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Old 06-17-2018, 11:38 PM   #1
sjs94704
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Default 'Wind Beneath My Wings' - what do you think?

Hey All!

I am just learning how to use Reaper, so, I am more than sure that there is LOTS to do with this song before publishing it.

I would be grateful for your suggestions of what things I can work on next to further improve on what I have here. I will be using reaTune to fix some of the notes I'm singing in order to fix a few notes that did not come out so good! So, I will be doing my best to learn how to fix those.

Not sure if my vocal is sitting in the mix quite right, etc.

So...... What do YOU say?

Here is the link to the song on my Audiomack channel:
https://audiomack.com/song/bayside_s...s-bette-midler


Thanks so much for your time to listen and offer your feedback:
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Old 06-21-2018, 10:39 PM   #2
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your phrasing is all wrong.

It's as if you've never heard the original, or was this an attempt to change it?

The vocals sound off-key to me.

more work needed methinks
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Old 06-22-2018, 02:27 AM   #3
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Default Thanks for your reply... and a coule comments .....

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

As far as trying to be just like the original, I'm not!

Basically, I buy and download the music itself, so, for the most part, I am following the music vs. the music following me.

I suppose I could take the time to stretch a few phrases here and there, but, that takes lots of extra time!

Also, on WED (6-20-2018) I got a new PC. This time, I did not buy one out of the box at the store. I got together with my computer guy and we discussed my needs and chose the components that go on the inside. Basically, I got everything that goes lightning fast! And, TONS of storage!

In that process, I also discovered that the drivers for my MIC interface were all wrong. As you can tell, my MIC worked, but, just not as good as it should have up til now. As soon as the guy fixed up my MIC interface drivers and I sang using my favorite Reverb, I could tell instantly how dramatically different it sounds and I am confident that I will now get a 'true sound' out of my MIC and am excited about getting into recording again!

And, since my headphones are plugged directly into the interface, now that the drivers are correctly installed what I now hear is 1M times better too!
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Old 06-23-2018, 02:49 PM   #4
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  • The vocal is way too loud in the mix.

  • It sounds like it has too much reverb, also, but that could just be an artifact of how hot in the mix it is.

  • It's very bassy/boomy. I'm not expert on recording/mixing, but you could try backing away from the mic a bit during recording to reduce the proximity effect and/or use a lowshelf afterwards to cut out some of those lows.

  • The dynamics are totally untamed, which means if someone has a comfortable listening volume, they're going to have to reach for the volume knob when your voice gets twice as loud at 3:51. You should use some combination of mic technique, volume automation, and/or compression to normalize your vocal volume across the track.

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Old 06-23-2018, 03:01 PM   #5
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Default Thank You!

I ready your reply and appreciate your input. I'm taking it all in and learning one step at a time!
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Old 06-23-2018, 03:52 PM   #6
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Default Also, a followup question...

I am still getting the hang of this stuff with EQing and reverb.

I have Melda Productions FreeFX Bundle. I also have MTurboReverb.
I know that I can have more than one EQ on the same track. At the moment, the way I have things set up is:

Vox Lead - MEqualizer using the VOICE preset
Vox Reverb track - Melda Productions MTurboReverb. It has 20 reverb choices in the VOCAL folder. From what I can tell by the names of the reverbs, several of them have similar names as the ones found in the Cockos reverb plugin.

I'm using MTurboReverb because I like the GUI it has.

When I've asked questions before people say it depends on what I'm going for of what I want things to sound like.

I love to sing Barbra Streisand songs. One of them is 'Children Will Listen'.

I also love the song 'Somewhere'.

Here are the links to both. I'm not trying to sound like her, but, what reverbs would you say are being used on the vocal for each song? If possible I would like to achieve something similar. I know it might not be exact, but I think it will be fun to try getting close.....

Children Will Listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAf13cKZ4Tc

Somewhere:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAu3a7CMA84
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Old 06-23-2018, 03:57 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
I suppose I could take the time to stretch a few phrases here and there, but, that takes lots of extra time!
It's all a learning process. Rather than stretch the vocals after the fact, it will serve you much better to really listen to where the beats of the vocal line in the original hit, in terms of the rhythm of the music. Singing with good timing is very hard to master, but makes a huge difference to a performance. I would say that it is more important than good pitch, and there are plenty of famous singers that demonstrate that!

It does sound like your pitch has improved since I last heard something of yours, so good job on that.

EricTbone has given you good advice about the level and dynamics of the vocals. Regarding the amount of reverb, I think it is similar to the original, but in the original the reverb has a lot of the bass rolled off it, this stops it being too boomy. The way to do that is to place an EQ with a high pass filter before the reverb.

