Vocals Processing

[Racing11119]

Hi

I am completely new to any kind of recording and have just about managed to record a song, with all the instruments in different tracks. I've also recorded the vocals but they don't seem to blend into the song and so stick out. I'm guessing I need to use some of the effects on it but have no idea which ones and what settings to use them at.

If anyone can help it would be much appreciated!

[steve]

I am completely new to any kind of recording and have just about managed to record a song, with all the instruments in different tracks.

Yay! Way to go

I've also recorded the vocals but they don't seem to blend into the song and so stick out.

One of the reasons why Sound Engineers and producers have jobs.

Getting all the parts of a recording to sit together well in the final mix is a bit of an art. In part it depends on what instruments you are using.

If you are using acoustic instruments recorded with high quality microphones, then the "ambiance" and "space" should be consistent with the vocal recording. If you use DI'd instruments and synthesizers it is often more problematic. Synth sounds will often have huge amounts of reverb built in, where as DI's instruments will have no reverb or ambiance at all unless you add some artificial reverb. They will also sound very "clean", possibly even a bit "sterile", whereas if you are using a cheap microphone and recording in your garden shed, you will probably have all kinds of booms, pops, echo's and ambient sounds going on.

Recording studios will often use an acoustically "dead" room for recording vocals (lots of carpets and stuff to stop the sound bouncing around in the room - the opposite of a shower room) and will use an expensive vocal microphone about 30 cm away from the singer with a "pop shield" (a thin mesh screen to prevent the singer blowing on the microphone) between the singer and the microphone. This is all to get a recording that is clean, accurate and not too "coloured".

When the audio is mixed down, a little reverb can be used to give the instruments and voice a sense of space and place. You can also use the "Equalisation" effect to adjust the tone (how much bass, how much treble - not too much or too little booming on "B" sounds or sizzle on "S" sounds).

If one instruments sounds like it is being played in a stadium, and another sounds like it is in a living room, and another sounds like it is in an empty concrete tunnel, they will probably not sit together well.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

[kozikowski]

Can you post fifteen seconds of your stereo mix somewhere? The board will not let you post it here, but there are free services out there.

Stevie's got plenty of good abstract ideas, but in fifteen seconds we can give you pages.

Koz

[Racing11119]

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately I can't upload any of the song as my internet is to slow! The mix is sounding better now though thanks to your advice and I think I know what im doing slightly more!

Thanks again