The emotional philosophy behind Factor Eight’s vocal-only production

Factor Eight builds everything from his voice.

Drums, pads, bass lines, and atmospheres all come from vocal recordings that are digitally manipulated into finished songs. His new single, “Waiting for the End,” was written during the final stages of a long-term relationship and channels that moment through carefully layered textures that evolve with the emotional arc of the piece.

This method defines his process across both personal projects and his work in visual media. He handles the entire chain himself, including vocal tracking, editing, mixing, and, in some cases, mastering.

Jump to these sections:

• Balancing processing across a fully vocal-based production process
• Defining vocal clarity without sacrificing emotional nuance
• Learning to trust your ears through process and limitation
• How full creative control affects emotional transparency
• Using Ozone to streamline professional delivery
• Practical advice for self-producing artists finishing mixes alone

In this interview, Factor Eight breaks down his gain staging workflow, explains how emotional clarity shapes his decisions, and offers advice to self-producing artists who are trying to finish tracks on their own terms.

Demo Ozone free

Download Factor Eight’s custom master chain for free here:

Get the mastering chain

Can you walk us through the process of making your music only with vocals?

My work is separated into two verticals – the music I release, and the music I create in the visual media space. For the music I release, I control every step of the process and chain aside from mastering. In that area, I am very grateful to have established a great working relationship with Matt Colton, beginning with the release of my 2020 album A DØ.

In the visual media space, there simply is not enough time to send music away for mastering. So, in this space, I have learned to control and execute every stage, from conceptualization to mastering. I can appreciate the pros and cons of both workflows.

Currently, all of the music I release is created using only my voice. I take recordings of my voice and digitally contort them into every possible component of a song. What sounds like drums, horns, synths, and strings are, in fact, derived from recordings of my voice.

Due to the nature of my vocal-based music, I record, produce, and mix in a very seamless and integrated way. Each of these steps impacts the other. For most of my pieces, I will start with a single recording from my tube condenser microphone, creating a few different vocal sounds like “oohs” and “ahhs” in high and low ranges, and sometimes a bit of beatboxing to serve as the foundation for drums.

From there, I digitally contort these sounds by using various plugins until the desired result is achieved. In this contortion process, I am producing by experimenting with various plugins and effects. I’m also composing by splicing, layering, or repeating sounds to create chords or melody. On top of all of this, I’m mixing by modulating and controlling resonance and dynamics. That’s all happening at once.

For this reason, gain staging is not necessarily a specific and dedicated step in my process, but rather something that happens by way of my creative process. With that being said, I am mindful to ensure that there is proper headroom at each stage – beginning from recording level, clip gain, and all the way through the processing chain.

Once the piece is close to completion, I sometimes experiment with various mixing tools, either to control dynamics or to let certain elements shine through more. Oftentimes, though, I find myself going back to the original mix that manifested organically throughout the creation of the piece.

This process is a bit different when creating music for trailers, as I do incorporate other instruments and samples, but I still work similarly – composing, manipulating audio, and mixing in an integrated manner.

Pro tip from Factor Eight: Don’t be afraid of equalization. Subtle equalization can make a big difference when it comes time to finessing a mix – it is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal at any stage. Personally, if I could only use one plugin, it would be an equalizer.

How do reverb and effects contribute to the overall atmosphere in your tracks?

With vocals being the all-encompassing structure of what I create, there is an extremely vast range in the sonic texture and quality of the vocals in my work. When working with lead vocals, I can appreciate a very dry, focused vocal, while also being drawn to a wide, lush, wet vocal, with doubles and background layers, to create an epic, satisfying effect. It really depends on what the track calls for, and I really believe in trusting my gut in order to make that call.

I’m very inspired and influenced by the likes of Trent Reznor. His work in scoring, as well as Nine Inch Nails, is known for its characteristically dry vocals. I love experimenting with sharp and distinct contrast between dry and wet layers in the same piece, such as using a very dry lead with fully wet harmonies, or vice versa. I’ll also use the effect for mixing in this way as a tool in building and releasing tension.

For example, in the only piece I’ve released where I sing lyrics, “Before the Fall,” my vocals initially come in very dry – processed in a very clean and bright way, and set amongst one other element. This creates a very intimate feeling when you first hear the lyrics halfway through the piece. Then later on, in the climactic ending of the piece, I build tension with other elements, but in a lush, epically wet manner. Here, I use multiple doubles, effects including Haas, phasing, echoes, and more, to create the most satisfying final chorus possible.

Pro tip from Factor Eight: Quality over quantity. I think having fewer, really high-quality elements in a piece results in better work. If you feel like something is missing in a section of a work, try repurposing an existing sound, rather than continuously adding new sounds. Not only will this improve your skills as a producer, but it is also a way to make the piece more organic to itself, creating a sonic world you can step into, rather than an eclectic collage of various sounds from different origins that may not be compatible.

Was there a turning point when you realized you could trust your own ears as much as someone else’s studio?

