How To Make My Vocals Sound More Professional?

[dogbig]

I'm going for a rapping/singing style similar to Drake. I'm not trying to sound exactly like him, but he's just an example of what many mainstream artists in the genre sound like in terms of tonal quality and quality of their recordings.

To my amateur ears, it sounds like Drake's vocals have almost no low end, are very bright, but not too harsh or sibilant.

My vocals sound more muddy, have more lows, and aren't as bright. Overall, they just sound unprofessional.

If I cut the lows, it sounds thin; if I boost the highs, it sounds very harsh and sibilant. Compression only seems to exacerbate the issue - makes it sound even more muddy.

Here's an example of Drake (starts at 0:12):
https://youtu.be/HKH9p19PRLA?si=FyyqBYVFkRXaC1kS&t=12

And here's an example of me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJWSmV_enjM

And another example of me (raw, unprocessed vocals):
https://youtu.be/nOZPE-agSR0

Hardware:
I'm recording with a Rode NT1 5th gen with a pop filter. Tried XLR through a Scarlett Solo as well as USB-C with 32-bit; both sound similar.

Room Acoustics:
Untreated 10x12' room, 8' ceiling, hardwood floors. 4" fold up twin size memory foam mattress laying up against the wall in one corner of the room. Large leather recliner in the other corner. Sitting roughly center in the room facing the mattress corner while recording.

I've previously tried recording in a 3'x6' closet with moving blankets on the walls and ceiling, carpet on the floor - that basically eliminated all high reflections, but lows and mids were super muddy and it sounded like I was recording in a box, so I've moved away from that approach.

Software / Vocal Chain:
- Basic cleanup, some volume automation of loud/quiet parts, etc.
- Low cut around 100-130hz
- Cut some specific frequencies if anything stands out
- Maybe hi shelf around 8-10k
- 1176 compressor with 5-10db reduction
- 2A compressor with 1-3db reduction
- Desser with 6-8db reduction
- Maybe another EQ to cut or boost anything that stands out
- Maybe Soothe to try to tame some harshness
- Dynamic EQ or Soothe on instrumental tracks sidechained to vox to make some space for vox to sit

So, what are some things I can do to get my vocals sounding more professional like mainstream artists such as Drake?

[ROTMetro]

The Drake vocal sound super processed to me. You aren't getting that sound changing your room up.

This is a case of the blind leading the blind, but here's what I do (not rap though).
Create 3 tracks. 1 you current vocal chain. Sometimes I will put autotune/crispy tuner on this track. Mute this track.
Feed that to track 2 post FX but pre track mixer (because you want to mute track 1). Pan left 45% or so on track 2 add some saturation. I use BB Tube on male vocals. Maybe try free the free version https://www.waves.com/plugins/lil-tube
Feed track 1 to track 3 post FX pre track mixer. Pan right 45% or so. Add a distortion sim (I use Nembrini PSA1000). Ideally one that you can play around with some sort of width expander. Then add a bit crusher and some filtering (I use Decimort2 but there are probably better/newer tools that are better. Your DAW should have everything you need as well. Maybe download a demo of Decimort, see what it is doing, then add in your DAWs bitcrusher, filter with resonance, etc). Sometimes I'll put autotune/crispy tuner on this track (if not already on track 1). EQ out the ugly resonances.
Try feeding varying amounts of track 1, 2, and/or 3 to a send that has a creative slap delay on it. Play around with making it super short. Make sure it's 100% wet. Put a pan on the send and play around panning to the slap to different places.

This will give you 3 tracks of sound from one vocal that will add dimension. You can add more tracks with variations of above, or quiet ones some chorus. Make sure that you aren't just passing mainly dry vocal1 through on these tracks, you want them heavily processed. You control how much of the processed effect comes through by controlling the track volume, not the wet/dry mix.

[BertKoor]

Software / Vocal Chain:
- Basic cleanup, some volume automation of loud/quiet parts, etc.
- Low cut around 100-130hz
- Cut some specific frequencies if anything stands out
- Maybe hi shelf around 8-10k
- 1176 compressor with 5-10db reduction
- 2A compressor with 1-3db reduction
- Desser with 6-8db reduction
- Maybe another EQ to cut or boost anything that stands out
- Maybe Soothe to try to tame some harshness
- Dynamic EQ or Soothe on instrumental tracks sidechained to vox to make some space for vox to sit

So, what are some things I can do to get my vocals sounding more professional like mainstream artists such as Drake?

Add autotune / melodyne?

[Uncle E]

Drake uses a C800. You've got a big uphill battle ahead of you if you're not starting with some kind of tube mic.

That said, you badly need to de-reverb. Do that before anything else. RX would probably be best but Clarity Vx Dereverb is easier. Demo Clarity Vx and Clarity Vx Dereverb together because those two will get you most of the way there with the least amount of work.

