Topic: possible to pull vocals forward with eq?

[groovetube66]

Over the weekend I taped (2 channel) my friends little dinner jazz combo playing at a small (and quite live hall).  There was no soundboard, just their PA setup.  Due to seating conflicts I had to set off center but managed to get a decent recording by doing x-y angled towards the center with the left level bumped up a bit.  Anyway, overall the vocals sound just a bit thin and I was wondering what eq technique might be able to beef them up to make them seem a little more forward (without mudding up everything else).

[heath]

honestly, the best technique is to open up wav, and then start playing with the eq until you like it.  you'll want to stay with frequencies in the vocal range, but there really is no "technique" for eqing.  It's all dependent on your ear.  the easiest way to identify the freq you are looking for is to do this:
Crank the gain on the eq as high as it will go.  Then sweep your frequency until you find what you're looking for.  Once you've found that, bring the eq gain back to a reasonable level.

[groovetube66]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll play around with eq and see what happens.  I might give a multiband compressor a whirl too, trying to dial in the vocalists range and squish the dynamics after eq-ing.

[guysonic]

I've tried to do something like this in Audition where I needed to isolate some specific range of frequencies... or so I thought.  Bottle clanks, hacking coughs and that one guy with the big whistle... I've experimented with the frequency band splitter and it's hit or miss as to the results.  I've come to realize that it's nearly impossible to do a satisfactory job of this sort of thing with a two-channel .wav unless the offending information is truly only on one channel.   Heath has much more experience with this and so I'll not say that EQ won't work.  All I'll say is that my tools have yet to show me much success.  YMMV

In Audition suggest using the DYNAMICS feature and construct a suitable compression scheme using 'spline' function checked. 

Had done many recordings where instruments/vocals sounded quite unbalanced to be be distant in relation to the total mix.  Compression when done correctly will 'fatten' up a thin sounding recorded mix regardless of stereo or mono source.

A good example of 'before and after' using this method is at: www.sonicstudios.com/zumwald.htm
Go the the 'Christmas on Christmas Island' selection and download the BONUS selections illustrating 'before/after' short example of using compression to bring distant musical elements together for a nice sounding result

[guysonic]

thanks, Guy, but every time I look at that It's just a puzzle.  I can generally work with the help files but for this one my eyes just glaze over

I'd love a screen shot or two to perhaps illustrate how it works, but I won't hold you to it... maybe I should just fool with it a bit.

Meant to show image with sample, but hardisk on editing computer when down and took all screenshot data and saved dynamics settings with it.

Go to Amplitude, then Dynamics Processing.  For purpose of bringing different elements of the sound closer together, suggest starting with one of the supplied 'classic soft knee' compressions, listen for effect in preview, and then start making small manual adjustments to the curve's shape (spline mode suggested) and use preview to hear the effect on the sound. 

When you start finding the newly made curves having a desired effect, use the ADD to name and save that curve, and then modify a bit more to maybe find more effective curves fitting the needed effect, and listen for having no or little detracting effects on sound quality.  Use the curve with best mix of benefit that improves the recording's sound in the most natural manner, and then click OK to process the entire file creating an edited copy (good practice to save to a new file name so original is available as unmodified backup if needed.

[allan]

coming from a pro studio environment... i would suggest NOT using a digital EQ, thats probly all you have, though if you can find a really nice Analog EQ, i use an Ashley 32 band EQ at the studio, if you could get ahold of one of those or something similar for a bit. you'll be amazed at what it can do compared to a digital EQ.

[RebelRebel]

coming from a pro studio environment... i would suggest NOT using a digital EQ, thats probly all you have, though if you can find a really nice Analog EQ, i use an Ashley 32 band EQ at the studio, if you could get ahold of one of those or something similar for a bit. you'll be amazed at what it can do compared to a digital EQ.

Actually,there are a couple of very good "digital" eqs.. Algorithmix Linear Phase EQ is phenomenal for one.....I personally have seen no need for outboard gear(other than Pres and A/D  ,D/A) in the work that I do(classical location recording).I have or can get the funds to buy a crane song or whatever EQ I want..but I honestly see no need.  As with any subject.., blanket statements arent much good to anyone. Hardware EQs sound different but..better is in the ear of the beholder..

All this is water under the bridge anyway, as most of the folks here do this as a hobby and I would venture to say do NOT want to spend the amount of funds necessary to have fancy hardware(and yes, you have to spend massive bucks to get good analog gear, quite the opposite case from Digital). Use a plugin from Voxengo or your Audio editor and play around with it until you are pleased.
teddy

[Chuck]

I'm with allan on the digital EQ's. I end up using the WAVEs Paragraphic 10-band often in the digital realm, but have always prefered analog devices for EQ. Also with any EQ, less is more. Meaning... don't over do it.

[(((KB)))]

I posted a fequency chart a while ago in reference to Post Production and eq'ing.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=60093.0;attach=34232

For vocal fundimentals It says:
Bass: 87-392 Hz
Tenor: 131-494 Hz
Alto: 175-698 Hz
Soprano: 247-1175 Hz

You will probably end up boosting more than just the vocals, but it's nice to know what Feq. ranges to play with.

-K

[Bdifr78]

This thread has been very helpful for me too.  THis past saturday I taped my buddies band, and the only good place for me to set up was on stage.  This being the case the drums are amazing sounding and so is the bass, but both the vocals and guitars are only going through the PA with no on stage monitors.  The bands PA system was set up behind them to act as PA and monitor in one, but it ended up with very light vocals and lead guitar.  Which kinda sucks for a 4 peice band consisting of a lead guitar an acoustic guitar for rhythm a bass and drums.  So I am gonna go play around with this stuff a little more with the knowlege I have been provided from this thread.  What I have found so far though is that when I set the EQ, in Sound Forge, so that the lead guitar or vocals are more present, the recording as a whole sounds much worse to my ears.  When I leave it alone it sounds very good, but like I mentioned the lead guitar and vocals are very distant and light sounding.  Does anyone else have this experience that when they try and boost one frequency range or another the recording as a whole just doesn't sound good anymore?