Ed sheeran playing guitar

How to Mix Your Vocals Like Ed Sheeran - Mixing Guide

Ed Sheeran is one of the world's best recording artists. He has two albums in the list of best-selling albums in UK chart history. There are many accolades this singing sensation has gathered over his stellar career. His smooth vocal sound and high-quality mixes are very much coveted in pop recordings. Here is the complete process of mixing your vocals like Ed Sheeran.

Capture the Right Sound

There is a saying: "You can't turn rocks into diamonds." It applies to mixing as well. If you want your mix to have the sheen of a professional track, you must start with a pristine recording. 


Ed Sheeran's vocals are clean and intimate. The vocals just draw you towards it. You can notice that he sings close to the microphone. His recordings have a consistent volume level. It prevents the recording from having a jarring sound. He uses plugins like “Goyo” to remove background noise and room reflections. It isolates your voice and creates a cleaner starting point.

Shape with EQ

Apply EQ to shape the tone of your vocals to bring it closer to how Ed sounds. Start with a high pass filter. Cut frequencies at the low end to remove rumble. Reduce the low mid-cut to clear up any muddiness. Once you are satisfied, add a small boost to increase clarity. Adjust the high end and cut any harsh frequencies in the mix. 


A parametric EQ can give you more precise control. Make small adjustments as you go. You must have noticed that Ed does not have an effect-heavy sound. Avoid overdoing it to prevent a robotic-sounding mix. Aim for a natural sound without obvious EQ artifacts.

Apply Compression

Some light compression can even out your vocal performance. Start by setting a low ratio. Adjust the threshold to get a slight reduction on the loudest part. Use a medium attack and auto-release. Apply makeup gain to match the uncompressed volume. 


For more control, use a multiband compressor. It lets you compress different frequency ranges separately. Try a warm preset as a starting point to closely emulate the sound of Ed Sheeran. 

Add Saturation

Use a saturation plugin or the drive control on your compressor. SAturation can give your vocal an edge that helps it stand out in the mix. Increase the effect until you hear a subtle thickness. Pay close attention and back off when you get any hint of distortion. A small boost in harmonics helps you get a fuller sound without obvious distortion.

Remove Sibilance

Ed Sheeran has a very intimate quality in his recording. He gets that sound by going up close to his microphone. You can try copying that style but may end up with harsh "s" and "t" sounds. You can remove this sibilance by inserting a de-esser plugin. 


Sibilance sounds are usually found in the 4 kHz to 10 kHz. Set the frequency range accordingly to target these harsh sounds. Adjust the threshold to reduce harsh consonants. Easy does it here; too much processing can make the vocal sound lifeless. 

Introduce Reverbs

Hear some of Ed’s popular songs like “Perfect” or “Beautiful People” closely. You will notice the slight room sound in the track. You can get this effect by choosing a small room reverb preset. 


Set a short decay time and pre-delay to separate the dry and wet signals. Mix the reverb in softly. Trust your ears. If they sound right to you, then they are! The reverb should add space without being obvious. Turn it down a notch if you hear too much of it in the mix. 

Bring Depth with Delay

When done correctly, delay can add depth without tarnishing the sound. Use a stereo delay plugin and set a very short delay time. Use different times for left and right channels for added drama. Set low feedback and mix it gently. A slight delay does not sound like an effect. Your mix will have a sense of space without any echoes. 

Automate the Volume

Adjust the volume of individual words or phrases in the track. Raise the volume of quiet sections and lower overly loud parts. Smooth out any sudden volume changes. It creates a more consistent performance and helps vocals sit well in the mix.

Correct the Pitch

Use Melodyne or a tool that allows manual adjustment to get your desired pitch. Listen closely to find off-pitch notes. You can retain some pitch variation for a natural sound. Avoid correcting every tiny imperfection. You want the mix to sound right, not robotic. Ed does not use any obvious auto-tune effect on his tracks. 

Mixing with Instruments

Once you have set the vocals, balance it with other elements in the track. You can send your vocal tracks to a bus or an aux out for group processing. Apply light compression, shape the tone with a gentle EQ curve, and add saturation for cohesion. It helps blend multiple vocal tracks and adds the finishing polish. 


Use sidechaining to duck instruments slightly when vocals are present. The EQ can help carve out space in the instrument tracks. Pan the backing vocals and adjust instrument volumes to let the lead vocal sit on top. The lead vocal should be clear in the mix.

Mistakes to Avoid While Mixing

Pay close attention while mixing to avoid these common mistakes. Don’t go by numbers; use your ears to make the call.

Over Compression

Compression is your friend, as it can cover minor flaws in your track. Too much of it can make your vocal sound squashed and lifeless.

Excess Reverb

Reverb adds a new dimension to the track. Just be careful to add the right amount or your vocals will be pushed back into the mix.

Too Much Pitch Correction

Unless you want your vocals to sound like a robot, go easy on the pitch correction. Unnecessary pitch correction leads to a very unnatural sound.

Mixing Too Loud

It can lead to ear fatigue. Tired ears could make wrong judgments. Take breaks to give your ears the rest they deserve.

Not Testing Your Mix

Listen to the mix in different sound setups to gauge their quality. It may sound lovely on your studio monitors, but does it sound good on your phone speakers?


Try to keep the mix clear and capture the intimacy of your vocals. Always trust your ears.  Follow your mixing process to get the desired results. Go with a beginner's mindset every time you mix. It will help you discover new tricks to take your mixing to the next level.


If you want to focus more on the creative aspect of music, you can leave the mixing to us. You can get the natural Ed Sheeran tone with our Ed Sheeran Vocal Preset. We have designed it using stock plugins. It just works with your favorite DAW without hassle. Just load it and see your mix transform.

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