Need help clearing up vocals.

[PonE-Sharp]

For once, it seems that I'm starting with vocals and putting instrumentation later. However, no matter how I mix it, there seems to be this slightly muddled quality I can't get rid of. I've ruled out bad mic quality, as I use a Blue Yeti, (something Ibringdalulz uses so I KNOW it's got quality), and I've tried many different mic placements and settings. Below, I've got a raw version of the chorus, as well as a version basically mixed in Audacity. Of course, maybe I'm just hearing things.

Raw:
http://soundcloud.com/pone-sharp/dare-raw/s-ZM0Lf
Mixed:
http://soundcloud.com/pone-sharp/dare-with-mixing/s-srmMM

The other issue I'm having is with beat and tempo. I've got the entire tune in my head, but I can't recreate it in FL Studio because, for whatever reason, I can't find the beat or tempo this is sung to. The closest I've gotten is 145 bpm in 4/4, but even then it sounded off.

I'm also nervous about posting my own voice here.

[the4thImpulse]

So what exactly don't you like about it? I don't want to get too detailed without understanding what your asking first. To me it sound like its fairly useable, there are some artifacts but that may just be the software converters, what are you hearing in it?


I would never use a blue yeti mic for vocals though, never.

[PonE-Sharp]

So what exactly don't you like about it? I don't want to get too detailed without understanding what your asking first. To me it sound like its fairly useable, there are some artifacts but that may just be the software converters, what are you hearing in it?


I would never use a blue yeti mic for vocals though, never.

I can't exactly put my finger on it. I guess I could say it sounds like it always has a slight distortion? I'm not eating the mic when I sing, and my gain is pretty low.

And what's so bad about a blue yeti? You're scarring me. $100+ is a very large investment to me.

[the4thImpulse]

I can't exactly put my finger on it. I guess I could say it sounds like it always has a slight distortion? I'm not eating the mic when I sing, and my gain is pretty low.

And what's so bad about a blue yeti? You're scarring me. $100+ is a very large investment to me.

I think you're just being your own worst critique in this case, it sound absolutely fine to me, I don;t hear the distortion you're hearing. There is a fair amount of natural room reverb in the RAW recording but that shouldn't be the issue. I also wouldn't recommend putting reverb on your vocals before creating the rest of the track, but you can always remove it so whatever.

Blue Yeti isn't a studio mic, and from what I've heard from it in the past I don't like it for (sung) vocals. I would've bought an SM58 with that sort of budget range as it can be used on just about everything and it will sound 'ok' (never great, but rarely bad). Of course I would never expect someone to drop hundreds on a nice ribbon mic just to 'try it out'. Its not a bad purchase by any means, its sounds like it can get the job done for you and that's what really matters.

[Nine Volt]

Yeah, from what I've seen it's much better for spoken stuff like commentaries or podcasts or demon summoning rituals or whatever. Or maybe that was the Blue Snowball? Idk, it's been a while.

[PonE-Sharp]

I can't exactly put my finger on it. I guess I could say it sounds like it always has a slight distortion? I'm not eating the mic when I sing, and my gain is pretty low.

And what's so bad about a blue yeti? You're scarring me. $100+ is a very large investment to me.

I think you're just being your own worst critique in this case, it sound absolutely fine to me, I don;t hear the distortion you're hearing. There is a fair amount of natural room reverb in the RAW recording but that shouldn't be the issue. I also wouldn't recommend putting reverb on your vocals before creating the rest of the track, but you can always remove it so whatever.

Blue Yeti isn't a studio mic, and from what I've heard from it in the past I don't like it for (sung) vocals. I would've bought an SM58 with that sort of budget range as it can be used on just about everything and it will sound 'ok' (never great, but rarely bad). Of course I would never expect someone to drop hundreds on a nice ribbon mic just to 'try it out'. Its not a bad purchase by any means, its sounds like it can get the job done for you and that's what really matters.

