my vocals sound like I have a stufed nose

[cwr89]

what should I set the EQ on my mixer to?
I was never reall given a suggested in the manual. it is a Nady Mixer with 3 EQ bands.

thanks
Casey

 

[ssscientist]

Use the Kleenex setting.

 

[Farview]

Most of the time, that is just the way you sing. It always sounds different in your head than it does recorded. Try re-singing it after using some neosinephrine. If it still sounds like that, try cutting 2k and get some vocal lessons.

 

[scrubs]

what should I set the EQ on my mixer to?
I was never reall given a suggested in the manual. it is a Nady Mixer with 3 EQ bands.

thanks
Casey

Do you have a stuffed nose? Is your voice nasal in quality (ask your friends)? What mic are you using? In general (I may of course be completely wrong), I don't think you can fix a nasal voice with EQ very well (though messing with the middle EQ knob may help a bit). Here are a few things to try:

1) adjust the mic position -- move it around and try different angles to get the best sound. try with the capsule of the mic positioned between your nose and forehead, aimed at a 45 degree angle to the ground. Always use a pop filter. Try backing off from the mic about 12-18". Also, try out some different mics to find one that is less noticeable.

2) use one of those Breathe-Right nasal strips to open up your nasal passages when tracking vocals -- I do this sometimes, as I have some chronic nasal problems.

3) try over-the-counter nasal sprays or saline spray -- Be careful with the Oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan) type sprays, as prolonged use can really screw up your nose. Saline is safer, but does not work as well.

4) cut the mids a couple of notches -- I would try to avoid any major EQ during tracking, so this should be your last resort. It just may be that the combination of your voice with that specific mic and the nady preamps accentuate this problem in a nasty way.

 

[cwr89]

hehehe. ok, ya... I am a guitarist, can't sing any play at the same time, but I thought I was singing good... oh well. could It also be that I don't have a power amp for my monators yet and I am running it though a 15 watt crate practice amp?

~Casey

 

[Farview]

hehehe. ok, ya... I am a guitarist, can't sing any play at the same time, but I thought I was singing good... oh well. could It also be that I don't have a power amp for my monators yet and I am running it though a 15 watt crate practice amp?

~Casey

Put on a set of headphones so you can hear what you sound like. The guitar amp is a big part of the problem.

 

[cwr89]

ok, thanks for the suggestions. I don't really have an congestion in my nose right now.

another problem might be... I did cheap out... I bought a mixer that would just barely acommidate what I wanted. (Nady SRM-14X) and the mics were on a nice sale... buy 1 get 2 free... lol. they are Nady Starpower 5. and I am severly limited by my money situations.


I am gonna try the breath right strips though, I have a bunch of them somewere.
thanks
Casey

 

[scrubs]

hehehe. ok, ya... I am a guitarist, can't sing any play at the same time, but I thought I was singing good... oh well. could It also be that I don't have a power amp for my monators yet and I am running it though a 15 watt crate practice amp?

~Casey

Yikes. I doubt anyone would sound "good" singing through that setup.

 

[cwr89]

hahaha. Ok, I got my headphone out, I got the big earmuff kind so it sould sound better.

you think it is the amp?

thanks
Casey

 

[scrubs]

hahaha. Ok, I got my headphone out, I got the big earmuff kind so it sould sound better.

you think it is the amp?

thanks
Casey

guitar amps/speakers are designed for the tonal qualities and frequency range of that instrument. they won't reproduce a human voice very well. are you using the amp speaker, or just the preamp and then sending the signal to some separate monitors? the second way would be better, but neither is optimal.

also, if you haven't already, read the big "sticky" threads at the top of the microphone forum. This might give you some insight into why the nady starpower is not a great mic for getting a clear sound.

in my opinion (which without hearing a sample, is pretty useless ), there is not one single culprit that is causing your problem. it is probably the combination of your voice, the mic, the mixer, and the amp/speaker(s). You can probably get better results by trying out some of the techniques described above, but getting a great vocal sound will probably require some upgrades (and maybe some vocal lessons ).

