What if my voice sucks?

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jokerone

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If Pitbull is the Babe Ruth of vocals, then I'm the Woody Allen of vocals.. In other words nobody you would want to hear sing, unless you need a good laugh. :facepalm:

So, I want to make a demo CD.

My question is , is their any software, technique, EQs, processing that would make my voice something someone would want to hear?

If not any suggestions on hiring a demo singer and how much I should pay (by the hour?)

thanks
 
Everyone thinks their voice sucks when they year it recorded.

Learn and improve, or find someone to do it for you.

What's your "by the hour" budget?
 
My budget was about $20 per hour. I assumed I could find some person (looking for a male voice), and assumed I could find some sort of American Idol want-a-bee at the local community college. I figured $20 an hour cash for a 4 hour minimum to sing would sound better than most 20 year old students from the mid-west would get paid for flipping burgers or some other job they hate.

If that amount is way off, please let me know.

Oh, and no, my voice does suck. Not enough to cause you not to have children screechy voice, but bad enough that its not something you want to hear. :-)
 
Like, any other instrument, hone your skills. Work on it, practice hard, read about it, look at youtube singing videos. If you can, get lessons. How much you pay by the hour probably won't be up to you, he/she will have a rate. As for making yourself sound better, you can use a software like Autotune, which (surprise surprise) auto tunes your voice. Simply put, it puts your vocals in key. It'll sound smooth and somewhat natural only if you're almost hitting those notes in the first place. If you're all over the place and slap on autotune, you'll sound like T Pain. Which is why it'll be a good idea to be able to sing in the first place. Also, keep in mind that making any instrument sound good is a LOT easier at the source, as oppsed to fixing it after it's recorded.

PS Pitbull can't sing for shit.
 
saads said:
Like, any other instrument, hone your skills. Work on it, practice hard, read about it, look at youtube singing videos. If you can, get lessons. How much you pay by the hour probably won't be up to you, he/she will have a rate. As for making yourself sound better, you can use a software like Autotune, which (surprise surprise) auto tunes your voice. Simply put, it puts your vocals in key. It'll sound smooth and somewhat natural only if you're almost hitting those notes in the first place. If you're all over the place and slap on autotune, you'll sound like T Pain. Which is why it'll be a good idea to be able to sing in the first place. Also, keep in mind that making any instrument sound good is a LOT easier at the source, as oppsed to fixing it after it's recorded.

PS Pitbull can't sing for shit.
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I was going to say Patsy Cline, but I didn't think anybody hear would remember her.. :o


I have Cubase with Variaudio, but I'm not sure htting the notes is the problem. Also, I've seen some Cubase vs. Autotune vs. melodyne and I think Cubase came out on botton. Think trying to make Sarah Palin's voice sound like Katey Perry. I don't think Autotune would help would it?

It sounds like my best guess was confirmed. That much like any talent, you are born with it or not, and you can work to improve it, but only so far.

If anybody has a good Autotune- Vocals for idiots primer they can recommend, please let me know.

thanks!
 
jokerone said:
That much like any talent, you are born with it or not, and you can work to improve it, but only so far.
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I don't believe that at all. Anyone can do whatever they want, provided they put in the hours and train with the right people. If anything, starting early helps, a lot.
 
saads said:
I don't believe that at all. Anyone can do whatever they want, provided they put in the hours and train with the right people. If anything, starting early helps, a lot.
Click to expand...

Not to argue, but I was thinking of 9 year old little league. I pretty much assumed by 5th grade we knew who the jocks where (natural talent) and the rest of us. The Samurai class for sports is born at that age, and only about 1 out of 500 is really good enough for pro ball, despite how hard they train. Thats my only point. There are kids all over the US who knock themselves out trying to make the team in college and beyond, and only a few of them will ever be on a baseball card.

I'm sure I could improve my singing with lessons, and practice as you said, but much like by baseball playing, that doesn't mean Its going to be any good, just better than it is.

I hope that makes sense?

thanks
 
saads,

one other off topic comment. Its that Kamakura in your avitar? If so, I've been there. Pretty cool. Lots of weddings going on.

thanks
 
Joe Strummer
Neil Young
Bob Dylan

What do they have in common? Their voices sucked, yet they're legends of music. If your voice sucks, embrace it and use it to your advantage.
 
Greg_L said:
Joe Strummer
Neil Young
Bob Dylan

What do they have in common? Their voices sucked, yet they're legends of music. If your voice sucks, embrace it and use it to your advantage.
Click to expand...

He has a point, as per usual, i find that 99% of people try their best to emulate their own legends but music is about creation not emulation, make your voice your's. Learn what sucks about your voice and hide it or flaunt it depending what your personal views are, going f**king rockstar and treat each performance like your doing this on rockstar wages but don't give a damn. Trust me an air of confidence in a vocal track is worth 101 singing lessons in my opinion failing that, learn bass
 
jokerone said:
Not to argue, but I was thinking of 9 year old little league. I pretty much assumed by 5th grade we knew who the jocks where (natural talent) and the rest of us. The Samurai class for sports is born at that age, and only about 1 out of 500 is really good enough for pro ball, despite how hard they train. Thats my only point. There are kids all over the US who knock themselves out trying to make the team in college and beyond, and only a few of them will ever be on a baseball card.

