How To Mix Vocals?

[Gaurav Par]

I've recorded vocals but they sound to dry and "recorded" and don't sit on top of the mix properly. I can fix it up in the chorus with background vocals and double tracking to make it sound nicer and fuller, but my problem is with the verses. I dont have any double tracked verses to make it sound nice and full. No matter how much i EQ, Comp, and Reverb they still sound like they dont fit properly.

Take a look at these before and after videos of Britney Spears, its my exact situation. In the verse of the song (in the after veideo) theres no double tracking but it still sounds like it fits on top of the mix. Do you know how i can get my raw vocals to sound like they fit? thanks so much!!
Listen from 35 seconds in each video. You can hear that in the before video it obviously sounds like its raw and recorded and doesnt sound like its an actual part of the song. Do you know what kind of vocal chain i have to put my files through to get them to sound like the after video? thanks so much!!
Also dont mention auto tune cause i know they have pitch correction for her final vocal but my pitch is fine in my mix.

Before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdKrtsrCBI
After: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTITmXu3yMs

 

[Free Spirit]

I've recorded vocals but they sound to dry and "recorded" and don't sit on top of the mix properly. I can fix it up in the chorus with background vocals and double tracking to make it sound nicer and fuller, but my problem is with the verses. I dont have any double tracked verses to make it sound nice and full. No matter how much i EQ, Comp, and Reverb they still sound like they dont fit properly.

Take a look at these before and after videos of Britney Spears, its my exact situation. In the verse of the song (in the after veideo) theres no double tracking but it still sounds like it fits on top of the mix. Do you know how i can get my raw vocals to sound like they fit? thanks so much!!
Listen from 35 seconds in each video. You can hear that in the before video it obviously sounds like its raw and recorded and doesnt sound like its an actual part of the song. Do you know what kind of vocal chain i have to put my files through to get them to sound like the after video? thanks so much!!
Also dont mention auto tune cause i know they have pitch correction for her final vocal but my pitch is fine in my mix.

Before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdKrtsrCBI
After: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTITmXu3yMs

I didn't check out the tracks but I would try a few things:

-Raise the level of the verse vocal and add different compression than you did for the chorus, making sure to first remove any background noise from your recording. Otherwise when u compress it w/ the noise, it will drastically raise the noise level and sound even more "recorded". Need to remove the noise first

-Create your own double tracks for the verse by cloning, opposite panning, and slightly adjusting the pitch (like +7 and -7 cents for each side). Or download KVR: ADT by vacuumsound - Artificial Double Tracking VST Plugin and Audio Units Plugin for Windows and Mac OS X and make your own double track instantly with that.

-Lastly, I know u said don't mention auto tune but from my experience the closer a vocal track is to being in the key (doesn't have to sound like T-pain or even be singing), the higher you can raise the overall level and the better it fits in the mix overall.

Hope I was able to help at least a little.

Best of luck!