No Wonder Every Producer Loves This Vocal Mix Trick

There’s a moment I hear all the time when I hear a beginner mixer's vocal.

The vocal chain might sound fine, but when the verse comes in, it just doesn’t land.

For a long time, I tried fixing that myself with more EQ or compression. It never worked, because the problem wasn’t tone. It was level. More specifically, how the first word of a verse is automated to enter the song.

That first word or two carries a lot of weight. If it comes in weak or unfocused, listeners will mentally check out, and quickly.

In this video, I'm breaking down the exact automation move I use to fix this, plus a handful of other vocal techniques I rely on constantly in paid client mixes.

I'll cover:

• How to automating the first few words of a verse so the vocal actually lands

• A faster way to control breaths without killing emotion

• A vocal dynamics trick before compression

• When to NOT use a de-esser to treat sibilance

If watching this makes you realize how many small moments like this slip through your mixes, that’s exactly what we work on inside my 1:1 Mixing Mentorship. We focus on making these decisions intentional and repeatable, not guesswork.

Either way, pay attention to how your vocal enters a new section (especially after a chorus or transition). If the entrance feels intentional, the rest of the mix gets a free confidence boost.

Make the entrance count!