Before you can even think about singing, you have to master the instruments and prepare your vocalist to work with you.
You might think that mastering the tools first would help you produce great vocals.
It does but it’s only half of the equation.
Should you master a beat before placing the vocals?
Mastering before the vocals are necessary so you don’t have to go back and rework a song after vocals have been overdone or vocals are flat.
Mastering before the vocalists work will enable you to hear their parts and determine whether they are perfect for the mix.
The mixing process is also very important.
Sometimes, the vocalist needs to be left alone while the other parts are worked on.
If the vocalist needs to be left alone, the recording should be heard through a monitor.
Monitor the vocalist while recording
You should monitor while the vocalist is working so that you can monitor the levels.
If a singer goes out of tune, the level could be too low or too high.
It’s common for some musicians to push the limits of their voice or vocal abilities.
You can’t do that if you are working on a song.
You need to have a good ear and knowledge of how to produce a good sound.
Sometimes, the vocalist has a tendency to sing high notes or loud notes.
To avoid this, limit your vocals to lower tones.
If you need to mix or master your vocals on your own
If you are a songwriter or musician, mastering your own vocals can be very rewarding.
Not only will it enhance your vocal skills, but it can also open new doors for you by making your music more marketable.
If you are just starting out, you might want to focus on producing your own tracks rather than trying to get your vocals to be heard by producers.
Some musicians will overwork their vocal cords until they break.
If this happens to you, stop what you are doing and rest.
Work on your demos until they sound better
You can also use the demo as a final practice before mastering a song.
It is a good way to find any problems in your performance.
Don’t spend too much time trying to make your vocals sound great.
In most cases, you need to work with what you have.
The song that you are working on will tell you how you sound.
It won’t need much work at all if the track sounds like itself.
If you are going to be singing live, you will need to practice every chance you get.
You will need to learn how to breathe properly so that your voice sounds clean and crisp.
You will also need to work on pitch variations.
Live vocal mixing is different
When you are singing live, your range will be different from when you are recording.
You can increase your range when you record, but you cannot reduce it.
You should be able to listen to a recording and figure out exactly what it sounds like.
If you cannot hear yourself sing, then you should not be doing this.
Mastering a beat before vocals is something that should be done as a last step.
It will allow you to create the song correctly.
There are many songs that people could not figure out how to master a beat before vocals.
This is where a mentor will come in handy.
They will be able to listen to the track and figure out exactly what is wrong.
If you cannot play an instrument well, then a tutor may be needed as well.
Mastering is also important for live performances
A lot of music artists who are looking to master a beat before vocals will also hire a musician to perform live.
This way, they do not have to worry about singing live and can focus solely on the beat.
There are many advantages to hiring a musician.
First, they can guarantee an energetic live performance.
Second, they can make your song come to life.
Of course, hiring someone to sing on your track can be an advantage as well.
Adapt your vocals on the track
You will need to learn different vocal techniques and will be required to sing louder so that other people can hear themselves on the album.
You should also be prepared to sing along to a beat and experiment with it to make sure that you are singing along with the beat and not trying to invent something of your own.
So, if you want to know “How do you master a beat before vocals?”, then you should definitely be willing to invest in a good guitar, a live band and learn how to sing along with the music.
Once you master that, you can try writing your own music or start your own band.
If you think you are talented enough, then go for it.
It won’t be long before you are raking in the money with your own music.
So, do you need to master your beats?
It is a question asked by many people especially the new comers in the music industry.
They are looking for that magic moment where they will be perceived as the next big thing.
Of course, this is a normal feeling, but it is definitely not easy to have it.
Just imagine being on top of the music industry with no experience and all the accolades that can come your way if you can actually make it in the music industry.
So the question remains whether you really need to master the beat making skills.
There are some good reasons why you should have a deep knowledge about the music industry and beat making.
Mastering a beat making skill would help you to create great music and even fame and fortune.
Reasons why you need to master your beats
First of all, this is the best way for people to discover you.
If they like what they hear then they are most likely going to want to hear more of what you have to offer.
Even though technology has made it very easy for people to get access to your music, there is still a long way for you to go.
This is the reason why you need to know how to make music.
This is also the reason why you need to be skilled.
When you have your own music and you are capable of creating it then you will surely draw people’s attention.
People will admire your work and they will want to be like you.
With this you will surely be noticed.
