How to add Warmth to vocals

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ktodac3298

New member
I have a M-Audio Profire 610 and a Blue Babby Bottle Mic and I use Logic. My vocals sound like they need some more warmth. Is there anything software wise I can do to get a little more warmth so my vocals aren't as flat. I was also considering getting a new preamp, any suggestions? My friend recommended the Universal Audio 710 its about 800, but I really dont want to spend that much.

Thanks

PS Ill try to post a sample soon
 
Mic and preamp will have the most impact. You can try some of the saturation plug-ins. Bootsy's "Ferric" (I think that's what it's called) is suprisingly good, and free. That said, also bear in mind that balancing/level/compress/how-it-fits-in-the-mix has a lot ot do with how people perceive vocals as thin/flat/etc.
 
Many people are confused about what makes things sound "warm". Some of the warmest sounding gear doesn't even have tubes. Look at EMI. Very thick and warm with no tubes. Also understand that tube gear really isn't that thick and warm. It's more slightly warm with a high end sparkle and sheen. The UA 610 is a thick and warm piece of tube gear but I think it gets kinda muddy. I like solid state mic pres and tube compressors.

The solution most people are looking for is good eq and mixing. If you heard some of the thick tube gear that people used I doubt you would like it. Most of the legendary tube mic pres are way too vintage sounding. Most people are looking for the modern clean sound that's popular today. Even the Avalon 737 isn't super warm. It's more clean than anything.

That being said, my favorite tube and analog saturation plug-ins are nXtasy v2 by CrySonic and Bad Buss Mojo by Stillwell Audio.

Also try out Ruby Tube. It's free.

Ferric is a tape saturation fx. Not really great for that tube sound but it does add analog saturation and a pleasing tape compression. I helped do the beta testing on it.
 
These guys are completly right. Also try getting creative with the effects; Hipass/Lowpass the voc and use saturation, and (Chorus, phaser etc). More often than not though, warm vocals will be dictated by the beat/Instru
 
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Morning_Star said:
Also try out Ruby Tube.
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Morning_Star I was told a while ago that Ruby Tube had been ported to OSX UB. But I have not yet been able to find it. I don't see anything about Macs on the website, have you ever heard anything about this?

Not a big deal just always wanted to hear it in my home studio.
 
Just messing. Vocal chain is tops., makes mixing easier when you have the sound dialed before it heads into your DAW.
 
Morning_Star said:
The solution most people are looking for is good eq and mixing. If you heard some of the thick tube gear that people used I doubt you would like it. Most of the legendary tube mic pres are way too vintage sounding.
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I agree with this statement. After I got that New York tune back from you I went to re-mix it and sent it off to a well known ME that specializes in vintage mastering here in NYC using EQPs and FC670s vacuum tube gain staging and the whole 9-yards... and it sounded awful.

I sent the same mix to a lesser known but trusted buddy of mine, an ME in Ohio who worked that mix so sweet and it was all ITB. It was a f*cking shame what my ME did to the other guys master... a big name guy at that. Just goes to show you... its not the man's gear. It's the man's taste.
 
define what you precieve as warm? i used to own a ua la 610. matta fact most of my recordings on my soundclick link were through a 610 and the other half through a dmp3. im sure other well seasoned engineers in here will beable to distinguise which ones were recorded through which preamp BUT can YOU tell me you hear the diffrences? if you cant then my point is its not the gear its the mix. you can get a great sound with great gear but also get a good sound with not so great a gear provided you kno the proper steps to do so. personally i think the answer too ur problem lies in eqing and compression technique combined with but definitly not limited too maybe a little bit of bussed delay.
 
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I heard your tracks with the LA-610. I remember when you sold it. I could pick out the UA over the DMP3 every time but your voice sounded good with it. I have heard some serious mud come from a 610 though when the tube was driven too hard. It's a very nice preamp. Just very touchy when set wrong. How it is coming in finding a new preamp?
 
Is the OP sure he's looking for 'warm'? No clips to deifne what the main objective is. Might be he's looking a more full sound, round sound.
 
Morning_Star said:
I heard your tracks with the LA-610. I remember when you sold it. I could pick out the UA over the DMP3 every time but your voice sounded good with it. I have heard some serious mud come from a 610 though when the tube was driven too hard. It's a very nice preamp. Just very touchy when set wrong. How it is coming in finding a new preamp?
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yea i been on a watchful look out for the right buy. i think ima wait til after christmas though to make my pick. i definitly want coloured....prolly in the neve family.....i been looking at a b stock cl 7602, golden age pre73 with tt mod, or sca n72. if i find it for the right price ill definitly try a great river out but i wana stay in the 6 hundred dollar price range. i also been looking at the BLA auteur and a daking mp1. i also been thinking get a un modded gap 73 since there only three hundred and get a daking or auteur as well.

im most intrested right now in the sca n72 and the daking.

ive seen ua solo 110s go for round 500. whats your take on that unit?
 
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I've been seeing some old CL 7602's for like $500. Let me tell you that is an amazing deal. Go check out the new track I just recorded with my CL. It's at www.myspace.com/epithetstudios. I used a SM7b with it. I didn't do any stacking or anything.

Honestly you can't go wrong with your choices. Except for the Great River. I really wasn't that impressed. It just seemed to bland for me. Also the CL can really adjust the color really well since it has the output trim knob that acts like a fader on a console. It allows you to drive the input as hard or light as you want.

The Daking is super nice though. Very clean and modern with a little mojo.

I've never heard a Solo110. I'm sure it sounds decent but it's not very popular. Of course one of my favorite mic pres isn't that popular. i love the sound of the Trident S20.
 
wow, thanks for all the replies. I will try out some of those plugins and see if I want to get a new preamp. I pesonally think my vocals sound ok, but I had my friend who is a lot more into this stuff than me listen to it and he said it was good, but my vocals would benefit from some warmth.

here is quick sample, im on the first verse and my friends on the second, it was his first time on the mic
NOTE in the lyrics i accidently said "balls in my hand" and i meant "the ball is in my hand" i realized it latter and haven't fixed it

never mind the upload isnt working ill try later
 
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