I used to be so concerned with certain rules and worried about breaking them, focusing more on what my plugins were doing than how the music sounded. During a music residency at the Banff Centre, I inadvertently broke free from this constraint when my familiar tools wouldn’t work properly. I was forced to adapt to working with limited source audio, and ultimately learned a new way of producing. This made my tools an extension of my creativity and artistic voice, rather than a limitation or obfuscation of it.

Trusting your own ears is probably one of the most important aspects of creating music for me. Not only is it an invaluable tool when it comes to mixing, but it is also a crucial part of creating art. Learning about yourself, what is authentic to you, and how to express it — this is what art is truly about, in my opinion.

Practically speaking, knowing that something sounds good matters more than what any numbers or integers might say, and learning to trust that instinct is like a muscle. Train it.

Pro tip from Factor Eight: Don’t focus so much on particular rules or having certain gear. It’s great to learn about the stories behind your favourite tracks and how they were made or how certain sounds were achieved. However, what matters isn’t necessarily the specific mixing change or move someone made, but rather that they knew what to do. Find a workflow that feels right for you. If it works, it works.

Do you think emotional transparency is harder or easier to achieve when you control the full chain?

I can see the argument for both sides. I think when you’re very experienced and educated in the art of both producing and mixing, then doing both becomes an extension of the creative process. Therefore, it’s an extension of self-expression.

On the flip side, if you’re not as experienced and don’t understand these elements very well, then controlling these stages becomes a limitation, and clouds what otherwise would be your authentic voice. In the latter case, I believe it could be more beneficial to work with another engineer, or at least seek assistance to achieve your vision.

I also really believe in the power of collaboration. In the case of the music I release, I personally really enjoy the workflow of controlling the entire chain up until mastering, at which stage I put my work in Matt’s hands. After hearing my mix and reference master, he will understand my vision and give it a bit of an edge. It can also be a bit of a relief to offload the final touches of the work, and let someone else, whose entire career is dedicated to this stage of the chain, work their dark magic.

Either way, I think it’s important that you know the difference and are capable of being honest with yourself. In one case, you’re empowered to channel a very direct and authentic piece of yourself into art. In the other, you’re clouding and tarnishing what could otherwise be a special and beautiful piece of music.

Emotional transparency is paramount for me, as all of my work is purposed toward mental health awareness. I first began creating music with only my voice as a sonic parallel to being more public about my story and journey with mental health.

In 2018, I decided to share my story in overcoming challenges with bipolar disorder, in hopes that my music and story might inspire a feeling of connection among others who struggle. It could also create a sense of compassion among those who can’t relate. Today, the vocal production technique and process have evolved to become a sonic signature and part of my identity as an artist. Similarly, mental health advocacy has too.

Making music has always been a means for me to process and channel emotions, especially the tough ones. Creating music with only my voice heightens the emotional transparency of my work and makes the process and experience more personal for me. Hopefully, that resonates with listeners.

Pro tip from Factor Eight: In a world where AI can create music, I think it is even more important for us to find our individual artistic voices and express them. Art is about relating human to human, and inspiring and understanding each other. Take the time to discover and create a sonic palette that is most authentic and unique to you. Find your voice, trust it, and learn to share it with the world. That is what will get people listening more than anything else.

How has using tools like Ozone helped you keep things cost-effective while delivering at a professional level?

With the work I do in the visual media composition space, I often complete multiple works a week. Sometimes there are even a few in a single day. If I were outsourcing all of this to out-of-house mastering engineers, it wouldn’t be feasible for me.

Moreover, in some of the work I do, financial return is not always guaranteed. It is therefore crucial that I do all of my work, from writing to mastering, in-house, to make this a feasible career.

What advice would you give to a self-producing artist trying to finish mixes without outside engineers?

First, learn the basics. It’s crucial to understand the principles of mixing before diving into your tools. This way, no matter how your tools change, your understanding will remain, allowing you to adapt to new interfaces, other plug-ins, or even other studios. Having the proper tools makes a huge difference, but investing in yourself, the one who controls those tools, will reap meaningful benefits to your career in the long run.

Really learn to trust your ears. While there are certain mixing “rules” for a reason, learn to trust your gut and intuition. It is like a muscle. If something sounds good to you, that is what ultimately matters. When it comes to your work, this is your self-expression, and you are the one who should be happy with it at the end of the day. Everything else is secondary.

Pro tip from Factor Eight: Sometimes, it’s about doubling down on exactly what you’re best at, and exactly what you’re used to, but sometimes you just need to flip the table over and try something entirely different. It could produce an unexpectedly beautiful result. Let serendipity work its magic.

Wrapping it all up

Thanks again to Factor Eight for taking the time to walk through his process with such clarity. His vocal-only approach is more than a technical decision. It’s a personal method built around trust in his own instincts, careful attention to detail, and a long-term vision that ties his music and message together.

“Waiting For The End” is available now on all platforms.

The video brings another layer to the release, combining movement, atmosphere, and restraint in a way that mirrors the track’s production choices. It’s a thoughtful addition to a growing body of work that’s worth returning to.

Discover Ozone

Don’t forget to download Factor Eight’s custom master chain for free here:

Get the master chain