Hi, I’m currently trying to record a song for my friend, but I don’t know anything about Audacity in terms of voice effects, equalizing, or what have it.
There is an example of what I am trying to do. I know there is slight voice editing in that, but I’m not sure what has been done to it. Also, is there a way for me to achieve such a sound? When I record, it sounds too raw and not as clear or leveled in volume.
I could be called an extremely amateur recorder, trying to record my voice through a Logitech webcam microphone, but to each their own, I suppose.
I was just curious to know what kind of effects could be done on a voice to achieve a better sound at the end, or things like that. I’m quite new and I’ve looked around the forums and tutorials, but I don’t seem to find any help (or, if there was help around, I can’t seem to make sense of it).
I could be called an extremely amateur recorder, trying to record my voice through a Logitech webcam microphone
The sample has a very highly processed and produced music bed, but the voice is relatively plain. There may be some phasing effects in there, but anybody who can sing should be able to achieve a similar product.
I use a Logitech microphone, but it’s not a Web Cam. I use this one…
Can you post a sample of your voice somewhere? You can do it here on the forum, but it has to be brief. The forum has a 1M upload limit. Most first time producers get killed by room echoes and noises, not the voice or microphone.
Well, I suppose there’s a really old example. I’ve gotten slightly better since the time that was recorded, since that was purely the raw form. I learned about Noise Removal and Amplify afterwards (I don’t have much confidence and cannot find a quiet place to record, so I sang softly and raised the volume on the track). I’m quite embarrassed by that, actually. But, well, I guess you can’t learn without a little criticism.
Ah, I see. The only decent microphone I have is on my Quickcam Pro for Notebooks Logitech Webcam, so I’ve been holding that to my face and serenading to it, ha.
Phasing effects? Not sure how to do that, but I’ve definitely heard that word before.
On the link posted above, there is another cover in there. I voiced the female’s parts (for the lulz), but that was done at my friend’s house with an actual mic and his decent knowledge of editing, so. Just pointing that there.
(I don’t have much confidence and cannot find a quiet place to record, so I sang softly and raised the volume on the track).
You sound terrified somebody is going to some a beat you up if they hear you. So that’s part of the battle. It does not sound like a frendship song.
Yes, you’re totally too close to the microphone and you are getting noises, distortion, and damage in the sound. This is easily fixed, but you might start getting room noises if you back up a little. You have to experiment.
I do some sound work on top of the bed in my room. It’s much better for echoes than other rooms in the house.
I have done sound tracks with the microphone in my laptop. It can be done.
You can apply Chris’s Compressor (to your voice track only) to even out the loudness changes. That may help
Well, it’s not so much as afraid someone will beat me up, but singing isn’t really something I like to be heard doing, per se. So I try to get away with it in secret if I can. Perhaps it’s just a complex I have.
Ah, alright. I’ve been leaning closer and closer to it to help with the loudness; often times I can barely hear myself, and I lean into the mic so it picks up my voice. I guess I’ll just sing louder then.
Oh, that sounds like a decent idea. I’ll take the echo thing into account.
The dynamic compressor…I’m using Audacity 1.3, I feel like that is already loaded in as one of the effects. Am I wrong in this?
Well the instrumental I put my voice track over was simply piano, so I guess I was stuck there. But I’ve learned my lesson on that, haha. I’ll try harder and practice, but sing songs where my voice can be more easily disguised until I’m at a level I can be confident with.
Another question: I’m not sure what common effects are often applied to voice tracks. You mentioned phaser effects earlier, but I’m not too sure on what that entails. Are there any effects that are often used, perhaps not to get a certain sound, but to get at least a more professional feel to the track? I really don’t understand much of the knobs and buttons in the wargle of the effects.
The dynamic compressor…I’m using Audacity 1.3, I feel like that is already loaded in as one of the effects. Am I wrong in this?
The Dynamic Compressor is, but Chris’s Compressor does a much better job. The built-in effect is an arithmetic tool. Chris is more musical.
I’ve been leaning closer and closer to it to help with the loudness
I can see all the voice instructors falling over in their chairs. You’re supposed to be singing from your tummy, not your chest. Chest singing is what gives you that squashed, crushed quality. It’s hard to sing properly bent over your computer.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a real chair in a recording studio. The performance is either done standing up straight or maybe on a high stool.
@Trebor: Thanks for the help, that was one of the effects I was actually looking to do.
@Koz: Ah, I see, thanks for clearing that up for me.
Well, I guess now is a chance to note that I’ve never taken a singing class, nor joined choir in my high school years, and don’t plan to in college next year, nor really had any feedback at all, it’s just been doing what I had to. Honestly, I’m not sure what tummy singing sounds like or feels like for me, haha. If I knew any basic vocal or singing knowledge I might be a little better, or at least more understanding, haha. (the person in the youtube link I posted had apparently taken choir this year and learned some basics)
You make a good point, I’ve never seen that in a recording studio [in the pictures I’ve seen]. I’ll be sure to fix that next time.
Then there’s AutoTune. Software that will not let you sing off key. People generally stay away from AutoTune or let it do everything because you can hear it working, but if you have enough violins in the background, you can’t tell. I played the clip multiple times looking for the tonal snapping that happens, but I can’t tell. Either he’s good enough not to need it, or chose the orchestration to cover up the errors.
But, well, I guess you can’t learn without a little criticism.