Recording - February 2020 - 46

Inside
the Box

with Joe Albano
be running through the DAW's RAM buffers. More
comprehensive audio interfaces may offer an alternative-a dedicated Cue Mix (or several, typically)
that would be set up within the interface itself, either on
its front panel or (more accessibly) via a software utility
that's installed with the interface. The advantage of this
approach is that the incoming live (vocal) signal is split to
the pre-fader sends inside the interface-before the signal hits the DAW. This way of doing it provides near-zero
latency monitoring for the live signal, minimizing any timing issues in the monitor mix that could potentially distract
or negatively impact the vocalist's performance.

More Me!

Naturally, the most basic consideration for the monitor mix is the balance between the live vocal and
the backing track. At first blush, this sounds simple
enough-provide the vocalist with a level that sits comfortably above the track, but doesn't overpower it. But
in the real world, it's never that simple. Typically, vocalists will communicate their balance preferences, and the
engineer/producer will do their best to accommodate.
However, the vocalist's preferred balance may not necessarily be the best choice for the session.
Some vocalists may want to monitor their voice well
above the track so that they can hear every nuance
of the performance clearly. While that's generally
good, if the track is too subdued in the cue mix, the
vocalist might subconsciously hold back too much or
go off-pitch subtly if the track's pitch isn't heard clearly
enough. They may even have subtle timing issues. If the
track is too loud, the vocalist may not be able to hear
enough detail in his/her own voice, resulting in a less
nuanced performance, pushing to stay above the track.
The performer is not always in the best position to pick
up on these subtle issues-that's what a producer is for.
If the producer notices such problems, he might want to
subtly tweak the vocal/track balance for better, more
musical results. This can be done with or without consulting the performer, but if you're subtly countermanding
the performer's expressed preference, be prepared to
finesse the situation if they call you on it. The performance may benefit from (or seriously need) the altered
46 RECORDING February 2020

A typical monitor mix setup in a virtual
mixer, feeding a spare interface output
cue mix balance, but you also need to keep the singer happy; managing
this kind of studio politics is a big part of a producer's job.

Push or Pull Back

Sometimes an experienced producer may deliberately tweak the vocal/
track balance to coax a better performance out of the vocalist. Subtly
pulling down the level of the live vocal a little can make the singer have to
work just a bit harder to stay comfortably above the music. This technique
might be employed as a way to coax a more aggressive tone from a singer who's laying back a little too much, maybe to avoid overpowering a
track that's mixed a little low. Conversely, if a vocalist is pushing a little too
hard when a smoother, more laid-back style would work better musically,
pulling the track down slightly might cause the vocalist to unconsciously
pull back somewhat as well, for a more suitable tone/dynamic.

Pitch Perfect

When singers monitor their voices in headphones, there's always a risk of
going a little off-pitch. Good singers learn to stay on pitch from a combination of hearing their voice both in the room and in their own head. Vocalists

Send implementation in Logic includes a feature borrowed
from large-frame consoles-a row of send level knobs can be
flipped temporarily so the monitor mix can be dialed up more
conveniently on the main channel faders while setting it up

Recording - February 2020

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