Is this a good quality vocal recording? How can I improve it?

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cdj

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Hi there,

I was hoping to get feedback on the audio quality in my new home setup. I'm wondering if the linked recording is a good enough raw signal to be used for a "pro" quality track.

I received some feedback from the producer on my previous setup (just a Blue Yeti) saying that I need to get a higher quality recording before we can continue . So with that in mind I picked up some gear and I'm now trying to figure out how to use it properly. Here's my current setup:

NADY NDYSPF1 Pop Filter => Rode NT1 => Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (I pressed the "Air" button) => Logic Pro X, 24bit/96kHz

The pop filter is about 4 inches from the mic and I'm about 2 inches from the pop filter. The quality does sound better than my Blue Yeti but I'm still not sure if it's good enough.

Are there any issues that I need to address with this recording? Anything else I can do to improve it?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

View attachment All I Have to Give.mp3
 
It's a little difficult to judge without context.

My early thoughts are:

1 The quality of recording is not an issue

2 Your voice has a slightly nasal quality about it, but that is not necessarily a negative. It depends on how it fits in the song.

3 There are a few places where you seem to be a bit pitchy. Again, a musical context would help determine this.

4 You have a nice tremolo going there, and in fact, there are many contemporary songs that would work with your singing style.

5 The recording is very dry, and maybe some reverb is inorder. How much depends on the song

Next step: post another short clip with some backing.
 
gecko zzed said:
It's a little difficult to judge without context.

My early thoughts are:

1 The quality of recording is not an issue

2 Your voice has a slightly nasal quality about it, but that is not necessarily a negative. It depends on how it fits in the song.

3 There are a few places where you seem to be a bit pitchy. Again, a musical context would help determine this.

4 You have a nice tremolo going there, and in fact, there are many contemporary songs that would work with your singing style.

5 The recording is very dry, and maybe some reverb is inorder. How much depends on the song

Next step: post another short clip with some backing.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for the feedback. Regarding quality, I was wondering if I was too close to the mic? I can't stop focusing on the S and P sounds. They sound a bit unnatural to me, but maybe I'm over-thinking it as I'm not used to hearing my own voice so clearly.

Yes, my voice is a bit nasal. I've tried to "correct" it by singing differently but it ends up being inconsistent since I'm sort of putting on a voice.

And yes I hear the pitchiness too. I was straining a lot. I think I need to learn how to sing with less tension in my throat. I think that might help me hit the notes better, because I can hear and feel when they're off while I'm singing. I love singing but it's so difficult to improve.

I will post again with some backing once I record the song I'm currently writing!

Thanks again!
 
cdj said:
Are there any issues that I need to address with this recording? Anything else I can do to improve it?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Is it the recording quality you want feedback on or the voice ?
The voice is pretty good but there are a few moments where it flies out of tune. But relaxation and control will deal with that.
Try standing up and singing.
It would also be so much better if there was music with the singing.
 
grimtraveller said:
Is it the recording quality you want feedback on or the voice ?
The voice is pretty good but there are a few moments where it flies out of tune. But relaxation and control will deal with that.
Try standing up and singing.
It would also be so much better if there was music with the singing.
Click to expand...

Hi! Thank you for the response (and also on the newbie thread). I will take any feedback I can get. I was looking for feedback on the recording quality mostly but realize that some of that is tied to my singing technique. I do think my pitchiness is a big issue I need to address. And I was also concerned about maybe my S'es and P's being too loud.

I think I might not have provided enough context with my post. I'll clarify here. I'm looking to provide raw vocals to another person I'm collaborating with, and he will be handling any further processing and mixing with the backing track. Previously he noted that he didn't think the recording quality was good enough but did not clarify what was lacking. He was clear in saying that he meant the recording quality and not my singing. He asked if I could get studio time but I preferred to try to improve my recording tools instead. Now I have a new mic and interface and I'm trying to make sure that the raw signal I'm capturing is "good enough" to be used for further processing and mixing.

To my untrained ears it sounds okay? I can't hear any unwanted noise other than my S'es and P's blowing up. But I don't think I can trust my own ears yet.
 
You need to get more detailed information from your friend. Ask him to list the things...in order...that need to be improved for him to be able to work with it. Without that info....you and us...are guessing for the most part.
 
There’s no technical problems in the clip we can’t deal with, maybe with the track he struggling to fit it in? The trouble with some voices is they’re wrong for a certain style or genre, maybe that’s what he means. A voice that fits a fast rap song might struggle with a ballad, and a ballad singer might not fit a raw rock style. Have you got a rough mic of your voice with the track? That would help no end, because there’s nothing wrong with the technicals.
 
rob aylestone said:
There’s no technical problems in the clip we can’t deal with, maybe with the track he struggling to fit it in? The trouble with some voices is they’re wrong for a certain style or genre, maybe that’s what he means. A voice that fits a fast rap song might struggle with a ballad, and a ballad singer might not fit a raw rock style. Have you got a rough mic of your voice with the track? That would help no end, because there’s nothing wrong with the technicals.
Click to expand...

I've reached out to him and am awaiting a response. But yes, I was trying to figure out if outside the context of a specific track, my recording setup is suitable for recording high-enough quality vocals.

One thing I noticed and was pointed out above is that the nasality of my voice seems to be exaggerated here. I recorded part of my singing practice the other day through my iphone mic and the nasal quality wasn't there at all. So I still have to figure out how make my setup work better with my voice. I think if I experiment with mic placement it might have an effect? It was rather high and closer to my nose and eyes last time.

Thank you for your feedback.
 
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To be fair, I suspect the recording is a decent facsimile of what you did sound like to a decent mic. You can't change your voice - it is what it is. I spend a lot of time with singers that don't suit the songs they want to sing, and no amount of time or patience will convince them.

I watched a microphone comparison video on YouTube today - nice mics, four figure price tickets and every single one suffered badly from pops and bangs as he sang. I don't think it was the mics, just him.
 
A follow up on nasal singing... I sought out help with trying to modify my singing technique to reduce the nasality. Everyone suggested raising my soft palate. I tried it out and the results are pretty drastically different. I might have overdone it going in the opposite direction of nasal but it's good to know it's something I can manipulate. Also, this was recorded on an iPhone so that is also having an effect, I'm sure.

View attachment All I Have to Give - 2.mp3
 
Is there an EQ on this track? I found the lows to be lacking somewhat if this take is raw.

Mixed well I'd say you can get good results out of it.
 
Big Thier said:
Is there an EQ on this track? I found the lows to be lacking somewhat if this take is raw.

Mixed well I'd say you can get good results out of it.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the response. There’s no EQ on it, that’s raw signal.
 
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