Having trouble with Vocal EQ

[DangerousOne326]

Here is a solo recording with some reverb tacked on.

SM7B New Mic Test by MiceAndGods on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

I know there's some EQing to be done, but I have no idea where.

Here are a couple examples of what I want to emulate.

Brandon Boyd - Agoraphobia (acappella) - YouTube

Soundgarden - Black Rain (Acapella) - YouTube

Pearl Jam - Alive VOCALS ONLY - YouTube

What would you guys do with this track?

I have download enabled on that track.
Feel free to send a response with an updated version.
A response w/o an updated track is just as awesome.

THANKS

[DangerousOne326]

Anybody? lol

[yotonic]

EQ is not going to make you sound like any of those guys. The SM7 is pretty accurate. Your voice is what your voice is. At least you have a good voice. EQ is a waste of time here.

It sounds like you might have the High boost on the SM7 have you tried it flat? Also you could benefit from working the mic a little closer and paying more attention to technique and dynamics to dial in the last 20% of your sound. That's exactly what those guys are doing. Sing what you want to hear there's no magic box or fix. Nice voice accept your own sound and smooth out your technique.

[DangerousOne326]

Originally Posted by yotonic

EQ is not going to make you sound like any of those guys. The SM7 is pretty accurate. Your voice is what your voice is. At least you have a good voice. EQ is a waste of time here.

It sounds like you might have the High boost on the SM7 have you tried it flat? Also you could benefit from working the mic a little closer and paying more attention to technique and dynamics to dial in the last 20% of your sound. That's exactly what those guys are doing. Sing what you want to hear there's no magic box or fix. Nice voice accept your own sound and smooth out your technique.

LOL whoa relax I think I sound great e. :D I don't want to sound like them, I just want my sound to fit better in a mix - like theirs do. Listen to my other tracks so you can get an idea as to what I'm asking.

[yotonic]

Ha ha!! Sorry, I'm used to the typical GS thread from singers who want to sound like somebody. I'm not a mixer so I can't tell you how Pearl Jam or Incubus arrived at these mixes.

[DangerousOne326]

e No problem dude! Now if someone could help show me how to arrive at that sound (hopefully with a link of new version of the track cause you're boss sauce :D) I'll give you a cookie! lol

[Vintageidiot]

It isnt easy, you need really clear monitors and to spend some time twiddling. EQ's should be close at hand in my opinion, I even thought of moving my monitor just so mine are close so I can zero in on any issues.

[Ienjoyaudio]

Sounds like you're too close to the mic. Try singing with about 10 to 12 inches in-between your mouth and the diaphragm. That will do a lot more than EQ.

[DangerousOne326]

I think my monitors are fine. :/ My mic placement could be better, though. I just notice that studio recorded vocals are often less robust and flat, yet clearer, than mine. They also all seem to sound relatively similar (although some more colorful or modern than others).
That's why I was wondering if you guys could pinpoint where you guys would boost or cut - perhaps with a demonstration - to achieve a similar "sound" as the links above. I know you don't have to match other songs - and it should really be on a mix to mix basis - but I think it would help me a lot just to know how to manipulate vocals in that way, I guess...
Again, thanks for the help you guys!

[butterfly]

The only track I listened to apart from yours was the pearl jam one. Honestly, eq'ing a vocal is really dependent on the track and thus it's fairly pointless, someone eq'ing a vocal for you in isolation, the frequencies one would cut Or boost on your voice or anybody else's for that matter would be chosen on that criteria. However , you may want to sweep the vocal in the low MUDs and upper mids and try and cut any frequencies which are the result of reflections etc or harder frequencies which appear when you sing louder. Other than that compression probably figures heavily in the picture for the sound you're aiming for: a well controlled vocal which sits in the track is often a combination of analogue compression on the way in and in the mix.. there seemed to also ne a quarter note delay with one repeat in the PearlJan example plus the sound of something like a 1176 at the tracking stage... soQ if u want that kind of sound... it 's going to be tough without a great tracking engineer or a fair amount of knowledge and experience on your part

[DangerousOne326]

Mic Test - AFTER EQ (cut some mud + high mids) by MiceAndGods on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Thank you. I feel like it's less boomy and it resembles the other tracks a lot more. I feel as if this would fit in my mixes a lot better.

SM7B New Mic Test by MiceAndGods on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

^ Old file for comparison.

I was looking for a more even response with just a little bit of presence.
I know that it should be mix by mix basis, but I feel that it's already better.

[Vintageidiot]

What I meant to imply was that if you make an adjustment and you cannot hear that adjustment, then you aren't hearing everything in the spectrum. I think you have to remain in the sweet spot while the adjustment is made as well. maybe having someone there to assist might help.

[ol drippy]

I like the original better if the music/mix isn't too dense it has more body and is fuller just needs some delay and maybe a different reverb.

The second one might sit better in a dense mix the eq you did sounds more like the brandon boyd one.

I did notice quite a difference in delay/reverb on the ones you are trying to emulate. Vedder is in your face with compression and a big delay. Sounds like Cornell has a hall/chamber reverb panned to the side.

I would definitely try some different delay/reverbs.

[DangerousOne326]

Thanks guys!

BTW Huge fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Ol' Drippy. lol

I just need more practice and hopefully someone who can guide me a couple times through some mixes.