1 (edited by micky the mooch 2009-11-04 06:00:08)

Topic: improving vocals?

Ave just found a way of improving the  vocals when am playing, no real magic about it!! just get somebody else to sing!! smile

Seriously...what ideas do you fellow chordians have? i dont have a good voice at all but enjoy "trying" to sing along while playing

ave no fancy gadgets though am goning to buy a mic, to record my voice and guitar,  is it possible to use my pc to record and maybe ad echo or something to improve  the sound?

I am not looking for a professional job just a improvement (so it wont take much)


Cheers Micky  cool


Ps: ave got  Audacity software

cool Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin'  !! cool

Re: improving vocals?

Cheers, Micky,:) smile
You don't have to be a virtuoso to sing a decent song. There are many tunes out that are not so rangy and technical that most folks can sing and sound really nice.
Pick a simple tune and take the time to memorize the lyrics and people will be surprised and pleased
when they hear you do a nice job on a sweet song.
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson comes to mind.
toots

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

Re: improving vocals?

After I find a song I would like to sing I have to get it in a key that suits my range.
My capo is my friend!

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

Re: improving vocals?

Thanks Micky
I to have a "not quite so good voice" and I will keep looking here, in case someone has a good idea, I don't understand the enginering side with Gain Pan ect.
Good luck to you Micky, and if you are enjoying it. DON'T STOP, until they tell you to.
Tony Blue

man is the dream of the doliphin

5 (edited by wlbaye 2009-11-11 22:56:30)

Re: improving vocals?

Hello,

I think the first thing is get a good mic, I wanted a good mic and asked questions here on chordie and a couple folks including Southpaw recommended Sennheiser Mikes. He makes his living with one I believe a 835  I purchased a 845 and really like it.
You will need to record yourself and learn to work your mike. By this I mean when to be right in the mic and when to back out of it a little. Another thing is a good amp can make an average singer sound very good. I have a Fender Ultralight Acoustasonic that has very good effects. A little reverb can really help and chorus and echo can be used very nicely also. Also I and several others here on chordie have digitech vocal 4 harmonizers that have very nice effects besides having 4 part harmonies.
The problem with everything I have mentioned they are kinda pricey.

The general consensus for a good acoustic amp is Marshall's AS-50R   under $ 400 new and it has good effects and with a good mic and fair guitar you can sound great.

OOps the biggest thing and cheapest like Deadstring advised is use a capo and find your sweet spot. If you have to transpose the song to a different key and use your capo to find the spot you can sing with the least effort. To me it's easy to know the high notes that you can't reach and sometimes if you get to low you run out of air. Try to find a happy medium and record yourself and work on the places you don't like or pick a different song that will work.

If it was easy everybody would doin it smile

Later, Wayne P

Re: improving vocals?

look at Bob dylan.  he did pretty well for himself with that scratchy voice.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: improving vocals?

thanks lads will keep all advice in mind "Divine intervention"would have been easier and cheaper lol but he never listens to me smile

cool Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin'  !! cool

Re: improving vocals?

I agree with everyone - no hard or fast rules when it comes to vocals.
Capos work really well! Transposition is something we should all learn but seldom do ( It's on my to do list )
But generally effects and vocals are great tools, but the greatest tool is repetition. ( did i spell that right )
Example I can play allot of songs chord ally, so vocally I pick songs that offer challenges....Mmmm that high note in the chorus: Etc
And I do my vocal exercises daily building up my speaking voice, my chest voice - my head voice - until, believe it or not.....I HIT it!
Greatest feeling ever! Didn't think I could get there, but do you know what?  NAILED IT! So effects are great, BUT good vocal technique is even better, it something that we hate, it's something that we want right now, but realistically it's something that will take time....TIME!

"It's all about the Calluses, once you got them, you can't get rid of em!"

Re: improving vocals?

I think the easiest thing to helping me was being able to record myself and listen to it.  I have a Zoom H2 digital recorder and can actually plug my headphones into it as it is recording and what a difference it makes to hear what others are hearing versus what you hear in your head when singing.  Hearing how I was recording was the biggest thing in helping me get over my fear and feeling better about just singing and enjoying it.  Lots of Luck and have fun doing it!

Find a Path or Make One    This is a motto I have been following my entire life and one I am currently using with my music.
Big Jim from Ashville Ohio

10 (edited by beamer 2012-07-15 21:48:29)

Re: improving vocals?

You can get a good Mic for 25 bucks from Behringer.  Here is a related thread 

http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20040

Lots of good info in this thread.

As for recording yourself to the computer,, you don't need  expensive software.

you can use Reaper trial version for free and it does not expire (info thanks to Jerome Oneil)  http://www.reaper.fm/download.php  and the guide  is a PDF right under the download link. 

or Audacity (its easier  to use and pretty good for what you want to do and its free also)

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ 

and a thread for that  http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18944

You just plug your Mic right into the sound card, or you can spend bigger dollars on a USB mic

Hope that helps

“Find your own sound.  Dont be a second rateYngwie Malmsteen be a first rate you”

– George Lynch 2013 (Dokken, Lynchmob, KXM, Tooth & Nail etc....)

Re: improving vocals?

micky the mooch wrote:

thanks lads will keep all advice in mind "Divine intervention"would have been easier and cheaper lol but he never listens to me smile

you are not alone micky,I sound like bob dylan with my hand in a mixer and a bad cold!!!.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: improving vocals?

bensonp wrote:

look at Bob dylan.  he did pretty well for himself with that scratchy voice.

Lets add Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks

“Find your own sound.  Dont be a second rateYngwie Malmsteen be a first rate you”

– George Lynch 2013 (Dokken, Lynchmob, KXM, Tooth & Nail etc....)

Re: improving vocals?

hi, i have found lately to my cost that to record onto a computer through USB, it's best to get a USB 2 PCI EXPRESS card, as USB may not be fast enough!!! on the other hand if your using MIDI you will need a sound card with a MIDI socket. if your using a mic plugged directly into the sound card, you will usually find that it's a mini jack so you may need a sound card that is good (as run of the mill sound cards are not that good sound wise)

if you're not going to use your mic on stage, get a studio mic, they are square shaped and are good for vocal and guitar, and i've seen some relatively cheap ones....good luck

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Re: improving vocals?

Improving your vocals is a matter of practice. I always say vocals is 99% confidence and 1% talent.  If you've got talent, great.  If you don't, strut it.  smile

Improving your vocal recordings, though, is another ball of wax.  Rule 1 with any recording is get into the right space.  Vocals are best done in as dead a location as you can find.   Rule 2 is use a good mic.   That means a condenser with a pop filter in your as-dead-as-possible space.

Post production, two techniques do wonders for vocals.  "Doubling," or "singing it twice" as us normal folks like to call it.   Sing the vocal track, then go back and sing it again on another track in as much an identical manner as you can.  Play the doubled track in stereo.  Does wonders to provide a rich sound.

The other bit of magic is reverb.  Add just a little to the vocal mix.  If you can overtly notice it, it's too much.    Because you recorded in a super-dead space, you'll want to add in a little bit, but you can add in the verb in to match the rest of the mix.  And play with different reverb plugins, as they are not all created equal.  I have half a dozen on my rig, and am constantly looking at others.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]