How to thicken the vocals in this mp3 take?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Goti
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Goti

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Hey there,

I'm currently mixing the new album from my band. And I have a big problem with the vocals. We have recorded the vocals for the first song and now have 3 takes (they are pretty much synchronized).

Now if I take only one vocal track it sounds kind of .. airy, no warmth, no thick sound. But even with the two other tracks added it doesn't get any better. With and without some delay on them.

You can listen to it here: htt p://www .skadika.de/download/roms_verse.mp3 (you need to delete the spaces)

The last vocal part is with all 3 tracks.

ps: I know that the background track isn't perfect either :D but I wanted the vocals to fit in in some way and then make some things in the background more transparent.

View attachment roms_verse.mp3
 
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Sounds like a lot of reverb for my tastes. That is making it sound like it's off on it's own somewhere. Just my 2 cents
 
I changed some effects, added more compression and replaced the reverb. In the verse there is only one vocal track, that sounds okay to me. But in the chorus, when I add the other two tracks, it sounds again like there is some phase cancellation (at least to me it does). The problem persists when I invert the phase, when I add some delay (I used values from 0 to 32ms). I used EQ on the two additional tracks, so they don't sound so airy ... but in together, the three tracks still sound ... meh to me. Hope you know what I mean.

(I'm going to add a de-esser too, but that's not the problem here)

Verse: (sounds okay to me) View attachment roms_verse2.mp3
Refrain: (three vocal tracks, too airy) View attachment roms_ref.mp3
 
Goti said:
, it sounds again like there is some phase cancellation]
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Are they 3 separate takes? Or is it one take captured by multiple mics?

It's impossible to get phase cancellation if it's 3 separate takes, so that wouldn't be the problem.
 
They are 3 seperate takes. Yeah, that it can't be phase cancellation seems obvious to me. But I still don't know why it sounds worse compared to the single track. The two additional tracks are panned hard left and right, but even with 50L/50R oder 33L/33R it's still the same. Any ideas?
 
I didn't think that there was a real problem with the vocal "thinness." But here are some things you might want to try:

1. Put all the lead vocal tracks down the center. Call one of those tracks the "main" track and the other two "support" tracks. Pull the support tracks down maybe 6-10dbs (adjust to taste).

2. There was a little harshness to the vocal. Maybe notch out ~2,700hz a little bit on the support tracks (or all of them). If you take out some harshness, maybe the vocal will seem a little fuller.

3. Retrack with the singer closer to the mic. Or in a different room. Or in a different spot in the same room. Maybe there's a better spot.

4. *Maybe* a slight EQ boost somewhere between 250hz and 500hz. Be careful with that. It could quite easily make things worse. Try it, listen, and see.
 
Oh and I thought the vocal was a bit buried in the mix.
 
Already mentioned but try boosting around 200-400Hz. This would only work if there was actually 200-400Hz there to start with. Coning the vocal track and inserting a very small delay (which IMO would just make it louder) might add some body to it.

If possible get her to sing closer to the mic to get some proximity effect working for you. If that is not possible, then you have to add something that wasn't there to start with. The esses are telling me something else is awry but I am not sure what.

How about pitch-shifting everything down an octave and remixing with filters to get some lows to work with? That might take a bit of work
 
Thanks for the replys so far,

I'll look into it later. When there are more question, I'll write again :D
 
Goti said:
Thanks for the replys so far,

I'll look into it later. When there are more question, I'll write again :D
Click to expand...

What a coincidence!! When there are more questions, we'll answer 'em again :D
 
Deleted.


( I'm not going to get into another discussion about what cloning doesn't do. :D)
 
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RAMI said:
Deleted.


( I'm not going to get into another discussion about what cloning doesn't do. :D)
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Well ya should, cos I'm not gonna go looking for them in other posts :D
I know there is no magic there, but you have a thin vocal track with no lows anywhere in sight so we gotta synthesize 'em somehow.
 
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