Yeah I have a really bad habit about over criticizing my work. Like super bad.

BUT i just found out it wasn't the mic or my voice at all, it was my freaking headphones. Once I unplugged them, it sounded so much better (they were like $20).
Now I just need to find the tempo...

[the4thImpulse]

Now I just need to find the tempo

It may help to re-record it but playing a click track in your headphones, If you can't sing like that (like many artists) then it may help to create the song first and sing over it (again, play the song in your headphones while you record).

Good luck!

[Forza SoundFire]

The vocals seem pretty useable, save a few (subtle enough to get away with) clips and pops.
Mic choice isn't great, I don't know anyone who'd use anything off the Blue commercial line to do a music/studio recording. Not that it's terrible quality, just will have had DSP applied that you can't necessarily avoid or want.

Giving comments on mix and sound is tricky at this stage, as it depends on what's going on in the rest of the mix, which by the sounds of things, doesn't exist yet! ^^

As far as transferring your audio to a score; you're skipping beats. Try keeping a count of 4 and tapping your foot, or set up a click track or simple drum beat to the tempo you want (preferable).

[PonE-Sharp]

The vocals seem pretty useable, save a few (subtle enough to get away with) clips and pops.
Mic choice isn't great, I don't know anyone who'd use anything off the Blue commercial line to do a music/studio recording. Not that it's terrible quality, just will have had DSP applied that you can't necessarily avoid or want.

Giving comments on mix and sound is tricky at this stage, as it depends on what's going on in the rest of the mix, which by the sounds of things, doesn't exist yet! ^^

As far as transferring your audio to a score; you're skipping beats. Try keeping a count of 4 and tapping your foot, or set up a click track or simple drum beat to the tempo you want (preferable).

Where exactly am I skipping beats?

[Forza SoundFire]

Where exactly am I skipping beats?

EEauughhnn... it's hard to pinpoint exactly. As you're not following a click track it'll depend on things like the time sig (& implied tempo). Also where you want the syncopation to be and how those phrases fit together. ^^
As there's not an audible beat of a track yet, we'll all hear it differently, but I hear the phrase "break the chains" a beat early (when counting in half time to your stated tempo is easiest to hear).
There's other examples, but it's probably safer to say just do it to a click track and it'll likely resolve itself!

[PonE-Sharp]

Where exactly am I skipping beats?

EEauughhnn... it's hard to pinpoint exactly. As you're not following a click track it'll depend on things like the time sig (& implied tempo). Also where you want the syncopation to be and how those phrases fit together. ^^
As there's not an audible beat of a track yet, we'll all hear it differently, but I hear the phrase "break the chains" a beat early (when counting in half time to your stated tempo is easiest to hear).
There's other examples, but it's probably safer to say just do it to a click track and it'll likely resolve itself!

Well, I tried my best to replicate it in FL Studio (too much background noise to record now). It's set to what I posted in the OP, 4/4 at 145 bpm. It's still off by like 1/2 a bar, and, as you can hear, it starts to get off beat at the end. God this frustrating. This is like the last hurdle before I can begin actually making the song.

http://soundcloud.com/pone-sharp/dare-timing-example/s-dm0LF

[Forza SoundFire]

Well, what you've got there is the same phrase repeated. You've got the first phrase more or less in time, but allowed the second half of the repetition go out of time.
Take note of where the notes fall on the piano roll, and make sure you hit that C on the first beat of the bar (assuming that's where you want it)

[PonE-Sharp]

Well, what you've got there is the same phrase repeated. You've got the first phrase more or less in time, but allowed the second half of the repetition go out of time.
Take note of where the notes fall on the piano roll, and make sure you hit that C on the first beat of the bar (assuming that's where you want it)

I think I see what you mean. "And dare to take yourself past the sky" covers 7 beats, where as the rest cover 8. Kinda disappointing, because it doesn't sound as good if I delay the next line by a beat to fit it in, but I guess it will have to work.