Tips for using Vocal Match and Vocal Volume

[[Member RamK…]]

After recording a Song on Smule, I am faced with the dilemma of not knowing how to best adjust the Vocal Match and the Vocal Loudness. Most of the time I bump up the Volume as my Voice seems to be very low. When it comes to Vocal Match I have no clue and am like Blind Freddie taking poy shots. Need some guideline to understand and use these variables the best possible way. Chers. Ram

[[Member RamK…]]

Interesting no one has responded to this querry 😞

[[Member PHNX…]]

I've been saying for years that Smule needs a feature to allow anyone joining an OC to see what vocal effects the person they are joining used. I've even emailed Smule offering this suggestion, but it's obviously fallen on deaf ears. I also sometimes struggle to match the other person and would love to see Smule make vocal matching much easier. They obviously thought having both people use the same filter on videos was important enough to add a # with the filter used, then moving on to FORCING you to use the same filter as the person opening the song, but for some reason don't have the insight to accentuate the VOCAL part of it. Seems counterproductive and doesn't make much sense on a SINGING app that a matching video filter is more important than matching vocals. But hey, what do I know? Lol 

[[Member MrGr…]]

As someone with experience with production, the biggest mistake is relying on headphones or monitor speakers.  That’s just not an accurate representation of how people will typically hear your recordings.  For example, you record, edit, and mix a song in the studio.  It sounds great!  You play it in your car, and it sounds terrible!!

Headphones and speakers meant for monitoring are designed to reproduce the raw sound, without embellishment.  That’s not the case with the same products built for the average person.  There is almost always embellishments added to improve characteristics of the sound (gain, bass, treble, mid boost/cuts, etc).  Judging your recordings by them is iffy at best.

As a producer, I’ve learned to internalize what something SHOULD sound like in different environments and have my studio set up to reproduce that.  I’ll tell you it takes getting used to, because it initially sound “off” in the studio, but great everywhere else. 
 

All that long-winded nonsense aside.  Best thing you can do is listen to the recording and make adjustment in the open, without headphones.  Adjust volume and spatial effects there, and you’ll get better results.

One final note.  I’ve seen many cases where Smule will adjust volume AFTER upload.  Their mixing/mastering algorithm doesn’t always get it right.  In that case, there’s nothing you can do

 

[[Member Stel…]]

That’s great advice- thanks! 

[[Member Mite…]]

On 4/10/2020 at 4:46 PM, MrGrynch said:

As someone with experience with production, the biggest mistake is relying on headphones or monitor speakers.  That’s just not an accurate representation of how people will typically hear your recordings.  For example, you record, edit, and mix a song in the studio.  It sounds great!  You play it in your car, and it sounds terrible!!

Headphones and speakers meant for monitoring are designed to reproduce the raw sound, without embellishment.  That’s not the case with the same products built for the average person.  There is almost always embellishments added to improve characteristics of the sound (gain, bass, treble, mid boost/cuts, etc).  Judging your recordings by them is iffy at best.

As a producer, I’ve learned to internalize what something SHOULD sound like in different environments and have my studio set up to reproduce that.  I’ll tell you it takes getting used to, because it initially sound “off” in the studio, but great everywhere else. 
 

All that long-winded nonsense aside.  Best thing you can do is listen to the recording and make adjustment in the open, without headphones.  Adjust volume and spatial effects there, and you’ll get better results.

One final note.  I’ve seen many cases where Smule will adjust volume AFTER upload.  Their mixing/mastering algorithm doesn’t always get it right.  In that case, there’s nothing you can do

 

What would you recommend for economical monitor headphones to get raw sound ? 

[[Member Rock…]]

On 4/10/2020 at 8:46 AM, MrGrynch said:

As someone with experience with production, the biggest mistake is relying on headphones or monitor speakers.  That’s just not an accurate representation of how people will typically hear your recordings.  For example, you record, edit, and mix a song in the studio.  It sounds great!  You play it in your car, and it sounds terrible!!

Headphones and speakers meant for monitoring are designed to reproduce the raw sound, without embellishment.  That’s not the case with the same products built for the average person.  There is almost always embellishments added to improve characteristics of the sound (gain, bass, treble, mid boost/cuts, etc).  Judging your recordings by them is iffy at best.

As a producer, I’ve learned to internalize what something SHOULD sound like in different environments and have my studio set up to reproduce that.  I’ll tell you it takes getting used to, because it initially sound “off” in the studio, but great everywhere else. 
 

All that long-winded nonsense aside.  Best thing you can do is listen to the recording and make adjustment in the open, without headphones.  Adjust volume and spatial effects there, and you’ll get better results.

One final note.  I’ve seen many cases where Smule will adjust volume AFTER upload.  Their mixing/mastering algorithm doesn’t always get it right.  In that case, there’s nothing you can do

 

The post adjustment KILLS me.  I'm a studio pro and I'm particularly good at blending voices.  On some effects, your volume is  wildly different in each headset before you save and it will pick one of them for the final version.  That's a 50% chance it's ruined.  Overall, their algorithm is too agressive. 

[[Member LouE…]]

Here is were a mixer comes in handy to use on smule you can pan from left to right channel and make adjustments till you get the desired result's

[[Member LouE…]]

First you will need a mixer were you can pan from left to right channel then adjust the balance with your phone till you get you and your partners vocals even. NOTE : IT ALSO WILL DEPEND ON CAN TOU PARTNER SING ON KEY IS THERE SOUND CLEAN AND CLEAR TO MATCH YOURS AND THERE VOCAL RANGE WHEN SINGING THE SONG