Great Vocal Processors Thread..........

[strat2]

I do like Rawls a lot. What an instrument. I mean, great baritone/base notes, and really an amazing high range. The dude was just great. And most of all was the tone that he got. It was just so "signature" and wonderful to hear. I am going to work on "Lady Love" next. I can't find a backing track, so I will make one. I hope to get my band to work on this stuff. They are just learning these kinds of songs. The lead player has been doing rock, (Rush, Van Halen etc) all his life. So, I am turning him on to a whole new set of opportunities. He is having fun. (we are working on jazz standards also) Jazz/Blues/soul/R&B sound. I am having a great time. I finally have players who can hang. They sing also! It is very healthy, in my opinion. Oh, and about the backing tracks, I wanted to start a thread about how people practice. I think you are soo right about how some are good, and some are such a joke. It can be so irritating. I have used them in a live setting by the way. Once, it was me and a guitarist, and the tracks were just missing the guitar and vocals, so that was cool. I did a party a couple of weeks back, and did all these standards, with only backing tracks. It went off real well. I was told today that many people thought I was lip sinking, until the person who the party was for got up and said, "he is singing every song people." I cracked up about this. So, yea, I think that in the right application, they are great. It does feel a little hokey at first, (well more like when I am getting ready for the gig, I have all these nightmarish scenarios going through my head. ) But, I just go for it. Hey, about spanish eyes, that is a great song. What performer do you like doing this? You need some range to do that song.

 

I think your thread idea would go well...

 

I had a Journey track that was pretty good ,except the guitar lead was so harsh and fake sounding I gave it up....

I can do stuff like Journey , but I can't do it for hours on end , so I've once again switched back to mostly Standards/ between them and Country.

 

I like Englebert's Spainsih Eyes rendition 1969, I like it better than anything I've ever heard from artists between Elvis to Placidio Dimingo, no one comes close for my taste.

I think his voice has fallen down a bit over the last few years, not sure why, could be over use , natural deterioration, or technique.

In his prime hi picked the right tunes for his voice and was hard to beat.

 

That's a hell of a complement they paid you, good job obviously...

 

And yea as far as the processor, I guess I'll be hanging with the one I have for now , but would still like to hear your feedback on yours when it shows up, and I'll keep shopping around so when and if I need to make a change I'll have a heads up.

 

I practiced with the compressor off today, I'll probably do that a lot more for a while.

[WowieZowie]

Yea, that Englebert version is quite good. He cranks. And, it is in Bb right? I was checking out a version in G. Nice stuff with ole hump crankin. Seriously, that song really shows off his voice. It is beautiful.

 

I'd like to hear you do it. So cool to know that you are practicing it. I am not sure why, but that kinda makes me feel good. Sometimes I feel foolish for what ever reason. Just insecurity.

 

So, the processor came today. I really didn't have a chance to play with it at home, but I had a practice and brought it with me. It is quite small. Like the size of 2 guitar single effects side by side.

 

I really only used one of the presets. From the Jazz/ballad section, 84 I believe. I was completely blown away.

 

Now this probably should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, I have been just singing through a PA, and what ever effects are incorporated in that. But I can tell you, it really boosts the signal. And, it really smoothed out the whole attack.

 

Let me be clear to you in reference to some songs.

 

I am doing a version of Sade, "Your love is king." Tonight, the guitarist looked at me and said, "you sound better than Sade." I was like crack'n up. I said dude, you gotta try this freak'n processor. But, it fell on deaf ears. I sang "Black Coffee" and it was soo bluesy, and full. Just great stuff. We are getting ready for this Art Gallery Exibition. They wanted Jazz, Blues, softer edge stuff. Quando Quando Quando was so rich and full. I felt as if I didn't have to do anything to really get it to work. And, pushing a little with diaphram was like having a juice injection.

 

Now our practice PA, is this little Kustom job, and it is really not that great at all. But, with this Create processor, I was sounding like the king.

 

I have a lot to learn about it.

 

We are doing "If I fell" by the beatles. I am doing the high part (lead), and in the past, there was some places where I was needing to be very conscious of maintaining air flow, thus volume, but not tonight. So easy to keep this warm buttery harmony going.

 

The practice was very nice. When the lead vocals are powerful, and rich and clear, the rest of the band can really hear all the cues. And, my confidence goes way up. I start getting more and more fearless.

 

Any specific questions, please feel free. I will learn more from your questions.

 

Oh, and Journey songs are pretty tough. If you can do them, that is way way cool. Especially if you can do those, and that Spanish Eyes song. Impressive. Just the sheer notes, is a feat in of itself.

