United States

OK here is my story: I'm approaching mid-life and have always been into singing but until recently, never seriously enough to take my voice to the next level. It always has been and only can be a hobby with me, I have a full-time job, family, etc. But I'm really passionate about it. All I really want to do is maybe sing lead for a cover band in a mid-size midwestern city. I just think that would be a blast. But I know you have to be pretty damn good even for that.

Anyway, I've put quite a bit of practice time in the last few years, had some lessons a while back, and am ready to start trying to find a band --- or am I? I'd like to send some home-made demos out to bands/musicians that I contact online. I will have 5 covers over backing tracks ready in a few days, but I want to know if I can get someone to listen to them here and really let me know if they might be good enough, or if not how they could be improved. I don't want to send them out to anyone until I get them screened like this, don't want to blow any first impressions if you get my drift. Can I count on some good feedback by sending a link to where I've uploaded them, when I get them finished? Any other advice at this point?

Thanks!

I am sure you can get some honest feed back from the various musicians on the Forum.
My preference is that you use the Forum, and Bandmix as it is intended IMO.
Up load your tracks HERE, on your profile in an MP3 format so we dont have to chase around the net for it.
Mind you that is just my preference, I do not speak formy Bandmix brothers and sisters. Though many of us including myself have other links posted, and frequent youtube as well.

Viva geezers !!!!

Nothing yet on your profile, how come?

Speaking as a totally NON Musician.

Welcome to the Forum.

Still waiting

The demos are up now at my page

http://www.bandmix.com/reddy2rock/

Let me apologize in advance for the backing tracks, I know they sound crappy (they are made with vocal suppression software and not the best). So that's one of the reasons the vocals are loud in the mix (the other being, well, it's a vocal demo).

Any and all comments/advice are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Do you play any guitar?

Not looking good my man...

I'll start this debacle..

Your vocal recording sucks. My child could do better if I had one.

Too much for the speaker, you have to try another way to get the vocal coloring you desire as that sounds like sh*t.

Erase, re-record. CLIPPING! HEAD ROOM? Can't you tell the vocal track sounds awful?

Major Production Issues here..

Can't evaluate you further without re-recording, as I can't get by the sound of the vocals.. end.

I'll start this debacle..

Your vocal recording sucks. My child could do better if I had one.

Too much for the speaker, you have to try another way to get the vocal coloring you desire as that sounds like sh*t.

Erase, re-record. CLIPPING! HEAD ROOM? Can't you tell the vocal track sounds awful?

Major Production Issues here..

Can't evaluate you further without re-recording, as I can't get by the sound of the vocals.. end.

THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING......

I mean who records like this?

You could have a great album, but it's the worst mix I ever heard.

Sorry guys, sorry for subjecting your ears to that. I tried to warn you....

But that was about the backing track. I really am an amateur as far as recording, I am just working with a Zoom MRS-4 home recorder. Plus I've been focusing almost all my time and energy on the vocal part, so I haven't paid enough attention to the recording quality aspect. I guess I figured people could get past that, but now I know better.

So, any advice to help me out here? I'm considering getting professional backing tracks (though individual ones seem to be hard to find). That will solve that problem. I know I need better mic technique, to pull it back when I get loud. I started playing with the vocal limiter this last time, guess I need to use that more. I guess the idea is record at the highest gain you can without distortion, then when you mix turn the level down so you don't distort it there as well? In other words turning down a source recorded at a higher level is better than turning up one recorded at a lower level? Again, pardon my ignorance, this stuff is pretty new to me. Thanks for your help, even if you can just point me in the right direction.

I'm NOT a technical wizard by any means. Other Bandmixers know that about me. The best advice I can give you is sing your ass off whenever and wherever you can IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. You can make the best recordings possible, but how people react IN PERSON when listening to you is paramount in your development. That means getting in on some vocalist auditions, karaoke, etc. Sure putting a better quality recording on here might help your cause, but you need to get out of your house and in front of humans. They'll let you know if you're on the right track...

Dont give up , and never give in.

It sounds like you are recording without the aid of a soundboard or even levels, as the vocal signal is way too strong.

Try turning it down at least 25%. Effects are one thing, huge distortion on the signal is another.