help with mixing vocals

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GrungeXGuitaris

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...this is a track i recorded for my friends band No Star Apathy. I recorded it using a Yamaha Md8, a nady 7 piece drum mic kit with a sm57 on snare, a sm57 on a 100 watt marshall combo for lead and rhythm guitar, and i recorded the bass direction into the md8. I transefered the tracks to my computer through an M-Audio mobile pre into Adobe Audition 2. Then i recorded the vocals using an MXL 990 (im trying to save up for an sm7). I only got into recording 2 months ago and was wondering what you guys think. I spent less than 6 hours recording and mixing the track and im looking for some feedback with mixing the vocals. i tried posting this in the mp3 forum but kept getting ignorant comments and flames.

Silence for Solitude
 
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I know you're new, but cross posting is a no-no. Chris was right - The substantive problem is poor source material - there is no way to make this sound good and it's not a reflection on your work at all. But you'll probably have to introduce these guys to tuners or learn some pitch correction software to work with them.

Seemed to be a nice quiet recording, though. I'd change your focus from gear to the basics - get these guys to be aware of their own voices. Probably the first thing to do is to play it back to them. Sounds as if they've never heard themselves. I can tell you the the first time I heard my own recorded voice I wanted to run and hide. Might wake them up a bit.

Stick around and keep doing it!
 
Ok, here`s a few thoughts.

Its kinda hard to listen to this, as its clear that the preformers arent well rehearsed.
Some thing that practice will take care of.
I think the same goes for the vocals.

The drums sound kinda distant, and the little I hear from them, they sound kinda lifeless.
Look up micing techniques.
The bass is also quite nonexsistant, I can hear some low rumble.
But its hard to make out the notes that are played.

The vox were kinda brutal in the mix, you should try to mellow them out a bit.


These are just first impressions.
I`m gonna be very blunt and say it was kinda hard to listen to due to things that allready have been mentioned.


My advice to you is to get your friends to rehears for a few more months.

Read up on micing techniques, your mic`s are allright. Should get you started.

Look for a Mixing contest in the clinic, join in listen to the quality of each recorded track.
Compared to your own takes, learn.
I sure have.

So keep at it, record and mix as much as you can.

Best of luck :)
 
There are a lot of timing issues. The first secret to getting a good recording, is that the performers are well rehearsed. I think the band needs a lot more practice before they expect to be recorded well.

This recording you did of them however, can be a great learning tool for the band. The band should sit down together and listen without becoming defensive and hear what they need to improve on.

In the meantime, maybe you could find a more seasoned performer to work with. If not, just keep trying with what you have to work with....but seriously, no amount of slider moving...knob turning...FX....are going to make the band better. It will only be a band-aid and a lousy one at that.

Good luck with your recording....don't give up.

EDIT...I just saw what Naka posted about the Clinic mixing contest...that is an excellent idea. You can get a lot of experience from those.

Remember...the comments you get here, are not near as harsh as you would get on some other forums...or if you presented this to a PRO recording studio for examination. You have to be able to take the critizism ...even if it is given in a bold or somewhat rude way. Everyone has their own recording-side manner...some are harsher than others. The world of recording out there sure as hell is not made of fluff but grit....so get some on some chaps and go for it.

True
 
thanks for all the advice...this was one of the bands newer songs and we did rush the recording process...im going to be recording with them again tomorrow so ill be more meticoulous with making sure they stay in time...they are really good live so hopefully the next recording will do them justice.
 
GrungeXGuitaris said:
thanks for all the advice...this was one of the bands newer songs and we did rush the recording process...im going to be recording with them again tomorrow so ill be more meticoulous with making sure they stay in time...they are really good live so hopefully the next recording will do them justice.
Click to expand...


Hey man, one more thing.
And I cant emphesize on how important this is.

Make sure they tune up all the time, its the worst thing I know about recording, when the guitars are not tuned.
Because its so easy to prevent its just to check the guitar before between the takes.
I just had a Bass session that went in the bin due to false intonation, we dident notice until more instruments got in the mix.

Btw I did hear some weird sounds on the drum kit as well, if anyone of you guys knows how to tune a kit properly, do so use lots of time on that if it takes time.
If your bad at it like me :o tune low and use muffling on the heads and lots of it :D


In shorter terms a lot of the actual recording lies in the preperations :)

again the best of luck to you, and keep us posted :cool:
 
I can't add a whole lot to what has already been said...might have some potential, and is not the worst thing I've heard.....needs work, but might end up ok when finished. The vocals need something to expand them....chorus, delay, verb...something to make them sit better. Compress them a bit more, and make them a bit fatter with a chorus or delay. That might help. Then compress the mix as a whole somewhat, to make it more cohesive.

All timing issues need to be fixed before hand.... if this is all you have to work with, then do the best you can. Don't get ticked about what people say, take it all in stride, and use what advice you can. This is not the worst song I have ever heard....do you have a version I can DL?
 
The good news is that around here it seems anybody you have a knockdown dragout fight with is bound to eventually become your buddy.

Don't take mine or anyone's advice, but I have to say that the smartest thing you could do would be to unlock the mp3 clinic thread and say, "Sorry. I over reacted. I'll work with the band on their performance. Until then though, any other mix opinions are appreciated."

Rude comments that are met with, "OK. I'll work on it" make you look good and it tends to diffuse the attack, even make the attacker look bad. Flaming back doesn't.
 
HEY! YOU TALKIN' TO ME? HUH?? y... uh... um...




oh.














um...,



never mind.







:D​
 
I sent you a PM because of the other locked thread if you didn't get it.

I'd also advise against cross-posting in the future.
 
You can do all the mixes you want. It's a shitty performance and a shitty recording.

And the fact that you closed the other thread just because you got some HONEST criticism makes you one of the biggest cowards I've ever had the displeasure of reading.

What ChrisHarris said to you in the other thread was more constructive than you have the brains to realise.

Oh...by the way.................Grow a spine and fuck off.
 
RAMI said:
You can do all the mixes you want. It's a shitty performance and a shitty recording.

And the fact that you closed the other thread just because you got some HONEST criticism makes you one of the biggest cowards I've ever had the displeasure of reading.

What ChrisHarris said to you in the other thread was more constructive than you have the brains to realise.

Oh...by the way.................Grow a spine and fuck off.
Click to expand...

....ouch..... :D
 
GrungeXGuitaris said:
here is a link to the new version of my song Silence for Solitude . its a soundclick account so u can download it too.
Click to expand...
I find it hard to believe that this band could give a good live performance.
The drummer is absolutely awful.That motherfucker couldnt count to 4 if
you spotted him 1,2, and 3.
That being said, I dont think you did a bad job of capturing them,for guy
that has only been at it a short while.What you should do is look around for some better performers to record because if you put shit in you get shit
out.No mixing skills can do anything about it.
Good luck.
 
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