Help with vocals!!!

I don't have much experience with vocals, but I'll give this a shot from what I've run into. A good mic is, of course, the starting point. Then EQ is important. If the vocals sound flat, then try boosting the mid to higher channels 1 at a time and see if you can capture the presence.

The two effects that seem to come up first with vocals are reverb and compression. Compression can make a big difference in vocals and you want to do it between the mic and the tape, not after, for best effect. Compression can help reduce clipping, if used right, which could be stealing some of their life. Reverb can, and should, be done after the master recording. For best effect, duplicate the vocal track, put reverb on one, then mix the 2 back together, with the clean vocal predominant, to keep it lively, and the reverbed track in the background to give it some depth and fullness. Also, play around with mic distance

If I could sing I'd probably have more to tell you, but I run into the primary problem with vocals. Garbage in, garbage out. So since none of my vocals sound any good, you should take my advice accordingly.

Thanks slothrob, I'll try that.

I'll get back to you either later tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks,

Mike

Send me an MP3 of the vocal track.

Echo is also a much used vocal effect , maybe used more often in rock music than country or jazz . Doubling , chorus , flanging are others that see substantial use in addition to compression , but reverb and echo ( delay ) are the main effects that almost everyone uses . The key to the use of any effect is to use the right amount . Too much is not good either . It should enhance the original dry signal not become the focal point , unless it is for a special effect .

Send me an MP3 of the vocal track.
We're going to try and have another go at in 10 minutes with a couple of changes. After that, how would I sent you the MP3? I'm using Cakewalk Sonar4.

This is all a HUGE learning experience for the both of us.

Thanks again

Mike

For the record I'm using a MXL 990 condencer mic.

Thanks for the help everyone.

I think I'm coming to the conclusion that my voice sucks. It seems like I'm talking more than singing.

Back to the drawing board.

That mic should have plenty of presence, though it may be a little harsh without some eq.

If you post your mp3 somewhere and give us a link, you'll probably get all kinds of advice.

I do have to say though, the compressor helped a lot and doubling the track with different effects. Thanks Slothrob.

I'll see about having another shot at it later and maybe try to post it. I deleted the other ones because they stunk.

Thanks again everyone,
Mike

Don't laugh.......at least to loud anyway! :roll:

This is a cover of Polly by Nirvana.

My cousin was on the guitar for this one and I was butchering the vocals. So far this is the only track that we aren't both playing. Normally I'm lead, rythem and vocals and he plays the main rythem.

So......What am I doing wrong (besides singing :lol: )? Is there any hope or should I just go back to lead and rythem?

I don't think you should give up on the vocals. You didn't sound like you were in tune the whole time, but I don't think your voice is bad at all. It sounds to me like you can carry a tune, so I think when you sound flat or out of tune it's more a lack of focus than an inability to sing.

Did you do that in one take? I'm no expert, but I've found that my vocals are much better if I record just my guitar part on one track and then do several vocal takes. It usually takes me 6 or 7 takes just to get to a point where I don't think it completely sucks and I'm still not really happy with it. I just read a book about CSNY, and Stephen Stills usually did several takes just to get the voice warmed up.

I have new-found respect for singers. It takes a heck of a lot of concentration to sing. You've got to worry about breathing, enunciation, pitch control, etc. I say hang in there and keep doing takes until you see improvement.

Well I noticed after writing this that it didn't sound as positive or helpful as I wanted. So let me preface it with this:

You did a good job, Tracker. You ran into the same problem that every other guitarist first singer as an afterthough runs into.

Let me tell you what the biggest problem is with guitarists singing, they think it should happen first time everytime. As a follow on, if it doesn't happen right first time, they think they suck and will never get it.

How well do you think you would do if I said "here, listen to this song you've never heard before. Got it? Good let's go record it." That would be hard to do wouldn't it?

How many hours do you put in trying to learn to play a song? If you put in 1/3rd of that time learning to sing it you'd be golden?

I've been singing for years in front of big crowds and small, in big pressure situations and relaxed ones, as a pro and for fun and I almost never sing without hours of practice getting the vocal quality, breathing, phrasing, tempo, nuances, dynamics down.

So what I think has happened in this recording is just that. You aren't familiar with the part.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your voice. I think Polly actually sounds good through most of the track.

Nick

How well do you think you would do if I said "here, listen to this song you've never heard before. Got it? Good let's go record it."

Nick

I've heard the song maybe a handfull of times so, you are pretty close to what happened.

todds,

Thank you for your advice and your kind words.

Thanks, I think I'm going to look into vocal lessons.

Tracker,

Two things, first my post came of kinda snippy, I apologize. It was meant to sound like, "Hey go easy on yourself, you need to practice and you'll nail it."

Second how long have you been playing? You probably are much more familiar with the guitar as an instrument than your voice, so the comparison isn't really a good one. You can pick up guitar fast, but the vocals may take more time.

Nick