Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
OT: Tips for recording and mixing vocals in iOS?
Hello audiobus forum, you guys rock. I lurk here daily and have enjoyed learning from all of you in my iOS music journey. I did want to get a discussion going about something that I don't think is discussed much. We have tons of awesome synths and virtual instruments and it seems almost effortless to make something full sounding in Gadget or Garageband with just the presets. However, as I think most people here focus on electronic music, something that doesn't come up in discussion much is recording vocals. So let me ask you guys something: why do my vocals sound like ASS? This might be more of a non-iOS specific question, but I want to learn how to use the iOS tools that I have available to me to help me get my vocal tracks sounding better.
Mic placement: where does it go? I assumed it just stays about a 6 to 12 inches away from my face but when I play it back it sounds like I'm super close sometimes and really far other times. I swear I'm staying still!
Layers: how do you guys layer vocals? Any techniques you stand by? Re-record the same part a couple times to layer? Duplicate a track and put different effects on one of them?
Effects: I used to just put a bunch of reverb on my voice to disguise all of my faults and shortcomings in the vocal department but I have to face the music learn how to mix a clean vocal track. What types of effects do you guys like to put on vocals?
Apps: what are some good AU apps that I can use for vocals? What about plugins in Cubasis and Auria Pro that will help?
Auto-tuning: what is a good way to utilize this effect without sounding like T-Pain?
I understand that music is subjective and something that sounds good to one person might sound bad to another and vice versa but I think in terms of getting my vocal mixes to match the quality of the dope ass sounds coming out of Gadget and Garageband, there are some techniques I can practice to improve my mixes overall. Anyway, just curious to get some feedback from you guys.
Cheers!
- Do you record vocals in iOS?11 votes
- Yes! And they sound great!81.82%
- Yeah, but they never come out sounding how I want them to9.09%
- Nope, I stick to instrumental music9.09%
Comments
Speak to @Bluepunk
He has recorded some really fantastic, clear vocals. I suspect a lot of it is in the delivery rather than technicals.
Here's a few tips:
1) Any mic will work, but you have to understand how to use it. Different mics are used differently and work best at different distances from the sound source, so I would both read the manufacturer recommended uses and then experiment. A lot.
2) When you mix, make sure your vocals are nice and up front. THIS IS HARD - mostly because NONE of us like listening to our own singing. You're going to cringe a bit when you listen back to the track, but remember that no one else will care as much as you do or notice as many faults as you do. Both Bob Dylan and Neil Young had careers as singers - if they can do it, so can you.
3) Good EQ is important. Don't forget about the mid-range - most bedroom engineers like to scoop the mids out of everything as it gives instant aural gratification. This is not necessarily good for a mix. Mids help the vocals cut through so remember that while they may not sound good soloed, they will sit better in the over all mix.
3) Don't bury your vocals in reverb. A good rule of thumb (for a pop music-type mix) is to turn the reverb up until you hear it, and then back it down until you just don't hear it audibly any more. It'll add subtlety to your mix.
4) Roll off the low end. A simple way to clean up a mix is to roll off all the lowest frequencies on any instrument that isn't a kick drum or bassline. This helps get rid of all the rumble that can accumulate from all the extraneous low frequencies of your other instruments.
5) Layering vocals - the classic old-school trick is to sing the same part twice so you get a natural chorus effect. This is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to strengthen a weak vocal. If you're doing things like harmonizing with yourself, there are a few tricks you can use.
a) The Queen trick - every member of the band sings the same part, in unison (non-harmonized), and double tracks it (see above). This means that in a 3-man band with 3 part harmonies, you end up with 18 voices (3 people singing each of the 3 parts twice....) and that's how their harmonies sound SO big.
b) Don't just build triad chords with voices - add the top or bottom octave note to give it some extra oomph
c) All harmonized voices don't need to be the same loudness in the mix. Experiment with different levels to get the desired effect.
d) Build out your harmonies on the piano first
e) OR DON'T! Sing a melody line, then build harmonies on the spot and see how it turns out.
Sorta went off on a tangent there, but I hope this gives you some good ideas. Remember - you're not going to love your own vocals over-night, or possibly ever. What you can learn to do it live with them and make them sit well in the mix.
Cheers!
I’d also be interested in how to turn my dodgy vocals into a great performance! I have learnt a few things over the years though. Key is to use EQ, I have quite a low voice which can sound boomy on recordings, so rolling off the low end really helps. I usually also add a small peak towards the upper range to aid clarity, I just play with the placing until it sounds right (not very scientific I know!). Compression can help control volume but don’t overdo it. I often record twice, panned left and right, but you need to ensure the same delivery or it can sound sloppy. And yes, either a little echo or reverb to add some ambience but again I try not to overdo it.
But hey, I’m no expert so I’d love to hear more from people who are better at this than me!
I am no expert (on anything) but FWIW, the best friends you can make for playing around with vocals or any track, are Fab Filters available as IAP’s under Auria Pro. You can get them from the Store within Auria. Another filter called MicroWarmer (also from Auria in-built store) is a marvel for adding, as the name suggests, vocal warmth.
