Editing Vocals.
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Posted on Aug 23, 2007 12:09 am
Swappo
Member Since: Aug 15, 2007
I have a vocal track that I'd like to put with a karaoke track. I've done nothing with the vocal aside from sync it with the music.
I've read some of the articles here on EQ and Dynamics, etc. and I have my "Home Recording for Dummies" handy which mentions what sound certain settings achieve.
What I don't know is where to start. Right now I just have a raw vocal. Some parts of it are louder than others and blah, blah, blah. I'm sure there's no hard and fast rules for this, but there must be some basics.A genreal starting point. I'm using Cool Edit 2.0.
What do you all think?
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Aug 23, 2007 01:23 am Compression is good, I think dB has a few good artivle on vocals. Look under "Tips".
SwappoMember
Since: Aug 15, 2007
Aug 23, 2007 01:55 am I've been reading the articles and the problem I'm having with them is that theyr'e geared toward people who already have a basic understanding of how all thisstuff works. I've never done this before, so reading things about experimenting with rolloff, etc. is lost on me. It'd be like putting a golf club in the hands of someone that has never played golf before and tossing a ball in a sand trap and teling them to open the clubface and aim at the target with the body aligned well left of target. Then swing on a steep path along your body line coming ito the sand about two inches behind the ball. Let the force of the clubd striking the sand splash the ball out. Control the distance with your follow through. They'd be like, "Uh, what the hell, Swappo?"
That's kinda how I feel trying to learn this.
Aug 23, 2007 05:15 am ok first, you're definitely a better golfer than a home recordist! (nothin' personal)....knowing what to listen for is the hardest *and longest* process to get your head around....objectivity is what's needed here.
judging from your above posts...
Quote:
Some parts of it are louder than others and blah, blah, blah.
that's a dynamics problem....dynamics are volume irregularities, things 'jumping out' at times then getting quiet at others....it's like how slipknot is the same volume all the time, while symphonies CAN get just as loud, but often play quieter. DOESN'T IT ANNOY YOU WHEN I TYPE LIKE THIS ALL THE DAMN TIME? THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU'RE GETTING ON THE RADIO DIAL NOW....LOUD, LOUD, LOUD, ALLTHETIMELOUD.
i can express myself (as a musician) better if i use loudness. i can calmly say "it's all good" or i can say "**** YOU, YOU MOTHER ******!!!".
context is key.
like i said in my other post, volume, panning/depth, and eq are what mixing is all about.
start with adding compression to your problematic vocal track....then make space with it with eq, then push other instruments back *drums and guitars etc.* and BAM! your vocals 'fit' right in.....THAT, is what mixing is all about.
SwappoMember
Since: Aug 15, 2007
Aug 23, 2007 05:30 am Quote:
ok first, you're definitely a better golfer than a home recordist! (nothin' personal)....
It isn't possible for you to be more right.
Another issue I have is the vocal was recorded prior to my getting an interface. I had the mic plugged directyinto the pc, so it's a weak output. BUT, it's a hell of a vocal that I don't want to waste, and I don't think I have to. How do I get the volume of the vocal in a relative level to the karaoke. As it is right now the music totally drowns out the vocal. Is that the compression you mentioned?
Aug 23, 2007 05:38 am check your menus for any kind of "gain boost" i don't know Cool Edit all that well but there's gotta be a way to simply raise the volume...have you tried the faders?
SwappoMember
Since: Aug 15, 2007
Aug 23, 2007 05:43 am I haven't tried anything yet. I'm a bit overwhelmed with all of this. I've been home recording for about a week. I'm a tad intimidated. I don't even know where the faders are.
SwappoMember
Since: Aug 15, 2007
Aug 23, 2007 05:51 am Okay, I found that in the "Amplify" effects. It has a number of presets, such as 10dB Boost, 6dB Boost, 3dB Boost. I played around with the 10 and it raised it to a more than acceptable level.
When I get the vocal polished up to where I want it and add it to the music, do I need to do more editing of the two so they sound like they belong together?
Aug 23, 2007 06:33 am ya gotta go with your ears on that.....if when you play it all together...something doesn't sound right, ask yourself what it is that's causing the problem..."why does my vocal not 'fit' with the rest of the music?"
Aug 23, 2007 06:35 am by the way, learning how to to listen in such a way is a learned thing aswell....ya gotta start hearing objectively....think about this, there is NEVER complete silence *except for a lab designed for it*....always ask yourself "what am i hearing? then list them out. not just when working with recording, i'm talkin' ANYTIME, anywhere.
Aug 23, 2007 09:08 pm use dynamics processing, i usually use fast attack or fast. I use reverb also, tight and close isnt bad, and even slow attack but turn the wet slider down.
Aug 24, 2007 06:10 am once, i turned your mom's wet slider down! AAHHAHAHHAHHA!
sorry, i had to go there.