What is a good dB level for vocals (or vox)?

[Trythanks Lightfoot]

What dB level should the vocals be at for mixing and mastering?

 

[Juicy Nuts]

There is no definitive answer. It's your ears that matter most. Forward or back in the mix is usually an individual choice of the producer and/or artist. Do what sounds good to you. Don't overthink it.

 

[Benzorghini]

It depends on the genre and the sound you want to produce. There is no "one size fits all" formula.

 

[Fantastic Freedom]

-15 dBFS around 500 Hz or wherever the belly of the vocal is. Then EQ and compress away from that. What I do is use a brickwall limiter at +5 in front of the analyzer to simulate the mastered level at all the important points like kick -10, snare -10, -15 dBFS for instruments -20 or less, vocal -15 dBFS, etc. Then I turn off the peak limiter and work with this initial industry standard balance.

 

[V12]

Turn the volume down very, very low for as long as you can hear. You should be able to hear the vocals over everything else. If you can, you're on the right track.

 

[Widzo]

-12 dB, -18 dB, -6 dB it is all arbitrary.

 

[Solomun]

Turn the volume down very, very low for as long as you can hear. You should be able to hear the vocals over everything else. If you can, you're on the right track.

I use this method as well. Lower the volume and make everything sound good without distortion, then raise the volume after just to check where everything needs to be. I trust this method.

 

[Drakonaj]

Consider reducing the masking frequencies around the vocal if necessary, filtering out the unnecessary very low frequencies from the vocal and the ringing ones if necessary, so you don't have to work too hard to make it rise above the other elements in your final mix.

 

[Fernando Silva]

At a level that puts the recorded vocals in the pocket of the mix. It has to sound good and the numbers have nothing to do with the sound. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to get the balance of everything right, but that right there is audio engineering. Mixing things together and not putting values on things.

 

[Smart Water]

It's not about the decibels, it's about what you hear and what feels right.

 

[Helen Havok]

One of the best thing I ever learned is to set the initial levels against pink noise and work from there.

 

[Wynter]

With vocals, it's not really about dBs, it's about sound. How does it sound with the rest of the elements. The only time you should think about loudness levels is during mastering, as long as nothing is hard clipping in your DAW you should be fine.

 

[Ntombela]

The same loudness level as the kick drum or slightly above i.e., for lead vocals.

For example, if the bass drum is at peaking at -12 dBFS you can have lead vocal at that same level or you increase their peak levels to -10 dBFS if you want them to be more prominent.

 

[Gregory]

It's not about dB. It's about mixing everything individually and putting each sound in its own place. Learn to train your ears.

 

[Barry Smith]

The vocals need to be centered around the instruments without being drowned out.