Xamedhi

Hey! I had some fun today singing this song. I'd like it more aggressive, with a bit of grit [which is what characterizes the Awake album, in fact], but I still don't reach the level of compression I want and need, and well.. I still can't seem to learn how to make gritty sounds haha I can make very heavy and ugly sounds with my false cords, but I can't sing like that, though. So, please listen and leave some input, please SoundCloud: Box: https://app.box.com/s/m0t9xdq4o5hepjbw2nmp

Thanks, Keith! This track was recorded in two different days. If you listen closely, on the first verse and chorus My voice was kind of tight on the high range, and with not as much presence as I would like. From the second verse to the end was recorded on the next day, and I felt like my high range was very opened up, with much more strengh. One can notice on the C5 ( IIRC ) of all of the "miiiinds", haha. I'll send ya the track when I can, mate I'd love to find an instrumental version of it :/ But Conception is a very unknown band, and this is the best I could find haha ( If not the only version, lol ) EDIT: As for the high note at the end.. Honestly, I forgot about it, lmao. I haven't heard these songs that much, and I had to constantly keep reproducing some bits of the song, because I couldn't remember what he did. On that particuar part, I dunno what happend. It sounds good, I think, anyway.. cus somehow I believed he hold the note like I did... but now that you tell me haha It wasn't like that. It is a D#5, isn't it? A D5 is my last solid note, some days I can do E's, and other days I just get to a D#.. but that'll come with time I think [OFF TOPIC: I have a hypothesis about compression linked to range, man.. I have noticed people like Brett Manning, Daniel Heiman, Michele Luppi, even Manolito Mystiq or Jens in here, who have a LOT of compression capability and very SOLID core to their voice, have also a massive range. I have friends that get easily to an E5 or an F5 ( not singing, or singable, of course ), without any training, which I envy a bit haha And I think it is in fact my LACK of compression, and breathy tone tendency that impedes me to reach higher notes as easily. The days when I feel more compression and beefyness are exactly the same days where I can reach a lot of low and high notes I usually can't do. Has someone experienced something like this too? ] In some time from now I will re record it, to use all of the progress made with training. Thanks again for the input, Keith :)

Haha, good luck, mate :)

Hi all, I wanted to share this cover I did with you. I would greatly appreciate any opinion, advise, etc. SoundCloud: Box: https://app.box.com/s/d19p74j3rt9v4qoxbye2

MDEW, man. I click on the link but it sends me to some other adress inside the SoundCloud site. Please put another link or something :)

Recorded this today You can hear my noisy sister somewhere in the first verse, but other than that, it is a pretty decent recording. There is something about the EQ that I used this time that I don't like. In this song I don't go over the passagio at all, although I play a lot with airy/falsetto/however you call it. SC: Box: https://app.box.com/s/klmr9e7gkd5ljktgizp4 Dropbox: https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/X%20-%20Hold%20On.mp3?w=AADjzQUCRdJo65vfBa2UVI54GGepOH5gAJn1QFZM-dWySQ

Thank you very much, Mr Bounce I have always felt like my sound is very "close-mouthed", which gives a lyrical quality that I don't quite like. You can hear my cover of Warrior of Ice by Rhapsody here on the forum ( or here if you want https://app.box.com/s/ry0kk6x7hxjiu1i4ztfu ), to know more about my voice. Which I would appreciate very much, as any techical advice means a lot to me. I am currently working on fold closure, and a more brassy sound, which would give me more resonance and power on my high range. I've been working on it for 3 months, so being able to sing on mix there is quite an achievement for me haha. Please listen to that song if you have time.

Well, the important thing you want to know is that: When you speak the folds [your cords] are closing a lot, which produces a "thick" kind of sound. When you do a very high pitch (like imitating a girl, or when talking to a baby or a puppy for example) the muscles that you use in that configuration, with training... can make the folds come toghether so much, that it can sound just like your "normal" voice. And basicly that is how the guy from Muse does it, Steve Perry from Journey, Bruce Dickinson, Bruno Mars, etc.. When you do the "nobody said it was easy", is on headvoice.. but it is a very breathy kind of sound, with the folds very separate and with a lot of air passing through. That's what we usually call falsetto. you could do a falsetto on your chest voice/normal voice too, you just have to relax so much that almost only air passes through. Just to help you a little on the forum, because people here has different vocabulary sometimes and one has to be very flexible: Chest voice/M1 [stands for Mechanism 1] Headvoice/M2/Falsetto Now, on lyrical singing and very often on popular, like we see on a lot of people and coaches here, like to call your headvoice ( which is the part of your range where the sounds vibrates more on your head, and also the part where the muscles are more weak ) falsetto. Now, when they call that part of your range "falsetto", they will probably call that breathy quality... just breathy, or airy.. which is used for stylistic effects. People who calls it headvoice, usually calls that breathy and airy configuration falsetto. Now, when I say compression I am talking about the amount of adduction (closeness) your folds have. Which produces the air to come more compressed. That changes the sound completely. Think about Earth, Wind and Fire or Prince. Those guys use their high range a lot, but not breathy... they sound very thin and clear, very vibrant. I hope this helps you understand better what people talks about in here :)