You can look up really extensive YouTube videos to show what the various Fab Filters can offer.
Good vocal technique is a great start. This you practice without any tools and will likely need some pro guidance but do check YT videos before you spend any money.
Then comes mic technique. There is no set distance but you should go between 0 to 20cm approx. Louder parts you get further away and quieter closer. When you get very close bottom end will increase (be aware of that). The further away you are from the mic the More room ambience will be heard. You could record with natural ambience or find a place with no reverb (or pad your walls) or both. Play around and use your ears.
You don’t need an amazing mic to record amazing vocals but it would be good it had a decent range to cover all (your) frequencies. Try different mics though, even cheaper mics might suit your voice. Again, experiment. You don’t necessarily need a condenser mic. Apparently Bjork used a shure sm57 or something similar for a good while at the beginning.
As far as software is concerned you’ll likely need some kind of compressor/limiter to even out your voice, I let others chime in on this one. Just don’t let anyone convince you that you’ll need to buy fab filters to sound fab. They might help you but could also confuse you and you’ll end up with crap. Which leads me to....
Keep it simple and add effects etc if you really want/need them. Soaking in hall reverb might suit the track but can also make your voice lose clarity. The same goes for delay.
You might get a pop filter to put between you and the mic but you could also sing at 45 degrees sending the air just short of the capsule.
Just relax your shoulders, keep good posture, bend your knees slightly (or not). Be comfortable. Take good breath when needed (longer/louder notes). Use your stomach to pump up air from below. Go with the song energy and mean the lyrics.
Have fun.
You need some compression and also possibly some volume automation to even out the volume peaks. Generally for vocals I use a 4:1 or 5:1 compression ratio, with the level set just high enough to catch the loudest parts, and a fast attack and medium release. The idea here is just to make the loud parts quieter in relation to the softer ones.
The classic technique is to record two or more performances, and have one playing back at a lower level, this is known as double-tracking and has been commonplace since the early sixties. You can also add some width with some subtle delay. There are some effects that mimic double-tracking, but never as effectively as actually recording several performances.
I tend to just use compression, reverb, and delay. I only ever EQ a vocal if there's an obvious problem, more often than not EQ makes things worse, especially if it's added just for the sake of it. Most of the time you want to preserve the natural timbre of the vocal.
I use the FabFilters in Auria Pro, namely Pro-C, Pro-R, and Timeless.
Not many quality options on iOS. TC Helicon VoiceRack FX can do a decent-ish and not too intrusive gentle pitch correction, as can GarageBand. Personally I have used Melodyne on the desktop, and more recently Revoice Pro which I purchased on Black Friday - it's even better than Melodyne as it allows me to perfectly align double-tracked vocals in both pitch and timing. Sadly top-notch pitch correction is not available on iOS yet.
For more general advice I would say that 99% of it is in the performance. I've been personally practicing my singing for 4 years now, and refining my recording process alongside it, but really the main improvement has come from simply singing better. It's a slow process, and one that's far from finished in my case, but that's the reality. Sing as often as you can, record yourself practicing, and listen back - and most of all be patient and allow time to work its magic.
Outside of apps, I find if we are talking iOS exclusive production.
I submit that I have much more success using my iPhone as my mic/voice recorder.
I open Audioshare and add any effects to the bus.
I just hold or place the phone near my studio set up. Continue listening-doing music on my iPads/Circuit while just singing with the actual music playing.
I then just Air Drop it over to Twisted Wave or Audioshare and place in song I am doing whether it be a looper or DAW.
I find that the iK media voice app as some nice subtle options, as does TC as mentioned.
The AudioDamage apps are all winners.
I would like to also consider the whole line of Viryn voice related apps. Many types and styles are possible.
Also look at the app Voice Synth (IAA). No audiobus. Really deep and fun app that you can do much with.
Hope it helps.
So many great tips, but one mixing tip I’ve yet to see anyone mention is sidechain compression. (Sidechaining - it ain’t just for EDM pumping effects anymore.) What I mean is, use Auria, not Cubasis. Mix your track first. Then once you have an almost-final mix, buss most of your tracks (except for the kickdrum and vocals). Slap a Pro-C on the “almost everything” buss, and use the vocals as a sidechain input. This way, you can SUBTLY duck the arrangement (I’d say by no more than -2dB, -1dB being the best) and make the vocals really pop!
huh, I was just going to comment, that I do not understand this sidechaining business at all. But............after reading what you wrote, I think it might possibly be clicking......
I second the thing @richardyot said about compression. It’s a vital tool for getting your vocals layered correctly. There are also some great methods you can use (search for NY compression) that can add some nice harmonizing chorus effects and raise the floor of your backing vocals while still keeping the mains up front. Everything everyone else said is spot on still, but make sure to learn vocal compression techniques too. Vocal compression is an entirely different beast than say drum compression. They will open up possibilities without needing as many layered backing vocals. My two cents.
Wow! Really grateful for the great advice!
