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Author Topic: Big Vocals  (Read 11240 times)

Michael Prudhomme

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Big Vocals
« on: January 21, 2011, 04:41:54 PM »

Can any one suggest how to make my vocals have that live full sound? I have compression and effects. They just sound thin and not full.
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Taylor Phillips

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2011, 09:25:39 PM »

What exactly do you have at your disposal? What is your effects engine, what is your mixer, what mics are you using?

The thing that's made the biggest difference for me is reverb and delay. The other difference maker is EQ.  Of course, if you don't have good mics, it will be really difficult to get the sound right. Compression helps with dynamics (loudness vs. quietness) rather than making a full sound.
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Brad Weber

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2011, 08:46:43 AM »

Can any one suggest how to make my vocals have that live full sound? I have compression and effects. They just sound thin and not full.
Are you referencing recording or live sound or maybe both?  In the case of live sound the reproduction system from mic to listener, both electronic and acoustic, can affect what is heard so that could be a much more encompassing discussion.
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Arnold B. Krueger

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2011, 05:00:12 AM »

Can any one suggest how to make my vocals have that live full sound? I have compression and effects. They just sound thin and not full.

A good live sound system in a good room with a good vocalist will do that with no special tricks. Please describe your room, your system, and the specific problem(s) that you are having.
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Kent Thompson

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2011, 05:58:14 PM »

A good live sound system in a good room with a good vocalist will do that with no special tricks. Please describe your room, your system, and the specific problem(s) that you are having.

add to that a good microphone.
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Arnold B. Krueger

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2011, 08:20:59 PM »


add to that a good microphone.

My live sound system comes complete with good microphone! ;-)
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Kent Thompson

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2011, 12:37:42 AM »

You could also purchase something like a great river preamp run your Neumann microphone through it into the line in of the console.(if the rest of the system is good other wise its a waste of money and time) How much money do you have? lol


Seriously though how do you define big vocals. Sometimes full big vocals can be counterproductive since most of the time you end up rolling off the vocals as high as 200hz at times just to make things clearer. As everyone else has stated good sounding vocals start with a good source and ends with a good system any compromises in chain lowers your
 chances of getting a good sound with any input.
 Here is a link to an article to read there are more here on this site that might help you. http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/church_sound_files_the_hunt_for_the_perfect_eq_setting/
« Last Edit: January 25, 2011, 03:12:35 PM by Kent Thompson »
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BrianAbington

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2011, 12:13:47 PM »

Honestly it depends a lot on the person singing. If they have a great strong voice all the tricks you can do will get that effect for you. Then put the vocals into their own group and put that out front of the mix.

Our church in Iowa had a variety of worship volunteers. 5 of the 6 had great voices that I could add a bit of reverb and delay to and it sounded great, then you mute the reverb when they are talking between songs so it doesn't sound weird.

Then that one lady... ::) she had this monotone drone to her voice that was impossible to make it sound good.
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Matthias Heitzer

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2011, 12:25:47 PM »

Singing needs to be learned, too. Quite a few people can hit the right tones without special training, but breathing techniques have to be practised. If a vocalist has got a trained voice, he or she still has to learn how to use a microphone.



Of course, there are some voices around that just don't sound good......
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Don Sullivan

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Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2011, 05:54:14 PM »

Here are a couple of tricks I use:
If you are running in stereo, pan the vocals in pars slightly left and right.
Use a harmonizer or chorus effect, or a slight pitch shift up with a small delay ( 5 ms or so )
send your vocals to it and bring the return in, mix to taste. Acts like a vocal doubler.
Use a reverb and echo on the vocals.

I use an M7 and regularly run the following effects :

Hall Reverb, 2.2 sec Rev time, 32 ms initial delay high diffusion
Stereo Delay, tap to set to rythm of song
HQ Pitch ( my little vocal doubler) Pitch = 0 , Fine = +1 delay =0 FB.Gain = 0, mode = 1
Plate reverb for the drums, various settings.

I run the instruments and vocals through the reverb,
Vocalss (some instruments ) Through the echo
Vocals only through the HQ Pitch
Snare, toms through the Plate

Just my preferences, and everything else said here is true, given the choice between good effects and good mics, I'll take the mics every time.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Big Vocals
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2011, 05:54:14 PM »


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