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[cwr89]

In a bit, after I find the attachment to convert the 1/8th plug to a 1/4 plug for my headphones, I will give it another shot. then I will record that and stick on the net for you all to see what I might be doing wrong.

I use the speaker in the amp. within the next week, I will be reciving the transformer I need to complete my power amp. it is a 30 watt stereo amp. right now the only monators I have are 2 15 watt sony speakers that came with a 5 disk bookshelf system.
as for the power amp I am building it myself.

like I said earlier, the reason I got the equptment I did was because I am still a student, I don't have a really steady high paying job. I work for my father (he owns a store) so I only have weekend hours. the first thing I am going to get once I have the money is some mic stands, that could be another thing, I really don't have any. but after that I am looking at up grading to some nice shockmounted vocal mics, then a good set sure instroment mics.

thanks for the help!
~Casey

 

[cwr89]

ok, I know I am no James Heitfeild. but this is a nice slow country song, yes it is a crappy attempt at "singing" I was going way too fast. but this is just to see what you all think. it is in mp3 format.

thanks
~Casey

 

[scrubs]

ok, I know I am no James Heitfeild. but this is a nice slow country song, yes it is a crappy attempt at "singing" I was going way too fast. but this is just to see what you all think. it is in mp3 format.

thanks
~Casey

"That was so terrible, I think you gave me cancer!"


















Just kidding!

Actually, given the signal chain you described above, I was expecting much worse. Other than being off pitch, the sound quality is workable. It is relatively quiet, though a bit muffled.

You definitely have a bit of a "stuffed-nose" quality to your voice. I think you would benefit greatly from some vocal lessons and learning proper microphone technique. Learning to sing more from your diaphragm and lungs, rather than from your head, would go a long way toward improving your sound. Some of the "fixes" I described above might provide a temporary solution, but even a few lessons would be well worth it.

If you don't already have one, you'll want to invest in a pop filter or windscreen for your mics as well, as you have some "plosive" pops during your recording (that crappy sound when you hit a "p" or "b"). A cheap foam windscreen will help some and can be purchased for about $1-$3. A mesh pop filter (like this one: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MUSASVS6GB), placed in between you and the mic is better.

 

[scrubs]

Oh yeah, if this is your mic:

Nady SP-5 Mic Special / Buy 1, Get 2 Free!

Features:

Balanced, natural sound with warm bottom-end warmth
Midrange presence
Smooth high end
Tight unidirectional cardioid pattern
Neodymium design delivers high output

That "midrange presence" is probably accentuating your problem.

Also, any marketing rep who doesn't realize that "warm bottom-end warmth" is a little redundant is probably getting paid too much.

 

[cwr89]

thanks,

on the mic, do you suggest that I turn the mids to the negitive dB and the same with the lows to get them equaled out?

and no I don't a pop filter/wind screen, as it was another thing when I bought my set up that I just simply ran out of money for.

hehe, but thanks alot!

when I was singing, I was holding the mic strait at me, anywere from8-12 inches away. the reason it is quiet, is because I didn't do any voulme boosts or anything, I normally rcord softer and then bost it all to the rihgt level in wave lab or gold wave what ever I used to edit it.

thanks again for all your help!
~Casey

 

[scrubs]

thanks,

on the mic, do you suggest that I turn the mids to the negitive dB and the same with the lows to get them equaled out?

and no I don't a pop filter/wind screen, as it was another thing when I bought my set up that I just simply ran out of money for.

hehe, but thanks alot!

when I was singing, I was holding the mic strait at me, anywere from8-12 inches away. the reason it is quiet, is because I didn't do any voulme boosts or anything, I normally rcord softer and then bost it all to the rihgt level in wave lab or gold wave what ever I used to edit it.

thanks again for all your help!
~Casey

Cutting a few decibels in the midrange might help. Try it out and see what works best. As for mic position, try with the mic pointed a bit toward the ground (i.e. -- away from your nose). This off-axis position may diminish the nasal quality. Good luck.

 

[cwr89]

thanks!

and the mids cut lots!

~Casey