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Caught in a mix rut? Having problems getting the vocals to "fit in?"


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Thanks Phil - that's some good thinking. This might work for recording as well as mixing. I've been learning the hard way that if the vocal isn't or won't be right, the whole thing falls apart. A passable scratch vocal has become one of my first things to track - that way if there's trouble with the key or the voicing of other parts, it becomes clear right away instead of after a whole bunch of effort to get the secondary stuff nice and polished.

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Its good to change things up.
Recently I been tracking my vocals to drums and rythum guitar only. Sometimes the bass too.
I add my bass and leads after I have the vocals done so those parts are tracked
to an existing vocal part. The benifit is you dial up exact sound you need to back the vocals
instead of using plugins and EQ to force the parts to fit.

It doesnt work on all songs of course, but I'd say its a win/win for lead parts.
A guitarist naturally adjusts his tone to match the vocals and will use his string
dynamics when it comes to playing leads which adds emotion to the parts being played.
if the lead is there before the vocals, it may not be as tight, you have to rely on volume
automation and editing to get the balance right and it just lacks that human element.

Its also allot easire to write lead parts if the vocals are there first if you're into writing music
because you can focus more on harmony notes that play well off the main melody.

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Quote Originally Posted by WRGKMC View Post
Its also allot easire to write lead parts if the vocals are there first if you're into writing music
because you can focus more on harmony notes that play well off the main melody.
Right on- my first actual producer (1993- Dino Elefante) told me that, and it stuck.
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Quote Originally Posted by Phil O'Keefe View Post
You worked with Dino? smile.gif Let's see - '93 would have been during the Pakaderm era - right about the time they started building Sound Kitchen in Nashville. Was it out here in La-La land, or in Tennessee?
Didn't mean to drop a name here...wink.gif
Yes, you are correct- it was June of 1993, when their studio was in still in Los Alamitos- I spent about 5 weeks there recording my band, Lovewar, and our only real release, "Soak Your Brain".

Later I recorded at the SK a number of times, both with
and as a studio musician.

I learned so much from the Elefante brothers in that extended recording session- and believe me, I was all eyes and ears!

And BTW- I love Orange County- great place to visit...
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