what is the dominant key to mix in ?

i have an instrumental in wave format that was originally done in note (key D)...meaning the instrumental can not be altered.
after recording vocals on the instrumental the tonic note of the vocal is (key F).when mixing the vocals with the instrumental will i need to transpose the vocals to key D or will i mix based on the key of the vocals ?.at this point,which will be the dominant key to mix in ?
 
It would probably be easier to alter the vocals. You can try shifting it up 3 semitones to see if it fits. You could also do some pitch correction to see how it sounds. If you are going for a more natural sounding vocal, redoing the recording would probably be best.
 
That sounds like a nightmare. How did you end up with the song in one key and the vocals in another?


Stretching the pitch and time together sounds a little wonky but can work if you're not stretching it far.

Stretching the pitch without the time can introduce a lot of audible artifacts. Try it if you want, but don't be optimistic.


If I were you, I'd re-record the vocals in D, the key of the song. Can the singer sing a little lower?
 
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