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Newbie - Help for a proper MIX with UAD Plugins (Only Vocal)

eddieb76

Member
Hello,

I'm quite new to the UAD Apollo world (I own a TWIN DUO) and having some difficulties trying to mix my voice to an existing backing track.
I thinkI lack of experience and doing something wrong with EQ and then effects.

If I post a small piece of the RAW Vocals and Track...Is someone going to give me some hints (or try to mix it...that would be super) on how to achieve the best result?

I would like to restrict the use of plugins to the following list (not all of them...just listing because these are the one I own).

Compressors: LA2A & 1176 (Legacy)
EQ: NEVE 31102
Reverb: Ocen Way, Lexicon, EMT140, EMT250 (yea...I do like reverbs!)
FX: Cooper Time Cube

Bye!
Eddie
 

pierre87

Active Member
ocean way on first insert for the recording room, LA2A on second insert & Neve EQ on third insert and Lex224 + Cooper on send
 

eddieb76

Member
ocean way on first insert for the recording room, LA2A on second insert & Neve EQ on third insert and Lex224 + Cooper on send
Thank you Pierre! It's so kind of you! To be honest I know the order. It's just that I'm not getting satisfying results and it's due to is my lack of experience. That's why I've proposed to upload just few seconds of the raw vocals and the back track.
In the past I've had good results but now I've changed almost everything and I feel a little bit lost: the soundcard (from MOTU to UAD) and the plugins.

This evening I will try to work again on the MIX. Eventually I will succeed!
 

Zsarbomba

Shareholder
If it dont sound bloody good with nothing on the vocal,
It will never ever sound amazing no matter what plugs you thro at it...
 

eddieb76

Member
If it dont sound bloody good with nothing on the vocal,
It will never ever sound amazing no matter what plugs you thro at it...
thanks! but what do you mean with bloody good? I mean at least some eq need to be applied.
I record vocals on a small booth and the sound is slightly boxy at the beginning. the room is well treated but due to the shape and size I have a boost around 300hz.

this is something I recorded on the past using completelly different hardware and software but on the same booth. just to have an idea. 2247le->motu->iMac
the plugins are the standard Logic plugins. now I'm having hard Times learning to use the new plugins and hardware...but I'm almost there.

https://soundcloud.com/eddieb76/kissingafool-final-320kbps
 

LBHMusic

Member
HI Eddie,

Send a completely flat example of your vocal and we can judge what might be the right approach. It's obviously subjective, but as ZsarBomba eluded the source material is key. If you're after an opinion on the track you sent - my view would be: far too much (and not the best suited) reverb on everything. Bit thin sounding, Kick not cutting through. Low end could be more solid. Not trying to criticise - just how I'm hearing it.
 

eddieb76

Member
HI Eddie,

Send a completely flat example of your vocal and we can judge what might be the right approach. It's obviously subjective, but as ZsarBomba eluded the source material is key. If you're after an opinion on the track you sent - my view would be: far too much (and not the best suited) reverb on everything. Bit thin sounding, Kick not cutting through. Low end could be more solid. Not trying to criticise - just how I'm hearing it.
Hey thanks. That was just an example of a previous work. Anyway I'm just a singer/songwriter that sometimes like to record himself and play with the vocals. Said that...that song is an 80s song from mr. George Michael and the backing track is the original one. I just shifted it one semitone up (if I'm not wrong) in order to sing it more comfortably in my passage zone. I tried to suit the vocal in order to sit in the mix. Anyway, to be honest, I love a lot of music from the 80s and I'm very fond of reverbs. But that's just a personal taste.

As soon as I get home I will prepare some raw vocal track because I'm very interested in improving and listening to good opinions!

Thanks Again
Eddie
 

Zsarbomba

Shareholder
I record vocals on a small booth and the sound is slightly boxy at the beginning. the room is well treated
Instant problem right there. You will never ever be able to fix vocals that have been recorded in a booth. All it does is wash any character and timbre away & add a smear/clutter to the sound over virtually every frequency. I would rather record in a medium to large un-treated room with definable resonances which can be quantified & cut than record in a booth.
 

eddieb76

Member
ok zsarbomba. I will record a line of a song in the booth and then in the living room.
I will post them here so that you can judge and help me sorting out my doubts.

I'm so glad to receive some support!
 

Zsarbomba

Shareholder
The differences are immediate. You have just found the answer to your problems also. The booth version is exactly how I said, smeared & notice the sibilance is not natural sounding. Notice how when you are in your booth that it sounds bloody awful & weird & that you want to get out within not long. So why record this? Your other dinner version is way better. There is some slap but it has some life to it. Thats what you want. You want a combo of diffusion, absorption & reflection. Also your Mix version one is too sparkly on all the mid to high stuff...like cymbals, piano, vocal, keys or whatever it is... They is all competing, you dont want that.Decide what shall have sparkle & by what amount. Usually one item at a time when listening. This also creates a space problem for you cause you are mixing every thing to the forefront. What are the most important things in your mix? Kick, Snare, Bass, Vocal/lead? the rest is just stocking filler. I know you want to show off your piano skills but you cant show everything off all at the same time. Shove that thing to the back with roll off & compression & some room magic such as with the OWS..
 

Eric Dahlberg

Purveyor of musical dreams fullfilled.

eddieb76

Member
OK zsarbomba. I will follow your suggestions and try to lay down some vocal takes on the other rooms this weekend.
Thanks again for the support.
 

LBHMusic

Member
The differences are immediate. You have just found the answer to your problems also. The booth version is exactly how I said, smeared & notice the sibilance is not natural sounding. Notice how when you are in your booth that it sounds bloody awful & weird & that you want to get out within not long. So why record this? Your other dinner version is way better. There is some slap but it has some life to it. Thats what you want. You want a combo of diffusion, absorption & reflection. Also your Mix version one is too sparkly on all the mid to high stuff...like cymbals, piano, vocal, keys or whatever it is... They is all competing, you dont want that.Decide what shall have sparkle & by what amount. Usually one item at a time when listening. This also creates a space problem for you cause you are mixing every thing to the forefront. What are the most important things in your mix? Kick, Snare, Bass, Vocal/lead? the rest is just stocking filler. I know you want to show off your piano skills but you cant show everything off all at the same time. Shove that thing to the back with roll off & compression & some room magic such as with the OWS..
I couldn't have put it better! :D
 

Eric Dahlberg

Purveyor of musical dreams fullfilled.
Hi Eric, I'm using a Peluso 2247le.
Do you have some suggestion?

I can use also a blueberry and a sm7b
Wow! All great mic choices! The great thing is they cover such a wide range, you can use the Blueberry when you need to cut through a dense mix, the SM7b when you want a midrangey sound for a rock mix, and the 22 47 LE for when you want the vocal to sit above it all and shine. :)
 

eddieb76

Member
Hi Eric. That was my intention when I bought them(in time...not together😂)
Anyway this morning I recorded 5 takes of Every Breath You Take in my dining room and you all are absolutely right.
It sounds good from the start. With just a little bit of eq I can play it from my studio monitors to my tv system and it sound good. I'm just sad because I invested money to build that vocal booth because I wanted to have an isolated space where to sing...now I catch every dog barking and every children laughing...

But the sound is soooo much improved!
 
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