Vocal mix

K

Kimball

New member
View attachment Trisha 203.mp3

Hiii Everyboody!

I worked on this track with a friend I met on another musician page. I had recorded an acoustic version, and they re-arranged an instrumental for it, and I recorded the vocals over their mix.

I wanted to know what kinds of tips or suggestions everyone had to make this better? And due to my budgetary constraints, I would love to know what equipment or techniques you would apply in a perfect world. ha

(If it helps, I'm running an AT2020 into a Zoom H4n onto Audacity lol)

Thanks so much!!!
 
Sounds pretty good man! Not sure what up with that HH tho. It gets distracting. Vocals a bit washed in delay/reverb for my taste but it works. That is just style. Not judgment.

Welcome to the forum Kimball! :)
 
Yeah, that hi-hat needs some taming. Turn that sucker down. I also immediately sensed a lot of buildup in the upper mids and top end in general. It's rather bright and bordering harsh. I'd notch out, with EQ, some upper mids on the vocals and guitars. Other than that, not bad. I didn't mind the verb on the vocals.
 
And I am just a guy that rarely comes around the clinic.

I may get some shit for that...

I use verbs very sparingly myself. Favorite lately is a light plate verb on vocals and drums. Specifically the Soundtoys one that was free a while back. Funny how a free offer makes you think...

:)
 
Great vocal performance. I agree that it seems like some mids need trimming back. But, in some parts of the song the vocal sits really well. I think a lot of that is from the reverb. I would experiment with some different reverb and try to get the vocal to mesh with the music bed a little better.

It really dosen't sound bad as is.

great work Kimball and welcome to the forum from me too.
 
The fuzzed guitar that comes in during the 2nd verse interferes with the lead vocals as its panned right in the center too. Too fizzy for my taste when it does the lead.
 
Noted. And yeah, it took me a second to register it, but the HH really does stand pretty forward and could use a taper.

Another question: So I didn't think much of reverb until I went through a Shoe-gaze/Dream pop phase the last few years. Does the heavy-handed reverbs come off out of place, or just too distant in the mix? I really want to produce vocals for popular listening, and I think my fondness for those emotional landscapes interfere.

Thanks again friend. I've been reading posts here for a few years now, and I figured I finally needed to take the plunge. haha
 
My thanks! I'm getting a lot of a great feedback here. And yeah, I think I need to focus on the equalization before reverb. Some of my best effects are on my interface and that kinda messes up the work chain a little bit. I appreciate the input!
 
Reverb is a usually necessary thing to make a mix sound natural. In other words like it is in a room that the listener is not necessarily in. But, that can get overdone very quickly. One of my first mistakes in my early mixes. But then the 80's were a different time.... lol

Most modern music uses reverb quite sparingly in the body of the mixes, but there are some real cool tricks that you can do with a reverb as an effect on a vocal or any instrument.

There is no right or wrong. Just what works for a particular song. The most fun of recording is finding something that is unique. Whether that sucks or not it for you to decide. Or maybe listeners. But screw them - what do they know? LOL!
 
I like the singer's voice quite a bit. I'd use a different reverb, and less of it. The slap-back predelay washes out his voice. I'd shine the light on it. Harmony vocals were nice.

And yes the high hat is very hissy. If you have any high boost EQ on it, I'd take it out. If you have other sample choices, I'd explore them. Snare and kick are a little soft.

The distorted guitars have a digital/amp-simmy sound to them.

Bass was OK, maybe a little soft.
 
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