Karaoke Forums

Question, more curiosity than anything else, Some responses to Foxe's post made me think about it
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1.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?)

4.) Weasels jumping at your throat?

You don’t have to stick to the first three, but at least include them.
Or has this been covered before? Im new here so I havent seen it.

1.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

Usually have to record it 3-4 times

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

Yep

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?)

Getting my pitch 'good enough'

4.) Weasels jumping at your throat?

Well, that too... darn those weasels...

1. Recording usually takes 2-3 times. If it's a new song, obviously I'll have to practise it first and it'll take a day normally.

2. At one point you'll have to settle with it. To me it's after 2-3 times. I can always sing it better so why bother. If I try too many times, I start to lose the touch for that session.

3. I'm self-critical about everything. For example I don't think I deserve the ratings that I've received at SS. Right now I think the biggest problem is mixing, because my "studio" is not set up well. The other difficult thing is vocals which of course I always have work with.

4. Occasionally, if I start to think "I have to get it this time!"

jee

1. Jff sub's normally 1 or 2 takes, treat it like i would singing it live, ya only get 1 shot so it better be a good un unless i don't know a song then it can take a couple of days, spending time listening to try and feel the song and learn it. Song's for C don't count but until i am satisfied vocally i ain't gonna get it better that day hhehehe

2. no, because i want people to enjoy it, so if i can't stand to listen to it myself how can i expect others to sit through the performance.

3. i spend far too much time mixing a track, more so than i do fixing the vocals, but thats cause i am on a mixing kick hehe we all go through them trying different effects etc.

4. prefer brad pitt to jump me...i mean at ma throat  :worship:

1.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

I allow myself only 3 times to record.  If I can't do it within that amount, I'm all done.

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

See question #1.  If I didn't get it in 3 tries, I got nothing.  Thus, no sub.

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?)

Vocals.  I mess up a lot.  Even on songs I know very well.  I'll be just singing along, everything's going fine and then WHAM, bad note.  I record the same way I used to do with a tape recorder when I was a kid.  I don't know how to splice and edit, so when I mess up, I have to start all over.  I don't know how to EQ either.  Most of my mixes sound distorted to me, and I haven't quite figured out how to fix that.

4.) Weasels jumping at your throat?

Nope, no weasels, but I get visits from frogs a lot.  Darn sinus cold that WON'T GO AWAY!!

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I'm real picky....I can sometimes do 10-20 takes, fixing little things here and there that bug me.  Even my JFF subs I take very seriouly.  I'm anal like that.  I dunno how to explain it, but I just kinda know when it is subbable....and if not, I'll ask some friends to preview it before I sub it.  Good to have friends!!

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Simon: Alright, so we're missing the echo! Robert, I can honestly say you're the worst singer I've ever heard in my life!"

Robert: Thank you!

From X Factor.

 Hi Jawz... I saw my name pop up and freaked out thinkin I did something bad again  :talk:  <--- TIG stay away from that!!

I don't quite know how to answer this. I guess I always hit record and sing cuz you just never know when you may have that "perfect" sing and then turn around and realize you didn't record it!

That unfortunately happens very seldom to me. Right away when I got here that's pretty much how I did it. Now I concentrate more on singing and trying to get it right. I'm like soon-to-be-birthday-girl Deb up there, I haven't gotten good enough at splicing and dicing audio so I have to re-record the whole thing over again . I will try 2 or 3 times and if it didn't work then I skip over and will probably come back to it some other time.

Yes, there are still some subs that I just shrug and say, well it will work for SS but needs more work for karaoke night or contest, etc.. Basically that's what happened when I put up Atlantis earlier this week. I wanted to gauge initial reaction to see if I should pursue it anymore or not.

And mixing is a definite hit or miss for me yet. STill learning Audition so I'll probably have some way ward out there mixed subs for awhile while I tinker with buttons.

'k.. now I think I wrote a book and I need a nap...  :sleep:

Since everyone has given their two cents, so shall I.

I start with a song that usually feels or sounds like I could do or would like to stretch myself trying. If I don’t know it, I download the song and listen to it, trying out the highs lows and other nuances of the song or the singer.  I try NOT to duplicate a singer, maybe a little of their style to fit the song, but not trying to imitate.

Then I record the music track only in my mixing software, then download the lyrics or just have them memorized.

I sing the song to a second track, this way I can adjust either the music OR the voice.
I try my best to get it right, but sometimes miss it and get tired of trying.  The most I ever did was 38 takes; of the song “hit that jive jack” it took forever because the timing was so difficult. Actually I had it at take 16 but something happened and all I got was static.

Sometimes I will just re-record the section that I missed a note on or mis-spoke a lyric. But when I do it never seems to come of with the same smoothness, either I lose the emotion or it sounds different.  Once in a while I can get it to sound indistinguishable.  But I would rather to the entire song all the way through

There are two kinds of songs I do:
Serious, where I try and get everything right, and am still learning, may I add.
The other is a fun song, where if it is a tiny bit off, I don’t mind so much.