Guys, I'm blown away by the great advice in this thread. Thank you all for your input. I think I need to spend some time watching some youtube videos about vocal compression techniques since that seems to be coming up a lot. I can't wait to put some of this advice to use. I might even post something eventually
Maybe make a Youtube video with all this awesome advice!
And while you’re at it, maybe open up a Patreon, because you should get paid for such great advice. Cheers. 
I hope so mate. As I said, it ain’t just for EDM pumping.
It’s one of the best mixing tricks I know
ALSO, another tip I forgot to say is using a transient processor. I didn’t think any existed on iOS, but DCam’s EnvShaper is available as an IAP in Auria, and it IS a decent one that gets the job done well.
.
Why didn't you guys tell me all this stuff ages ago?!
Many great responses and another example of this group's excellent hive mind. OK, and weird too.
Another thing worth considering, which relates to performance more than recording, is to do some multiple takes and/or vocal comping.
The simple method would be to enable multi-take recording in GarageBand and simply record a bunch of takes (if you split you song into sections in GB the recording will loop back seamlessly so it's a very quick and convenient process, you hit record and simply do a bunch of takes as the section loops back on itself.) You can then really easily select the best take later on.
If you have the patience to for a more involved process, you could also record a bunch of takes in say Auria, and then listen back to each line of each track and select the best one and cut and paste them into the final vocal track. This means you build your vocal from say 8 or 10 different recordings, selecting the best parts of each. It's a lot of work, but will give much better results.
I can confirm that tc helicon voice fx rack is very good overall albeit it is preset based so you don’t have a total control over the effects. While I was initially put off by it, it turns out I was always able to find a preset that’s close enough for me to dial it in.
Now that it is AU as well there’s no reason not to get it.
The YT Videos convince most people. Then once they get FF, the evidence of their own ears.
What you left out, was that all FF come with a large amount of presets, created by highly qualified sound techs, to cover very many starting points. Often, no tweaking is even required to get a lovely result.
I find putting a flanger on vocals creates a cool sound depending on the style of music.
Sometimes I like to duplicate the lead vocal track and transform the pitch down X semitones to provide more depth/dimension.
Something to add about microphones: know how you’re going to sing the song. For throaty, breathy vocals, I prefer a condenser mic, but for loud, full voice vocals, I usually grab a dynamic mic. Of course, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you realize you don’t. It’s all a process and putting in the work with your voice, your ears, and your gear is the best way to find what you’re looking for. Many of us who’ve been doing this for a while have found different paths to results we like. My go to vocal chain is going to be different than others. Keep it simple in the beginning: one compressor, one EQ, a reverb or a delay/echo. Learn how they work with your voice. Listen, listen, listen. Best of luck with it and don’t quit.
In the past I used a Tascam TMZ, but this thing always gave noise on the needed headphones although you didn't hear it. A few years back I lost de device. See it's still available. Don't know if or how wel it works with the newer iPhones that don't have the 3.5 mm jack anymore. You can find it very cheap on craigslist if you're really on a tight budget.
http://tascam.com/product/ixz/
The easiest way to get great vocal tracks is to have a great singer singing a great song with a great arrangement. It's amazing how easy it is to mix then. I'm not being condescending, I am a terrible singer and my voice is not often recorded, that is probably why I got into the engineering side.
So, rather than this being worthless advice, @richardyot had great advice there about practicing your singing, maybe even taking some lessons if possible. However, if you have a voice like mine, lessons would only make you a person with a terrible voice who knows how to breathe the right way....
Check out the mic technique on this woman, who I recorded over the summer. She has a LOUD voice, you'll see how she varies the distance from the mic. And I still needed some compression. I also am enjoying using dynamic eq these days, which is similar to multiband compression (I didn't do this in ios) to tame some upper mids.
One note, I had nothing to do with the video production, just the audio. The video company that shot this was removed from the project, that's a whole other story. Choices of shots were, uh, limited, for the person who everyday edited...
Contrast that to Brandon singing here. He also has great mic technique and a great voice, but next time I record him I'll be looking for a different mic because he has some issues with plosives and when he really sings out the upper mids on a 58 are not complimentary to his voice. However, I can tell you that he did multiple takes of 7 songs in 2 3 hour sessions (the 8th song was the one I posted above and was the only one he's not on) and not an ounce of auto tune was used. Not on Tiffany either.
One final note, speaking of auto tune - I don't think there's auto tune in ios right now, but the key to successful tuning is to do it manually and really pay attention to just tuning the right parts and leaving some things natural. No auto setting will do that.
You will want some compression, maybe 2 different compressors both doing a little bit of gain reduction since the voice is often much more dynamic than most other sources.
A good tip when checking mix levels is to slowly lower the volume of your speakers, as the music fades out you should still be able just hear the vocal. Common advice is to aim for something around 1db louder than the other sounds.
The most important thing is intelligibility, can you hear the words clearly? EQ cuts on other tracks will help here. An EQ boost in higher frequencies on the vocal might help also, De-Essing may well be required depending on the source material. Every voice is different and these are very general tips so trust your ears
A touch of reverb and a little bit of delay can go a long way on a vocal track, best to use a send for this so you can automate it to highlight certain words etc