[cryophonik]

Listening on my work speakers, so I can't comment on the quality of your recording, but I think it's worth mentioning the obvious - you're comparing a raw home vocal a capella take using inexpensive gear to a professionally recorded, mixed, and mastered track. Most raw vocals don't sound anything like the finished product, but that doesn't mean you can't improve on them a lot and get close(r). The one thing I can hear even on my crappy computer speakers (see Uncle E's post above) is that you seem to be picking up a lot of the room's acoustics.

What is your performing and recording process? I assume you're using closed-back headphones to minimize track bleed, but how close are you to the microphone? What levels are your meters hitting? What you might need to try is moving closer to the mic and optimizing your gain structure and possibly headphone levels to minimize your SNR and rebalance the recording to get more of your voice and less of the room. I've been using a reflection filter for the last 15 years for recording vocals in my home studio and they really do make a difference in reducing the room noise/reflections into the back of the mic. I previously used an sE Reflextion, but now I use and prefer the Aston Halo.

[dogbig]

Drake uses a C800. You've got a big uphill battle ahead of you if you're not starting with some kind of tube mic.

That said, you badly need to de-reverb. Do that before anything else. RX would probably be best but Clarity Vx Dereverb is easier. Demo Clarity Vx and Clarity Vx Dereverb together because those two will get you most of the way there with the least amount of work.

Thanks. Those plugins are like magic. Do you think they eliminate the need for acoustic treatment?

In theory, using an AI reverb remover, while it does remove the sound of reverb (i.e., the delayed signals), the recording has already been affected by comb filtering (louder in some frequencies, quieter in others). So the "dry" vocal you're left with isn't the same as it would be if you had an acoustically treated room in which those reflections never affected the recording in the first place. Practically speaking, does this actually matter?

[dogbig]

Listening on my work speakers, so I can't comment on the quality of your recording, but I think it's worth mentioning the obvious - you're comparing a raw home vocal a capella take using inexpensive gear to a professionally recorded, mixed, and mastered track. Most raw vocals don't sound anything like the finished product, but that doesn't mean you can't improve on them a lot and get close(r). The one thing I can hear even on my crappy computer speakers (see Uncle E's post above) is that you seem to be picking up a lot of the room's acoustics.

What is your performing and recording process? I assume you're using closed-back headphones to minimize track bleed, but how close are you to the microphone? What levels are your meters hitting? What you might need to try is moving closer to the mic and optimizing your gain structure and possibly headphone levels to minimize your SNR and rebalance the recording to get more of your voice and less of the room. I've been using a reflection filter for the last 15 years for recording vocals in my home studio and they really do make a difference in reducing the room noise/reflections into the back of the mic. I previously used an sE Reflextion, but now I use and prefer the Aston Halo.

Yes closed back headphones, no bleed. I'm 6" from the mic. Tried getting closer but then it's too boomy; since I'm going for that Drake/pop type vocal that's very bright with almost no low end, I don't think getting closer to the mic would work. I record averaging -18db, peaking -12db.

I've considered those reflection filters, but I read that soundounsound article on them and it seemed mixed - they typically don't work well for lower frequencies, and perhaps even introduce some unwanted coloration. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ho ... cal-booths

In the age of AI reverb removers like Waves Clarity, would you still recommend one? Also curious, why did you switch from the sE to the Halo?

[cryophonik]

I've considered those reflection filters, but I read that soundounsound article on them and it seemed mixed - they typically don't work well for lower frequencies, and perhaps even introduce some unwanted coloration. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ho ... cal-booths

That hasn't been my experience at all. Quite the opposite - the filters get rid of most of the annoying room coloration.

In the age of AI reverb removers like Waves Clarity, would you still recommend one?

I haven't tried Clarity or anything equivalent so I can't comment, but the Halo gets the job done for me and gives me nice tight sounding vocals. My preference is always to get it right (or as best as I can) at the source and minimize post-processing. But, Clarity is probably worth demoing to see if it gets the job done before spending money on a filter or something.

Also curious, why did you switch from the sE to the Halo?

Engineering/design! The original sE Reflexion filter was the stupidest unnecessarily over-engineered top-heavy design I've ever encountered. I made a modification that improved it by getting rid of the gigantic mounting clamp altogether (probably a large chunk of the price tag), but it was still awful (the clamp, not the filter itself, which was fine). I believe they changed the design a few years ago, but I had already switched to the much lighter/balanced and simpler Halo by then and never looked back.

[Uncle E]

Thanks. Those plugins are like magic. Do you think they eliminate the need for acoustic treatment?

In theory, using an AI reverb remover, while it does remove the sound of reverb (i.e., the delayed signals), the recording has already been affected by comb filtering (louder in some frequencies, quieter in others). So the "dry" vocal you're left with isn't the same as it would be if you had an acoustically treated room in which those reflections never affected the recording in the first place. Practically speaking, does this actually matter?

