Getting vocals that don't sit, to sit

[cloy26]

I just finished recording a band that sounds alright, but the vocalist is just... hard to deal with in a mix. His voice is almost atonal. lol. He has a lot of low end in his voice, which is why I opted for the sm57 over the at4040. I tracked a single take down the middle, and an identical take each down the left and right, maybe hoping it would help out making it sound more musical... well, it didn't. I am going to get a rough mix and post it up, but wondered if they're any tips off the bat that you guys use to process stubborn vocals.

 

[Forceps]

I have a low voice myself and recorded some vocals yesterday with a SM57... I must say I didn't like the result, my usual vocal mike is a Rode NT1000 and I find it much easier to sit in the song than the tracks I recorded with the SM57.

Edit: oh, and I wonder if it's gonna work out to have 3 vocal tracks left- center- right when you have a lot of low end going on... maybe just stick with 1 track centered?

 

[Fragle]

i'd say first try to get one track in the middle to sit well, then add the other tracks if necessary.

eq wise, you might want to cut quite some low end, depending on the voice i'd try a HP anywhere between 100-200hz (see how much you can get away with). also try a top end and/or high midrange boost, and cutting the guitars in the high mid area you boost the vocals in.
other than that, obviously compression, more compression, and even more.
play around with saturation too.

also, don't forget reverb and delay. also EQ these fx sends so they take up just the right amount of space.

last but not least, post clips. otherwise we're shooting in the dark here.

 

[cloy26]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/rate-my-mix-tone-threads/593633-poopy-vocals.html

The thread where I posted the song.

 

[AEL89]

can't listen at the moment but compressing hard (20dB of gain reduction) is a starting point

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Really rare to compress vocal with 20db GR with only one compressor imo. Staked compression is the key

And since I love quote I can't post something about vocal without quoting one of my second place rock mixer CLA (TLA is on first place, use compression at an other level but he rarely say anything funny about it)

So here the quote:

EQ: How much are you compressing and automating the vocals?
CLA: Oh, we’re hitting them with a baseball bat like three or four
times over. I’m not using the compression to save myself from having
to ride the fader; I’m trying to put some character into it. I want it to
sound like it was recorded on a 16 track, with a Fairchild, hitting the
tape nice and hard, adding all of that color and character into it —
making that in your face sound.

 

[Ermz]

C4 is great for stubborn vocals. Can keep the midbass mud under control.

Other than that the idea is to compress until it sounds like you've over done it... and then add another 1176.

I usually compress lead vox in 4 or 5 different stages now.

Distressor on the way down.
C4 for control/brightness (pop vocal preset can be nice. randy r00lz)
Rvox (always gives an up-front characteristic)
L1 (deal with any stray transients)
Millennia Origin (opto comp for smoothing)
1176 Rev A (to annihilate and suck every ounce of character from the vocal)

This doesn't count the compression created through saturation/distortion blending FX like Soundtoys' Decapitator, iZotope Trash, URS Saturation, or whatever else may work.

 

[ahjteam]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/rate-my-mix-tone-threads/593633-poopy-vocals.html

The thread where I posted the song.

The vocals are too loud in the mix, are out of tune with the song and lack in the emotional side, he sounds like just sings with lungs, without any emotions. Being just a bit of offkey from time to time is okay if replaced with emotion (like Chino), but that clip seriously lacks both.

so what to do?
step 0: if possible, re-track. if not, skip.
step 1: turn the fader down
step 2: compress the fuck out of the vocal track if you haven't already.
step 3: add some effects. use sends, don't use them as track inserts. they masks some of the off-key work and makes the vocals sit more easily if set correctly. use 1-2 reverbs (I prefer hall and plate for vocals), atleast 2 delays with different times on them (say two mono delays, 1/4 note panned hard left with 23% feedback and 1/8 note panned hard right with 27% feedback (note that the feedback amount and the delay lenght must be different) and feed them just a little bit to each others and to the reverbs too). and maybe even a chorus if the vocals need it.
step 4: drink a lot of alcohol and try to kill yourself. semi-optional.

 

[crillemannen]

Vocals are easy to get to sound right with the right gear. I use a Peluso 2247LE which is great, Crane Song spider preamp (although a medium priced preamp will do) and as Ermz vrote C4 is great + 1176 of some sort. Compress the hell out of the vocals with the 1176 -20-30db GR.

Add Desser, EQ, Delay, Reverb, and doubbler and you're done

 

[Deadstar]

C4 is great for stubborn vocals. Can keep the midbass mud under control.

Other than that the idea is to compress until it sounds like you've over done it... and then add another 1176.

I usually compress lead vox in 4 or 5 different stages now.

Distressor on the way down.
C4 for control/brightness (pop vocal preset can be nice. randy r00lz)
Rvox (always gives an up-front characteristic)
L1 (deal with any stray transients)
Millennia Origin (opto comp for smoothing)
1176 Rev A (to annihilate and suck every ounce of character from the vocal)

This doesn't count the compression created through saturation/distortion blending FX like Soundtoys' Decapitator, iZotope Trash, URS Saturation, or whatever else may work.

Sounds crazy, how many db of GR in total d00d?

 

[crillemannen]

Sounds crazy, how many db of GR in total d00d?

If you listen to a standard produced record how many db of dynamics do you hear in the vocals?? The inhale is as loud as the rest of the vox

 

[Deadstar]

If you listen to a standard produced record how many db of dynamics do you hear in the vocals?? The inhale is as loud as the rest of the vox

it depends by which standard record i hear

 

[cloy26]

Amazing responses guys. Thanks so much.