Members OldMattB Posted June 23, 2009 Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 I posted this on my weblog a few weeks ago. Thought you guys might like to read it. EVEN MORE ON SINGING The big secret is most of the time I really dislike my voice. Often, I really hate it. Sometimes at the restaurant it sounds pretty good in my head, but it always sounds horrible to me when recorded. Some of this is a universal symptom – most people do not like the sound of their recorded voice. I think for me a big part of it is that my voice is different when I try to record it. When performing, it is a big open room (or outdoors). There is ambient noise, there are receptive people, there is a vibe. At home in a room there is only pressure to be the best I can possibly be for 3-4 minutes. Somehow the system breaks down. What could be the cause? I am working on that problem now. One factor could be the microphone. The gold standard performance microphone is the Shure SM58, which can often be bought new for about $100. For recording, everyone has an opinion, but the best choices are about $10,000, and were made in Germany in the 1950s. The problem is one can’t record music and not compare themselves to the people with access to that expensive stuff. A good microphone has a warmth, a presence, a character. The people who record for a living can’t describe it much better than that, but the difference is there. Another factor is to where I am singing. This part is a bit mystical. When performing live, the voice is aimed at a microphone, but it is focused out in the room. I have experimented with this. I don’t know how it works, but I know that it does. Pick a person in the audience and sing to them in your mind, as if you are directing your voice to them. After a minute or two, you can see them react. They may fidget, they may turn to listen, they may stop their conversation. Experienced vocalists can project their voice into a room. It is not about volume, or where a person faces. Where do you focus when you are alone? Why do we buy live albums when the studio performances are much better? I don’t know what it is, but I know it is there. That brings up the influence of having an audience. Nothing enhances a performance like the feeling of pleasing others. Even recording in a studio, most bands will have their members encouraging each other to their best performance. There is the factor of comfort. In the restaurant I sing while I am playing guitar. Biomechanics makes it obvious that I should be able to sing better without the guitar: more freedom of movement, less brain distraction, fuller breathing, less background noise, better concentration. But the fact of the matter is that I sing better with the guitar. I think I am used to the sonorous vibrations on my belly. So how do I go about making my recorded voice acceptable to my ears? First, I have a better microphone ordered and on the way. Second, I am learning to record the voice as it is, and then add the spices of reverb, compression, etc. after the fact, when I can be a less-distracted listener. Third, I am singing a couple of hours a day now, in order to improve my skills. Fourth, I need to let go of the anger of my vocal shortcomings and try to communicate. Some of my favorite singers can hardly sing, but damn can they communicate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted June 23, 2009 Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 Thanks for posting this. I think it will resonate with a lot of us--especially those who struggle long and hard to like the sound of our own voices! A few comments: First, the SM57 is NOT the gold standard of live mics! Though this has been a very popular mic--especially back in the day--it cannot, imho, hold a candle to today's hand-held condenser mics. (Note to punk/metal cats: I know that the SM57 is still optimal among the screamers--it will probably always have that market.) Just among Shure mics the SM86 ($180)or the Beta 87A ($250) are far superior to the SM57. They do need phantom power, but this it not too hard to come by today. You also posit a huge gap between performance and recording mics. Look at some mid-price large-diaphragm condenser mics--Rode, AKG, etc. You can certainly get a very good recording mic for $500; many Neumanns are available for less than $1500. As in most areas of electronics, there is a huge leap in quality between budget and mid-priced gear, but not so much when you upgrade from mid-priced to pro. A $10,000 mic will sound spectacular, don't get me wrong, but the difference between this mic and a $1500 mic will be far less than the difference between a $150 mic and a $500 mic. So, there is hope! Two things about getting used to your voice. First, record yourself, every single day, and listen back immediately. Recording and listening should be part of your regular daily vocal routine--not something you do only on Sundays, or whatever. The more you listen, the less offensive your voice will sound. Trust me, this works! Finally, your note about communicating to the audience is spot-on: Your performance is not about you. It's primarily about the song, and secondarily about the enjoyment of the audience. Only after these two big critters eat can you spare some crumbs for yourself. It is mystical, in a sense--you are the conduit for something larger. For me, thinking like that removes some of the pressure, and the result often is a better performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted June 23, 2009 Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 Alot of people sing better when they play guitar or can hear live guitar. They use the guitar as the reference pitch and sing to it. Not as easy to do when you are singing to a recorded instrument. Dynamic mics are grand for live use. They don't feedback easily and do the job. I used an SM58 for a while, then switched to an AKG D-5. Love