Mix and master lo-fi vocals in your browser
To mix and master lo-fi vocals, put your vocal and your beat side by side in Lyro’s studio, which runs in your browser. Start the vocal on the “Vocal, radio” preset and the beat on “Beat, under a vocal”, balance the two, then master to the Streaming target (-14 LUFS) and export WAV.
Mixing and mastering run on your own device, so they cost no credits, on every plan.
At a glanceLo-fi
| Tempo (BPM) | 60 to 90, most often 70 to 85 |
|---|---|
| Keys | minor or major with seventh and ninth chords, often D minor or C major |
| Feel | swung, slightly late drums with a soft kick and a muffled snare or rimshot |
| Signature sounds | soft swung drums that land slightly late, mellow electric piano or guitar chords with sevenths and ninths, vinyl crackle, tape wobble and rolled-off highs |
| Song form | usually a loop: a few seconds of crackle or filtered chords, then the drums, and a four or eight bar progression that repeats with small changes before a fade or a tape-stop ending |
| Vocal preset | Vocal, radio |
| Beat preset | Beat, under a vocal |
| Master target | Streaming, -14 LUFS |
How it goesThree steps
- Drop in your vocal and beatLyro reads the tempo, so the waveforms snap to the beat grid and timed effects land on the beat.
- Shape and balanceStart from the suggested presets in the table, then adjust the low cut, EQ, compression, reverb and delay until the lo-fi vocal sits where it should.
- Master to a target and exportPick the loudness target, compare before and after, and export WAV with its loudness and true peak shown.
Tips for this genre
Lo-fi is almost always instrumental. When a voice appears it is a texture: a hummed line, a short spoken phrase or a soft, filtered vocal sitting low in the mix.
- Try “Vocal, radio” for the filtered, distant sound lo-fi voices have, and keep the level low under the keys.
- Leave the drums soft: if the beat feels too sharp, lower its high band rather than pushing the vocal up.
Where the limits are
- This is a mixer you operate, not an automatic mix; the presets are starting points.
- It shifts pitch but does not correct it: apply pitch correction (auto-tune) before you upload, if you want it.
- It has no de-esser and does not load third-party plug-ins.
- Phones have less memory than computers; long projects with many tracks belong on a laptop.
Questions
What loudness should I master lo-fi to?
Start at the Streaming target, -14 LUFS. Lo-fi playlists are calm, and a loud master sounds out of place there; Streaming keeps the softness. The studio shows the measured loudness and true peak when you export.
Does mixing or mastering cost credits?
No. The studio runs in your browser, so nothing is sent to a model while you mix, and it costs no credits on any plan.
Can I mix a beat and a vocal I made somewhere else?
Yes. Upload any vocal and beat, or stems, and mix them in the studio. You need the rights to what you upload.
Can the studio auto-tune my vocal?
No. It shifts pitch by semitones and fits a clip to the project tempo, but it does not correct pitch. If you want that sound, apply it before you upload.
Related
More for this genre: A beat for your vocal, A vocal for your beat, Remix your song
Other genres: Hip-hop, Trap, Drill, R&B, Pop, Afrobeats, Reggaeton, Rock, Acoustic folk