Clients signs horribly out of tune. I tune and...

[jangoux]

Well,

On the last couple of weeks I tracked this band. They're really bad. Really. REALLY. But i managed to improve it a little bit. However, the vocals couldn't be improved, as the singer is really bad. We tracked it, he sang the vocals terribly out of tune. I tuned it to AT LEAST fit the chords/scale the song was into. Now he heard the tuned version and says the way he sang it, is fine to his ears and sounds more IN TUNE, even with notes waaaaay outside the chords and stuff. He really has no clue of how/what to sing. 10 takes produces 15 different vocal melodies, each one producing a new scale that no human being has ever seem

Well, I am trying to talk to them, explaining everything, but they cant understand they suck lol They can't even hear their own mistakes and stuff...

What would YOU do ?

 

[Mago]

They are your clients after all, if they don't want to hear your opinion you can't do a lot I think.

 

[jangoux]

Well, they actually want to redo some vocals, something I don't want to do because i charge a flat rate per song (I know, I know....but they market here works this way..)

 

[Empathy]

What you charge never has to be a set-in-stone amount for every project. Tell them the flat rate is based on the assumption of musicians being able to perform to a decent quality in a reasonable time frame. Tell them they have taken too long, and if they want to continue tracking they need to start paying an additional hourly rate for the time it takes. They'll either agree, where you'll be paid for the time you can spend coaching the vocalist into getting a decent performance out (or maybe try bringing in another more seasoned vocalist to show him the ropes), or they'll disagree and want to walk. If they walk, you tell them you'll happily pass on the work done so far for a percentage fee. I'll assume you haven't received anything so far?

Do you have any sort of 'contract' or written agreement that you make bands go over before they enter business with you?

 

[Mago]

yeah well...I do guess you at least agreed on an max. hours total to spend on tracking beforehand?
Elsewise they can demand to record with you forever

 

[jangoux]

I received 60% of the payment already, and 'No' to the rest of the answers. The funny thing is, I usually get way more seasoned clients and they actually listen. I am at the moment recording a great singer for a Tool-ish band and we 're extracting every ounce of performance to the point I can choose to tune it or not - and the guy listens to every single advice and stuff. But for this particular band, the one with the terrible vocals, they are together for just 4 months and God knows why they just can't even be alright. On the first day of recording the singer brought his vocal teacher and I was more of a vocal coach than herself, who just kept laughing at every mistake he did.

 

[jangoux]

Fuck, I can't even fit those vocals on the arrangement being this out of tune...

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

What would YOU do ?

Let it slide, he is the one with the shitty voice. It's hard to blame something like that on the mix/recording engineer.

 

[jangoux]

Let it slide, he is the one with the shitty voice. It's hard to blame something like that on the mix/recording engineer.

 

[Melb_shredder]

Yep... Agreed! 99% of the time, when people hear a bad vocalist.. they BLAME the bad vocalist! I've never been blamed for a singer sucking arse, usually it's, "Good job on the mix dude, but that singer sucks"

Touch it up a little, to the point they don't notice, obviously they don't know their arse from their elbows, so just do a little work, and let it be

Try to make the REST of the mix the focal point

 

[Arsenu,]

duct tape fixes everything...

 

[006]

Ahaha ^

I agree with the others, fuck him. Just make his vocals sit in the mix properly spatially and level-wise and call it a day.

 

[Mutant]

Fire up Voxengo Span and show him which frequencies and notes he actually sang.

If his ears are shit, maybe at least his eyes will be better

 

[DanLights]

I agree the good thing about a bad vocalist is no one can blame the guy who mixed it, so you´re obviously off the hook. On the rest of the music, try to make that turd shine as much as you can cause your name is usually more attached to that.

 

[scorpio01169]

I hardly understand why some bands, who have been together only a few weeks/months are in such a hurry to get into the studio and record how shitty they are. not only do they waste money, they make their friends uncomfortable when they ask them to listen to it and ask their opinions. there were times I have recorded a band and they asked my opinion and I refused to give it. You guys have more patients than I do when it comes to recording bands, I am a firm believer in what you record is what you get. other than punch-ins and virtual takes, I don't ever drum replace or re-amp. sorry I'm old skool like that.

 

[SocialNumb]

The title of this thread brought up some funny imagery.