlterBoy 5
       Soundtoys Decapitator 5
       Synchro Arts VocAlign 6 Standard Vocal Production Software
       Universal Audio Topline Vocal Suite
Remove the Mystery From Mixing With the Best Plug-ins for Vocals
People Also Ask ...

What Should I Look for in Vocal Mixing Plug-ins?

Intimate indie, perfect pop, maniacal metal, energetic EDM and rhythmic rap vocals all benefit from a similar set of processors, whether you’re mixing for natural, “in-the-room” intelligibility, crafting a unique soundscape around a voice or finding the balance in between.  

EQ, compressor, de-esser, saturation and pitch-shifting/tuning plug-ins are standard selections for sculpting vocals in any genre. These essentials do transformative work by shaping frequency content, controlling dynamic range, taming sibilance, adding grit and heft, and reeling in errant pitches as needed.

Once you’ve gotten familiar with go-to vocal processors, you might also consider whether you prefer the impartial transparency of strictly digital designs, or the colorful character of analog-emulated plug-ins. Plug-ins are considered transparent if they preserve the fundamental character of the recording with minimal noticeable “effect.” On the other hand, plug-ins based on old-school outboard gear recreate the timeless tonal appeal of those units, too, with all the rich flavor that entails.

Even pitch correction can be done discreetly—or not. Heavy-handed application of Antares’ famous Auto-Tune is a great example of using real-time pitch correction as a blatant effect, while Celemony Melodyne is traditionally utilized to fine-tune performances without so much as a trace left behind.

As you’ll undoubtedly find, there’s a time and a place for everything when it comes to mixing an exciting vocal sound that engages listeners from the very first word. We’ve thoughtfully curated a list of standout plug-ins for everyday vocal production, and you might just discover your own desert island signal chain among them.

Comparing the Best Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

Software	Type of Plug-in	Sound-Shaping Tools	Popular Use Cases
Apogee Pultec EQP-1A	EQ	High- and low-frequency boost/cut	Broadly shaping body and air on vocal buses or individual tracks
FabFilter Pro-Q 4	EQ	Up to 24 EQ bands with spectral dynamics processing and sketchable frequency curves	Applying corrective and additive EQ to transparently and/or dynamically shape frequency response
Sonible entropy:EQ+	EQ	Up to eight EQ bands with detective algorithms to identify transient components of incoming audio	Enhancing intelligibility of speech/vocals and finely sculpting the attack and percussive elements of sources
Soundtoys Sie-Q 5	EQ	High and low shelving bands, midrange bell, Drive circuit	Broadly, musically shaping vocal timbre and optionally applying analog saturation
Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection	Compressor	Input, Output, Attack, Release, Ratio	Controlling a vocal’s dynamic range with fast, aggressive, colorful compression
Universal Audio SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor	Compressor	Threshold, Make-Up, Attack, Release, Ratio	Applying “glue” to a vocal or instrument bus for smooth, punchy cohesion
Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor	Compressor	Input, Attack, Release, Output, Ratio, Distortion modes	Controlling dynamic range with versatile compression flavors, from 1176 to LA-2A and anywhere in between
FabFilter Pro-DS	De-esser	Threshold, Range, two detection algorithms	Quickly and intuitively taming vocal sibilance or harsh highs on instruments
Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11	Pitch correction	Input Type, key/scale selection, Retune Speed, EQ, Gate, Stereo Width	Tuning an incoming vocal’s pitch in real time, often exaggerating settings for a pronounced effect
Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential	Pitch correction	Pitch and timing adjustments	Transparently tuning vocals as part of the editing process
Eventide H3000	Multi-effects	Pitch shifting, delay, modulation, filters	Adding depth, dimension and interest to dry vocal parts
iZotope Nectar Elements 4	Multi-effects	Voice Assistant, automatic harmonizing, simulated background vocal accompaniment	Creatively processing a vocal’s fundamental sound through intuitive, nontechnical parameters
iZotope VocalSynth 2	Multi-effects	Biovox, Vocoder, Compuvox, Talkbox, Polyvox, distortion, delay, filter, chorus, ring mod	Transforming a vocal performance through a series of modules and effects for inspiring, creative sounds
Soundtoys Little AlterBoy 5	Pitch shifter	Pitch, Formant, Drive, Mix; Transpose, Quantize and Robot modes	Altering the pitch or apparent gender (formant) of a voice, or creating robotic effects
Soundtoys Decapitator 5	Saturation	Drive, Punish, Low Cut, Tone, High Cut, Output, Mix, Style	Adding pleasant analog grit and heft to a vocal, or radically distorting it
Synchro Arts VocAlign 6 Standard	Editing utility	Adjustable timing difference between tracks	Time-aligning stacked vocals for maximum tightness, depth and impact
Universal Audio Topline Vocal Suite	Multi-effects	Vocal tuning, EQ, compression, saturation, de-essing, gating, reverb, delay, modulation	Mixing vocals to near completion via one streamlined plug-in

