Manolito Mystiq

Hello everyone,

I’ve been doing a lot of Mastering Mix workout. I’m practicing 3+ hours a day with exercises, songs, etc.

I thought of doing that last bit of ‘To Live Forever’.

Could you please tell me if it’s okay? I keep on being worried about my pitch—and kinda my accent, too.

https://app.box.com/s/t3rkq41oiqmfojuqmk4m

Sincerely,

Manuel

Yes and no. Some can significantly increase their speed with the correc technique, but indeed some already apply such good technique by nature, and some are pretty fast, even with inefficient technique.

I was such a runner in high school. I was the fastest—even faster than a trained track runner—but apparently my technique wasn’t all that good.

What you seem to talk about are the freaky things singers can do which is not really something one can train. This delusional idea was especially present at the CVT forum, when I was visting it years ago. This singer does this mode on this spot, that mode on that, etc. And a beginner could get the idea that if you sing in that same mode, you'll be able to sing just like your favorite singer, no matter your own voice's qualities.

I hope i didnt know anything too and be able to sing like that - well i hardly know the basics but you get the point. Only thing i have to say is dont try to fix wats not broken, dont take lessons dont read articles and stuff, you might get confused and even worse than you are right now. Yes you can improve and know your stuff that way but also start wondering about things that you are already applying and get confused. What you know is enough!

This is actually good advice. I remembered an interview in the Netherlands with Esmée Denters who had no formal training, but got pretty popular with a nice solid pop voice all over the world. And then, girl group Loïs Lane said that she should only get training if she needs it for some troubling parts.

Or Ronan Keating who had this trademark sound with his closed jawlike singing (not that they were always closed, but it's that sound you get a bit when you do that), who completely lost it after taking some formal lessons.

And when I think of my own voice. I created some bad habits because of a teacher who told me how to do it. I was skeptical, but I decided for close to a year trust her. I have learned things from her, but it seems a lot was already there, but I needed a mental training. My very first lessons with another teacher back in 2002, when I was 16, I had cracked my voice already, but I could hit up to D5s with ease (and dynamics) with some exercises, but there were mental obstacles which prohibited me from being that free when I sang.

What would trained smokers sound like?

Sorry, but the lyrics and the melody are wrong. It starts with ‘I only want to say. . .’

Just kidding. (I read it as a concept of Gethsemane, hehe)

I hear some creaking. I think you're holding back a bit. You’re curbing a lot. But it’s not an easy piece. I’ll try to sing it to so I can see the obstacles of the song.

Good luck.

I'm especially interested in my accent. I think it has improved.

Fantastic work. I do feel the backing track is layered quite oddly, though—as if they come out of radio speakers. There’s too much reverb.

Other than that, I can’t think of anything that would really need work. Your pitch control is indeed very good.

Please, provide a proper link:

Is this you?

@Snejk: As far as I know, ‘wailing’ refers to the strong powerful sound of a singer, but has nothing to do with embellishments, or in this context ad-libs. A wail literally is expressing a strong emotion (cry, pain). Relating that to singing, it’s where the singer goes nuts, and oftentimes in talent shows like The X-Factor, there is a majority of R&B singers who do that, who indeed do a lot of ad-libbing, too—the reason one could think ad-libs and wailing are interchangeable.

Thanks Keith. I was a little hesitant because I strained my voice just before Halloween, but I felt good and I'm happy to hear it sounded good as well.

Olem, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree that the mix isn't as clean as I would like it. This backing track sounded much cleaner in the clip that I listened to prior to purchasing it. I suppose when you can't provide your own instruments and talent for the backing track then you have to take what you can get. Unfortunately there aren't too many quality karaoke offerings for Queensryche. :/

I have what can be considered as close as the master track as you can go and can make a karaoke track out of it.

This is my first take both playing and singing the piece. I could only record with my voice recorder (quite a good one, though).

https://app.box.com/s/7br306pp9hokzuc2u9r4

Comments, critique, all are welcome.

Mano

Manolito, i listened to your queensryche clips and you have a great voice and a great range. It appears that you, like me, suffer a little from insufficient mixing skills, your higher notes appears a bit shrill. Maybe it could be fixed with a different equalizer setting? But great job overall!

Thanks for the compliment. I needed that. I think I’m going to do another one.

Any requests?

