Why Your Vocal Tracks Sound Bad

[@Roddo731]

The best one I ever heard was a session that I did 25 years ago for a contemporary Christian artist, and the producer was trying to critique the singers, vocals, and their writing… Which keep in mind this is the producer there responsible for this project. If it crashes and burns, they will get blamed… First off the singer was ticked off the producer… Well, how dare you criticize my vocal… And you can’t critique my writing because God gave me that… And I sat there and watched him very gently say “you can’t blame all that on God”

[@D0peSince85]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@filinator33]

[@CatDaddyMane]

​@@filinator33🦵🏿 😂

[@TheMolysProject]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Phyzikal]

lmfaooo

[@TheOnlineBusker]

I’m surprised at how much I liked the vocals that were far away from the mic! Interesting stuff Joe!! ❤

[@JoeStuffzAlt]

Your advice about the high pass filter made me sound different night and day in a good way. In fact, one of my small diaphragm condensers that sounded really muffled all of the sudden be one of the best mics for my voice for rock. Because of the "dark/warm" sound it had, it actually counteracted a certain annoying frequencies of my voice. Adding some processing and it sounds really good (the Rode M.2). I was like "what? That's MY voice?" I like being close to the mic for a huge reason: I don't have much soundproofing, being closer to the mic helps me not pick up as much noise. I might have to play with mic distance later and listen for what it might be able to do those frequencies of my voice. I feel you are right, but when you were backed away from the mic, there might have been more of a classic sound. I wonder if they were backed from the mic maybe to have some natural reverb. The part that needed reduction is around 2-3k as you said... whoa. It's that brightness my voice started to develop recently around 3k. I'm going to try what you did with my large diaphragm mics (got both a dynamic and condenser) for recorded. I'll still use other mics sometimes, especially since I'm starting to get an idea how it might improve my sound for different kinds of music. The SM58 in particular has thrown me some interesting curveballs in terms of sometimes it being the best-sounding mic for my voice

[@LovenArtiste]

Absolutely love your voice 🙏🙏

[@jimhart1959]

Thank you, Joe! I now suspect that some of my vocal tracks are thin and harsh because I’m too far from the mic! This gives me something to work on!

[@CharlesGreggo]

It’s funny how the biggest changes can come from the slightest modifications. Thanks for another great video! 😊

[@jonbirmingham6005]

Thanks Joe. I am guilty of not being closer on the mic. I will look forward to experimenting with that and get a better sound.

[@maxf.p]

big issues with vocals also have to do with writing songs in keys that you are not confortable in. This has happened to me many times. Now i realize much quicker than before and try a the vocal melody in different keys and octaves. Also I wasnt compressing enough just because someone i respect told me it had to be subtle and i took it very seriously because i was just starting and i had no idea

[@Po_Tong_Go]

Great video, Joe🤩🤩

[@o5pfilms951]

Man, this advice is some sauce. You tend to get caught up in the "rules," but the rules have changed with the sound of modern records. I have always tried to follow the 6" rule, but getting as close as 2" in some tests I did after watching this gave results that were much more "in your face" right from the jump. Early on, I always recorded this way, and it got lost on me once I read so many times that it was a bad practice. Processors work better. It's especially usefull in a room that's less than ideal like mine! Thanks!

[@singeramitwagh]

Love watching your videos friend..great tutorials for singers like us who record & mix on their own.

[@spkldgecko]

It took me this long to realize that the reason why I look bad in pictures is because I'm ugly. Now you're telling me that the reason why my vocals sound bad is because I can't sing? Well at least I have an annoying personality to fall back on.

[@timbuiepiano]

Great video! Thank you for posting this!

[@edsohovocals]

Great video, Joe. For me, good vocals are an interaction between pitch, tone, and *emotion. They all affect each other. Melodyne can never edit the emotion, and how the emotion of the vocal/singer affects the overall flow, tone and rhythm.

[@0010Kev]

Thanks Joe! I'm the living breathing example of your first point right now. I'm recording a few new songs with good friends of mine. One of the songs cries out for a male, female duet. It's a fun romantic jazz type of song. Our main singer is a lady who has a crystal clear powerful voice. I'm the only other one in our little quartet that can sing....sort of. Like I said her voice is strong and my voice is basically a weak pile of muck in the mud. :) Try as I may I cannot record a vocal that sounds good next to her. If we're recording some background vocals in a song I do fine as a male presence back there, but to be up front with her I just don't have it...and like you said, no amount of Melodyne, EQ, etc will fix that. Maybe soon I can plug my voice into an AI plugin and make me sound like (enter your favourite great male singer here)! Won't that be a scary day....

