Waves Premium Masterclass The Art of Subtractive EQ with Young Guru TUTORIAL

In this first Waves Premium Masterclass, hip hop legend Young Guru (Jay Z, The Carters) shares with you his signature vocal mixing techniques, and explains how you can master “the art of subtractive EQ.”

Part 1 – VOCAL PRE-MIX AND GURU’S COMPLETE SIGNAL CHAIN

Young Guru shows you how to start your mix with your best foot forward, using proper clip gaining and a good understanding of the musical context. He then shows you how crucial it is to apply subtractive EQ along with compression to properly shape the vocal chain.

Part 2 – MIXING MULTIPLE VOCALISTS

A modern hip-hop production can easily involve several vocalists on the same track. Watch how Guru adjusts his signal chain to enhance each vocalist and make them gel, with one another and with the overall track.

Part 3 – MELODIC VOCALS AND CARVING OUT THE BEAT

With the right adjustments, subtractive EQ can be a highly effective tool for all tracks and uses. In this chapter, Young Guru reveals his personal subtractive EQ techniques for melodic vocals, and how to create vocal space in the playback for a full, immersive mix.

Young Guru is a Grammy-winning producer and mix-engineer. He is behind for some of the greatest hits in hip hop history. For the past 25 years, Guru has worked side by side with the biggest names in the game, including Jay Z, The Carters, Rihanna, Kanye West, and many more.

Song used in this video: “All or Nothing”
Performed by J.Stone feat. Dave East & Alexandria Dopson
Written by J.Stone, Dave East, Alexandria Dopson
Produced by Artega
Mixed by Young Guru