[strat2]

Yea, that Englebert version is quite good. He cranks. And, it is in Bb right? I was checking out a version in G. Nice stuff with ole hump crankin. Seriously, that song really shows off his voice. It is beautiful. I'd like to hear you do it. So cool to know that you are practicing it. I am not sure why, but that kinda makes me feel good. Sometimes I feel foolish for what ever reason. Just insecurity. So, the processor came today. I really didn't have a chance to play with it at home, but I had a practice and brought it with me. It is quite small. Like the size of 2 guitar single effects side by side. I really only used one of the presets. From the Jazz/ballad section, 84 I believe. I was completely blown away. Now this probably should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, I have been just singing through a PA, and what ever effects are incorporated in that. But I can tell you, it really boosts the signal. And, it really smoothed out the whole attack. Let me be clear to you in reference to some songs. I am doing a version of Sade, "Your love is king." Tonight, the guitarist looked at me and said, "you sound better than Sade." I was like crack'n up. I said dude, you gotta try this freak'n processor. But, it fell on deaf ears. I sang "Black Coffee" and it was soo bluesy, and full. Just great stuff. We are getting ready for this Art Gallery Exibition. They wanted Jazz, Blues, softer edge stuff. Quando Quando Quando was so rich and full. I felt as if I didn't have to do anything to really get it to work. And, pushing a little with diaphram was like having a juice injection. Now our practice PA, is this little Kustom job, and it is really not that great at all. But, with this Create processor, I was sounding like the king. I have a lot to learn about it. We are doing "If I fell" by the beatles. I am doing the high part (lead), and in the past, there was some places where I was needing to be very conscious of maintaining air flow, thus volume, but not tonight. So easy to keep this warm buttery harmony going. The practice was very nice. When the lead vocals are powerful, and rich and clear, the rest of the band can really hear all the cues. And, my confidence goes way up. I start getting more and more fearless. Any specific questions, please feel free. I will learn more from your questions. Oh, and Journey songs are pretty tough. If you can do them, that is way way cool. Especially if you can do those, and that Spanish Eyes song. Impressive. Just the sheer notes, is a feat in of itself.

 

Right, he did it in Bb in 1969 , most likely today he'd do it in G or G#, the tune was right for him for sure, He would have sucked trying to do Sinatra tunes, and no way could Sinatra have pulled off After the Lovin , Release Me, or Spainish Eyes in the style of Engle or a Bennett for instance IMO.

I absolutely suck at most every Sinatra tune ever written.........

"Man needs to know his limitations"..............

 

Thanks for the review of the processor, sounds like a nice unit.

I'm surprised I didn't notice it's not full rack size.

 

I don't have a good recording method right now, but if you get bored late next week or next weekend PM me and I'll send back my phone# +email, and show you a little bit of That tune and a spot of The Rawls tune over the phone.

 

 

I'm not doing the Journey stuff now, I can't maintain both styles comfortably at the same time, it's a way different technique and tends to thicken up my chords too much, + a a band is pretty much mandatory.

 

Are you using a drummer in your band I forget whether you mentioned it.

 

[WowieZowie]

Right, he did it in Bb in 1969 , most likely today he'd do it in G or G#, the tune was right for him for sure, He would have sucked trying to do Sinatra tunes, and no way could Sinatra have pulled off After the Lovin , Release Me, or Spainish Eyes in the style of Engle or a Bennett for instance IMO. I absolutely suck at most every Sinatra tune ever written......... "Man needs to know his limitations".............. Thanks for the review of the processor, sounds like a nice unit. I'm surprised I didn't notice it's not full rack size. I don't have a good recording method right now, but if you get bored late next week or next weekend PM me and I'll send back my phone# +email, and show you a little bit of That tune and a spot of The Rawls tune over the phone. I'm not doing the Journey stuff now, I can't maintain both styles comfortably at the same time, it's a way different technique and tends to thicken up my chords too much, + a a band is pretty much mandatory. Are you using a drummer in your band I forget whether you mentioned it.

 

First off, I am very interested in hearing you. I don't ever PM people. I don't know how. I will look into it.

 

Yea, Frankie could never do that spanish eyes song. Ya know, he thought that Bennett had one of the best voices going - I think that I read that somewhere. I love the song "with plenty of money" by Bennett. Dude, he just skies at the end! It is such a pleasure to hear. I love that guy. Great pipes.

 

Yes, we do have a drummer. He is quite cool.