[@lhpoetry]

Sometimes tone/accent is really important with matching a group of voices too. Families often sound great together because they match automatically...

[@matthewjohnson0627]

“If you haven’t seen THIS video…” *points to empty space* 😂

[@DreamsongsProductions]

Assuming you have a good mic and pre-amp. For rock and pop vocals and heavy mixes I usually stand further back cause I find myself having to cut low frequencies just to get it to sit right in the mix. For ballads and a sparse arrangement I get closer. That's it...

[@obidavekenobe]

One thing i that makes me turn off a song or a live church stream is when they run a high pass filter all the way up to something like 250 or 400 Hz and then boost 4kHz and beyond. If your gonna boost the top end, you will also need the supporting low end to go with it - for balance.

[@lhpoetry]

This is the question that is driving me crazy but I don't think I found the answer here, although maybe moving closer to the mic will help (although the range of dynamics I use often becomes an issue). I'm really frustrated because putting a "Natural vocal" filter in Garage band...makes me sound a way I like. But my recording/editing process I'm really struggling to get vocals to sound okay in Studio One. While I certainly have room to improve as a performer, I find my problem is the opposite of the person you mentioned at the beginning. When people hear me live, they are amazed. And when I make recordings, they don't sound great. Your other video on vocal mixing and EQ did help with a few things, and basically everything I do in Studio One is stuff I learned from you, so, I really appreciate the content...

[@MarkFTP]

My EXACT problem! All of what you stated.

[@HoweHobby]

Hey, just wanted to say I've been watching you for a couple years now. Always love the content! Thank you! One issue I tend to have is consistency of volume and proximity to the mic, or really a combo of those two things. I love to move around a bit, dance with my guitar, get real close to the mic for certain sounds or words, etc. causing quiet/ loud/muddy inconsistencies

[@richardallenmcgee538]

Did you ever make a video on how to set levels for recording vocals? Mic placement? Gain staging? Please advise. By the way, thanks for all you do.

[@gabrielalbertogarcia4356]

All I know is I can't have enough of Joe singing Mary had a Little Lamb

[@PabloWilard]

love your songs! your voice is very good man, make a official videoclip for one of your songs, i will really enjoy, not just me, i think...

[@lavryk]

Thanks for referring to the instrument itself as the reason #1, the voice in this case. The same would apply to recording instruments - you want it to sound good, you have to play good, pedals or plug-ins won't replace the performance skill. While it may seem insulting as it refers to the skill, it's actually a good point in terms of what to focus on.

[@TheHirade]

Dynamics is also an important thing on vocals

[@nealhathaway2004]

In recording, an emotional investment is required. Did anyone ever say, "Roger Waters has a great voice." Or, "Neil young's voice is tonally perfect." The original recording is the most important part of the process. It all starts from the expression, emotion, of the song. Singing notes just because they are notes?

[@ustexasvet]

thanks joe

[@shan5445]

I had the same problem just have to practice singing and warming up the voice. Can#t sing dry!

[@jerrymckenzie1858]

The 3 T's of singing: Tune, Time and Tone. And emotion haha.

[@doyleharper9555]

Definitely got to cut the 2k range on my vocal being a first tenor

[@bluesrocker91]

This afternoon I tried to put vocals to a song I'd written. I ran into the same issue I always have with vocals... Sitting quietly with an acoustic guitar, I can hold a tune okay, I'll even record it and play it back and it sounds fairly acceptable to my ears. But the second I need to project my voice into a microphone, at a decent level for recording, it all goes to shit. I just can't seem to hit the same notes at volume, and it just generally sounds crap and amateurish. I'm not really too bothered about not having a great singing voice. I've always been a guitarist first and foremost anyway... It would just be a really useful skill if I could sing my stuff as well play it. Can't have it always though.

