Regardless of how tightly in-tune your lead vocals, or how bizarre and idiosyncratic the treatment you apply to it, if a colossal synth lead is daubed all over it, or if pounding sub-bass renders it a mere distant echo in your mix, all that hard work will ultimately still lead to a disappointing, ineffective vocal. Therefore, it’s critical we take the time to listen to our vocal within the overall sound of our mix.
A primary question we need to ask ourselves from the get-go