The Best Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

The Best EQ Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

Apogee Pultec EQP-1A

Why It’s Cool: Apogee’s emulation of the iconic Pultec EQP-1A equalizer is the only plug-in model officially endorsed by Pulse Techniques.

Things to Consider:

• Broad, “musical” EQ curves with characteristic Pultec interaction
• Nonlinear circuit modeling mimics quirky hardware mojo
• Easily shapes a vocal’s overall tonality

Shop Now: Apogee Pultec EQP-1A Equalizer Plug-in

The Apogee Pultec EQP-1A—based on the same tube-amplified hardware released in 1961—is a powerful mixing tool for vocals, allowing you to massage the low- and high-end content for body, punch and presence. While the original manual advises against such practices, much of the Pultec’s magic reveals itself when you boost and cut your selected low frequency simultaneously. For decades, engineers have relied on the “Pultec trick” and its inherent musicality to bring various sound sources to life. Use Apogee’s Pultec EQP-1A plug-in as a colorful EQ to shape your vocals’ fundamental sound with a few basic parameters.

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

Why It’s Cool: FabFilter Pro-Q 4 offers the highest sound quality possible in a versatile, transparent EQ plug-in.

Things to Consider:

• New sketchable EQ curves let you draw the sound you want
• Multiple plug-in instances are operable from one plug-in window
• Extensive onboard help file offers real-time hints to learn the plug-in

Shop Now: FabFilter Pro-Q 4 Equalizer Plug-in

FabFilter’s award-winning Pro-Q equalizer, now in its fourth generation, has become an industry-standard plug-in for demanding engineers who require the utmost flexibility from their everyday software. One hallmark of Pro-Q 4 is its spectral dynamics processing feature, which targets select frequencies within a band for attenuation based on a range of user-set parameters, including threshold. This is a phenomenal way to perform surgical EQ moves on a vocal in the least invasive, most transparent way possible. If there was one EQ plug-in to have in your bag, FabFilter Pro-Q 4 makes a strong case.

Sonible entropy:EQ+ Plug-in

Why It’s Cool: Sonible entropy:EQ+ intelligently identifies the harmonic and inharmonic content of a signal and lets you shape their sound over the entire frequency spectrum.

Things to Consider:

• Can amplify inharmonic consonants of vocals or speech for enhanced intelligibility
• Streamlines complex editing tasks
• Works especially well on drums and transient-rich sources

Shop Now: Sonible entropy:EQ+ Plug-in

The entropy:EQ+ plug-in by Sonible offers a unique approach to equalization and tone sculpting by detecting and identifying the individual components comprising an audio track. For vocals, that means noisy consonants—critical to how our ears interpret speech—can be singled out and boosted to enhance overall intelligibility. Not only for vocals, entropy:EQ+ works beautifully on drums, guitar and other rhythmic, percussive instruments, where you can isolate even the smallest attack sounds and mold them to taste.