[@musicscore8795]

Agree

[@joshrainbow-IceTenor]

Hi Joe, I love your videos and learned a lot from them. Question; I am a opera tenor and recording from home. I do have a vocal booth to tame the reflections of my over acoustic room. I recently bought the UAD DLX Microphone that comes with a lot of different mic options. If you would record an opera singer in your studio would you still put the singer close to the mic or further away? The reason I ask is for 2 reasons. When I see opera singers are recorded they stand at least 1 meter away from the mic in some cases even further. This happens mostly when they record in a concert hall, or studio set up where also an orchestra is present. Nowadays a lot of opera singers sing semi popular music. Think about Bocelli who seems to sound very intimate on the recordings. Also my favorite singer Roberto Alagna does a lot of written romantic music, some even recorded in his home where it seems he is standing a lot closer to the microphone than when he is doing classical music with orchestra. I will put a link here how his vocal sound and how I want to have my own vocals sound as well - I haven't been able to get it to sound this awesome, as if the voice is so beautiful in the stereo field and free....maybe you can do a video on this how they get his voice to sit in the mix this beautiful. I bet it is not not only putting some delays and reverbs on it and done it is. - Anyways, about the distance of the mic for my home recordings. Would you still go for a close by position or a meter away when I am in the vocal booth? I do not sing as loud into the mic as I would sing when I stand on stage in the opera house though. My neighbors would evict me the same day hahah. I truly hope you can do a video about opera tenors/music, and how you would process that and record that. There isn't almost anything about opera recording, it is mainly modern music. Thanks in advance - Here is the link. I am certain you love this recording/sound and the singer kzbin.info/www/bejne/epysppqPlrFsrck

[@HomeStudioCorner]

The problem with standing a meter or more away is that you are asking the mic to pick up more of the room, which for most home studios isn't idea. If it were me I would stand close and dial in a great reverb sound,.

[@joshrainbow-IceTenor]

Thanks for the fast reply and advice Joe @@HomeStudioCorner

[@PFA57]

I find for me personally it is the tenor of my voice. Not everyone can sing every style. I’ll sound decent on one style and horrendous one another. It’s knowing your range and your style and staying in that lane.

[@minifridgey]

My BIGGEST problem seems to be mouth clicks in the middle of words. Any suggestions(that dont cost money)? Do I just need to learn to sing without making the noise? I cant EQ them out very easily and it limits my compression abilities because compression makes them stick out (i may be compressing wrong, idk).

[@minifridgey]

Also, Im not finding a lot of videos regarding mouth clicks, if anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it.

[@kevinlocke6120]

Try a gate on the vocal that turns on in between the words and adds silence.

[@metalfandude6686]

1:30 kind of sounds like Dinosaur Jr but it works 😅

[@rakeshloingswargamstudio7782]

Sir Which affect give to drums and kick please explain it,

[@reevesterling9500]

What do you do about low male vocals that are far more affected by proximity effect? For instance, I have one where if he doesn't back away at least 2 inches, he creates this heavy hum vibration. I cannot EQ it out without greatly diminishing the vocal quality. On the other hand, even singing 2 inches away is a noticeable quality difference.

[@bluesrocker91]

Maybe try a mic with a built in HPF switch. Or maybe try a multipattern mic in figure-8 mode, with something behind to control reflections... It doesn't eliminate proximity effect completely, but it's less of an issue than with a cardioid pattern.

[@mikewaldron4492]

Easiest way to tame it is to get the singer to sing slightly off axis. Somewhere between 20/45° should be good, it depends on the individual singer's voice. An idea, if you have both, is to put a dynamic mic directly in front of them, and a condenser off axis slightly. That way, the singer is still singing directly into a mic, for their focus. Choose the best result, or make a blend of both.

[@dave_d_i_a_l]

But I’m big in Japan 😆

[@steenobackatit]

I tap into a tlm 102 that goes into the Apollo solo and added the Aston halo ( I record in my bedroom) but the vocals are very bassy and distorted and I tried a couple of things but can’t fix it somehow :/ any help ?

[@jameswallace5967]

Is that an ART 460 mic you have there?

[@SadBstard]

The biggest culprit I have to deal with is me being shit.

[@charlesdufrene6244]

Louder passages clip regardless of gain strings and turning away or back from the mic only helps marginally. Compressor setting are fickle for these passages. I have to create volume envelope events to lower spikes, but then that can effect overall flow of the vocal track.

