Open your preferred digital audio workstation.
Open the relevant song. If you’ve got a work in progress, click “File” and select “Recent.” Select the song session from the drop-down menu. If you only have audio files, click “File” and then “New” to launch a new session; click “File,” choose “Import” and select the relevant vocal files from the browser.
Click the “S” button on each vocal track; this stands for “Solo.” Any track that doesn’t have “S” selected is muted.
Click on the lead vocal to highlight it; this assigns subsequent edits to that audio track only.
Open an equalizer plugin. Digital audio workstations typically offer a range of plugins that emulate real studio hardware. Although each digital audio workstation varies slightly, the typical method for selecting an equalizer plugin is to select “Effects,” choose “Equalization” and then select an equalizer from the drop-down menu. If you have little experience with equalizing vocals, select the equalizer with the most basic interface.
Press “Play” so you can hear the changes in real-time.
Reduce the bass frequencies. The equalizer includes an array of virtual sliders, each of which controls a specific frequency range. The lowest frequencies are located on the left. Because vocals are recorded close-up, these recordings include large amount of natural bass that create muddiness in the mix. Remove the bass by lowering the amplitude of the bass frequencies.
Move the slider dial that governs the 3 KHz frequency band up to approximately 80 percent of its maximum amplitude; this improves the clarity of the vocal.
Reduce the amplitude of the 80 Hz range. If any “pops” caused by the singer are too loud, reducing this range will address them.
Click on the frequency curve. In addition to an array of dials, typical equalizers have an analyzer section. The analyzer curve is superimposed on a grid; the vertical axis represents amplitude and the horizontal axis represents frequency. The position of the curve relative to the grid indicates the amplitude of specific frequencies at any point during the song. Move the curve to alter the frequency profile of the vocal. When you find a combination of frequency and amplitude that sounds good, double-click the curve to set the frequency at the selected amplitude. Repeat these processes for each vocal.