the AKG. Night and day difference in clarity and projection. But for recording...IMHO nothing beats a Condenser mic. I have the Audio Technica AT202, a $100 mic, and it has done the job well for the last CD's I've made. it's a 'cheap' mic but sounds so much clearer than a Dynamic mic. Like you remove a pillow from the mic. +1 on what Jersey Jack has said. As usual, he is spot on with advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldMattB Posted June 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 JJ, Probably "gold standard" was not the phrase to use. The 57 and 58 are what usually shows up on stages - I didn't intend to say they were the best, just the most commonly used. The sound that everyone expects. I ended up with an AT 4047 for recording, and it seems to work much better for my voice than the Rode NT1-A I was using. The Rode had a harsh sound I couldn't get rid of without severe EQ. Good mic, just not on my weird voice. I guess when I compare me in my living room to Jeff Buckley with the best stuff in the world, I will be disappointed every time. It just takes some getting used to. I did an experiment last week. I listened to pro music with the same scrutiny I was giving myself, and half of the stuff out there made me cringe at least once. Apparently my ear is good, I just need to relax and enjoy the ride more. My favorite singer right now is Chris Knight, who is hardly a crooner. Good advice about recording more. I will make it so! I got a call from the CD masterer yesterday. He said, I like your music...good luck with your CD." There was no laughing in the background and no hint of sarcasm, so I felt pretty good! In addition to recording my voice more, I need to hang around musicians more. It is pretty lonely out here - few chances for educated, unbiased feedback. thanks to both of you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldMattB Posted June 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 Here is part one. The second part was about all of the non-mucial work involved in performing, which might be interesting to my weblog readers, but would be old news here. On singing Most of you readers know that I sing in a restaurant in our small town of Coldspring, but less of you know how I came to do that. I have played music off and on since I was old enough to drive. I was in a rock and roll dance band in high school (pre-disco), and several bands after that. I always wanted to sing, but I could never get it to work out. When I was very young, I was a good singer, and was part of an elementary school chorus, but it all went away when my voice changed. Subsequent efforts were fruitless. About six years ago, I decided to take advantage of some spare time, and enrolled at a music school near our home. My hope was to develop the “Hollywood Warble” as I call it – it seems that every star in Hollywood can fake their way through a song, I wanted to learn just enough to make some noise, and not embarrass myself when I tried to sing “Happy Birthday” in a crowd. My teacher was a God-send. She never lost faith in me, and always worked on the assumption that I would be a performer. Despite my throat birth defect, sinus problems, deviated septum, intermittent hearing problems, mental blocks and an appalling genetic lack of musical talent, I actually learned to sing. It took over two years – about 100 hours of professional guidance - to sing a simple song, and three years to perform at a recital, but I did it. About the time we moved from Atlanta to Texas, I saw an invitation on the menu of a local restaurant, something like, “If you sing or play an instrument, come on in … we will be polite even if you are terrible.” I took my guitar up, sang a few songs, and quickly was given a regular slot. Don’t be too impressed by that – I think it had a lot to do with being a small fish in a very, very small pond. I am not a great singer, but I can entertain. I am proud of how far I have come – one of the big triumphs in my life. Matt Bruner Coldspring, Texas 5/6/09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted June 23, 2009 Members Share Posted June 23, 2009 JJ, I did an experiment last week. I listened to pro music with the same scrutiny I was giving myself, and half of the stuff out there made me cringe at least once. Apparently my ear is good, I just need to relax and enjoy the ride more. My favorite singer right now is Chris Knight, who is hardly a crooner. +1 on Chris Knight! You are absolutely right about the practice of scrutinizing hit recording artists. As part of my own development I did just this, and if you really listen to many, many top stars, using state of the art recording technology and especially when singing live, you'll be shocked at the vocal flaws. But the truth is that we don't notice the flaws of the stars unless we really pay close attention, and 90% of the time we don't. We need to remember that the vast majority of people do not scrutinize us when we sing either. Thinking like this is nice...relaxing. There's a bit of a cocoon around us as long as we don't pose like American Idolists. People just don't listen to us the way we listen to ourselves. And I do recognize that there are some real singers out there with trained voices who exhibit very few flaws. They just don't happen to be the vocalists I admire. Oh, and thanks for the props Dthraco! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yoj Posted June 24, 2009 Members Share Posted June 24, 2009 Matt, that is an incredibly inspirational story! Congrats on achieving your dreams I'm sure we all share that dream to be a performer (at least somewhere in the back of our heads) and its awesome to hear that you did it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldMattB Posted June 24, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thanks all!! oldMattB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.