Vocals sound too "removed"

B

BigDanStud

New member
Hey All,

I'm currently recording with Cakewalk Software on a PIII 450 with a Soundblaster Live! card, 128MB Ram, a Spirit 6-channel mixer, and an AKG C3000 large diaphram condenser mic. The problem I'm having is that when I record vocals, I'm having a hard time making them sound like part of the mix. They always end up sounding "seperate" or "removed", if you can follow that. Does anyone have any ideas, whether in the recording of or the mixing of the vocals and the rest of the tracks, that can help me get a better feel to my mix. Any ideas would be great.

By the way, I've been playing around with doubling the vocal track and delaying the second copy a very slight degree and then panning the first copy left and the second copy right. Any cool ideas along these lines?

Thanks in advance.

Dan
 
I would try messing with the effects a little bit, making sure you're getting the sound of vocals fitting in with the type of "room" the music is played in.

Also, depending on the monitors your using, that could add to the "hot" vocal sound. I have a set of BOSE 201s in the studio just to make sure of mixes.
 
Hey Dan, this is an idea for your vocal mix. Its a really cool trick I just learned from Home Recording magazine. Its subtle but it really does sound cool.
OK Record a vocal track as you would any other. Record a second vocal track as similair as possible to the first (no matter how good you are it will obviously never be the same as the first. Thats the point). Now use your reverb effects on the second vocal and when your mixing down use the first vocals and the reverb from the second vocal not the vocals from the second. just the reverb. It sounds really cool especially when you start panning it around in different ways.
 
to make your vocals tighter in your mix try using a little
Predelay.
use short decay time between .5 and 1 sec. and long predelay between 100 and 250ms. This should give you a big sound but tight.

Be carefull with the reverb. misused, and chances it will make your vocals sound hazed.
 
Well, what you really need to do is get a better sound card, and a much better mic preamp for recording. Also, if you are using regular mic cable like from Horizon, you should think about stepping up their too.

Also, micing techinque is very important. If the sound is too in your face, try having the singer move back. If it is too distant sounding, have them move closer. Proximity effects can be used creatively.

Also, I didn't see a compressor in your equipment list. Depending upon the skill of the singer, and the style of music, a compressor is a must while tracking to digital. A Behringer Composer would do just fine.

Good luck.

Ed Rei
Echo Star Studio www.echostarstudio.com
 
Big Dan Man:

I think you have received some great advice from Dark Star's Ed. Equipment of good calibre means a great deal when you want your vocals to come out in a specific manner.

I use the ART mic pre and I've found by experimenting that if I cut the input knob and increase the output knob and am in a good reverb room, I get some nice up front vocals which is what I like; maybe you remember the old Frank Sinatra vocals with Nelson Riddle's band; Frank was always up front and very very articulate; but, then, he had some great mics to choose from.

I also use the AKG 3000 among others. I have a question about that mic that maybe you or Dark Star can answer; there are three little ballpen switches on the back of the mic shaft and I have them all to the left. Is there a better way to position those switches?

Thanks, and keep twiddling the dials,

Green Hornet
 
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