I like this one, a lot more than The Scientist. You have a very nice vibrato, and you know how to play with it. You use it a lot on the end of the phrases, and it sounds good.. very good. Question: Do you listen to this relaxed.. soothing kind of music always? Do you like to use your voice for this, or do you like other genres too? I feel like your voice is made ( or you have trained it very well ) for this kind of music. It fits it perfectly and feels very organic. Good job, mate. When I have more time I will listen to your other one. :)

This one I found was pretty good ^.^ You got the mood from the original very well. I notice you have a very good ear, as you perceive the little details - and then be able to reproduce them, which is also another talent. Keep up the good work, man. You should definetly work a lot on your headvoice. Although maybe your focus is not ( I just assume, just correct me if I am wrong ) on power or a big chesty quality on your headvoice, it would be awesome for the style of music that you like to sing, to have a more compressed, focused, "with more core" kind of sound. More brassy. You will have a lot more dynamics and control to play with. I myself am kind of obsessed right now with compression and laryngeal strengh haha, so take my suggestion as a grain of salt xD

I downloaded your file, but it seems to be a backing track, with no vocals.

Well.. that might explain a lot of things. I could have sworn that you where a 12 year old kid ( obviously not like you @RockNSoulLover haha! ) You could try singing some Evanescence stuff, or if you don't like her voice try with some Within Temptation or Epica stuff. They have solid technique ( Simone is excelent) so there you will have some good examples. Other singers like Tarja (ex-Nightwish) is full lyric and operatic foundation, so it will be a lot harder to understand what they are doing, but for listening it helps a lot. It trains your ear and helps building "neuronal memory" as you hear. Those are the few metal bands I know who have female vocalists, I am not really into women voices. I will gladly help you with anything you need I am not an expert or a pro on this matter, but I love to share what I have learned along the way. :P

Hey, man Your voice sounds very childish yet... how old are you? Sorry 'bout that haha.. but that jumped to my attention. Keith is very right. You should first learn how to support. Well, you have all the errors of the very new to singing person. You are lowering the laryx on the lows and losing compression ( you seem to have a pretty high range, dunno how old are you ). Your voice sounds very shaky everywhere on your range, because of the lack of support and stability of the vocal muscles. Pitch is all over the place, on all of the recordings. Learning how to identify tensions and how to relax and use particular muscles will help a lot with it, takes a lot of time though. Freak on a Leash, being objective.. sounds pretty bad. Sounds like when someone is playing around making fun of a song or a singer's way of singing. Damien is pretty low for you I think. That's what made it harder maybe. Now, pitch is all over the place again, and it sounds like playing around, just "marking" the parts, the grit and stuff, and not seriously singing. Hallowed Be Thy Name. This song is quite tough. Pitch again, just like Keith said. Sanguine... now here I have quite some things to say, that will also clarify soem things I said before. As your voice seems pretty high, the notes of the vocals are very low for you on this one, I think at least. So you compensate by lowering the larynx and singing like if you where constipated or something. That's ok, we all do those kind of things when something is difficult. I tend to rely on "the cry" too much when I lose support, and sounds awful. Pitch is all over the place again. And volume overall, here and on the other songs feels pretty low. We can hear you breathing and tossing air, but we hear you very low. The grit, or gutural, whatever parts are in a very low volume also. Solitude. Sounds also like playing around. Not singing seriously and all over the place. Sounds very very novice (being Novice->Amateur-->Proffessional ) You seem to have no conscious control over your pharyngeal/twang, compression, your larynx, your soft palate. No support and little pitch control, just a general perception of high and low frequencies. The good things about your voice. You seem to have a very natural compression ( to me at least, as I work on it everyday to add edge and power ), that's why doing that grit/gutural stuff is easy for you. That's cool. Now if you tried to do those things on a very high volume you will end up with problems probably, because of your lack of support, so be careful. Same as Keith, I would advice you to contact one of the vocal coaches here. Phil, Kevin Richards, Dan, just to name a few, and ask them for some lessons and help. That should set you on the right track. :)

