How to Fix Harsh Vocals in 60 Seconds

If your vocals sound harsh, sharp, or even painful to listen to, the issue is usually in the upper-midrange.

Here’s a quick way to fix it:

Step 1
Add an EQ and use a parametric filter with a gain boost to sweep between roughly 2kHz and 5kHz.

Step 2
Find the spot where the vocal sounds most harsh, aggressive, or sharp.

Step 3
Now turn that boost into a cut. A cut of around 1–3 dB is usually enough. Use the Q setting to make the cut broader (affecting more neighbouring frequencies) or narrower. Find a balance between the dB amount and the Q that removes the harshness and helps the vocal sit well in the mix.

This is a quick and easy way to resolve vocal harshness.

Bonus tip: if the harshness only appears on certain words or letters like S or T, a de-esser is a better option.

Give it a try on your next mix.