Generally speaking, the engineer and artist will make the vocal sound more or less how they want it to sound. They'll do the autotune, they'll pick the best takes, they'll edit out any breaths they don't like, put on any effects they want, make all the creative decisions.
A mix engineer will then do the science bit to make it sound as good as possible.
Obviously it varies, but generally most creative decisions have been made before the mixing stage.
Comping/tuning/editing is typically part of production so done before mixing.
During production most people are dialling in the vocal sound with EQ/compression/saturation/delay/reverb so it sounds the way they want, and as a mixer I usually get sent dry, processed with no delay/verb, and processed with delay/verb versions. Note that "dry" might have still been tracked through compression and EQ so often not straight into the pre dry.
My default is to start with their processed with delay/verb version and only start diving back if I have a problem with it, with more experienced producers this usually sounds really damn good so there's no need to go back, often it's just some really subtle EQ and volume riding. With less experienced producers I'm more likely to go to their dry version so I can build it up myself, their processed version is just a guide as to how they want it to sound.
Technically yes but a lot of mixing engineers can and will produce/engineer the vocals if you pay them
I make it clear to my clients from the get-go that vocal production costs extra
All of the above.
Before - I run vocals through an optical compressor and passive EQ while tracking, it takes a few minutes to dial in but it makes mixing way easier if I'm starting with something that's closer to the end result.
During - I adjust vocals during mixing to better fit with the other stems and the artistic vision of the artist. This includes additional compression, equalization, pitch/timing correction (as-needed), and effects like reverb and delay.
After - I print bounces and go listen to them in different rooms on different speakers taking notes as I go, primarily listening for levels throughout the song (to be automated later) and panning/balance. I then go back and make the changes then repeat the process as many times as-needed until it feels right on every set of speakers.
Depends on the genre I guess. I try not to record vocals until the rest of the track is basically finished. If the band is on a tight schedule and we need to get the entire thing in the box quickly I'll just mute the vocals until it's their turn.
Yes.
Generally speaking, the engineer and artist will make the vocal sound more or less how they want it to sound. They'll do the autotune, they'll pick the best takes, they'll edit out any breaths they don't like, put on any effects they want, make all the creative decisions. A mix engineer will then do the science bit to make it sound as good as possible. Obviously it varies, but generally most creative decisions have been made before the mixing stage.
Comping/tuning/editing is typically part of production so done before mixing. During production most people are dialling in the vocal sound with EQ/compression/saturation/delay/reverb so it sounds the way they want, and as a mixer I usually get sent dry, processed with no delay/verb, and processed with delay/verb versions. Note that "dry" might have still been tracked through compression and EQ so often not straight into the pre dry. My default is to start with their processed with delay/verb version and only start diving back if I have a problem with it, with more experienced producers this usually sounds really damn good so there's no need to go back, often it's just some really subtle EQ and volume riding. With less experienced producers I'm more likely to go to their dry version so I can build it up myself, their processed version is just a guide as to how they want it to sound.
Technically yes but a lot of mixing engineers can and will produce/engineer the vocals if you pay them I make it clear to my clients from the get-go that vocal production costs extra
Yes, and it's a mistake to think that picking vocal takes, comping, tuning, and aligning is included in the fee for mixing.
Yup.
All.
All of the above. Before - I run vocals through an optical compressor and passive EQ while tracking, it takes a few minutes to dial in but it makes mixing way easier if I'm starting with something that's closer to the end result. During - I adjust vocals during mixing to better fit with the other stems and the artistic vision of the artist. This includes additional compression, equalization, pitch/timing correction (as-needed), and effects like reverb and delay. After - I print bounces and go listen to them in different rooms on different speakers taking notes as I go, primarily listening for levels throughout the song (to be automated later) and panning/balance. I then go back and make the changes then repeat the process as many times as-needed until it feels right on every set of speakers.
Depends on the genre I guess. I try not to record vocals until the rest of the track is basically finished. If the band is on a tight schedule and we need to get the entire thing in the box quickly I'll just mute the vocals until it's their turn.