I need Crispy, clear sound on vocals? Help Please!

[1245]

Can you experienced guys help me with vocal sound?
I have 3 POP balads songs done with my own vocals. Vocal volume is OK, the recording is good.
I have tried so many thing and nothing has worked to get sound close to professional sound.

I read Producing in Home Studio with Pro Tools,
2nd Edition" is good but it doesn'tell you PLUG-in set ups in detail so I could try it.


This is is the way I have add Real Time Plugins:

First, I add EQ, (usually Q2, Q10) sometimes I use the factory vocal preset
Second, I add reverb, I use mostly R-verb (Waves Plates-vocal preset)
Third, I add compression, Usually (compression II) or (C4) with the vocal presets
Fouth, I sometimes as Delay (SuperTap II)_

I know I am doing it wrong because I can't get a Clear and Crispy.
I don't add too much reveb or delay because it seems to me that it cuts a clear sound.

Can you PLEASE tell me how much comp I need? What EQs work better with vocals? If I am using the right Reverb.

I have the GT66 Tube Mic and its really decent. I could still get a better mic if I needed.

Thanks much guys.

Gerson.

[Cliffy_Boy]

try doubling the vocal. If you have only one vocal take, copy the vocal on a second track, detune a little and offset the track a little. This will open up the vocal making it much more present.

[tele_player]

Just a comment: it's usually preferred to run the reverb on a seperate AUX channel, and use a send from your vocal track. That way, a single reverb plugin can be used on more than one track.

Anyway, that's not going to change the sound your getting. If you're certain your basic vocal track is good, you need to continue to experiment with EQ and compression.

[Nad4]

Well if the recording is good and if you are a good singer with good vocal techniques, you don't have to do a hell of a lot to make it sound good. First, add compression (use a small compression ratio (3:1) to start out with, then use your ears if you think it needs more for the vocals to sound more compact and powerful). Then to make it more crisp, add a bit (around 3 db) of high frequencies. Again, this is a matter of listening carefully. Also use a reference CD (a good, professional pop recording in your case) to compare the vocal sounds too. Generally, using too much Reverb does "blur" the sound and make it sound "more far away".
Hope this helps.

[1245]

try doubling the vocal. If you have only one vocal take, copy the vocal on a second track, detune a little and offset the track a little. This will open up the vocal making it much more present.

What do you use to Detune the track? Sounds like a really good idea, I never tried.

[Cliffy_Boy]

Audiosuite has a plug-in to shift pitch. I think 10 or 15 cents is s good start. If you have Auto-tune, you can detune in auto mode. If your rich, Serato's Pitch n Time has a real tume pitch shift.

[shaun thomas]

I have the GT66 Tube Mic and its really decent. I could still get a better mic if I needed.

Thanks much guys.

Gerson.




[/QUOTE]

just do what i did, buy a u87 and a ua m610 mic pre. that combo makes the vocals cut right through. you could always add compression, eq, reverb to make it fit better in the track. if you think the u87 is over rated (over priced) try to find a tlm 103, or maybe a dragonfly on ebay.

s.

s.

[Basshead3606]

I have a Blue Kiwi Fly for sale in if interested. ( dragonfly with KIWI capsule). Let me know.

[Calvin]

Also you should not be using reverb before compressing unless that is the specific desired effect. Comping in general will even your vocal out, but if your are comping the reverb also it will bring that way up. You should be using your reverb after your comp to have better control. Of course this is if your not using it as a aux track like stated previously. EQ changes from voice to voice, comp I will start out with about 3:1 or 4:1 usually for me around 5:1. I personally prefer to use the renesaince pluggs for my comp and eq.

[O.G. Killa]

this isn't an end all be all...but this is what I find myself doing 60 to 70% of the time to start with...then I tweak...and change stuff around...

For pop ballad lead vocal....

1) Insert HighPass filter if needed. A lot of recordings at home will have a lot of low freq. rumble from Air Conditioning, people walking, etc... Open an EQ, WAVES RenEQ 2 Band will do. Set the low freq to roll off, and place it at around 100Hz~150Hz.

2) Insert compressor (if you have Waves RenComp, use Vocal Preset. Adjust threshold so at the loudest points in the track the vocal is only being compressed by 3dB AT THE MOST!!!!)

3)Insert DeEsser if needed. (Waves DeEsser, split band, move freq between 6000Hz and 12,000Hz until you find the offensive freq., adjust threshold until it sounds natural. You don't want to completely remove the esses, just turn them down a little bit.)

3) Insert EQ (I'm loving the Oxford EQ-Type 3, but you can use a Q4 or RenComp4...usually I boost somewhere around 6KHz~8KHz a few dB on male voices, maybe cut around 800~1000 by a dB or two if the singer has a nasal sound, and if the singer has a high voice I'll boost around 200~400 a little to beef 'em up a little.)

4) Insert Limiter/compressor (I usually use a BF LA-2A, switched to limit...adjust peak reduction and gain to taste. Usually I'll have it compressing about 2dB to 5dB at the loudest points. So long as it sounds transparent. If you can here it pumping then it's too much).

Next I create two aux tracks...

On Aux1 I setup a Reverb (Waves RenReverb is good) and on aux 2 I setup a Delay (usually the Waves supertap 2 tap or a BlueTubes Oilcan delay).

On the Reverb get a nice hall sound...adjust the damping and EQ inside the reverb plugin...roll off the low end below 200~400 a little more than the defaut and usually bring the high end up a little bit from where it is by default. keep the high end crossover point around 4KHz or so. Set the Reverb time to be around 3 seconds, and adjust the diffusion to taste.

On the delay I usually start with either quarter notes or eight notes. If using the waves delay I set both 1st and 2nd delay the same (quarter note or either), pan one hard left the other hard right, then I switch to Free and turn snap off...turn the grid view of the delay to MS...now move the first delay a hair forward and the second a hair back....then turn on the EQ for each one...play around with these...I usually put them anywhere between 1KHz and 5KHz with the Narrow Bell Curve. Feedback I usually put at 10%-30%, set to either an eigth note or quarter note...with it's low pass off.

Now here's the trick...DON'T USE TOO MUCH OF EITHER VERB OR DELAY!!! Setup sends off your lead vocal for both the reverb and delay...I usually like to use a little more reverb than delay but it really depends on the song... The delay should not be blatantly noticeable while the track is playing...it should almost kind of wash into the background of the reverb (which it will if done right). Reverb should be just loud enough to notice it a little but shouldn't be overbearing at all...you don't want your vocal swimming in verb. You want it so you can ALMOST not hear it in the track...but when you it stop in the middle of a vocal line you hear the reverb trail and the faint hint of a delay.

Then after you have that and you feel the whole mix is sitting prety good... go through the whole song listening to everyhthing, not just focusing on one specific instrument...when you feel you can't understand the vocal or can't hear the vocal, stop and automate a volume ride on that line or phrase...if a vocal jumps out at you, stop and automate a volume ride...

Do that with all your vocals (Lead, doubles, ad libs, backgrounds, etc.). And Tada, you're done! take a break...go get something to eat...let your ears rest for about 30 minutes or so...come back and listen again...fix what you think needs to be fixes and bounce it.

AGAIN...THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU SHOULD DO ALL THE TIME!! But you can try starting with it and mess with it from there. Sometimes you don't need the verb, sometimes you don't need the delay...sometimes you don't need anything...let your ears be the judge.

good luck and have fun with it.