How produced to make a demo

vedeviatorsum

I'm thinking of covering "Blue on Black" https://youtube.com/watch?v=SWKb861wlAI but for here I'm not sure what is the most helpful. Should I try to reproduce the sound FX and all. Should I sing clean a Capella style. Should I use a backing track that you can hear. Should I use a headphone mix as a guide.

I mean even all of my Combo amps have a different sound and if I just run the mic through my mixing board and out to the camera even that is different. I guess the only things that is certain is that I'll use a dynamic mic and not a condenser (have 11 dynamic mics and 0 condensers).

Really I understand that there isn't any rules but what would be the best for you to help me? I'm not sure but I think with the right FX/condensers/etc I could make a frog sing the national anthem... Live, no so much!

Michael Kelly

Furious_Phil

Michael,

Assuming that you have already sent in a few items to check if your basics are on point? i.e. "Lah" has enough ping and all that jazz...

It all depends on what your end goal is. If it is just a cover for fun, then use a backing track and try to get as close to the original as you can effects-wise... while keeping the vocals forward and not overpowered by the backing track.

However if you want help with it, I would encourage a backing track (for our reference), just put your voice well forward of it; and while EQ'ing is cool to enhance separation, try to keep the other effects out of it.

Hope this helps.

Phillip

[Deleted User]

Cool tune, but as Phil mentioned, you have to decide what you want the end result to be.
That's the beauty of music though. You can re-do it anyway you like. I've seen Kenny Wayne Sheppard do a really nice acoustic version of that song.
If you want it to sound the same then use the effects or as Phil mentioned, go online and find the backing track for it. You may get lucky, and find the actual backing track from the original recording.

Peace, Tony

highmtn

To help with your voice, first give us the basic Lah. We can use that to troubleshoot a myriad of possible issues that will be much harder to detect in a song with all of its moving parts.

If you have proven the basic foundation and want to add a lot of moving parts, then a simple song would be best.

If a demo is to get you a gig, then you should spare no time or expense to make it as perfect as possible, sounding like a million bucks. If you want critiques on vocal technique, then keep it simple and plain so we can hear the core of your voice, unmasked by instruments and reverb or effects.

If you have a song that is kicking your butt, then just give us the parts that you want help with, and we'll deal with those issues.

Songs have a lot of moving parts. When someone submits a song and says "Tell me what I need to do to fix it" you could write an encyclopedia about it. So simpler is better, more direct, and to the point. A good song will be using the elements that Ken teaches us. You will hear someone relying on the AH vowel, using great support, vowel mods, and contiguous phrasing with minimized consonants.

Once you firmly embed the basic KTVA foundation into your muscle-memory, and utilize those elements in your everyday singing voice, you will be on your way. So start with the basics for help and information.

vedeviatorsum

Thanks Guys!