Vocal levels stereo and mono

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midwesttribune

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Currently I am involved in Rap/Hip Hop music, and am seeking advice from anyone. After creating a recent song I loved the way the final mix down sounded on my headphones, but when I played it on a buddys speakers I didn't like the way it sounded. I was told that i should get monitors, which i did, but heres the issue. The whole issue with the vocals was the adlibs (voice doubling to add emphasis at the end of phrases) when panned one adlib track hard left, the other hard right, on the headphones you could here them, great awesome effect, but i couldn't here them on peoples stereos? which is fine i'll just turn them up to adapt to stereos, but after doing that, there to loud on the headphones? please help...
 
midwesttribune said:
Currently I am involved in Rap/Hip Hop music, and am seeking advice from anyone. After creating a recent song I loved the way the final mix down sounded on my headphones, but when I played it on a buddys speakers I didn't like the way it sounded. I was told that i should get monitors, which i did, but heres the issue. The whole issue with the vocals was the adlibs (voice doubling to add emphasis at the end of phrases) when panned one adlib track hard left, the other hard right, on the headphones you could here them, great awesome effect, but i couldn't here them on peoples stereos? which is fine i'll just turn them up to adapt to stereos, but after doing that, there to loud on the headphones? please help...
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I rarely pan any vocals hard left or right...I usually leave some in the middle. You might want to try panning one set about 75% left and the other 75% right.

Also, if you just got your monitors, you're going to need to let your ears adapt to them...that can take a LOT of trial and error (and time). I know some who use headphones and get what they're looking for because they know where they tell the truth vs. the lies and it works.

Fiev.
 
use your monitors....headphones will mess up your mixes... have you monitors 3-4ft apart and so they make a triangle when you sit in the middle at your console to listen to the play back..try to record your vocal in Mono...keep you main vocals center...any ablibs off centered 15-20 Left and/or 15-20 Right dubs the same way..but lower the volume to where you can bearly hear them..but you can hear your vocals have more presence..but like Fie..said its all trial and error..just do what you feel is right...and welcome to the HR.com fam
 
another tip is also, record to the yellow and try hard not to clip to red. Even the tippy of the green is much better and also mix low which means drop your faders but not the master and try to mix below or at -6db so at the end of the mixdown you can gain the master without clipping and distortion.

another would be before you add effects to any track get a general volume, far as all the loud outbursts here and their split em and lower them individually. Though it seems tedious but it helps alot when mixing also. Umm... remove dc offset which is a must. What else ohhhhh yeah, 2tracking sucking so dont be lazy and either track your music out individually or tell the producer you want beats tracked or else.

Ummm... ohhh yeah the performance capture is the best part of the whole mixing and you do not need 500 tracks of adlibs. And no cheapo radioshack stuff neither, far as monitors your going to want your vocals over the beat in order to get a true speakers sense. But not way up their and keep the fx levels faint, sends and busses are your best friends. Ummmm..... that bout sums it. !00!

PS Im the dickhead here so i will attack if your doing something wrong! But i don it from a big bro p.o.v.
 
Killah_Trakz said:
another tip is also, record to the yellow and try hard not to clip to red. Even the tippy of the green is much better and also mix low which means drop your faders but not the master and try to mix below or at -6db so at the end of the mixdown you can gain the master without clipping and distortion.

another would be before you add effects to any track get a general volume, far as all the loud outbursts here and their split em and lower them individually. Though it seems tedious but it helps alot when mixing also. Umm... remove dc offset which is a must. What else ohhhhh yeah, 2tracking sucking so dont be lazy and either track your music out individually or tell the producer you want beats tracked or else.

Ummm... ohhh yeah the performance capture is the best part of the whole mixing and you do not need 500 tracks of adlibs. And no cheapo radioshack stuff neither, far as monitors your going to want your vocals over the beat in order to get a true speakers sense. But not way up their and keep the fx levels faint, sends and busses are your best friends. Ummmm..... that bout sums it. !00!

PS Im the dickhead here so i will attack if your doing something wrong! But i don it from a big bro p.o.v.
Click to expand...

that's some good advice, props!
 
Listen to these guys. They know what they're talking about.

Nice to be back, BTW.

Peace,
BEATnick
 
yessir

dat helped alot maine....... i have the same problem, especially when i record in stereo.
 
A big problem with doubling and panning is phase. When it's in mono, panned vocals will go together and phase eachother out. This will make the panned vocals sound way lower in mono!:eek: So, if you only had a hook hard panned left and right, the hook will sound lower then the verses. Then it will sound normal in stereo. That may be the problem you are having. Everyone gave good tips here. For adlibs pan it like 75/75 like said.

To fix that problem. You want to pan the hook even. For example, have 2 vocals in the middle to give it body, 2 panned hard left and right, and 2 50/50. Now that the vocals have it's own mixing space, it's harder for it to get phased.

Try it. If you can switch between stereo and mono, try panning a hook all left and right and take a listen. Then pan it giving the vocals it's own mixing space.
 
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