The better your treatment, the less work the plugin has to do. But as you experienced, the treatment itself also affects the sound, so if you're happy with the results you're getting now, I'd say run with it. The time and energy you spend trying to achieve that last 1% of improvement would be better used making new music.

[bmanic]

Here are a few tips:

1) You do need to be closer to the mike, even if that exaggerates the proximity effect. Why? Because that will give you a much more aggressive and in the face overall presentation. There's literally less air damping the transients, thus being really close will help a lot. Taking care of the lows is a matter of post processing (filter, compression and saturation).

2) The 5th generation Rode NT1 mic is a ridiculously smooth microphone. It's in my opinion one of THE best microphones you can get today as a general jack of all trades mic, so good budget choice there on your part! However, do NOT be afraid to severely process your vocals. You need to seriously massage the signal to get it anywhere in the ballpark of the intended effect. The Rode NT1 can take it like a champ, provided that you aren't running it into a really bad mic preamp.

3) Concentrate on the performance. It may not be immediately obvious but part of why your vocal sounds "home made" is because you aren't performing it as intensively as Drake does his. Notice how he very clearly exaggerates some syllables and words, especially words with important transient information to underline the rhythm and vibe he is going for and he is also very deliberate about the endings of the words. Sometimes it matters a lot at what exact point a word ends, even more so than when it starts.

Your delivery sounds very flat in comparison.. like you're just saying a bunch of words without actually meaning them, like they weren't really carefully considered what impact they have rhythmically. This is probably the area where you can find the biggest gains in terms of it not sounding "amateur".

Rapping is so much more than just stringing a bunch of words together while keeping to the beat. It's as true of an art form in terms of skill as any other instrument (or singing in general). Technique matters and artistic integrity matters (which only happens after you've mastered technique), meaning that you are thoroughly believing 100% in the delivery. It's the same difference you can hear between an amateur classical pianist vs a professional one. Even if both play all the correct notes, both stay perfectly in sync with the tempo.. there will still be a huge difference in how it's delivered and perceived by an audience.

I assume you've got the lyrics written down. If not, DO IT, then sit down and really go through where the beat lies and what words are important both story telling wise and musical wise. Underline them and then break those words down into even smaller pieces and explore the different artistic inflections you need to underline to make it hit harder, even if the overall voice performance needs to be smooth and laid back. A really advanced technique I've seen some people do is that they slightly move their recording position depending on the words and their delivery.. for instance going really close to the mic, like right next to the pop shield, lips touching it, when they are keeping the voice super laid back and almost whispering.. while going slightly backwards when they add more power to the voice. Or even wise versa and then compensate the volume difference in the mix with automation.

Finally, I recommend trying to record your performance with already tweaked EQ and compression. Especially a compressor can sort of the "played as an instrument", helping it drive your performance. Set it to quite aggressive settings and really lean into it to learn it's behavior and then tweak the attack and release accordingly. Then during recording, try to record both the clean version without plugins and also the compressed version (in a DAW you should be able to split the tracks). Then listen and compare these two takes. It will teach you a lot about compression in general and how you can abuse it as a strength.

[Benedict]

I'm going to be direct. None of this is about gear or settings. Forget Presets or Mic choices.

The #1 issue here is in the performance. While I am not a fan of Drake, he is committed to his performance and sings "openly". Your vocal is tight or more accurately fearful. There is no knob or button on Compressors or EQs for "Fear". No matter what you do with processing and effects, once fear is on-tape it cannot be made to go away - as you are finding.

This is a hard pill to swallow but the difference between a Kanye or Eminem and an MC Jiggy Shizzer or DJ Shizzy Jigger. Thanks fully it is solvable if you really want it so. Fear is understandable, but only you can decide if you want to step past it. What geed singers deliver is Courage. Ice T is not a pretty singer but he delivers courage that we can feel and we react to that.
https://youtu.be/xuag9wcGYI0?si=sSRtzlGYHu9DZnjV

My advice: Sit down and work at what you are afraid of here in YOUR music and singing etc. Commonly a partners needed in this, someone who will push you toward the truth. Once you see the fear, feel it as it is there for a purpose. Then look at it logically and step over it so that you can focus on reasons to do (over reasons to not do).

You can speed things if rather than wasting money on mics, presets and VST, you invest in a vocal coach. This person is not the same kind of kiddie singing teacher but one who helps people use their voice to achieve their ends. Punks, Death Metal, Rockers and Rappers all use these people to help them do their thing. This wacky lady is one. Find a coach locally as it will be the best investment you ever make if you commit.
https://youtu.be/Q9vzjP4hjPM?si=fXkwLkYeWD3lQUi9

[Uncle E]

Great points. So many classics had terrible recording quality, from NWA to Cypress Hill to Jungle Brothers, and the performances rose above it.