[@insanedrummer89]

Show us proper compression on vocal tracks

[@Endless_Skyway_Adventures]

My vocals sound like your midrange example in every frequency range. The tone is covered and lots of ugly resonances. This is why I use demo singers, but I gotta give the singer something. I tend to use the splitter tool with a frequency split @ 300 hz. Then I slap the Presonus limiter on the low side and get 3db of input gain on the limiter which gets knocked back down to nominal to fatten the low end then of course a Hi pass is needed for rumble. Usually 80-90hz for my tenor voice. But there’s no fixing the tone. I’m over it. Robert Plant can relax about me taking his job.

[@chemdrum]

Don't know what that person was talking about lol. You may definitely continue to sing on your own music. 👍🏾

[@LilLingLing6789]

What does StarMaker do to your voice? If I could be more accurate hitting notes I'd be better but I turn effects off and I sound better than your average Joe but I still don't believe it I still think they mess with my voice

[@danjwalker]

4:02 Build that wall!!! Trump 2024! Joking...

[@gonootropics2.065]

Do you have any advice on getting clarity with muddy electric guitars. I have a REALLY cheapo Silver tone guitar with double humbuckers, and I can't seem to get any clean tones with it. Everything sounds like it has a blanket over the top

[@chaddillerud1812]

Reason #1 is literally all you needed to cover

[@viol8rmusic]

Haven't seen which video? Screen was blank and you didn't name the title

[@ekut1922]

I just don't have a microphone

[@anthonyjrivers]

Your first point should be super obvious, but I don't think it is. More of us need someone to tell us, "You don't sing very well." There are steps we can take to help, or we can grab a friend who can sing better.

[@user-op2ik9dh3j]

Why not?!😅0:01

[@47Libra]

Let the vocal overthinking and music career pondering begin.

[@Roddo731]

You know, some people just can’t sing it’s kind of like some people can’t dance… Some people can’t draw or paint. Some people suck at math you know find your wheelhouse I don’t be so arrogant if somebody tells you… And the person that’s telling you really knows there’s stuff that you don’t have the gift.

[@Shineequlity]

In other video 'Two Vocal Mic Placement Mistakes' that you uploaded 2years ago, you said like, "bc of 'inverse square law', in close mic you can get too much volume differences even with little head movement. So dont do that." But in this video, you say like "just eat your mic so that it can boost your low".🤷‍♀️ It is weird. And in this video and that old video, you used different mics. in that old video, your voice is not nasal but in this video your voice sounds nasal. i think thats bc of just difference of the frequency response between two mics.

[@GaryMeadowsMusic]

A good singer can sound good even on a crappy recording. You can still tell if the singer can sing well. Also, I know people who can hit the notes and sing well, but their voice is just not pleasant .

[@shan5445]

It's trying to get the boominess out of the lower end vocals.

[@fasgamboa]

Because I am the one singing. That`s easy, next!

[@themelancholyofgay3543]

I am just bad at singing lol

[@Mikepo587]

Sorry you start when you’re young hopefully and if you see potential stretches of muscle past 15 years until you grow more and more and 46 I was a good decision by a few dancer young enough your heart could be broken thinking you could sing. I was a realist so I did it in front as many people are young age and when I had so many people telling me I was good at this I didn’t believe it Till I get my tools are recorded on better equipment and Justin care Margot and realised okay yeah I’m not bad I can get the point across music that either I’ve written or doing somebody else’s but please if you start late your heart will be broken if you find out you know good don’t use these the daws It’s good for anything in mastering if you know what you’re doing but most people will be tempted so if you’re not a musician at heart started really young don’t do it man. now attractive women have been doing it for years somebody right now fix your voice and clean it up and some actually turn out to be talented.

[@mackyemmanuel148]

i recorded a wack artiste recently,i kept thinking i could make him sound good, well you know how that turned out...

[@MarkFTP]

Damn…so in conclusion, I can’t sing.

[@teashea1]

The main reason why the vocal track sounds bad is a lousy vocalist. Cannot be fixed.

[@gregtapevideo1464]

Brick by brick. The Donald Trump fight song!!

[@SupernovaSun77]

How dare u not mentioning rap music 😮I’m disappointed and lost faith in the world.

[@TheHirade]

😂

[@Bradleybrookwood]

Hey Joe I really love your music. I would love to sing your songs. I would love for you to write some songs for me.

[@c.l.4895]

Please tell me some construction company wants to use this song in their radio ad 🧱