Could use some help in mastering and hook vocals.

[majestic1juan]

first of all here is my myspace where you could find my music.
MySpace.com - Majestic - FRESNO, California - Rap / Hip Hop - www.myspace.com/majestic1juan

My main problem is my vocals, I do just have a cheap $30 mic, and onboard soundcard, but I am looking for advice on how to make my voice stand out more, and isolate it from the beat, as of right now you could hear me but I don't think you could really feel me, if that makes sense. My other problem is in most of my hooks I write them to require a little bit of singing and being able to keep a tune, my problem is I am not a singer at all. My first song "how I do this" I used a vocoder and it came out pretty good, but on my other two songs I don't want to use a vocoder but I can't find a good effect or something of that sort to make the hooks sound good. my last question is if someone could give me some good mastering tips. I basically make the beats on fl studio and put a eq effect preset, and the fruity multiband compressor with a mastering preset, then I export them as waves, record my vocals using edison on fl studio, export them as waves, and then combine them using audacity. any advice will be greatly appreciated. I'll also take any constructive criticism about my flows, beats, hooks or the sorts. thank you.

[Ky LaPimp]

First things first.Get Pro Tools.You can get a mini M Box for about 200.00,and you will need a better mic.FL is good for production but for vocals?I don't know.I can tell you how to master in PT but it should be almost the same in FL.Run a EQ on your finished song,comp,limiter, deesser,stereo broadner and raise the volume.You'll also need a maximizer and bounce with dither.But if the mix isn't right,the song won't be right.They say it don't mater what you use to record a song it can come out good.On you vocals put a comp,eq and reverb.Play with the settings and see what you get.Hope it works 4 ya

[SoundProofStudio]

Honestly , I think you have a LONG LONG way to go before you even think about mastering.... And yes it does matter what you use for equipment( Granted Bruce Swieden could use your gear and make it sound better than you but he is a PRO).... First I would recommend reading a few books to broaden your knowledge on the tools nessecary for "MIXING".... If you dont understand where , when, and why your using these tools then your wasting your time... There are no magic settings for any thing and using presets is just plain lazy... It takes time to understand your tools and to train your EARS, But you will be happy you have when your MIXES are making progress... As for your equipment, I would definetley make some upgrades.... Personally I wouldnt recommend either FL or Audacity for tracking and/or mixing vocals... Me...... I use Logic 8 and love it but your choice of a DAW is as stated, Your choice... And sorry bra but a $30 mic just isn't going to cut it... You need to upgrade your whole set up... I would suggest a Mac book Pro or iMac( yes I'm a mac guy), The apogee duet interface, A set of KRK Rokits or Yamaha HS50's, as far as a mic there are many but a great starting point would be the Shure SM7b (great mic).... And most important A decently treated room... And dont be afraid to expirement with your tools, Cranking things way up and down to see exactly what your plugs are doing... Remember there are NO RULES IN MAKING MUSIC.... a few books I would recommend are The mixing Engineers handbook and Mastering the science of audio.....

Actually this may be an even better start for you.....
Tweak's Guide to the Home and Project Studio

Good luck

[phillysoulman]

Is that some kind of a joke??
That has got to be some of the worst stuff I have ever heard.
Just bloody awful.

Sorry!!

[SoundProofStudio]

Originally Posted by phillysoulman

Is that some kind of a joke??
That has got to be some of the worst stuff I have ever heard.
Just bloody awful.

Sorry!!

No offense to the OP but..... Thats why I love Ya Philly ( no homo )..... Brutally Honest... I just checked the track myself and I have to say it's time to uprgrade the equipment... That mic is the culprit among a few other things.... But keep at it my dude... Phillysoulman is a go to guy around here in my book... He keeps it 100.... Dont get discouraged when pro's shit on ya... Use it as motivation to make progress... We are all here to help eachother and sometimes an honest bashing can do some good...

[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by SoundProofStudio

No offense to the OP but..... Thats why I love Ya Philly ( no homo )..... Brutally Honest... I just checked the track myself and I have to say it's time to uprgrade the equipment... That mic is the culprit among a few other things.... But keep at it my dude... Phillysoulman is a go to guy around here in my book... He keeps it 100.... Dont get discouraged when pro's shit on ya... Use it as motivation to make progress... We are all here to help eachother and sometimes an honest bashing can do some good...

Thanks Sound Proof.
You know what time it is.

[Trell Blaze]

Yea man...you're gonna have to start from the very beginning and learn the basics of music before you even touch a record button.

Not tryin' to talk down but that's the honest truth.

