lead vocals vs. lead guitar

six

New member
it's always the same: after the guitar-solo my songs seem to break down - the power is lost. it sounds like something's missing... you really feel the lack of the solo-guitar though now the vocals come in again. how do you get this fixed?

I already tried to treat vocals and solo-guitar in a similar way (delay, reverb and stuff) but this doesn't seem to be the thing.

is it just the arrangement? (I usually only have drums, bass, distorted guitars, vocals, tiny backing vocals).
 
Yo Six of Six:

Don't know what gear you're using; however, you might try one of the following:

1. Get a mic preamp and pump in your vocal; this should help put your vocal UP FRONT.

2. Put your lead vocal on two tracks; this would give you more ommph when mixing down.

3. Get a better mic?

4. Check your connections by gently wiggling the input plugs with the set on; loss of sound or bad noise usually means a bad cable.

5. Speaking of cables, buy a couple of good ones: one for the mic and one, or the same one, for your lead box, like guitar/keys.

Drums usually don't need much help except maybe a touch of hi EQ when mixing down if you like to hear the cymbals ring like Santa's Sleighbells.

Enjoy,

Green Hornet
 
Rhythm tracks form the basis of any song and should be tight and consistent from beginning to end regardless of what is on top. With a good foundation, vocals and any solos should be enhancements your music.
Sounds like your vocal ability may be overpowered by guitar prowess. Do what you think is necessary to make the vocals more powerful. Experiment with different phrasing, words, and melodies.
 
Without knowing your song, this might not work, but you can try cutting back on the lead guitar a bit. As the old saying goes, "less is more"
 
thank you all

it's a funny thing about that "putting the vocals up front".
i'd rather think they're too much up front.

but anyway: maybe it's a combination of a hundred mistakes.
 
When you say "losing power," do you mean losing volume or just no "oomph" there? If it's the latter, it could very well be an arrangement problem. One option would be to have the vocals come back in before the guitar solo ends (sustain the last note or play a little flourish as the vocals come in) to make a smoother transition. Another is whether you are coming out of the solo into a verse or into a chorus. The latter would probably come across as more powerful. Does the end of the guitar solo leave a transition to the listener so that they expect the vocals to come back in?

If I'm on the right track and you want to post an MP3 of your track somewhere, I'd be happy to give it a listen.

<--Will-->
 
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