Headphones/Microphone question for Android

[[Member Wild…]]

Hi all! Looking for advice on what kind of headphones and microphone to use on Smule. I recently got a new phone (a Moto G Stylus, which is an Android) and when I've tried to use Smule, the sound quality of my recordings is terrible. My voice sounds very muffled. I've tried it with a couple different sets of wired earbuds, a Sony set and a SkullCandy set. No luck with either.

I was wondering what kind of headphones other people use on Smule. Do you have an external mic? Is my phone just not good for this app and will always have crappy sound quality? Or is there a setting I should change? My previous phone was also an Android but I sounded fine on that one so I'm not sure what the issue is.

[[Member sdr…]]

9 hours ago, WildELindAppears said:

Hi all! Looking for advice on what kind of headphones and microphone to use on Smule. I recently got a new phone (a Moto G Stylus, which is an Android) and when I've tried to use Smule, the sound quality of my recordings is terrible. My voice sounds very muffled. I've tried it with a couple different sets of wired earbuds, a Sony set and a SkullCandy set. No luck with either.

I was wondering what kind of headphones other people use on Smule. Do you have an external mic? Is my phone just not good for this app and will always have crappy sound quality? Or is there a setting I should change? My previous phone was also an Android but I sounded fine on that one so I'm not sure what the issue is.

Buy three or four cheap headphones and experiment with them. Record, play it back and make sure that the earbuds stay comfortably in your ears. 

Most people use less expensive headphones. And they all sound very good. I have seen very few people go with expensive gadgets. And they collab with singers using cheap headphones. Stay away from any expensive equipments. Smule just doesn't deserve them.

Make sure  that your phone volume is below 50% when you record. Also the reverb in smule setting below 30.

[[Member Rock…]]

On 1/18/2022 at 8:28 PM, sdr said:

Buy three or four cheap headphones and experiment with them. Record, play it back and make sure that the earbuds stay comfortably in your ears. 

Most people use less expensive headphones. And they all sound very good. I have seen very few people go with expensive gadgets. And they collab with singers using cheap headphones. Stay away from any expensive equipments. Smule just doesn't deserve them.

Make sure  that your phone volume is below 50% when you record. Also the reverb in smule setting below 30.

This is good advice. Obviously if the difference in quality is noticable, you can always upgrade to something, but the quality is limited by the fact it still has to go through your phone and the app.

Sometimes people use higher end gear because they already have it set up for their music outside of Smule. That's the case with me;  I had been recording with a cheap headset, literally right in front of my actual vocal mic and eventually I started using it because it was there anyway. 

The sound is definitely more dynamic, but it's not so different to where I'd actually buy all this gear for Smule. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by RockMeSlowly
Word edit

[[Member Isa_…]]

On 1/19/2022 at 12:28 PM, sdr said:

Buy three or four cheap headphones and experiment with them. Record, play it back and make sure that the earbuds stay comfortably in your ears. 

Most people use less expensive headphones. And they all sound very good. I have seen very few people go with expensive gadgets. And they collab with singers using cheap headphones. Stay away from any expensive equipments. Smule just doesn't deserve them.

Make sure  that your phone volume is below 50% when you record. Also the reverb in smule setting below 30.

It's also depends on the Style you use.. and the reverbs adjustments..

[[Member cl00…]]

On 1/20/2022 at 8:33 PM, RockMeSlowly said:

Sometimes people use higher end gear because they already have it set up for their music outside of Smule.

I had a XLR condenser mic and Behringer audio interface that I used for a different site.  A few modifications and it works fine for Smule on iPad.