Soundtoys Sie-Q 5 Equalizer Plug-in

Why It’s Cool: Soundtoys Sie-Q recreates the sweet sound of a rare hardware gem out of 1960s Germany—the Siemens W295b.  

Things to Consider:

• Gentle, musical equalization enriches vocals and other sources with ease
• Drive control models original hardware’s saturation characteristics
• Fantastic, silky-smooth top end adds air and sheen

Shop Now: Soundtoys Sie-Q 5 Equalizer Plug-in

The Soundtoys Sie-Q plug-in is a straightforward, no-nonsense equalizer modeled after the little-known Siemens W295b—sometimes compared to Neve or Pultec EQs. Sie-Q features ±15dB low- and high-frequency shelves, a ±8dB midrange bell filter and a non-original Drive circuit controlling the amount of gain before the EQ’s output amplifier, and thus the level of saturation. Sie-Q’s high end breathes shimmering life into vocals, and the midrange band helps you further refine their presence in the mix. This powerful, easy-to-use plug-in oozes old-school analog charm.

The Best Compressor Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

Why It’s Cool: The Universal Audio 1176’s aggressive nature makes it an ideal peak leveler for bold, in-your-face vocals.

Things to Consider:

• Lightning-fast attack and release times are great for rap and metal
• Streamlined interface is as easy to use as the OG hardware
• Iconically pronounced sonic signature

Shop Now: Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

Few compressors in recording history are as legendary as the ubiquitous 1176. One of the most recorded outboard processors of all time, Universal Audio’s 1176 Classic Limiter Collection includes three popular revisions of the renowned compressor, each featuring a meticulously modeled, FET-based signal path capturing timeless analog color. On vocals, the UA 1176’s fast-acting attack and release controls even out the aggressive dynamics of rap and metal performances, pushing them forward in the mix. Slower, more modest envelope settings impart classic 1176 tone and control on laid-back recordings, too. Every engineer needs a quality 1176 emulation in their plug-in library—who better to get one from than the producers of the original hardware?

Universal Audio SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Plug-in

Why It’s Cool: The coveted SSL 4000 G Bus compressor plug-in by Universal Audio brings inimitable punch and glue to entire mixes, instrument groups and individual tracks.

Things to Consider:

• Smooth, clean VCA-style compression
• Features external sidechaining and parallel processing
• The preferred sound of Michael Jackson, Adele, Radiohead and countless others

Shop Now: Universal Audio SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Plug-in

The Universal Audio SSL 4000 G Bus compressor is an end-to-end recreation of the acclaimed processor found in famous Solid State Logic consoles. Remarkably versatile, the G Bus can “glue” mixes together subtly and transparently or be driven harder for plenty of textural punch. Rounding out your lead and background vocal buses with this compressor is an awesome way to bring cohesion and final polish to groups of tracks, but it’s also excellent on individual sources. There’s also an incredible 500-series hardware version of the unit available.

Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor Plug-in

Why It’s Cool: A modern Swiss Army knife compressor, the Universal Audio Empirical Labs Distressor plug-in provides ample ways to shape a signal’s tone while controlling its dynamic range.   

Things to Consider:

• Faithful recreation of the world’s most popular contemporary compressor
• Warm, vintage-inspired sound with selectable tube- and tape-style gain circuits
• Eight ratio modes, each with their own distinct compression characteristics

Shop Now: Universal Audio Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor Plug-in

The Empirical Labs Distressor channels company founder Dave Derr’s favorite tonal elements of classic compressors, including the UREI/UA 1176, Teletronix LA-2A and Valley People Gain Brain. Wildly versatile, the Universal Audio EL8 Distressor plug-in harnesses all the power of the hardware, while offering specialized software-only features, such as wet/dry parallel processing and a Headroom parameter to customize its operating level. Featuring eight ratio settings and iconic distortion modes, the Distressor offers a symphony of compression textures for vocals, guitars, drums and more.

