I Mixed Vocals Using Cubase VOCALCHAIN and Here's What Happened

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When it comes to mixing vocals, achieving that professional, polished sound is key. Cubase 13’s Vocal Chain plugin provides everything you need to transform raw vocals into a mix-ready track—all in one simple yet powerful tool. Let’s dive into how you can use this plugin to get pro-quality vocals with minimal effort.

Step 1: Gain Staging Your Vocal

The first step in any vocal mix is setting the right input gain, and with Cubase’s Vocal Chain, it’s easy. You want your signal to hit that sweet spot in the green zone of the plugin’s input meter. This ensures all the processing you apply will respond optimally, keeping your sound balanced as you go.

Step 2: Clean Section – Setting the Foundation

The Clean Section of Vocal Chain is where you’ll take care of all the basic cleanup and correction tasks. This is where you'll use a high pass filter to remove unwanted low-end rumble. I typically set my high-pass filter to cut everything below 100 Hz, which eliminates any low-frequency noise or energy that might clutter the vocal.

You’ll also find other essentials in this section, like the gate, de-esser, dynamic EQ, and compressor. For this mix, I skipped the gate (since the recording was clean) but went straight for the de-esser to tame any harsh sibilance around the 10kHz range. This is crucial for smoothing out those sharp 's' sounds that can easily become distracting.

Next, I used the dynamic EQ to handle problematic low-mid frequencies. Instead of just cutting them, the dynamic EQ compresses these frequencies when they become too prominent, allowing for a more natural and transparent sound.

After that, I applied a gentle first round of compression using the plugin’s vocal comp. Cubase’s Vocal Chain offers four different compressors, so you can tailor the sound to your needs. This first compressor helps control the dynamics of the vocal and keep it steady.

Step 3: Shaping the Vocal Tone with EQ

Now that the vocal is cleaned up and controlled, it’s time to shape the tone. I used the EQ to further reduce some unwanted low frequencies and tighten the midrange. Then I boosted the high-mids around 4kHz to add clarity and brightness, helping the vocal cut through the mix without being too harsh.

One of the coolest features of the Vocal Chain is its pitch module. Instead of using it for pitch correction, I used it creatively to double the vocal at an octave lower, blending it subtly with the original track to give the vocal more weight and depth.

Step 4: Adding Character with Saturation and Parallel Compression

Next up is the Character Section, where things get fun. Here, I added tape saturation to introduce some harmonic richness and warmth to the vocal. By focusing the saturation on the low mids and midrange, it helped bring the vocal forward in the mix without overloading the high end.

I then added a second round of compression, but this time in parallel. This means I compressed the vocal heavily but blended it back in at a lower level. This technique adds perceived loudness and thickness to the vocal without squashing its natural dynamics.

Step 5: Creating Space with Delay and Reverb

The Send Section of the Vocal Chain gives you stereo effects like delay and reverb. Even though my vocal was recorded in mono, switching the track to stereo allowed me to take full advantage of these effects.

For delay, I used a stereo delay with some filtering, which created a subtle yet effective sense of depth. I also used the ducking feature, which reduces the delay while the vocal is playing and brings it back up during the gaps. This keeps the delay from cluttering the vocal while maintaining a lush effect.

The reverb in the plugin is equally versatile. I chose a lush pop reverb sound with a bit of pre-delay, which keeps the vocal up front while pushing the reverb tail into the background. The combination of pre-delay and ducking helps the vocal remain clear and prominent, even with a generous amount of reverb.

Step 6: Final Touches and Refinements

To wrap things up, I added a final layer of de-essing to catch any leftover sibilance and adjusted the balance of the vocal in the mix. At this point, everything sounded smooth, clear, and cohesive. The Cubase Vocal Chain plugin made it easy to achieve a professional vocal mix with just a few steps—all within a single plugin.

By using Cubase's Vocal Chain plugin, you can achieve polished, professional-quality vocals with minimal effort. Whether you're a seasoned mixing engineer or just getting started, this all-in-one tool provides everything you need to elevate your vocal mixes to the next level.