Am I overdoing it editing vocals?

[LBTM]

For every vocal line I use melodyne, then bounce to another track, edit timing, compressing (each line separately) and de-essing and then bouncing to the main vocal track which carries EQ. I'm doing it for every vocal line separately. I'm happy with the results, but am I overdoing it?

 

[B36arin]

Depends on what you're going for. Adele has sold millions and millions of albums and she's off-pitch all the time I personally strongly dislike editing vocal lines unless it's absolutely necessary. There's usually a rhythm in a vocal line, even if it's not 100% locked to the grid. And if you start chopping it up it's soo easy to kill that, at least in my experience.

I personally believe that a listener reacts most to another human giving a real, human performance. At least that's the kind of albums I keep going back to. The downside to that is that you actually need a great musician to deliver the performance. If the singer sucks you either have to let him suck or try to fix him up. Personally I always try to retain as much "humanity" as possible. It doesn't give me as polished results as some of the forum members here, and in a couple of years I might be laughing at my hipster douchebag phase in 2013. But at the moment I feel that it gives me the kind of results which I can enjoy for the longest time.

The one thing I can spend real time on is clip gain in Pro Tools to get the vocal level consistent before smashing it with compression. Makes a big difference imo.

 

[Keregioz]

For every vocal line I use melodyne, then bounce to another track, edit timing, compressing (each line separately) and de-essing and then bouncing to the main vocal track which carries EQ. I'm doing it for every vocal line separately. I'm happy with the results, but am I overdoing it?

That's pretty similar to the way I work and I'm happy with it. Why don't you use melodyne to edit timing too? Works pretty good.

 

[LBTM]

Why don't you use melodyne to edit timing too?

I think when I've tried that auto timing feature it was meshing up. I'm usually editing everything on grid. Actually when I'm editing a vocal part for example I'm looking where the drum hits are and that makes it quicker for me.

 

[Keregioz]

I think when I've tried that auto timing feature it was meshing up. I'm usually editing everything on grid. Actually when I'm editing a vocal part for example I'm looking where the drum hits are and that makes it quicker for me.

I don't use auto timing, I do it all manually, and of course there is a grid in melodyne where you can base your timing.

 

[LBTM]

I don't use auto timing, I do it all manually, and of course there is a grid in melodyne where you can base your timing.

I tried it and I must say I'm really impressed. It works great and it's speeding up the editing. I never gave any attention to what melodyne can do except from pitch correction. Thanks for helping!

 

[Keregioz]

Glad I could help. Despite some minor issues, melodyne is still an amazing program, couldn't do without it when it comes to vocals (works great on bass guitar too).

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

LBTM, I love your signature.

E: Is melodyne, editing to grid, compressing (each line separately), de-essing and bouncing for further eq'ing and processing, for every vocal line, your consideration of "fixing it in the source"?

Just curious,

 

[LBTM]

E: Is melodyne, editing to grid, compressing (each line separately), de-essing and bouncing for further eq'ing and processing, for every vocal line, your consideration of "fixing it in the source"?

I could just throw a compressor and a HP filter there and it would sound really good, but I'm trying to make everything as tight as possible.

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

I could just throw a compressor and a HP filter there and it would sound really good, but I'm trying to make everything as tight as possible.

Or unhuman. But as always.. We can't really argue taste. If it works for you, go nuts. Why would you care about what others think..? But if you're certain, you wouldn't be asking, right?

There's really only one question: Is it nescessary? Or are you just trying to be clever?

 

[LBTM]

No, of course it's not necessary every time and no, I don't make it unhuman. I'm trying to make it how it was supposed to be but it's singed by a human so it can't be perfect on the source. It's easy to overdo it and to make it sound unhuman but with practice you can get great results.

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

So, why / what are you asking?

 

[LBTM]

So, why / what are you asking?

Get out. Like, really, please.

 

[Kohugaly]

There's a pretty simple test: comparison between edited and non-edited... if third person (not the singer, not you) hears the improvement with out knowing which is which, than it's pretty much clear. I think both naturality of human error and artificiality of heavy editing is overrated.

 

[LBTM]

In most cases the difference is subtle but there's some lines that the timing is off, you didn't catch it while recording, and you can definitely hear it.

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

Get out. Like, really, please.

But I just got back from a forest stroll with my dogs. You know, the canine type, not mah dawgs.

Seriously though.. Your opening post states that you do a fuckton and some more to all your vocal tracks and phrase by phrase.. No reference, no audio clip. Zip, nada.

Then you say that you do it only when necessary and when it has a purpose and you're not making the takes unhuman, just little tighter etc.

So if you like the results, and find the astronomical amounts of phrase by phrase prosessing on all the tracks valid and necessary.. .. .. ..

Why / What are you asking? I don't think that is a far out or insulting question..

 

[LBTM]

Why / What are you asking?

It was more about starting a conversation than a specific question.

 

[blue_fAng]

He just wanted to know if he was doing too much work for one thing, probably waiting for someone to chime in and explain an easier way?

 

[LBTM]

He just wanted to know if he was doing too much work for one thing, probably waiting for someone to chime in and explain an easier way?

^^ That, and I found an easier way (melodyne editing) so...

 

[blue_fAng]

I was going to mention the grid on melodyne too before I read keregioz's post. I love melodyne, there are many good things you can do with it.