The hardest part for me is timing; because my headphones suck and I cant hear the music as well, being deaf in one ear, but if I know the song well enough I can get through it without a hitch.  The next is pitch, even when I think I know the song really well, sure enough, there is that one note that kills me.

As far as the weasels, well that’s another story.

.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right" - pry about 5 times

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS? Um....no.....i say to myself....that's the BEST i can get it.

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?) Pitch and mix.

4.) Weasels jumping at your throat?  ALL the time!

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There is no such thing as perfect!  

~how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

It really depends on the song, how well I know it already, how hard it is, etc.  Sometimes I get it right the first take, sometimes it can take many takes.  That's not including the time to learn it if I don't know it very well. I listen to the original many times, with the lyrics printed out, then I sing along a bit, before I record.  Sometimes I just can't get it right and I come back to it later (days, weeks, or months later).


~Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

Yep, often....although I record for many reasons, not just for SS.

~What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?)

Probably pitch, but I don't work on it that much.  I don't work on mix much, either.  I really hate learning new songs but sometimes I force myself to.


~Weasels jumping at your throat?

I have no idea what that means, !

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~Suzanne Lanoue~

Does anyone know why my picture is not showing up here? I'm pretty sure it used to....

Thanks!  

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~Suzanne Lanoue~

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

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!! TELL me about it!! eeesh

I hate it when, for example, you can't get the vocal track to sound loud enough over the backing, so you pump it up a bit, but that doesn't work because you get distortion, so you bring the backing down a bit and it still doesn't sound right.. and back & forth round & round... blah!!! yech

1.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

Depends .... if it's a song I really want to "get" ... then as many times as it takes. That can be numerous. Actually.... I've never counted. One particular song that comes to mind was 'Life Got Cold' ... it was suggested to me by a good friend and she sent it to me... I had never heard it before that day... it was quite a tongue twister for me. I think I eventually got a mental block on it and got punchy ... first the curse words... then the giggles... then the curse words AGAIN! Finally got through it... had to be some kind of record for MOST takes EVER!!!  :wave:

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

Even though I sub JFF ... I take it seriously... I usually send it to friends and family so I want it to be the best I can get it. If I feel a song  just didn't come out that good... I won't sub it. It'll go in the garbage can!

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing, Etc.?)

Hmm... mostly mix... difficult may not be the right word... Obsessive! I love to play with all the effects.

Singing ?


I've never gotten one right yet.  A few timbre impaired friends have settled for harmony quality in the rock genre.  Yet I've been working on songs for 30 years.... threw in the towel.  We can't all do everything I suppose. Liturgical music would work for me..  Yet I'd rather quit singing then get into choir type vocals

We are much alike. Sometimes I can get it on the first take. There are original things I want to sub which can take all day, sometimes two days.

Brutally, I have spent hours on certain songs, listened at the end and decided. That sucks, and deleted it. If it's iffy, I sub it JFF.

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There are no accidents in a perfect world   - Blondie

1.) how long do you work on a song to, "Get it right"

Depends.  Sometimes I try and try to get it right and sometimes it's a one take wonder.  Usually I try to record songs I've done at shows so I already have a pretty good idea of the timing, pitch, etc.

2.) Do you sometimes just give up and say, that’s good enough for SS?

All the time. I'm not a professional singer, I don't have any vocal training and since I'm already over critical of myself I usually record it once or twice and sub.  Sometimes it's spot on and sometimes I wish I hadn't even tried recording it.

3.)What do you find the most difficult laying down a song? (Mix, vocals, pitch, timing,
Etc.?)

Mixing.  I can mix other people but the first take of my own is almost always crap with the settings so far off I wouldn't make my enemies listen to it as punishment.  The second take it usually much better and the one I submit.  Since I also record without effects (and don't add them later) my 'sound' is different than most people's.  Once my new mixer comes in I'll likely have much better results since I'll be able to use the effects unit I have and tweak out the sessions a little better.

As for the timing, I'm just gifted in that regard.  I can get the timing down on a song after listening to it once or twice and trying to sing it once or twice.  Getting the pitch down depends a lot on the song and artist.  If it's more talking and inflection of the voice to create the 'music of the mouth' it's easy for me to recreate.  If it requires actual singing then it's a little more difficult since I'm fairly new to singing.  But I do know this.  I approach my singing like a lot of other things I do - either I can do it or I can't.  Trying for weeks on end to try and sing a song in a key I just can't hit isn't practical.  If it's poor then I just don't sing it no matter how much I might like the song.  There are a lot of songs that I try and go - ok, I can sing this song if I work on it but sometimes I just know not to try (like with most Elvis, Beatles, and Johnny Cash).  When I have to change the key 3 and 4 steps it's not practical because it throws the sound off enough people can tell.  Well that's my opinion anyway.

4.) Weasels jumping at your throat?

Of course.  Doesn't everyone?