[smccarthy945]

The tracks are bad but if I went and listened to my original shit, it was pretty bad. Don't give up but work with someone who is way ahead of you. There is no way around a cheap mic. You have to buy good stuff to record vocals. There are just no tricks or ways around it.

[piccazzo]

The tracks are bad but if I went and listened to my original shit, it was pretty bad

Maybe mine was 2 , can´t remember BUT i would NEVER had put it up on
the Interweb.

But honestly this is as bad as it gets , U better cool down with the Tequila

There is no way around a cheap mic.

I Beg to differ , with Flow n feel u can get by with a cheap mic.
Even if this dude buys a Sony C800 it won´t be good enough , So my advice would be to improve on your vocals and your beats BEFORE u go and spend money on something that you dont need or know how to use.

[majestic1juan]

first off thanks for the replies, soundproof you had the best advice I checked out that site and am gonna visit it alot more until I get everything drummed into my head, as I said before this is my first time doing anything as in making beats, mixing, recording, so I don't know a lot about engineering, producing, and mixing. I was trying to do everything as cheap as possible but I guess I am going to have to save up and buy a good sound card, mic preamp/mixer, and a quality mic at the very least. To tell you the truth I have tried demo versions of cubase, and reason, and reason is just horrible in my oppinion, and cubase is a little confusing for a newbie, but I am working with it to at least improve in the part for now, but I plan on sticking with fl to make my beats. I think a lot of other guys just gave answers that were to vague to help and pretty much just posted to shit all over me, I understand that phillysoul is a great producer as I have seen his advice in other posts, but just telling me that I am horrible with no real direction as to why it's horrible, and in what aspects, and perhaps a little advice as to how I can improve. thanks to ky lapimp too. so for everyone who was quick to chime in and call me shitty could you please elaborate more on what you think is shitty, do you think every aspect of the songs are shitty, do you think my flows are garbage, do you think my singing sucks, you think the hooks suck, do you think the song doesn't stay on subject, do you think the beat sucks, do you hate a certain part of the beat ie kicks, sub, hat, snare, synth, keys, guitar, do you think the song doesn't fit with the beat, does the beat not line up with the words correctly, is the mix bad. come on guys I'm asking for at least a little help not just to be told you suck do something else. I don't need you to give me your secrets, just some direction as soundproof did. thanks in advance.

[PettyCash]

Originally Posted by piccazzo

I Beg to differ , with Flow n feel u can get by with a cheap mic.
Even if this dude buys a Sony C800 it won´t be good enough , So my advice would be to improve on your vocals and your beats BEFORE u go and spend money on something that you dont need or know how to use.

Thats what it is right there.

Dudes who blame their lack of true skill on cheap gear will forever be in the trap of buying more than what they would actually need for their specific use. At a certain point in price and quality, you can get good enough results for professional use, if you know how to get the best sound out of that equipment. I never use to think much could be done with way less, but I have been proven wrong on several occassions.

[Trell Blaze]

Originally Posted by majestic1juan

first off thanks for the replies, soundproof you had the best advice I checked out that site and am gonna visit it alot more until I get everything drummed into my head, as I said before this is my first time doing anything as in making beats, mixing, recording, so I don't know a lot about engineering, producing, and mixing. I was trying to do everything as cheap as possible but I guess I am going to have to save up and buy a good sound card, mic preamp/mixer, and a quality mic at the very least. To tell you the truth I have tried demo versions of cubase, and reason, and reason is just horrible in my oppinion, and cubase is a little confusing for a newbie, but I am working with it to at least improve in the part for now, but I plan on sticking with fl to make my beats. I think a lot of other guys just gave answers that were to vague to help and pretty much just posted to shit all over me, I understand that phillysoul is a great producer as I have seen his advice in other posts, but just telling me that I am horrible with no real direction as to why it's horrible, and in what aspects, and perhaps a little advice as to how I can improve. thanks to ky lapimp too. so for everyone who was quick to chime in and call me shitty could you please elaborate more on what you think is shitty, do you think every aspect of the songs are shitty, do you think my flows are garbage, do you think my singing sucks, you think the hooks suck, do you think the song doesn't stay on subject, do you think the beat sucks, do you hate a certain part of the beat ie kicks, sub, hat, snare, synth, keys, guitar, do you think the song doesn't fit with the beat, does the beat not line up with the words correctly, is the mix bad. come on guys I'm asking for at least a little help not just to be told you suck do something else. I don't need you to give me your secrets, just some direction as soundproof did. thanks in advance.

Like i said. Start from the beginning. Forget about studios, recording, keyboards or anything to do with that. Take some music theory classes and learn chord structure, song structure...that sort of thing. This will help you 100000000 times more than ANY gear in the solar system.