General Music Chat

I have this song... we've been working on...for two + months and dang it..when I review it , it seems like the vocal... is like a micro-smidgen-assed off key... I'm talking ever so subtle, throughout the entire track... We have redone the vocals in their entirety about half a dozen times... We've checked them against other isolated tracks (bass, Guitars, etc, respectively) and In the studio the vocals sound good and in key... When I get it home to review, Its sounds ...just ever ever ever so slightly off... WTF?

Has this happened to others before? If so what are the common fixes for it?

Thanks!

The common cure? Antares. Or a new singer.

What song is it, lets hear it.

Studio acoustic quality or the acoustics in your room where you play it back are not conducive. Block the upper corners of the room with foam of any type temporarily as a test. If I'm right, do it right. I suspect your Fung shwae (symmetry of your room furnishings) are out of balance.

The common cure? Antares. Or a new singer.

Antares might be the trick... (Though i just read the FAQ on that product and it looks like more windows issues than I care to deal with...

New Singer? ....Outta the question.

But I may have an answer.
I just reviewed two different takes (files). In both files, the vocals remained the same (No redone tracks) ...

The only change was a mix and level setting in the 2nd file. With double tracks (Left & right), the engineer brought down the right side a little, AND applied an effect on the left side... The effect appears to vacillate the voice, which I am certain now, bounces the pitch around.... In this particular song, the vocals siren a little bit into modal tones, etc... Sort of like reeling in a tarp against a wind... (Where other instrumentation is quite busy , but moving in the same direction) So the effect may actually not be appropriate in this case.

These effects were not in the other file and thus, the vocals sounded on que and in tune. So I am pretty certain now it aint the vocals.

If its your song then tell the engineer you dont want the effect on the vocals.

Unless you are going for some sort of vocal effect, I hate modulation effects on vocals, just a touch of reverb or maybe a very short delay, 10-20 MS on the vocal to fatten it up.

But if you are paying for the session then tell the guy what you want and get it.

Good Luck

If its your song then tell the engineer you dont want the effect on the vocals.

Unless you are going for some sort of vocal effect, I hate modulation effects on vocals, just a touch of reverb or maybe a very short delay, 10-20 MS on the vocal to fatten it up.

But if you are paying for the session then tell the guy what you want and get it.

Good Luck

Agreed,
Fortunately, he's on board with pretty much anything I suggest or request... But, also, He is the sound expert, and there are some things, which he holds to, which he wont change, and which make sense. The effect on the vocals will be discussed at the next session...He also reminds me on occasion that the takes, which I have been reviewing are crap, compared to how he intends to final mix and master them...later. (I believe him!) . He's very very good at working with me... (He's also my Bass player AND Drummer LOL!...I'm Guitaring and singing and keyboarding...)