The Best De-Essing Plug-in for Mixing Vocals

FabFilter Pro-DS

Why It’s Cool: Intelligent and transparent, FabFilter’s Pro-DS de-esser reduces vocal sibilance accentuated by various post-production processes during mixdown.

Things to Consider:

• Single Vocal detection algorithm identifies and tames sibilance
• Allround detection algorithm limits harsh high-end content in any instrument
• Simple, easy-to-use interface with built-in help files to learn its operation

Shop Now: FabFilter Pro-DS De-esser Plug-in

FabFilter Pro-DS is an essential utility plug-in for mixing crisp, smooth vocals without harshness. Even vocals carefully recorded with a complementary microphone and preamp aren’t immune to sibilant frequency buildup, especially as tracks are further processed by compression, saturation and more down the line. You might still reserve manual clip gain for the most offensive consonants and syllables, but a simple instance of FabFilter Pro-DS is a quick, easy way to keep sibilance in check. Plus, it features a dedicated Allround algorithm to treat harshness in instruments outside of vocals.

The Best Processing/Editing Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 Vocal Tuning/Editing Software

Why It’s Cool: Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 is gold-standard pitch correction software, featuring a powerful real-time tuning engine, four-part harmonizer and advanced Graph Mode for precise, detailed editing.

Things to Consider:

• Effortless real-time pitch correction
• Produces the definitive Auto-Tune effect
• Contains artist presets for quick setup and experimentation

Shop Now: Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 Vocal Tuning/Editing Software

Antares Auto-Tune revolutionized the recording industry in 1997. It’s most famously known for the iconic, somewhat robotic, uniquely saturated sound it produces when the Retune Speed is set to 0. Cher’s 1998 hit “Believe” is an early example, and artists like T-Pain, Future, Young Thug and Travis Scott have since defined melodic rap and trap through heavy use of the Auto-Tune effect. Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 is a must-have in every contemporary engineer’s arsenal.

Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential

Why It’s Cool: Melodyne Essential’s intuitive, note-based workflow makes relatively easy work of editing vocal recordings for pitch and timing.

Things to Consider:

• Runs as a plug-in instance or standalone application
• Grammy Award- and TEC Award-winning technology
• Natural, transparent correction for vocals and other instruments

Shop Now: Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential Vocal Editing Software

Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential is the ideal introduction to advanced vocal editing, lending users the ability to refine the pitch and timing of performances through an easy-to-use, piano roll-like interface. Melodyne quickly analyzes incoming audio and populates the editing window with waveforms organized by pitch, which can then be fine-tuned for accuracy. For industry-standard vocal editing that’s largely transparent and organic sounding, Melodyne is essential.

Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II

Why It’s Cool: Original Eventide H3000 multi-effects hardware was a studio staple for decades, as a first-of-its-kind, intelligent pitch shifter with reverb, delay, modulation, filtering and more.  

Things to Consider:

• 600+ presets for everything from subtle enhancement to wild transformation
• Accurately modeled after the hardware, down to the AD/DA converters
• Modular workflow combines up to 18 simultaneous effects blocks

Shop Now: Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II Plug-in

The Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II plug-in accurately captures the sound and performance of the renowned H3000 Harmonizer hardware multi-effects unit. With thousands of sonic possibilities, the H3000 is magical for music production and stupendous for sound design. On vocals, Eventide H3000 Factory Mk II software can provide gentle width and depth, or it can completely, creatively transform a performance with nontraditional processing for your most experimental tracks.

iZotope Nectar Elements 4

Why It’s Cool: Nectar 4 Elements removes much of the guesswork from mixing vocals via a creative, nontechnical feature set.

