why does my singing sound crap in Cubase?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jeremyll33
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jeremyll33

New member
Hey there,

Been told by Wife that my singing is generally good, and I can sing fantastic in the shower. However, when I once recorded myself in all seriousness doing Jealous Guy in Cubase she fell on the floor laughing saying it sounded crap! Now then, it was a raw sound with no effects. What effects do I add to make me sound like I will hit the Top Ten (only joking there!)
 
Hmmm.... sounds like crap how? If you're an otherwise decent singer, there will be no tuning or resonance problems.

Perhaps it is your choice of mic? What are you singing in to, and what kind of preamp, soundcard, etc. are you using?

Can you post a file?

Does it just lack life? Maybe a bit of reverb will do the trick?

Please tell us more.

Chris
 
Do they make waterproof microphones ? :)

Everything sounds good in the shower... While your singing are you listening with headphones?

In cubase, is your signal so loud that its out past the red.. That will make the sound distort and sound like a complete pile of ass..

As a test you could always bring the mic in the bathroom and sing in the shower (just make sure you dont turn it on) and see if thats the sound you expected.
 
Just an addition...

Just sing the way you do in the bathroom... don't even think it's recorded... ;)
 
Common effects on vocals include any combination of:

Compression, reverb, delay.

Chris T's question is a good one: how do they sound bad? If they aren't well recorded, you're vocals will sound bad no matter what effects you use.

Are they too quiet? Too loud? Too thin? Distorted? Too much low end?

What mic are you using? What is it plugged into? What kind of preamp?

Describe what you are using so we can narrow down where the problem is.

And welcome aboard!
Chris
 
Okay then....

Just pulled it out of the drawer...ah there it is...!

It is a Takstar mike, and following it round the head we read....

"DM250 dynamic microphone uni-directional"

It flows into a Behringer mixer Eurorack UB1002.

I am just doing this as a hobby. Thanks and hello all, esp Chris! I'm a complete beginner to this lark. Been playing guitar about a year, have mastered a lot of the ins and outrs of Cubase and also just sussed out pentatonic on a Fender guitar. I love my hobby! Mybe you realise I also love German beer!n :)

Jeremy.
 
Hmm... don't know the mic. From what I know so far, my bets on bad vocal recordings for you would have to be placed on the mic. The pres in your mixer are fine. You will get very acceptable results from it. Cubase is by no means the problem.

Again, though, if you can tell us a little more about what you mean by the vocals sounding bad, or a little more about how you're recording them, we might be able to nail it down a little better for you.

Chris
 
Demensia - what is this opinion based on? What is your experience with the UB series pres specifically? I'm using the UB2442-FX-PRO and it sounds good to me. The UB pres are a significant step up from the older MX series ones. (which I also used to have)

Chris
 
Demensia - what is this opinion based on? What is your experience with the UB series pres specifically?
Click to expand...

Your right, I did misread the model. My comment was based on the Eurorack 802a.. I saw eurorack and assumed.

I have no experience with the UB series.

There I go being a big asshole again.

- demensia.
 
jeremyll33 said:

Now then, it was a raw sound with no effects.
Click to expand...
Not trying to be insulting but if the "raw sound" sounded like crap, the sound with effects will sound like crap with effects added.

Now without a better description of "it sounds bad", we can only speak generalities...

First off, make sure you're voice sounds good in the place you are singing (if it sounds like crap in front of the mic, then it will sound like crap at the console!)

Next, if your wife isn't laughing her head off by listening to you in the room, (ie, she still thinks it sounds good...), then try to record... if it sounds like crap there's a good chance that your signal chain (including mic/mic pre & mic placement) are part of the issue. It could also be the room you're in (although presumably, you're wife would have noticed this when you were just singing in front of the mic!)

If you narrow it down to the signal chain, then you can try different mics to find the one that suits your voice....
 
Ask the wife!

If your wife says your a good singer in general and laughed when you recorded yourself singing, then she would have the answers as to why that is. Ask here why she laughed and what the difference was from you singing without recording.

I don't think it has to do with the recording itself but I'm sure she'll be able to tell you. Are you singing in the right key? Are you even singing to music? I have a feeling it's your voice and not the recording.

Ask the wife because with out people being able to hear the recording you did, we can't very well make an educated guess as to what is wrong.

Good luck,
sonicpaint
 
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