Last edited by Judders; 06-23-2018 at 04:03 PM.
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Old 06-23-2018, 04:04 PM   #8
sjs94704
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Default Yeah! I just got a new PC and got my MIC driver filally right!

When I got a new PC the other day I had a guy come to help me get the MIC correct and it turned out I had the wrong drivers installed and is the core reason that my vocals up to this point sound crappy and the reverb a little OFF!

I noticed an immediate difference for the better! I also noticed right away that it helps me sing better because I'm getting more of a TRUE sound when recording vocals...

More recording to come!
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Old 06-23-2018, 04:13 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
*lol* I've heard it before, but never realized it had a full on prog intro. They must have cut that part for the radio.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
what reverbs would you say are being used on the vocal for each song?
Some hardware reverb that you don't have access to. But there are tons of reverb plugins today that can get you there. I take back when I said you had too much reverb, if that's the sound you're going for. You need to make your vocal quieter in the mix but the reverb's not far off.

If you post your stems (your backing track and vocal track, separately), I could take a shot at mixing it. I'm still a noob myself, but I'm probably better enough that you could learn something, and if we're lucky, someone better than both of us will take a stab and we'll both learn something.

Last edited by EricTbone; 06-23-2018 at 04:20 PM.
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Old 06-23-2018, 04:27 PM   #10
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Quote:
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More recording to come!
I agree with much of what has been said here. Your vocal was way over the instruments.
Also I think it's a pretty low key for your voice. A step higher might have been better.

Regarding your voice, you have a very very nice voice, and you seemed to have learned how
to control it quite well using your diaphragm. However, I think you need to work on putting
your heart and soul into it, better breath control. When you're singing, think about what
you're singing about and try phrase with some heart and soul.

I hope I didn't come across too harsh, you do have a nice voice.
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Old 06-23-2018, 04:46 PM   #11
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Default JUDDERS: Follow up on the High Pass filter suggestion ....

OK, I put an EQ on the reverb track just before the reverb plugin as suggested.

I have the Melda Productions FreeFXbundle and am using MEqualizer. I love the GUI. I have only one band and have two choices of high pass filters.

One is (12dB/oct) the other is (6dB/oct). So I can begin to learn how, when I approach a situation that needs a high pass filter, how do I decide which one of these two I need?

And, I also have lots of choices of a slope.

How would I know when I need a high pass filter vs. a low pas, etc? I know these things come over time, but how can I begin to train my ear so I know if it is a high or low that I need to adjust somehow?
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Old 06-23-2018, 05:01 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
OK, I put an EQ on the reverb track just before the reverb plugin as suggested.

I have the Melda Productions FreeFXbundle and am using MEqualizer. I love the GUI. I have only one band and have two choices of high pass filters.

One is (12dB/oct) the other is (6dB/oct). So I can begin to learn how, when I approach a situation that needs a high pass filter, how do I decide which one of these two I need?

And, I also have lots of choices of a slope.

How would I know when I need a high pass filter vs. a low pas, etc? I know these things come over time, but how can I begin to train my ear so I know if it is a high or low that I need to adjust somehow?
This is where you really have to use your ears. Regardless of 6dB or 12dB per octave, listen to where it starts to
cut into the bottom end of your voice. I didn't hear any problem with the bottom end of your voice, but then the music
was so low, it's hard to tell.

The difference between 6dB and 12dB is how steep the slope is. If the filter is set a 100hz, 12dB will take out a more
of 60hz then 6dB will.
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Old 06-23-2018, 05:02 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704 View Post
OK, I put an EQ on the reverb track just before the reverb plugin as suggested.

I have the Melda Productions FreeFXbundle and am using MEqualizer. I love the GUI. I have only one band and have two choices of high pass filters.

One is (12dB/oct) the other is (6dB/oct). So I can begin to learn how, when I approach a situation that needs a high pass filter, how do I decide which one of these two I need?

And, I also have lots of choices of a slope.

How would I know when I need a high pass filter vs. a low pas, etc? I know these things come over time, but how can I begin to train my ear so I know if it is a high or low that I need to adjust somehow?
If something is too boomy, too much low end, use a high pass filter. If something is too piercing, or the reverb is exacerbating sibilance in the vocal, try a low pass. Sometimes both might be appropriate.

As for the dB/octave slope and such, it just depends. Usually gentle slopes work well for reverb, but the only way to know for sure is to try a variety and pick what sounds best for that song.
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Old 06-23-2018, 05:03 PM   #14
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Quote:
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I didn't hear any problem with the bottom end of your voice...
This was advice about removing bass from the vocal reverb, not the vocal itself. The original is mostly top end in the reverb, very airy.
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