But how will you catch the attention of people if all they hear is your boring song?
This is the reason why you should have real beats in your music.
Beats with quality mastering will make you sound professional
With so many people out there making beats, it would be hard for you to stand out.
This is the reason why people are always looking for good rappers and musicians.
They want to listen to a rapper that makes a beat that people love to hear.
One of the most important factors about being a successful rapper is that you need your audience’s full attention.
You need to have their undivided attention when you are performing.
It does not matter if you are just having fun or are singing your hit song; you have to make sure that people listen to your music.
You can’t just rely on the people at the music store to give you a copy of your song.
If you are lucky enough, then you might have some friends who would let you borrow their beats but this is highly unlikely.
If you don’t have your own beats
There are plenty of websites that are dedicated to letting other artists borrow their beats so that they can use them in their music.
Make sure to secure an agreement first though before you can legally download someone else’s beats.
The music industry is very protective of its intellectual property and anyone who tries to break the law will get in trouble.
That’s why the best thing that you can do is invest in professional music editing software.
Use the appropriate mastering software
One of the main advantages of using professional music mastering software is that it allows you to make beats on your own.
If you were to go the traditional route where you would have to teach yourself how to record, you would spend a lot of time studying music theory and how to play an instrument.
While this is a requirement for most artists, mastering your own beats would allow you to save time and focus more on improving your rapping skills.
You would also be able to work on your timing, recording techniques, composing, and the overall sound design of your songs.
In addition to this, you wouldn’t have to worry about any licensing issues as well because the tracks would be yours.
Should vocals be louder than the beat?
For years I have been asked “What should vocals be louder than the beat?” It’s a good question and one that I get asked quite often.
Vocal technique changes as you progress through your techniques and you can’t expect to sing like Cheerios if you started off with a whisper.
In this article I will discuss some things you can do as a lead vocalist to make sure you are singing louder than the beat.
When you speak into a microphone you want to make sure the sound waves hitting the ears are long and clean.
It is always a matter of perspective
Unfortunately, the sound engineers aren’t always that sure about this and sometimes they add backroom and echo sounds to make the stereo mix sound better.
You don’t want your vocals to be mixed with other instruments, but if you have a bit of extra money you can hire someone to bounce your vocal sounds back.
If you want to make sure the bottom line is heard through your mix make sure you ask them to bounce your vocal levels.
If you go to a studio and they have the equipment to measure the sound you make, ask them to play a track with your vocals at various volumes.
Different genres require different vocal levels
If you are singing along to a heavy metal song you will hear it with more clarity than a slower paced blues song.
This is because the sound waves hit your ear drums harder at a higher volume and travel further.
At lower volumes you don’t hear the sound waves quite as clearly.
The same concept works if you stand in front of a speaker with a microphone: louder is better.
In general, if you are singing on a beat, you should go with the beat.
It depends on the needs of the song
Sometimes you might want to top a verse or bridge with something else, but you need to keep your vocals consistent with the beat.
Not everyone likes certain types of music and not everyone will sing on a beat that is quite heavy or fast.
It is best not to try to make your vocals to be louder than the beat.
If the beat is already ear-wormingly melodic, then you know what you are doing.
Some of the most popular songs, like “igo,” “ravishing” and even “take me out to the dark for nights” were written around a simple piano loop.
There was no conscious effort to over-power the beat.
If you find that you want to vocalize above the instruments then experiment with different octaves.
It also depends on the frequency of the instruments
Some instruments have higher frequencies than others and you can use this feature to your advantage.
Some instruments have lower frequencies, which also carry a stronger sound wave.
When you try raising the octave, make sure you don’t reach the highest possible note because your listeners could start hearing the middle notes.
Also try singing near the head of the instrument rather than the top.
The higher notes are usually more difficult to hear when singing a bit further away from the head.
If you are not sure which octaves to raise then try using the virtual keyboard in your computer.
This feature enables you to see the actual sound wave and not just an image.
By using the keyboard in your software you will be able to tell exactly what type of sound waves are necessary for your vocal cords to carry.
Conclusion
There are so many techniques that you can try when trying to make your vocals louder than the beat.
Try all the above and if you still aren’t satisfied try the various plugins that are available.
You might even be surprised by what kind of sound you can come up with by combining some of these techniques.
Be creative and don’t be afraid to try something new.
The more you experiment, the more your voice will grow on you.
