Need some help in improving vocal mixdown, eqing it and stuff..<sample included>

[kratos]

Need some help in improving vocal mixdown, eqing it and stuff..<sample included>

Yh this is a sample of the chorus i recorded today of my rap/rock song.
http://soundcloud.com/user245745
(its called beat-vocalmix)

I used an sm58 with a dmp3 straight into computer soundcard (lol) with no audio interface. Recording this chorus took me 3 hours. Yes 3 hours.
Its sounds shit coz the vocals pretty much kills the music behind it coz im a newbie when it comes to recording vocals bymyself.
The bass is pretty much lost in the track and i know the other instruments are fighting with each other to get their attention. This wasnt the problem before i recorded the vocals btw.
Plus my voice sounds a bit off tune for some reason. Maybe experience or that i got tired after trying to record it for 3 hours. Without a mic and in open air i sound perfectly good both singing and rapping. Up comes the mic and the recording and i sound shit even after hours and hours of practice coz i cant seem to get my "real" voice captured.


If this doesnt work out ill be forced to go to a recording studio and spend 1000s which i really dont have at the moment. Probably in 6 months time maybe

 

[bassbrad]

Try panning instruments and you vox around to make space for each individual. Levels and EQ sound okay. You might try compressing the vox a touch and adding some effects reverb or a gated delay.

 

[kratos]

Try panning instruments and you vox around to make space for each individual. Levels and EQ sound okay. You might try compressing the vox a touch and adding some effects reverb or a gated delay.

Ive got both reverb and delay on my vox. When you say compressing a touch, could you please the values?
I still think its a poor recording of the vocals

 

[Chili]

I thnk you've got wayyy too much reverb and delay. Don't know why brad suggested more...

If you're using a 58, get closer, you can get right up on this mic to bring out the lower end in your voice. Be careful of your P's when you do this.

Compression might help, but no one can give you values, just keep experimenting.

Yup, you're pitch is all over the place.

Without a mic and in open air i sound perfectly good both singing and rapping.

What you hear in your head and what the mic hears are two different things. When you sing, you hear what you think it should sound like, not what is actually coming out. You've got to teach yourself to listen to what actually comes out your mouth. It ain't so easy. Until then, Melodyne.

No one can get this stuff right first time out. In fact, it can take years to get something useable. Just ask me, I know.

Keep at it and keep learning, you'll get there.

 

[kratos]

I thnk you've got wayyy too much reverb and delay. Don't know why brad suggested more...

If you're using a 58, get closer, you can get right up on this mic to bring out the lower end in your voice. Be careful of your P's when you do this.

Compression might help, but no one can give you values, just keep experimenting.

Yup, you're pitch is all over the place.

What you hear in your head and what the mic hears are two different things. When you sing, you hear what you think it should sound like, not what is actually coming out. You've got to teach yourself to listen to what actually comes out your mouth. It ain't so easy. Until then, Melodyne.

No one can get this stuff right first time out. In fact, it can take years to get something useable. Just ask me, I know.

Keep at it and keep learning, you'll get there.

Do you think a condenser mic or interface would make life more easier or would i get the same results because i dont know what im doing?

 

[RAMI]

A recording doesn't lie.

 

[kratos]

A recording doesn't lie.

Elaborate please.

 

[nate_dennis]

A recording doesn't lie.

Elaborate please.

The recording process is just that: making a record of a performance. Think of an unaltered photo. It doesn't lie. What is in the picture was there in person or in life. Now, maybe there were things that the camera couldn't see from it's perspective or didn't have proper light to accurately reproduce, but the fact remains that the photo only captured what was there and could see.

Back to audio. Your microphone is like the camera. It will/can only capture what is there. What it's on tape (or in the computer) your signal chain can only interpret what you gave it to the best of it's ability. Some microphones are better "lenses." But all in all, they take what you give them and give it back in the same condition.

So when RAMI says that recordings don't lie, he's saying that (barring editing) what you hear is what you performed.

Now your room can lie to you by bass buildup and flutter echoes and such. But the recording itself is telling the truth. That is why solid performances are *in my very very very humble opinion* THE MOST IMPORTANT link in the recording chain.

Always remember that many of the worlds greatest songs (in the past) were recorded DIRECTLY to tape in Stereo. What you hear is what happened in the room. There was little to no post recordig mixing. Mastering-yes. But mixing - no. So the performance is KING!!!!

END DISERTATION NOW



*note* I am not an expert so I may be wrong and gladly invite someone to correct me.

 

[RAMI]

The recording process is just that: making a record of a performance. Think of an unaltered photo. It doesn't lie. What is in the picture was there in person or in life. Now, maybe there were things that the camera couldn't see from it's perspective or didn't have proper light to accurately reproduce, but the fact remains that the photo only captured what was there and could see.

Back to audio. Your microphone is like the camera. It will/can only capture what is there. What it's on tape (or in the computer) your signal chain can only interpret what you gave it to the best of it's ability. Some microphones are better "lenses." But all in all, they take what you give them and give it back in the same condition.

So when RAMI says that recordings don't lie, he's saying that (barring editing) what you hear is what you performed.

Now your room can lie to you by bass buildup and flutter echoes and such. But the recording itself is telling the truth. That is why solid performances are *in my very very very humble opinion* THE MOST IMPORTANT link in the recording chain.

Always remember that many of the worlds greatest songs (in the past) were recorded DIRECTLY to tape in Stereo. What you hear is what happened in the room. There was little to no post recordig mixing. Mastering-yes. But mixing - no. So the performance is KING!!!!

END DISERTATION NOW



*note* I am not an expert so I may be wrong and gladly invite someone to correct me.

Well put Nate.

What we hear in our head while we're singing along to something isn't always what's really happening. If you think you sound great until you hear yourself recorded, chances are that's always how you sound. But, you can, and should, use that as a tool for improvement.

Another example of this is when you hear someone singing along to whatever's blasting into their earbuds. They're usually horrible, but they probably think they're singing note-for-note to the tune they're listning to. If you recorded them and played it back for them, they'd probably say "There's no way that's me".

 

[Chili]

Yeah, exactly what Nate and Rami said.

I don't think another mic is going to help, because I think what you captured is pretty close to good. You're not too far away and you can get excellent results from a 58. Also, if you don't have a good sounding room for recording, you're better off with a 58 than an LDC. The LDC will pick up everything in the room.

The interface?? Yeah, I'd always recommend a good interface, but you're going through the DMP which has the same or better mic pre than most consumer grade interfaces. So, save your money, work on getting a good performance and capturing it.

peace,

 

[RD423]

I think a good interface is needed. Unless you have a good sound card. But if i recall u said your mic is plugged into the back of your computer. So get a good interface and a condensor mic, then go from there.

 

[nate_dennis]

Here is another option for you. Honestly I think this is where MOST beginners should start. Get something like this. You have decent preamps, A/D converters, etc, you don't have to worry about RAM or disabling other programs, AND (and this is my favorite part) you have to learn to make decisions. I know it's a bit off topic but . . . . learning to make decisions early and sticking with them is crucial. YOu can get packages with a few mics, some decent monitors, mic stands and a set of cans for $350 here.

I'm not pimping these products, just the concept. The signal chain gets simpler. You have a decent microphone (lens) and you can focus on setting up your shot (performance) instead of gear. Most of those digital multitrackers have USB or FIREWIRE outs so you cand dump to the computer later.

So yeah, there you go.