Listen to a PRO MIX recorded from computer mic

  • Thread starter Thread starter aznwonderboy
  • Start date Start date
A

aznwonderboy

New member
This girl recorded herself from a computer microphone and sent it to a professional recording engineer.

Here's the home mixed version:
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=763683&q=Hi

Here's the one that was mixed by a professional:
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=800020&q=Hi

Right click on the link, click on properties, copy the full link, and paste the URL address into a new window. Then that'll open up the player for you to listen.

Or else, you can find the songs on the page. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/lilqueenymusic.htm
the home mixed version is the song: "coz im a girl (viet)"
the mixed version is: "LiL_Queeny - Coz im a girl (Korean)"

Granted, they're different languages, but both songs were sung by one person, with the same PC microphone. She used instrumental/karaoke background music and just recorded her voice on a separate track with Cool Edit.

I just want to ask for your input on how the engineer did it. What gear could have put the smoothness, warmth, strength, and intonation into the vocal? What gear could give her the seemingly natural vibrato? (If you listen in the home recorded one, you would notice she did not vibrate her voice, the voice was thin, and she was not much in tune.) What are some comparable effects on recording softwares (preferably Cool Edit) that could do those things?

Thanks ahead for your thoughts and opinions.
 
Yes..please,someone advise on how they did that.
Interesting recordings...same girl...same recording...just a different mixdown/editing? Wow.
 
When you say "PC microphone"..I'm assuming your NOT talking about the standard 10 dollar mic?
 
There's definitely autotune if she sent the same vocal track from the first one. I think a lot of the warmth comes from the reverb. But I could be wrong because I have no idea what I'm talking about. And that can't be a standard $10 computer mic. Can it?
 
She did say it was a "computer mic."

If that was autotune, I want it! Anyone know of any good one? Does Antares Autotune have the capacity to do it that well?
 
they make programs to auto tune vocals? i so need that
 
aznwonderboy said:
She did say it was a "computer mic."

If that was autotune, I want it! Anyone know of any good one? Does Antares Autotune have the capacity to do it that well?
Click to expand...

Antares Autotune is what we're talking about. And yes it's pretty powerfull, but if you can't already sing, don't expect it to make you suddenly have a great voice. It will only fix some of your off pitches.
 
Do professionals use antares autotune? It's a plug-in right?

(She sent her song to a professional to fix it up.) If the plug-in is truly this powerful, then I have got to learn how to use it better then.
 
"Do professionals use Autotune ?"

Oh, lord, yes they DO!! In fact, probably more than half of all Top 40 hits now have Autotune all over 'em. If you see a lot of these "artists" perform live, they fall flat on thier ass......In fact, NOT using Autotune will probably become a badge of honor soon.
 
Yes i've played with antares auto-tune, and it makes little mistakes okay. Now its really fun to get that kylie minoge sound out of it. Also Daft Punk is a good resource to hear auto-tuning/synth work to its max.
 
I don't want to sound negative, :D but the "professional" version has a horrific amount of low frequency noise and interference - It goes in and out on the vocal track. Listening to the original again, it's on the tracks.

However, the guy should've picked up on it during mixdown - It *was* probably nothing more than 60-cycle hum. Simple fix. Now, it's a giant autotuned, compressed & echoed mess of hum.

I'd rather listen to the home version.
 
Massive Master said:
I don't want to sound negative, :D but the "professional" version has a horrific amount of low frequency noise and interference - It goes in and out on the vocal track. Listening to the original again, it's on the tracks.

However, the guy should've picked up on it during mixdown - It *was* probably nothing more than 60-cycle hum. Simple fix. Now, it's a giant autotuned, compressed & echoed mess of hum.

I'd rather listen to the home version.
Click to expand...


Interesting. Your ears must be so well trained to heard this hum, either that or my PC speakers have be designed to block this problem out.


Okay, so most people agree it's autotuned. Could it be Melodyne? The demo of this program seems to be good. You can actually change the pitch of each note using graphic interface. The antares autone seems to be a bit hard to get used to too.

What kind of echo and compression/release/attack could be able to give this kind of warm, upclose, and ambient vocal in the "professional" mix? I just need a good estimate.
 
If you put on a pair of pretty good headphones, something like a AKG240 ($99 Guitar Center), you should be able to 'shine a light' on the hum, tape hiss, and overcompression artifacts that Massive Master mentioned. I think if you whip it on a CD and throw it in a car CD player you'll be able to hear all that stuff.

If the sound & technique rocks you - that's cool too !

I don't know about autotune things...

For the compression I'm guessing some type of mastering limiter or maximizer was put on the mix after an echo was applied, the echo sounds a bit squished is why I think that - that's the ambience you're getting while the limiter releases and the compressor makeup gain is bringing up the reverb/echo tails. Cool Edit has echo/reverb that would probably do that but I don't think it has a transparant enough 'maximizer'.

You could try the 'Classic Compressor', 'Classic Limiter', or TLs Maximizer to squish it just right (they're free VST plugins) - it's breathing a bit meaning the makeup gain is bringing the soft parts up while downward compression is compressing the loud parts. Classic Compressor followed by Classic Limiter would do that - or just TLs Maximizer.

I'm guessing a touch of echo/reverb first followed by heavy compression which will bring out a lot more of the echo/reverb mix is what they did.
 
No special ear training on this one - I caught my subwoofer try to sneak out the window every time the gate on the vocal track opened :eek:

Again, not trying to sound negative - IMO, however, it sounds like the engineer was shooting for "slick" before shooting for "good" and it just doesn't work that way. Problems like that have to be attacked at the earliest possible level. If not during recording, then first thing in the mix. Right now, if I tried to filter out the hum, it would take most of the low end out. During the mix, it only would've thinned out the vocal a bit.

It's like trying to stick stained glass applique to a dirty window. If you just clean the window first, it'll stick better. :rolleyes:

Boy, I come up with some weird analogies sometimes... It's early... :D
 
Good analogy (try substituting underware for stained glass). The Autotune on the vocal is WAY over the top. The artifacts are killing it, even worse than Cher.
 
Man, I'm still stuck at the very beginner's level in listening skill because I think the "professional" mix sounds really good.

I did not notice that hum nor hiss because it sounds nice in the mix. I guess it contributes to the ambience and "breathy?" atmostphere of the song. The vocal quality I'm going for is one that has a large breath-to-sound ratio (if such exists.)
 
If you didn't notice the hum going in and out on the "pro" mix, it's probably your monitors - In the "home" mix, at least it was a constant - Fairly easy to ignore after a while. In the "pro" mix, it goes in and out on every phrase.
 
aznwonderboy said:
I just want to ask for your input on how the engineer did it. What gear could have put the smoothness, warmth, strength, and intonation into the vocal? What gear could give her the seemingly natural vibrato?

Thanks ahead for your thoughts and opinions.
Click to expand...

Brrrr....
The sibilance, autotune artifacts, and hum kinda overwhelmed me after about 30 seconds. Couldn't finish listening to it.

You might want to think about a better pair of monitors if this sounded good on yours.... :confused:
 
Thanks for the advice on buying monitors. I will definitely follow that advice.
Whoops, gotta sell some microphones to afford new equipment.

Do you think a used pair of M-audio BX5 would be good enough? They cost around $180.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top