Vocal Harmony

Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software.

Moderators: Acoustica Greg, Acoustica Eric, Acoustica Dan, rsaintjohn

Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

aj113 wrote:If you want to hear the TC Helicon Voicelive in action, here's my own band (recorded using Mixcraft of course!). Play the track called X Rated, All backing vocals on this track were generated by TC Helicon voicelive.

http://www.reverbnation.com/salemuk
I can't hear the effect because all the vocals are pushed too far back in the mix.
gypsy101
Posts: 2322
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:00 pm
Location: near Music City,USA

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by gypsy101 »

just youtube search for more demos
Vibrant Audio
Posts: 981
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:24 pm

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Vibrant Audio »

aj113 wrote:If you want to hear the TC Helicon Voicelive in action, here's my own band (recorded using Mixcraft of course!). Play the track called X Rated, All backing vocals on this track were generated by TC Helicon voicelive.

http://www.reverbnation.com/salemuk
Sounds good, aj! You guys rock! The harmonies are right on.
*Vibrant Audio*
aj113
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:06 pm
Contact:

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by aj113 »

Ianpb wrote:
aj113 wrote:If you want to hear the TC Helicon Voicelive in action, here's my own band (recorded using Mixcraft of course!). Play the track called X Rated, All backing vocals on this track were generated by TC Helicon voicelive.

http://www.reverbnation.com/salemuk
I can't hear the effect because all the vocals are pushed too far back in the mix.
What?? Are you listening to X Rated?
aj113
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:06 pm
Contact:

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by aj113 »

Vibrant Audio wrote:
aj113 wrote:If you want to hear the TC Helicon Voicelive in action, here's my own band (recorded using Mixcraft of course!). Play the track called X Rated, All backing vocals on this track were generated by TC Helicon voicelive.

http://www.reverbnation.com/salemuk
Sounds good, aj! You guys rock! The harmonies are right on.
Thank you sir :) We normally sing our own backing vocals but just this once we tried TC Helicon for an experiment. I think it came out ok, but we didn't repeat the process in subsequent recordings so I guess that tells you something.
Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

aj113 wrote:
Ianpb wrote:
aj113 wrote:If you want to hear the TC Helicon Voicelive in action, here's my own band (recorded using Mixcraft of course!). Play the track called X Rated, All backing vocals on this track were generated by TC Helicon voicelive.

http://www.reverbnation.com/salemuk
I can't hear the effect because all the vocals are pushed too far back in the mix.
What?? Are you listening to X Rated?
Yes, That's the one I'm referring to. It's playing here with the vocals pushed back sufficiently enough for me to be unable to properly hear the lyrics.
aj113
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:06 pm
Contact:

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by aj113 »

Ianpb wrote:...Yes, That's the one I'm referring to. It's playing here with the vocals pushed back sufficiently enough for me to be unable to properly hear the lyrics.
I assume you mean backing vocals when you say that? The lead vocal is about as clear as any I've heard.

OK well, this is not about lyrics, it's about harmonies. You can't hear the "ohhh"'s at 0.54 or the "ahh"'s that are practically in your face at 1.07?
Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

I went out for the evening, came back, restarted my computer and tried the track again. It's still no different. It sounds like the vocals have been badly mixed in relation to the backing group, which is dominating the track. I then tried listening to it through my high quality Shure SRH440 headphones and it was just the same. The backing vocals are appearing as some kind of subtle vocal sound far in the background, too low to distinguish any harmonizing effect. I then checked the other tracks and they are all the same, where the vocals are too far back in the mix and the lyrics are completely lost.

Just to check, I tried playing some Rainbow and Judas Priest on Youtube and they sound okay. From where I am your material does sound like a bad mix, and it's preventing me from hearing the harmonies clearly, and therefore the harmonizer effect.
aj113
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:06 pm
Contact:

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by aj113 »

Ianpb wrote:I went out for the evening, came back, restarted my computer and tried the track again. It's still no different. It sounds like the vocals have been badly mixed in relation to the backing group, which is dominating the track. I then tried listening to them through my high quality Shure SRH440 headphones and it was just the same. The backing vocals are appearing as some kind of subtle vocal sound far in the background, too low to distinguish any harmonizing effect. I then checked the other tracks and they are all the same, where the vocals are too far back in the mix and the lyrics are completely lost.

Just to check, I tried playing some Rainbow and Judas Priest on Youtube and they sound okay. From where I am your material does sound like a bad mix, and it's preventing me from hearing the harmonies clearly, and therefore the harmonizer effect.
Seriously, there is either something wrong with your ears or your system. That's not sour grapes either. The mixes of the first 6 songs are crystal clear and the vocals are upfront and in your face.


