Please listen to this RAW song

[bigj]

Hi im kinda new in here, but i wanted to ask the gurus and very helpfull people in here (LEE ) to blaze me with their knowledge. I have a RAW recording of my vox on top of an already finished and mastered instrumental.

I got just an SP B1 going into an M-Audio Firewire Solo Interface and then to the DAW that is Cubase SX3.

With that in mind and that my rec room is a basement in were I have tried to Isolate a lil the mic by putting it on a corner and completing the box with quilts/conforters hanging from the ceiling, I ask of you guys to listen to the track (it's not perfect) and tell me on the good spots what you thing the vox needs.

Anything in particular? EQ? Compressing? How much? I have seen and read about just giving a lil compression to vox like ie 2.1 3.1 with moderate attack and release...but all of that seem to dig the vox more in the wrong direction which is being DEAD FLAT. I don't know if it's me trying to get something out of my setup that it can't provide (no real isolate booth, remeber!) or can i really get a better sound RAW than this?

The main chorus has 3-4 vox's and regular verses have 3...i didn't lowered down volumes or nothing, so take that into consideration...i know at least to use one track as the lead and use the other 2 to play around with. Some of the verses come in harder than the rest of the verse, but this is easily fix by going into it and adjust it... what im looking for is the overall quality of the vox...

Ohhh i was around 12 inches from the mic and tried that the overall level was around -18 to -14 db like i read in another thread in order to leave head room...

If you need any more info please say so...Thanks in advance!

here is the link and lastly this is Spanish Reggaeton...for the one's that don't know is a little fusion on dancehall and hip-hop with a pattern of kicks and snares thrown in by some Puertorican Dj's in the 90's

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=3474722&q=hi

BTW Don't flame me cuz i didn't match my own song in a couple of verses! that's gonna be fix...and maybe re-recorded!

[bigj]

any takes, opinions or anything...! thanks

[wx3]

The vocals definately aren't loud enough in my monitors, they seem buried by the instrumentals. Personally I think you could benifit from singing a little closer to the mic, also maybe some compression could help you to even out the level and bring it up a bit.

[bigj]

Originally Posted by wx3

The vocals definately aren't loud enough in my monitors, they seem buried by the instrumentals. Personally I think you could benifit from singing a little closer to the mic, also maybe some compression could help you to even out the level and bring it up a bit.

So you are saying get closer and do i try to stay at the same level -18 to -14db on my mic when recording? or Do i scratch that off and go by ear?

This is a song that i did, setting the levels up by ear when recording, and then adjusting it as needed in order to get a level vox track! (edit: BTW i think i DID recorded this one closer to the mic than the one on top)

The song is called Yo y Tu - "Me & You"
http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=3437361&q=hi

And this other one i also did it by ear
http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=3469358&q=hi

They also got some Fx's (plug ins) in them and i really don't know if they are compressed...so they are no RAW...with these 2 i actually recorded as high as possible with out clipping and well more or less the whole things was around -6 to -4db with some peaks just below 0

What you think...play it by ear for now!!! lol

[bigj]

Soooo, any othe opinions about the vox track

[Reggie]

Pretty interesting stuff. Not something I hear e'ry day. I think you need to learn to not be afraid of having the vocals up front and bold. They are just a little bit low for the most part. And I would probably be spanking them with some compression, but that is just me; they really don't NEED extra compression. Maybe if the whole mix had some fast pumping compression so the vocals are up front, the beat hits, and then the vocals come right back up in between big hits. Might be cool. Also might try a little auto-tuning on the lady. Not that she is bad or anything; lots of singers in dance-type music are autotuned.

Can't say I understood a word though.

[bigj]

Hey hey!!! the lady is just starting out...my 16 yr old daughter...got sick and tired of listening to her singing to hip hop r&B and reggaeton (which is what is in there) and i'm putting some lirics and making her remember them and then start getting creative with the pitching and style of the liric...so she makes the lirics more her... Long process...she just started singing about 1/2 year and just with me and stuff...she is far from being there with her voice and i try to get her more into it in terms of practicing and stuff....

The auto tunning is very interesting...i know there is something a lil bit wrong with her singing, but can't quite put my finger in it and i think your ears did...don't know a lot about this tunnig thing...is that when you make the voice stay on key or something? are there any free auto tunnig stuff that would work with cubase so i can fiddle with them? VST plug in type of thing, right?

OK...i hear compression and i tried to compress some stuff...on like 3.1:1 with a threshhold of like -14db and attack at around 30-40 and release about 300 and this seemed to be the best settings in my ears with the compression but i would play the song and turn the comp on and off and off still sounded better...lower...but better...

I need to get me some decent monitors...i know most of this would be no problem to do if i was listening to something more close to the sound...im using some altec cheapy lansin pc 2.1 setup and some sony bullshit studio headphones...yeah right $20 studio headphones $20....nahhhh

I need to dish some $$$ for monitors and i realize that maybe i would not be asking the questions that i have...if i had a decent set...

Just my2 cents on my own situation...

[jawgee]

I've been really digging that first song you put up ("BUYA!"). I realize that the vocals are raw, so they could be mixed better into the song with some effects, so I won't comment on those

What that song could use is maybe a female vocal coming in at certain times to break up the monotony a bit. Even though the song has a cool latino/reggae vibe going on, there's also something Far Eastern Indian happening. So, I was thinking the femal vocal that you could put in, could have some sort of Indian flair to it. Kind of like some long sustaining vocal chant with lots of microtonal inflections. Not sure if you can hear that in your head; can't really put it into words.

I'll have to check out your other songs.

Good luck!
jawgee

[Reggie]

Monitors are essential.
Mainbuss compression is a tricky beast; not all compressors (especially plugins) behave well in that role.
The plugin is Autotune by Antares. Not free I'm afraid. But it may help hide some of those not-so-perfect singing moments.
Not trying to discourage her; she is close, but just needs some more experience.
Have fun

[bigj]

Thanks...ill comment more in a bit....gotta go...wanted to check responses lol

[amra]

Pretty cool stuff...
Can't really comment on the mix, because I am not real familiar with that genre, but I dig it.

[bigj]

Jawgee

In that sing there is some empty spots every now and again that my daughter would sing/say something, to kinda do what you are talking about...but that chanting kinda thing...maybe we can come up with something cuz that intrigues me...kinda like that Jay Z song where he had an "arabic man" chanting/singing almost throught the whole things...and basicly that was what hooked you in the song...

Reggie

You are not discouringing (spelling ? lol) her, 1st she don't come around here, 2nd In my honest opinion to her, i tell her that at this moment she is good enough to record a song/demo, but I also encourage her by pointing out that she sounds (recorded) the same or better (which other people have pointed out to me and her also) than other female vocalist/singers/rappers that have been in major productions of the genre and that if she keeps on at it, experimenting with her highs/lows/tone, she can become BIG on this thing.

BIG on this thing won't make you an instant millionare ( The top dogs ARE!) but will give you a fine living. ie Daddy Yankee the singer of "Gasolina" (maybe you heard it, maybe you have not) takes clothes & jewerely shopping sprees in NY spending stupid money on the 10's of thousand just in a visit. That's crazy...is not all about the money, but you got to be real too...

If she goes out to college, she would then always have this as a Plan B.

$$$ aside, we did 1 show together and was her first in january, and she have showed a renew enthusiasm (spell again?) for this game. And that's the main thing, if you don't like what you do, it doesn't matter how talented you are, the fans are gonna be able to tell and therefor, you ain't going to succed in this. Fun Fun Fun, that's the killer!