Vocals

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lumberg

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After recording several vocal tracks, I listened to them on studio monitors and they sound fine. But when played through ordinary computer speakers, I can hear all sorts of intonation problems that I couldn't hear otherwise.

So I redo all the parts again. Once again, they sound fine in the studio, but when I take them home and play them on computer speakers, I hear a lot of pitch problems.

This is not a question of being able to sing. It's a matter of being able to hear the mistakes. But while singing and using studio headphones, pretty much everything sounds good.

Anybody know what I should do?
What do professional studios do to make singers always sound pitch perfect?
Is intonation correction software the solution?
Thanks
 
mmmmm, yeah.

You need to sing better, okay. ;)

I don't understand why your monitors wouldn't reveal intonation problems. How do you monitor yourself while tracking and mixing?

It's common to hear differences in frequency levels between different systems but pitch should be pretty universal. Antares Auto Tune is a popular correction software but it can be pretty obvious when used.
 
I've had exactly the same problem. Sometimes dropping the volume on the monitor helps reveal the problems. But nothing makes bad pitch stand out like a $12 speaker system!!!

I wonder if the quality of separation on the monitors contributes to the masking of the problem - tuning issues from separate sound sources are much harder to detect than when they're from the same location...

Daf
 
Thanks daf. I wondered if anyone else had experienced this. I will probably just have the studio monitors eq'ed differently.
If you guys have any other suggestions...feel free to share.
 
I have to think these problems are more psychological then technical. It's common when your in the middle of a project to get used to something that might be off pitch. When you play it later with fresh ears you notice the mistakes that you overlooked before.
 
agreed. I can't tell you how many times I have redone a project because it sounds so different on different speakers. The rule of thumb is if it does not sound good on all speakers then it ain't that good so back to the old drawing board (*+=
 
Honestly, I know what you're saying tex. But I don't believe I was "adjusting" to the bad pitches.

Basically, I would record the tracks, burn them to cd, then listen to them on another computer with different speakers.
When I heard the missed pitches, I told the recording guy about them, but when we listened back through the studio monitors, everything sounded fine.

Because everything outside the vocals still sounds the same, it's likely that the studio monitors are creating a false representation of the vocal sound. I think the monitors are pumping out a "best case scenario" sound. According the sound guy, though, they are supposed to be the most accurate. They may be better for the instruments, but not for vocals.

Additionally, most people don't have the luxury of listening through high quality speakers. So I think I will try to convince my sound guy to use my crappy computer speakers instead...unless someone's got a better idea.
 
Alternative speakers?

Most studios i've been in (which admitedly isn't too many) have an alternative set of cheap speakers to listen to the final mix on rpior to saying 'Yae that's it'. if the studio you are using doesn't have this facility then they SHOULD have. It's no use something sounding fine in a studio if it doesn't on a home hifi system. On the contrary, your mix should sound great on a hifi, even if if studio monitors show up imperfections that arean't apparent on the hifi. You seem to have the opposite problem, which is bizarre.

Take in a boom box if necessary and try to dump your final mix to cassette. Play him the cassette through the boom box and let him hear what the problem is.

Maybe it's just you? If you are the singer you may be hyper critical of your own performance!
 
I've had the same problem. I consider no track a keeper until it sounds good on moniters, good in the cans, good on a cheap Walkman with airline headphones, and good in the car.-Richie
 
Sounds like a question of learning to sing more accurately to me.
Fixing at the source will sound much better than Autotune.

In addition to the obvious suggestion of vocal coaching, you're
welcome to PM me about supplemental written instructional books. (some with exercise CD's)

Chris

P.S. One headphone on/one off works well for many singers
when tracking. I have a tough time with both sides on.
 
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