Character of the mix
Voice and guitar (or piano) are the song: the mix must be intimate, natural, and honest, with the bare minimum of processing. You look for the real timbre of the instruments, the closeness of the voice, the dynamics of the performance. Arrangements may include upright or electric bass, light percussion, strings, harmonica, backing vocals; indie folk adds pads and more obvious reverbs.
Typical balance
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|---|
| Vocals | −3/−5 LU |
| Acoustic guitar or piano | −4/−6 LU |
| Bass or upright bass | −9/−12 LU |
| Percussion / light drums | −10/−14 LU |
| Strings, harmonica, backing vocals | −9/−13 LU |
EQ
- Vocals: HP 70–100 Hz, control the proximity effect at 150–300 Hz, moderate presence 2–4 kHz, light air; small corrections.
- Acoustic guitar: HP 70–100 Hz, soundbox boom at 150–250 Hz (−2/−4 dB), body 200–400 Hz to be dosed, brightness 5–10 kHz. If there are two mics (body and fingerboard), align them in phase.
- Vocals and guitar together: complementary space (guitar −1/−2 dB at 2–3 kHz).
- Piano: HP 30–50 Hz, control 200–400 Hz.
Dynamics
- Vocals: light compression (3–6 dB, opto) + riding; the dynamics are part of the interpretation.
- Guitar: 2–3 dB with a medium attack, or no compression.
- Mix bus: 0–1 dB.
- No pumping, no heavy limiting.
Space and stereo image
- Natural reverb: room or chamber (0.8–1.5 s) shared by everything, light plate on the vocals.
- Vocals in the center; guitar in the center (if it's the only one) or slightly off-center; with two guitars, on the sides.
- Stereo miking of the guitar (XY or spaced pair) for a natural image.
- Indie folk: longer reverbs and pads, always without covering the vocals.
Layering
- Double take of the guitar, panned, for the choruses, if the arrangement calls for it.
- Light, wide vocal harmonies.
Reference loudness
Master −14/−10 LUFS, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 10–14 dB. Singer-songwriter music doesn't need high loudness: platforms normalize.
Reference tracks
Nick Drake “Pink Moon”, José González “Heartbeats”, Damien Rice “The Blower's Daughter”, Bon Iver “Skinny Love”, Phoebe Bridgers “Motion Sickness”.
Common mistakes
- Pop-style compression and limiting: the performance loses life.
- Guitar with too much low end covering the vocals.
- Removing all finger noises and breaths: the sound becomes artificial.
- Obvious artificial reverb on an intimate track.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vocals | 3–6 dB (opto) + riding | Natural and close. |
| Guitar | 0–3 dB, HP 70–100 Hz | Real timbre. |
| Reverb | Room/chamber 0.8–1.5 s shared | Natural space. |
| Mix bus | 0–1 dB | Dynamics intact. |
| Master loudness | −14/−10 LUFS | Dynamics preserved. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| 150–250 Hz | Acoustic guitar boom and vocal proximity. |
| 200–400 Hz | Body to be dosed on guitar and piano. |
| 2–4 kHz | Vocal presence; complementary space on the guitar. |
| 5–10 kHz | String brightness and vocal air. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alignment | Guitar mics in phase | Polarity and delay | Full sum. |
| Vocals | Light EQ → opto → de-esser → riding | 3–6 dB | Intimacy. |
| Guitar | EQ → light compression | 0–3 dB | Timbre. |
| Space | Shared room + vocal plate | Filtered returns | Naturalness. |
| Master | Light EQ → safety limiter | −14/−10 LUFS | Dynamics. |
How to check the result
- Master crest factor 10–14 dB; LRA 5–10 LU.
- Upper bass band (120–250 Hz) no more than 2 dB above the Bass band (guitar boom under control).
- High-mids band (2–4 kHz): the vocals stand out over the guitar.
- Correlation +0.4/+0.9.