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lppier
New member
What are the things I can do to make a thin vocal sound better?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Kevin Deschwazi
Well-known member
Sing fatter! 
It depends what's making it sound thin, and whay you mean by "thin".
A good start would be to move closer to the mic (proximity effect).
It depends what's making it sound thin, and whay you mean by "thin".
A good start would be to move closer to the mic (proximity effect).
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Robert D
New member
Well, it starts with matching the right mic to the singer. Then the preamp has to reinforce those qualities. Then, as Kevin pointed out, technique and positioning help, like putting proximity effect to work. All these aim to get the best recording. Doing a dub track can also help a lot, where the same thing is sung again as close as humanly possible to the main vocal track.
Once you have the best tracks possible, then you use can compression to fill out the thin spots, and of course EQ to fatten it up a bit. Then bring up that dub vox track and it should really start to have some dimension. Finally, add a little delay or reverb, and you should be in fat city.
Once you have the best tracks possible, then you use can compression to fill out the thin spots, and of course EQ to fatten it up a bit. Then bring up that dub vox track and it should really start to have some dimension. Finally, add a little delay or reverb, and you should be in fat city.
TerraMortim
New member
gain some weight, and take some hormones to give you a deeper voice...nyuk nyuk....
change the mic, probably the best solution. a little low eq raise? PSP vintage warmer, or T-Racks, or maybe TriTone EQs.
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ephraimbuck
New member
Thin vox
Hey there, what mic are you using and how far are you miking from? If you're using a dynamic microphone, after about 6" you'll lose all your weight. With a condenser, you probably want it about 6" away, further than a foot is usually where you'll start losing some heft.
Be careful with getting too close to the condenser, however. If you're singing right into it, the proximity effect will beef up your vocal, but you're probably going to end up with a really beefy vocal that will not sit correctly in the mix.
As far as EQ goes, I would put +10db and sweep around 235-250 hz, once you find the area that gives that voice some clout, pull it back to +2 or +3db. This is where you can get some unpleasant boominess, so be careful to not add too much.
Another thought is, if you're using a condenser in a small, live room, phase interactions with the close reflections can suck all the meat and potatoes out of your vocal. Try a different room, especially maybe a really absorbant, dead space like a walk in closet full of coats or hang some blankets up.
Hey there, what mic are you using and how far are you miking from? If you're using a dynamic microphone, after about 6" you'll lose all your weight. With a condenser, you probably want it about 6" away, further than a foot is usually where you'll start losing some heft.
Be careful with getting too close to the condenser, however. If you're singing right into it, the proximity effect will beef up your vocal, but you're probably going to end up with a really beefy vocal that will not sit correctly in the mix.
As far as EQ goes, I would put +10db and sweep around 235-250 hz, once you find the area that gives that voice some clout, pull it back to +2 or +3db. This is where you can get some unpleasant boominess, so be careful to not add too much.
Another thought is, if you're using a condenser in a small, live room, phase interactions with the close reflections can suck all the meat and potatoes out of your vocal. Try a different room, especially maybe a really absorbant, dead space like a walk in closet full of coats or hang some blankets up.
D
Daisy
Banned
Get someone with a bigger voice cut your vocal tracks for you. Someone who preferably sounds like a man rather than a mouse.
Then pull a milli vanilli and take credit for it.
Then pull a milli vanilli and take credit for it.
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lppier
New member
Does gaining weight really help? Haha.. I'll try the proximity thing to see if it helps , tks.
M
mrface2112
Well-known member
making a voice sound "fat" requires a voice that sounds fat in the first place. you can't put in what's not already there. it's the same as guitars, amps, drums, everything else. you've gotta get it sounding right at the source.
"that guy who does the movie previews" gets that vocal sound b/c he sounds like that in the first place.
that said (and that aside), it's all about mic selection and mic placement. you've gotta have the right mic for the voice. and although one mic might work GREAT for one song, there's no guarantee that it'll be the right mic for another song. this is why studios have a large mic cabinet (and many vocal mics to choose from).
take advantage of the proximity effect, but like others said, a huge vocal sound doesn't always work right in the mix. knowing and judging this takes experience.
compression can definitely help (in the box i like the Waves Renaissance Vox), as can judicious use of EQ--cut where it sounds thin and boost where it sounds fat. a good rule of thumb with eq--cut to make something sound better......boost to make something sound different.
cheers,
wade
"that guy who does the movie previews" gets that vocal sound b/c he sounds like that in the first place.
that said (and that aside), it's all about mic selection and mic placement. you've gotta have the right mic for the voice. and although one mic might work GREAT for one song, there's no guarantee that it'll be the right mic for another song. this is why studios have a large mic cabinet (and many vocal mics to choose from).
take advantage of the proximity effect, but like others said, a huge vocal sound doesn't always work right in the mix. knowing and judging this takes experience.
compression can definitely help (in the box i like the Waves Renaissance Vox), as can judicious use of EQ--cut where it sounds thin and boost where it sounds fat. a good rule of thumb with eq--cut to make something sound better......boost to make something sound different.
cheers,
wade