Things to Consider:

• Instant vocal layers with Voices
• Instant background singer simulation with Backer
• Vocal Assistant page broadly, easily shapes overall tonality

Shop Now: iZotope Nectar Elements 4 Vocal Mixing Software

Nectar 4 Elements by iZotope features 11 auto-harmony styles with Voices; eight personas and a blending control to quickly create a group of background vocalists with Backer; and an intuitive Vocal Assistant page that can accept a reference track, separate its vocals using Audiolens and recreate the mixing style for your own song. This stripped-down version of Nectar contains its most innovative and intelligent tools for those stepping into vocal mixing for the first time, keeping the process fun and creative without the burden of extreme technicality.

iZotope VocalSynth 2

Why It’s Cool: VocalSynth 2 brings unparalleled “playability” to vocal recordings with five must-have processors and seven stompbox-style effects for tonal manipulation.

Things to Consider:

• Biovox, Vocoder, Compuvox, Talkbox and Polyvox modules
• Seven-module multi-effects chain includes Distortion, Delay, Chorus and more
• Auto, MIDI and Sidechain modes for comprehensive playability and control

Shop Now: iZotope VocalSynth 2 Plug-in

VocalSynth 2 by iZotope is an incredible artistic engine with the capability to adjust nasality and vowel shapes; manipulate formants through classic vocoding; create robotic bit-crushing effects; experiment with vintage-style talkbox sounds; and instantly layer performances with lush harmonies. This dense effects suite can radically render a vocal recording unrecognizable, or it can be used to imbue interest into an otherwise barebones mix. Not only for electronic-based productions, VocalSynth 2 is versatile enough for hard rock, industrial, metal and more.

Soundtoys Little AlterBoy 5

Why It’s Cool: Little AlterBoy produces a substantial range of sounds, from hard-tune effects to harmonies.

Things to Consider:

• Simple, easy-to-navigate user interface
• Hard tune, robot, harmony, vocoder and voice-altering effects
• MIDI-controllable pitch for dramatic sounds

Shop Now: Soundtoys Little AlterBoy 5 Plug-in

Soundtoys founders were involved in making the legendary Eventide H3000, so the company’s roots are deep in pitch-shifting tradition. The ever-popular Little AlterBoy plug-in is a “monophonic voice manipulator” generating an array of timeless sounds, including the iconic hard-tuning effect heard in countless chart-topping hits, real-time pitch and formant transformation, fast and simple harmonizing, classic vocoding and so much more. There’s even a Drive control that borrows a saturation circuit from Decapitator, as well as a dry/wet Mix knob for parallel processing.

Soundtoys Decapitator 5

Why It’s Cool: Decapitator takes pristine digital vocal recordings and enhances them with the musical, ageless sweetness of analog saturation.  

Things to Consider:

• Models the inimitable sound of tubes, transistors and electronic circuits
• Captures the feel of analog outboard gear
• Sounds range from subtle to extreme

Shop Now: Soundtoys Decapitator 5 Software Download

Soundtoys Decapitator is the not-so-secret weapon of professional engineers who understand that saturation is an essential ingredient in every great-sounding mix. Far from cheap, fizzy distortion, Decapitator recreates the sound of driving high-end studio gear into its sonically pleasing sweet spot. At the heart of the plug-in are five distinct saturation styles, modeled after the Ampex 350 tape drive preamp (A), Chandler/EMI TG Channel (E), Neve 1057 (N) and Thermionic Culture Culture Vulture (T and P). Awesome on vocals, Soundtoys Decapitator can effortlessly beef up or tear down recordings in an all-too-cool way.

Synchro Arts VocAlign 6 Standard Vocal Production Software

Why It’s Cool: Synchro Arts VocAlign streamlines the painstaking process of time-aligning layered vocal parts for tight, cohesive arrangements.  