I'm sure I could improve my singing with lessons, and practice as you said, but much like by baseball playing, that doesn't mean Its going to be any good, just better than it is.

I hope that makes sense?

thanks
Click to expand...

Ofcourse everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just think that the reason some people make it as professionals and some don't is mainly because of hard work, and a lot of luck. Being at the right place at the right time, knowing the right people, making the right moves. Look at all the famous singers today. Are they famous because they were born with talent ? Hell no. They have the same amount of talent as thousands of other hard working, talented singers. They just met the right people, and had a lot of luck.

jokerone said:
saads,

one other off topic comment. Its that Kamakura in your avitar? If so, I've been there. Pretty cool. Lots of weddings going on.

thanks
Click to expand...

You sure know your Japan :D
I'm a huge fan of all things Japanese, and plan on going there at some point in my life (soon hopefully).
I envy you.
 
I ate at a Japanese steakhouse the other day. Pretty good. And I like Nuru Massage. Japanese stuff rules!
 
saads said:
I don't believe that at all. Anyone can do whatever they want, provided they put in the hours and train with the right people. If anything, starting early helps, a lot.
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nah ..... some people are indeed tone deaf and others will never be able to sing well.

As an example ...... when I was young I could have spent every single waking moment working on my passing skills and there is no way I could EVER have been a good quarterback ........ yes, getting good at something is a matter of working hard at it but there's no doubt that some people have more talent and potential at a particular skill than others no matter how they try. And similarly some people have way less potential at that certain thing.

NOTE: I'm not saying anything at all about the OPs chances ...... I haven't heard him and even then it would be a small sampling so there's no way for me to really know ....... I'm just speaking generally.
He should post a sample though so we can possibly reassure him because it's pretty common to hate your own voice even if you're good.
 
Greg_L said:
Joe Strummer
Neil Young
Bob Dylan

What do they have in common? Their voices sucked, yet they're legends of music. If your voice sucks, embrace it and use it to your advantage.
Click to expand...

Thats a very good point. I can sing like Bob Dylan, at least not much worse.. :D

thanks.
 
GazEcc said:
He has a point, as per usual, i find that 99% of people try their best to emulate their own legends but music is about creation not emulation, make your voice your's. Learn what sucks about your voice and hide it or flaunt it depending what your personal views are, going f**king rockstar and treat each performance like your doing this on rockstar wages but don't give a damn. Trust me an air of confidence in a vocal track is worth 101 singing lessons in my opinion failing that, learn bass
Click to expand...

thanks!
 
Lt. Bob said:
nah ..... some people are indeed tone deaf and others will never be able to sing well.

As an example ...... when I was young I could have spent every single waking moment working on my passing skills and there is no way I could EVER have been a good quarterback ........ yes, getting good at something is a matter of working hard at it but there's no doubt that some people have more talent and potential at a particular skill than others no matter how they try. And similarly some people have way less potential at that certain thing.

NOTE: I'm not saying anything at all about the OPs chances ...... I haven't heard him and even then it would be a small sampling so there's no way for me to really know ....... I'm just speaking generally.
He should post a sample though so we can possibly reassure him because it's pretty common to hate your own voice even if you're good.
Click to expand...

Oh boy, I knew it was going to come to this.. :D

Ok, let me record something everyone is familar with. a verse or so from a beatles album or something.

And I beleive you are correct. My wife is tone deaf. She has lived in America since 1994 and still has a VERY thick accent. I think the two are releated in that she can't seem to correct her accent because she can't tell one note from another. Her mother told her half-jokingly before she married me that she would make good wife as long as she didnt' sing for me. :D

I love her to death, but if she sings for you, you may not be able to have children afterwards. :D
 
saads said:
Ofcourse everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just think that the reason some people make it as professionals and some don't is mainly because of hard work, and a lot of luck. Being at the right place at the right time, knowing the right people, making the right moves. Look at all the famous singers today. Are they famous because they were born with talent ? Hell no. They have the same amount of talent as thousands of other hard working, talented singers. They just met the right people, and had a lot of luck.
.
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this I completely and totally agree with.
Making it in the music business is FAR more about luck than talent.

But that's not the same thing as saying anyone can sing well if they work hard at it.
Some can't.
However that's a completely different subject than whether you 'make it' or not.
 
saads said:
Ofcourse everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just think that the reason some people make it as professionals and some don't is mainly because of hard work, and a lot of luck. Being at the right place at the right time, knowing the right people, making the right moves. Look at all the famous singers today. Are they famous because they were born with talent ? Hell no. They have the same amount of talent as thousands of other hard working, talented singers. They just met the right people, and had a lot of luck.



You sure know your Japan :D
I'm a huge fan of all things Japanese, and plan on going there at some point in my life (soon hopefully).
I envy you.
Click to expand...

I was there in 2005. Very expensive for Americans. Our money spends like Pesos or somemthing. :D

My brother lived there for about 7 years and is married to a wonderful woman from Yokohama. So I went to visit them. They now live in Shanghai. I'll make it to visit them at some point.

thanks
 
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