Vocals just aren't working out...help!

[ishou]

Well, I finally got a multi-track digital recorder (cakewalk), but I'm having trouble getting a vocal sound that is a little more "professional" sounding? Here's an example:

What advice can you give me just by listening to this? Or, at my level of recording, am I stuck with this? Maybe you think it sounds good? Or do I just suck at singing?
Thanks a bunch for your help,
--ishou

 

[dobro]

No, your singing doesn't suck - I like it, it sounds to me (because I've only heard your stuff about 3 times) like a cross between Teenage Fan Club and Joe Jackson, both of whom I esteem highly - but I thought it could be a bit more upfront in the mix. I like voice, and often like it right up in front, like the singer in the band.

But here's an idea. What would happen if you really emphasized the rhythm in the vocal, and really attacked the note on the beat, really stressed it?

Tell me WHY tell me WHY... etc.

Good cut by the way, all one minute of it.

 

[Buck62]

Moderator Wannabee

Actually, the vocal sounds pretty good, in a "low-tech" sort of way... there's nothing wrong with the singing at all.
You never did say what you used to record the existing vocal track.
You could improve the existing vocal track by eq'ing it better (adding a bit on the mid's and high's), and then giving it a bit more reverb. You could also copy the vocal track to another channel, give it a slight delay (a few milliseconds) and pan out the two tracks and eq them differently.

(OR)

You could do the obvious... use a better mic and preamp. That's the way to go, IMHO.

Here's a few suggestions...

Mics:

Rode NT-1
AKG C3000B
Audio Technica 4033 SM
Cad E-200

Preamps:

Mindprint Envoice
Joe Meek VC6Q
DBX 386
ART Pro Channel
Presonus VXP

Any combination of these mics and preamps will give you MUCH better professional sounding vocals. All of them are reasonably priced products for home recording.

BTW.... very cool tune, I really liked it. I assume it's only a piece of a longer version, yes?

 

[dobro]

(dobro puts on a bit of eye make-up, and struts about a bit, mince-like)

Oh sure (he says), I tell him to sing differently, and then YOU come round with all this talk of EQ and REVERB and DELAY (I mean, *who* wants to delay? i mean really...) Savage.

You'd think the poor thing had all the money in the whole wide world, for goodness sake. Mindprint Envoice indeed! Tsk. C'mere sweetheart. Dobro'll make it all better.

Buck Buck Bo Buck
Banana Fana...

 

[Buck62]

Moderator Wannabee

Have you been drinking the Cooking Sherry again, dobro?... oh, sorry, I mean the Saki

 

[Brian Grey]

give it some soal...

I can't tell you how to get the "proffesional" tone and sound quality on your vocals since I havn't really achieved what I'm going for yet either, but what I can advise you on is the way you sang. Mind if I get a litle brutle? Good... It sounds like you're just going through the motions, putting vocals in the song just to put them in. You gotta get some soal and some character in them. I'm not talking about the voice you used either, that's your voice, and that part is fine. What I'm talking about is the way you're not emphasizing words, you're not letting that mic have it on those high notes... stuff like that. If you're hitting a high note, make it sound like you're shouting accross a busy subway station to your friend, at least in this song, some songs call for a laid back high note. Also, play around with doing the vocals twice, like the guitars. Soooooo many people neglect vocals. Treat them JUST like any other instrument (while recording). Put 5 layers of vocals like you might do with guitar, just to see how it sounds. Put some art into the vocals.
I would suggest this ONE thing for gettinga better vocal sound, put the microphone, and yourself, in another room from the computer. Have a friend monitor the sound quality and adjust EQ as needed, or whatever might need adjustment.
-Happy recordings... and remember, there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.