Things to Consider:

• Entry-level version of Synchro Arts’ award-winning software
• Adjustable timing differences for looser or tighter alignment
• Easy-to-use Guide/Dub workflow based on DAW waveform selections

Shop Now: Synchro Arts VocAlign 6 Standard Vocal Production Software

There are a handful of editing and mixing plug-ins considered requisite for the everyday vocal producer, and Synchro Arts VocAlign 6 Standard is one of them. It’s common practice across genres to stack vocals for additional weight and stereo width, by panning layers opposite the primary lead take. To maximize the density of stacked vocals, it’s important to precisely align them in time for the most powerful sonic impact. VocAlign lets you easily sync unison and harmony vocals by selecting a guide track and applying its timing information to the next take in the stack. The result is a professional-sounding arrangement that’s punchy and immersive.

Universal Audio Topline Vocal Suite

Why It’s Cool: Universal Audio Topline Vocal Suite is a three-step solution to pro-quality vocal mixes, condensing complex signal chains into a single plug-in.
Things to Consider:

• 150+ onboard presets, including dozens by multi-platinum engineers
• Creates polished modern vocal sounds in minutes
• Interface is designed for speedy, easy creation

Shop Now: Universal Audio Topline Vocal Suite Software

The Topline Vocal Suite by Universal Audio contains everything you need to mix top-tier lead vocals on the cutting edge of contemporary production trends. At the beginning of the signal chain is a vocal tuner, offering transparent real-time pitch correction, as well as the signature effected sound heard on thousands of hip-hop and pop hits. Next, you can color, shape and refine the vocal’s tone using preamp and tape saturation modules, EQ, compression, de-essing and gating. Finally, create a space around your vocals with reverb, delay and modulation, and revel in the satisfaction of Topline’s fabulous sound quality and ease of use.

Remove the Mystery From Mixing With the Best Plug-ins for Vocals

No matter where you are in your music production journey, there’s always room to level up your vocal mixing game using the niftiest plug-ins on the market. Some have been designed to alleviate the headaches associated with tedious editing processes in a way only software can, while others bring the time-honored sound of classic analog gear to your DAW. There’s something for everyone, regardless of whether your established vocal chain could use a facelift or you’re in the beginning stages of learning to mix. Plus, other than the options proposed here, there are many hundreds more mixing and mastering plug-ins out there for your consideration.

Piecing together a home studio for the first time? Check out How to Choose the Best Home Recording Gear in 2025 and Best Gifts for Music Producers in 2025 to get familiar with some of the coolest gear around.

People Also Ask ...

• Q: How do you mix perfect vocals?
  • A: In audio, “perfect” is a subjective term, but the answer to well-mixed vocals lies in considering their context throughout the whole process. Vocals should be sensibly balanced against the instrumental backdrop, which includes controlling their volume and dynamic range, sculpting their overall frequency response/timbre and choosing the right “fun” effects, if any, to make them interesting and stylish. As long as it serves the song, don’t forget automation, one-time sonic events and anything else clever you might come up with to make your vocal mix unique and engaging.
• Q: What is the best plug-in order for mixing vocals?
  • A: It’s generally a great idea to place any type of real-time pitch correction first in the signal chain, so it receives the cleanest, purest version of the signal to process. Without getting into a debate about whether it’s best to EQ before or after compression, those two processors are typically next in line. From here, you can de-ess, saturate and send out to time-based effects returns. As plug-in chains become more complex with multiple EQs, serial compression and individually processed tracks routed to additional bus processing, stay on top of your gain staging and be mindful of what sounds best to your ears—there’s no “wrong” way to do it.
• Q: What is the first step in mixing vocals?
  • A:  Before reaching for any plug-ins, it’s important to manage your vocals’ levels. If you also happen to be recording them, you can make quick use of clip gain while tracking to balance selected takes against each other and the instrumental (this helps for artist playback, too, so they can listen to a take more closely to how it should sit, volume-wise, in the final mix). Once you’ve established solid rough levels between vocals and other mix elements, you can dive into the nitty-gritty.