Ableton Forum

Hi all,

I'm having problems getting a good quality mix/warm vocal sound when I have vocals on my tracks... My music is an electro/psy trane style and I am looking for some tips in regards to mixing and using of effects with vocals. Can anyone out there provide some tips or point me in a direction as to where I could find some info on the net?????

Thanks

http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/ ... -438876#!1

you might find some useful tips there...

apart from that, the key with vocals is to make sure the signal into your DAW is as good as possible - effect plugins can only do so much. a decent mic and pre amp are essential for 'warm' vocal recordings. when you are happy with your signal, a modest amount of compression and eq, and perhaps some reverb / slapback delay. Also, I like to use Ableton's saturator plugin on the hot tubes setting for a bit of extra body to vocals.

Thanks for the website and info!

A better mic will def help but Im trying to do the best with what Ive got so will try your other suggestions till I have the cash

The saturator plug in sounds like a plan....

I usually compress much more than everything else, and put some delay. the voice stands out that way.

In Live whats a good compressor setting for the vocals?? Im still new to this game.....

ryggen wrote:In Live whats a good compressor setting for the vocals?? Im still new to this game.....

low threshold, high ration, short attack & release

Cheers:-)

A better mic will def help but Im trying to do the best with what Ive got so will try your other suggestions till I have the cash

The saturator plug in sounds like a plan....

Yeah, when you have some extra money, a better mic is definitely something to consider investing in. It's the foundation.

You'll obviously want to shoot for something versatile, but more importantly, a mic that best suits the style of vocals you tend to record and cuts them right through the mix. Find as many demos and songs using the mics you're interested in as you can.

I had to return the mic I initially purchased for my setup and spend a bit more on something that worked better for my vocals. I was spending way too much time EQing, compressing, effecting vocals just to get them to sound decent and gel with the mix.

c33 wrote:

A better mic will def help but Im trying to do the best with what Ive got so will try your other suggestions till I have the cash

The saturator plug in sounds like a plan....

Yeah, when you have some extra money, a better mic is definitely something to consider investing in. It's the foundation.

You'll obviously want to shoot for something versatile, but more importantly, a mic that best suits the style of vocals you tend to record and cuts them right through the mix. Find as many demos and songs using the mics you're interested in as you can.

I had to return the mic I initially purchased for my setup and spend a bit more on something that worked better for my vocals. I was spending way too much time EQing, compressing, effecting vocals just to get them to sound decent and gel with the mix.

Thanks for the info a decent studio condenser mic would be the best I guess. My wife sings and is a classically trained vocalist so I want to keep a pure sound and not have to lay to many effects!! There seems to be a massive variation in the price of microphones so a bit of research will be required.

Any idea what groups like Lamb. The Knife, Goldfrapp and Portishead would use??? Im thinking I would need to research those kind of groups use being female and electronic...

I'd imagine most of those artists are using mics that cost anywhere from $1,000 on up.

For a more affordable solution, I would recommend checking out the Rode NT1A & the Studio Projects C1.

Both are high quality, professional mics (I've used both), and these are the two I see most often compared to significantly higher-end models.

I have an AKG Perception II condensor mic that has worked great for male and female vocals; got it for 200 around 5 years ago, maybe you'll get a real good deal off a used one on ebay. It's been said that a mic that has been used for awhile with years of smoke blown into it stiffens the diaphragm giving it more character.

I'll check all those out and try score of eBay... For sure there is massive variation in mic prices so great to get some feedback... Cheers

Hi there.. a decent mic is the very first thing, followed by a good quality cable, plugged into a decent pre amp.. obvious I know.. but the amount of people who want high end results without the investment is huge..
Ok so we don't all have the cash to invest, but still we seek the quality, and fortunately there are some not too expensive options out there..

I would check out this mic http://www.zzounds.com/item--CADM179 .. it is really good for not just voice but perc, guit, room ambiance etc too. (I find the Rode NT 1A really thin sounding in comparison)

Once you get your signal chain sounding good WITHOUT fx, compression, etc, you'll get much better results when and if you decide to add anything...

That CAD is a VERY god mic for the price.. If you can find one I'd definitely check it out.

Hd