vocal inconsistency

  • Thread starter Thread starter astoebe
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astoebe

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ok, this may not be a question you all can answer well, but it has been troubling me so i thought i'd throw it out there

i am a college student and because of my schedule i don't have many opportunities to record. when i do i will set aside days to finish certain songs. the band part almost always go well, i have a good idea of what i'm looking for, and can get a good sound....the problem is my vocals. some days i really like them and some days they just suck. i am staying the same distance away from the mic (same mic) as the days that i like my vocals and using the basic same eq (give or take a little depending on what i hear). do you think this is the difference in the songs, or maybe that i just sing inconsitently? it's not so much the pitch that i'm frustrated with, more the tone...

so basically i'm asking is this something that i need to work on with my voice itself or is there something i should check into as far as my recording process? i've had limited vocal training.....thanks for any help you can give
 
Not much help we can give without an example.

Post an mp3 in the clinic that has both: an example of what you like and one you don't, I am sure someone can give you some pointers.
 
Well, I know there are some days I can't sing my way out of a paper bag, and some days I can (so long as it's a wet paper bag), so if you're a marginally ok vocalist like me, some days you have it, some days you don't.

-RD
 
Try to pay attention to what you eat/drink/smoke and see if there's any consistency between the days you like it and the days you don't. I didn't word that right. I mean, you may discover that all the days you don't like it are days that you've had coffee shortly beforehand, or peanut butter that afternoon, or something like that. For instance, milk or dairy products cause a film to form in my throat that makes singing almost impossible. It depends on the vocal style required, but I have very specific things that I do or don't do before trying to do a vocal take. And the time of day can make a huge difference in some people, like me. I start off in the morning sounding like Frank Zappa, and I end up the day sounding like Pee Wee Herman. And the more I sing, the worse it gets.

Just something to think about.

Good luck!
 
It is important to vocalise everyday for the same amount of time, or put in the same amount of work. Your voice will sound different if you take 4 days off from singing and then hit the studio hard. It will be in better shape and deliver a more consistant performance if you sing every day.

As a college student this may be difficult. Try to get into a rehearsal room in the music department. If you book the same time everyday, even if you aren't a music major, the department will begin to then you are a performance major. This is what I did.

If you drive your car a lot, it will be beneficial to record a practice tape/CD to spin and sing along to while you are driving. People will give you wierd looks when they see you singing scales in your car but, fuck them, they aren't trying to be a good vocalist.

My typical signal chain goes as such: Condenser Mic - Mic Pre w/ phantom power - Graphic EQ - Compressor with light ratio, 2:1 or less - Computer/Multitracker.

One more thing that I just thought of is to break up your vocal takes into segments, verse, chorus, bridge etc. Don't try to sing the whole song at the same time. You will find that after you sing the same verse 8 times in a row, you'll begin to understand what it takes to deliver a consistant performance for that track.

Other than that, practice, practice, practice.
 
I think the real problem is that you think Switchfoot is the "best band ever." :p

I listened to "Fly." Not bad at all. You have a good voice. I think you might benefit from some singing lessons if just to learn better control and give you some confidence.

Without hearing a "bad" example, it's hard to say what else might be going on. Doesn't seem like a recording/equipment issue to me, though.
 
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