That's why Vibrant Audio said "Sounds good, aj! You guys rock! The harmonies are right on."

It could possibly be that your system has a problem with ReverbNation.
Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

aj113 wrote:
Ianpb wrote:Seriously, there is either something wrong with your ears or your system. That's not sour grapes either. The mixes of the first 6 songs are crystal clear and the vocals are upfront and in your face.

That's why Vibrant Audio said "Sounds good, aj! You guys rock! The harmonies are right on."

It could possibly be that your system has a problem with ReverbNation.
If there was a problem with either my system or my ears I would hear similar issues with other music, but I don't. As I stated before, I even tried listening to two songs on Youtube by two groups who were on the 'similar to' list (making sure they were studio tracks), namely Rainbow and Judas Priest, and there were no issues arising with those.
gypsy101
Posts: 2322
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:00 pm
Location: near Music City,USA

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by gypsy101 »

well you're reverb nation site won't even play the tracks for me & I don't have a problem w/ the site w/ other bands. but as in another couple of threads you sound like the usual arrongamt Englishman to me. :roll:
Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

gypsy101 wrote:well you're reverb nation site won't even play the tracks for me & I don't have a problem w/ the site w/ other bands. but as in another couple of threads you sound like the usual arrongamt Englishman to me. :roll:
I think you are confused with who you are addressing that to, aj113, whose material it is, or me? There's nothing to indicate arrogance on my part, assuming you're addressing that to me. I merely let aj113 know that I'm experiencing an issue with all the vocals. If I'm experiencing it then so will others.
aj113
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:06 pm
Contact:

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by aj113 »

Ianpb wrote:
gypsy101 wrote:well you're reverb nation site won't even play the tracks for me & I don't have a problem w/ the site w/ other bands. but as in another couple of threads you sound like the usual arrongamt Englishman to me. :roll:
I think you are confused with who you are addressing that to, aj113, whose material it is, or me? There's nothing to indicate arrogance on my part, assuming you're addressing that to me. I merely let aj113 know that I'm experiencing an issue with all the vocals. ..
He's replying to me, not you :) Unless you're an arrogant Englishman too....:)
If I'm experiencing it then so will others...
That's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of. It doesn't necessarily follow that others will experience the problem - it could be local to your system. BUt if it turns out that others are experiencing the same issue I want to fix it asap.

a)Have you listened to other bands on RN? Do they sound ok?
b)Can you please indulge me by listening to the track through the link below and let me know if it sounds the same?

http://forum.recordingreview.com/f11/ro ... ted-52543/
Ianpb
Posts: 1264
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:05 am
Location: London, England

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Ianpb »

I put it down to oversized chips on shoulders. Anyway...
I been out all day and I've spent the last hour comparing.

Before I started the comparisons I checked the clarity and set comfortable levels through my Shure headphones with high bitrate MP3's using material from Rainbow to the Beach Boys - I don't have a lot of heavy metal.

First, it seems like the audio from that Reverbnation site has improved since earlier, but still not exactly as clear as it could be - still not clear enough to judge the harmonizer on the backing vocals. I then listened to a few other uploads on the site. I don't know if it's general production values but a lot of stuff I listened to there had unclear vocals, and on tracks with busy backing (like yours) the vocals were also being pushed back in the mix, with one exception, by someone called Jared Lee, his seemed clearer than all the others I listened to. I thought the loss of vocal level may be due to heavy-compression, but when I tried applying it on Hawkwind's Silver Machine in Mixcraft (using Waves Renaissance and the Broadcast compressor) the vocal clarity remained intact, although the backing did rise in relation to it. So maybe the compression you applied at mastering stage is contributing to causing the vocals to be pushed back. I imagine they would be clearer if raised a bit more.

However, when comparing the RN track to the one on that link, the RN version is lacking some high frequency content. The one via the link had a little more clarity in the vocals and the cymbals came through better. BTW, despite what someone said on that forum, I do not agree that there is too much high frequency content, but then again I always like a fair amount of high frequency content and prefer the bass to be contained.

Maybe it's that my production values are at odds with yours and others here; I just like the vocals to stand right out with clear lyrics, rather than swimming with the instruments as may be your preference.

I hope this helps.
Arkad
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:54 am

Re: Vocal Harmony

Post by Arkad »

i can hear the backingvocals perfectly, but it still sounds little bit robotic (but i think it doesnt matter in this music genre) afterall i think you'll noticed it only if you have worked with it. for live audience it sounds amazing! (at least it was my first impression hearing Tc Helicon h1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztt8lWp4lUU this sounds also robotic for me, i dont know if Harmony is being used for this song.
Post Reply