A different approach with my voice, very far from the last song I shared with you guys. I hope you like it. Can someone give me any suggestions too, as to what else can I do in the post-recording process (with Audacity) ? I am only using Noise Removal, Leveller, and in this case an almost imperceptible amount of Echo. https://www.dropbox.com/s/r6p9j1navni4k3r/Xamedhi%20-%20Wait%20For%20Sleep.mp3

I think it is all strengh based in the end. These guys have an incredible power in their laryngeal muscles, be it by excercising or just natural, but all comes down to the same result. This was recorded just a few days before my last Roll the Fire attempt, and it was quite better I think. I will keep working this way for a while to see where it leads.

Thanks for the input, Agcor Well, yeah.. it is just a matter of taste. 7 years ago I loved Fabio Lione's voice, now.. not so much, there are a lot of things I don't like about it now, hehe EDIT: Forgot to ask. What can you hear technically? I have been working a lot lately on fold closure, as I tend to have a breathy voice. Tone-wise also, what do you hear?

Yup! I wanted to re-explore a side I had a forgotten about me. Please listen to my attempt at Warrior of Ice. ( It has the intro of the album pasted WITH the song itself, but I didn't want to cut it, as it helps setting the epicness haha ) Dropbox: https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Xamedhi%20-%20Warrior%20Of%20Ice.mp3?w=AABEKMXehFrVXgcpJy-rTgE9GQVEfs5h6-PSRiIRSurwfQ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sebabergmann/rhapsody-of-fire-warrior-of

Thanks, Keith I agree on the weak thing, I still feel my headvoice very unsteady and inconsistent. I need to keep working on it to feel more control and freedom over it. Thanks about the vibrato I can play with it quite a bit, but I still want a full control like Roy has for example. I appreciate very very much your help, Keith, the same as Ron. Thanks guys :)

I have always thought that I have like a very bright tone, and kind of a small voice haha How funny is that? The perception we have or our own voices is so different from reality, even if we hear ourselves on recordings it is not the same as when other people hear you. I guess we are just too used to our own vibrations haha. Thanks Ron, again, for taking the time to write to me. I learn so much about singing and our own voices through this forum.

I'd like to ask.. I am curious about the matter. How would you describe my voice? Bright, dark, small.. warm.. whatever. I would really like to know what others feel about it.

I think you may be right Physical sensations sometimes fool us, hehe It's cool to know what kind of feeling it gives to the listener , thank you, Ron.

Hey, Ron ! I've been waiting for your comments haha. You are always very very helpful We listened to more similar things this time I hear it quite a bit shaky in some parts, somewhat insecure. Have to keep that in mind when working later on. Also.. the cry. Do you really think that is cool? haha I believe I do it naturally, and well.. we all want to change some things on our voices that we don't like, and that cry of mine tends to go a bit nasal sometimes I think. It is a matter of practice and training I guess and will eventually be corrected. Thanks for posting your thoughts, Ron. As always you were very constructive, thank you very much.

No, you are right. It is not the mix. I do sound like "small", I feel it too... cautious, isn't it? The solution to this would be just to release more air, but I am still a bit afraid of doing that, because as I tend to be breathy, sometimes when I try and use a little more air, I feel like my folds can't keem compressing and it backfires, I lose resonance and my voice sounds breathy. But yes, I understand what you mean Thank you very much. I guess in time when I have more strengh I will be able to "belt out" in a more metal fashion. Will keep working hard. Thanks Keith

Thaanks, Keith! Yes, indeed it helps a lot I am doing some Mastering Mix exercices to help with compression on my headvoice. Very similar to what you discribe. I have noticed that doing hard onsets exercices helps my muscles to "memorize the tension", as well as playing with vocal fry and trying to take it to my headvoice. Please, if you could hear the last song I uploaded ( first upload with music.. my first real mix haha ) I would appretiate it greatly.

I didn't touch the technical aspect, though. Because I know I am not skilled enough to sing this stuff, even less to do it justice. I like to challenge myself and experiment a lot Keep in mind that I don't do this to get better, I do this to keep track of my progress. I vocalize everyday, or almost, to work on my voice.