(and there’s a lot to learn).
This one is fairly technical for my musician and mixing buddies. Sorry if you were on the hunt for something more interesting and wide-reaching. Maybe tomorrow! I’m a crap shoot!
What did I learn?
After the last project, Riding Waves, it occurred to me we’d have a pretty killer vocal section if I would learn how to mix it. It’s a common issue. Some tips I’ve gathered so far have helped me out. Just sending along:
Coolest tip if you are unorganized like me:
The coolest tip so far was making a separate project just for the vocal files. I made a template with only melodyne on 12 tracks and one plain track, (2 stacks of 6, me and Keri). The plain track is for a stereo mix I want to sing to. I do editing and tuning in this project. I don’t even use melodyne in the other main project. I have vocals edited and tuned by the time they’re in there. If I messed up, it’s so much easier just to go to the other project and get what I need. Everything is saved nicely, including a duplicated batch of the raw files in case I want to start from scratch. This improves latency too. It also improves my brain. I can load a stereo mix into garage band on iPad, go track in a church or something where I want distance from the mic and a nice room, just bring iPad, interface and mics, and not think at all about the mix, just getting good vocals. Easy way to do it around here.
Warm ups are no joke.
Warming up has become crucial. Maybe it’s because I’m older, maybe it’s just because my ears are older, whatever. I just know 10-20 minutes of singing before singing on a mic is a major improvement and worth doing, every time. Wish I always knew, but everyone knows I’m on a journey here. Work in progress.
I learned there’s things that happen with a bunch of vocal tracks. I had a friend who helped me out.
The spikes in a choir sound can ruin your day! (Verified.)
If you mix a bunch of vocal tracks, you might get a static like peaking noise when everyone is together singing balls. Not to worry. Try a limiter on a bus or vocal or even a track stack for the smoother vibe. AFTER the limiter, I find an LA2A type slow compressor to be what doctor ordered. What you’re hearing is spikes that sound shitty all turned up from compression and what not. If you limit those, then compress, it sounds a lot smoother. I have done this a few times, it works! Also, thanks, Jaime for that tip. I got that one from a real bud.
If you paid for the software, it really pays off to watch the tutorials. Make that time!
I have a tendency to get too crazy with edits in Melodyne. I am watching their tutorials on YouTube and their website. Celemony has great instructions. Their pricing structure and payment methods suck, but once you get the product, the tutorials are great! I should have watched them long ago. I hear things in recent work I won’t hear in our music again! That’s improvement. Improvement turns me on.
About Melodyne Studio vs Essential.
If you can record at home, I wouldn’t bother with Melodyne Studio. I would only get that if I had a studio doing paid jobs for folks and I could not get redos. For me, it’s much quicker and easier to redo the track if I can’t get it how I want in Melodyne Essential. It’s all set up here at home, no fuss. That saves you 600 dollars for the upgrade. I’ll be here all week.
With the Essential version, I can do breaths, pitch, formant, and more! If I need more than that, I’ll just try to sing it right. But if I had a business, that wouldn’t always be possible for clients who can’t redo. Basically the difference to me. Maybe why the expensive version is called “Studio.” Lol.
What about fretless instruments?
Don’t forget you can tune instruments too with Melodyne, looking at you fretless bass. Haha. Fretless instruments and Melodyne go hand and hand for me. I don’t always use Melodyne’s features but if I like a track that needs just a touch on bass or something, I’ll totally do it.
A mindset that is working for me.
I like to think of Melodyne as not “fixing” vocals now. I think of it as “preparing” them. I can fix them on the business end of a microphone more quickly and better than I can in Melodyne.
It took me a long time to absorb all this stuff. It’s still absorbing. I was reluctant to use Melodyne then I had to learn how to use it properly. That was a lot of time my vocals weren’t up to my personal snuff, but it’s a learning process. We move on. And now? Yippee!
Vocals are hard. Mmkay?
Vocals are hard, whoever says they’re easy is gifted at it if they’re not full of shit. I’m a good singer live, Keri is too. But it’s not the same thing when tracking with headphones and mixing yourself. It’s really hard. The videos, warmups, organization, file maintenance, and Melodyne tutorials have all contributed to much nicer vocals. Can’t wait for the record now. I got new vocal chops! I got new organization chops too. They go hand in hand!
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