Ian Gillan era Black Sabbath - Hot line - cover - Born Again Album

Alvis

I am currently in an Ian Gillan era Black Sabbath cover band, and I especially like this song Hot Line. I love singing it and it definitely requires a massive amount of support.

The first link below is in the middle of our weekly 3-hour rehearsal. Any feedback is welcome



And this link below is our gig last Sunday. We actually rehearsed for two hours before the gig, so I sound a bit exhausted and crack a bit here and there.



I'd love to know what you think and if I'm on the right track. Thanks!!

And this is for comparison, the original version by the legend Ian Gillan. He sure sounds fabulous on this Born Again album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETwp7BFWGzQ

Peace out!

[Deleted User]

@Alvis To be honest, The vocals weren't loud enough over the music to tell accurately how your voice sounded.
Kick that P.A. up, or move your recording mic, or device closer to the PA speaker your vocals are coming from.

Peace, Tony

Alvis

@videoace Thank you so much for the quick feedback! I realized this when I listened to it; my fellow bandmates sometimes do crank up their volume quite a bit. I'll move my iPhone closer to the speaker then. Thanks again!

highmtn

Sounds pretty decent compared to the last demos I heard of you some time back. A clearer recording would be nice, but not that bad for live at rehearsal or a gig.

Alvis

@highmtn Perhaps that's thanks to my iPhone 7 Thanks for the kind words, Bob! It means a lot to me! The line-up now is entirely different; only the vocals (me) and the guitarist are the same people. I'll definitely record our next rehearsal/gig with the vocals emphasized/standing out so that it's easier for you guys to comment on

[Deleted User]

I tell people this a lot but..........The vocals, and drums should always be the loudest in a recording. I also tell people to not take my word for it because it's always better to have first hand knowlege. Start paying attention to mixes on professional recordings.
One of my old bands used to record our rehearsals with just two PZM mics, and had pretty good results.

Peace, Tony

Alvis

@videoace Thank you so much for the input! I'll keep that in mind. And you were right, I really need to start paying attention to mixes so that we sound more professional and well-balanced sound-wise. I'm a newbie in mixes, though. I'll look more into it! Thanks again, buddy

[Deleted User]

@Alvis No problem. That's what we're all here for, to help each other. If you ever need advice on mixing, and shuffling mic's around for a better sound......just post it in the recording techniques and gear section. There are a lot of people here who have a ton of experience with that kind of thing (including myself)

Peace, Tony

Alvis

@videoace Thank you again I'll def visit that section!

@videoace @highmtn
I've just got a video recording of the show where you can see my posture and stuff. Would this quality be decent enough to assess my performance as far as the KTVA approach is concerned? I realized that I shouldn't have tilt my head or bent my body during those high notes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsqzj04eTsQ

0:00 Rockin' in the free world & band intro
07:20 Trashed
11:47 Smoke on the water (sorry for jumping the gun!)
17:54 Hot line
23:40 Doctor Doctor
28:13 Born to be wild
32:24 Paranoid

Alvis

@highmtn @videoace
If the video above is still not ideal, could you try the first 3 videos in this link?
These were shot from a camera in the back of the venue, and vocals and drums do stand out sound-wise. Those overdubbed ones you'll see are the ones where I overdubbed with the audio recordings I have; my bassist complained that he could hardly hear bass or guitar, so I did that for him. You can disregard those. Thanks again!

As the first 3 videos were shot from another guy, he only provided me with those, so it doesn't include the song Hot line, unfortunately. And I'm sorry for jumping the gun in the first chorus of Smoke on the Water. I couldn't hear the sound for a second. (Should probably get one of those in-ear monitors?)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLPWnenIBKZyIw_DdQ3_zK5b3yecHB-oUF

highmtn

If you listen to good recordings that have the drums and vocals on top, you will notice that the cymbals are very transparent and low in the mix. Your voice is drowned out by the crash cymbals, hi hat, and snare. The Kick and toms could come up but the cymbals are too dominant and covering your voice. It's easy to tell that your voice is coming along, but hearing detail is covered by obnoxiously loud cymbals. Maybe you should stand on the other side of the stage to be further from the cymbals. The lead solos are low as well.

Alvis

@highmtn Thanks for your prompt feedback! Much appreciated
Yes, my drummer does play loud. I'll make sure I stand further from the cymbals from now on. And I'll also crank up the mic volume a bit

[Deleted User]

@Alvis The PZM Microphones I mentioned before will take care of the loud cymbal problem.

Not many people know what these are.
They are metal plates with a microphone on top. I believe it's a condenser mic, but its been a while, I could be wrong on that, but you just place them on the floor, wall, table or any flat surface. They are directional from what I remember so you can "aim" them at what you want to record.
They are relatively cheap, and great for live recording. We always placed one on each side about 10 feet away from the drums/amps, and pointed them at the bass drum.

Peace, Tony

Alvis

@videoace Thanks again for the input. I googled them and I think I've seen those before. Do you still use them?

[Deleted User]

@Alvis I don't need to use them anymore. I've been playing instruments for 42 years so I'm pretty confident in my abilities, and the people I jam with have the same experience.
For my vocals because I'm new to singing, I always record myself, but only when I'm alone. I don't want to bog down my rehearsals trying to figure out how to sing something.
Those PZM mics are cool because they can go anywhere. We use to try them on everything from on top of the bass drum itself to nailing them to the cieling. (There is a hole on each mic to nail/screw them down if needed)

Peace, Tony

Alvis

@videoace Sorry for the late reply! I think perhaps I should get my hands on one of those PZM mics then...! Thank you so much for the recording tip, Tony!

Have a good one!