“I have been MIS-UN-DER-STOOD!”

I wasn’t implying that Bruce isn’t or wasn’t a great technical singer. It’s probably due to the (sometimes really over the top) writing by the Portnoy and Petrucci that makes LaBrie make this crazy lines. Dickinson indeed can be all over the place, and for sure he is very precise, but I wouldn’t call his lines ‘acrobatic’/coloratura-like. He’s clearly a lot heavier and you can ‘feel’ that ‘weight’.

No, LaBrie’s lows always have been very weak. Again, that could also be due to style. This very reverby production in especially Awake, also helps him a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s a bad singer or anything, even though in his prime I was never satisfied about his live performance.

He does have a very warm tone, but his power lies in his highs. Indeed, much more acrobatic and smooth than say a darker tenor that is Bruce Dickinson.

I can sing much warmer in my lows, but I tend to be ‘afraid’ of it sounding too classical. I tend to want to have this samey blendy sound. I was often told that I tend to be my own equalizer instead of trusting the sound mixer.

What do you say LaBrie is then? I would most definitely call him a high lyric tenor. Indeed, his creamy sound is partly due to his technique, his very strong vowel modification toward rounded sounds, but his main sound definitely sounds like a high tenor, to me.

His lowest notes, though controlled, never sounded strong, but always breathy. This could also be a style issue of his. I would even go so far as to say my voice is similar to LaBrie’s, only I don’t do such crazy vowel modifications and I have more of a musical theater approach (legit singing).

@Xamedhi: Well yes, I don’t worry about reaching notes at all. The issue is the delivery and the intonation. Obviously that’s a big part of reaching notes in the first place, though. But when I listen back, I feel my high parts are a lot better than my low ones, intonationwise. Maybe, indeed, I strained a bit with my highs, though (but on pitch).

Hey there y’all,

It’s been a while. And it shows (as you will hear). I’m currently studying Music Science, and we were asked to perform. I couldn’t say no, but I had hardly any time to work on a song.

So I chose a golden oldie.

There was no monitor and the amplifier was nothing to write home about, so this has quite a raw sound.

The intonation is … well just listen for yourselves.

https://app.box.com/s/m6hmvy9gcfrz5pojx96r

Sincerely,

Mano

I edited the link. Now it’s on box.net.

That was the main reason why I posted. I told a story. That is something I’m usually lacking.

Yes, that’s what I’ve heard, as well. It may be helpful to think in terms of EVT modes. Like, sing everything in BELT, or everything in CRY. Just for practice. I actually tried everything in CRY as a start. But it might work, because then my voice could do anything it can to keep in being extremely CRY, or extremely BELT, etc.

More of a mode switch issue, I presume. [æ] and .

But don’t you see, the twang is alerting you of the man, ‘see the blind MAN’, while the backward sound of shooting implies you didn’t see it coming, as if he were shooting from behind, see?

/kidding

You are talking about the verse, Jens? I’ve heard that before, that I’m mixing way too much. I wasn’t trying to experiment in the verse. Well the second verse was a very personal take, but not thinking: okay, now add twang, okay, now let go off twang.

I did record with my headset on. I seem to have a harder time to have a reference of my sound while singing. Sometimes for the better, because I would probably hold back a bit for the ‘chorus’ bits if I would have heard myself without my headset. And sometimes for the worse, because of what you were saying.

Also, this is like my first week with my condenser mic., the Røde M2. I seem to have heavily compensated my sound while using my Shure SM58.

I probably have to sleep over it and listen tomorrow with fresh ears.

Thanks.

There is a clear flip to my whistle when I go from G5 to A5. I could definitely try to smooth that out.

But you mean my E5-D5-C5-line, right? I usually don’t falsetto sing like that—probably the reason why you haven’t heard me switching before. When I try to sing it with more mass, like that song Confusion, it’s unbalanced or at least I don’t like it like that.

Besided, I kinda cheat with A5 in whistle.

N.B.: I don’t think anyone knows about the specific performance thread, so that’s why, like Enander did, I post it here, as well.

MANO IN TIME

For the last week, I kept recording myself singing this song and experiment. Today, I felt it’s overall pretty interesting and flowing. I really like my phrasing when the verse repeats. And so here it is.

Click Me!

There is some Thom Yorke going on, too. Didn’t see that coming.