How much does audio quality affect the appeal of a vocal recording?

[Cort Haus]

Maybe someone should post the relevant Spinal Tap clip at this point.

[Al B. Sure!]

44.1 kHz is baseline "CD quality" sample rate, which should be sufficient for your purposes, but it sounds like you're recording in mp3 format. That's not surprising, but not preferred, as it's a "lossy" format. Better would be .WAV file format at 48 or 96 kHz. (Don't know if you have that option.)

There are websites for this kind of thing...

I record in .wav but after I mix it, I save it as .mp3 for purposes of putting it up on a site like soundcloud.

[Pax]

I recommend going to a guitar center and asking them to set you up within your budget. I've been to ones in GA and TX. They are very helpful. Ask a lot of questions and make sure they know what program you are using. They're not going to check your registration. Also make sure they know how you are setting up your system and what your output is. A lot of times you may be missing something very small they will change the whole thing. I've purchased several programs and mics for my sons who rap. I personally have a boom mic(AT-897) that I purchased from bhphotovideo (also a good choice to call).

[Al B. Sure!]

Actually, Pax, you'd probably be the best here to give some judgment on delivery vs. audio quality, since you apparently do listen to rap judging by your Outkast quote. People just say 'delivery needs work' but, like I said, I wonder if it's the audio quality that's making it 'seem' like the delivery is bad. Tell me what you think?

[Al B. Sure!]

ATL-style for you, Pax

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/who-is-that

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/what-it-do

[Pax]

i listened to who is that. My first impression is that it's an amateur recording. It's sound like AM radio a little. That could have been your intent but I don't think so. I'm not really a fan of most rap coming out of Atlanta. A few songs by Young Jeezy, T.I. and Ludacris. Then Almost the entire Goodie Mob and Outkast. I lean towards groups/artists like Mos Def/Blackstarr, Common and A tribe called Quest, De La Soul, and etc for listening then more upbeat/dance/gangsta rap for running.

[Pax]

I am going to listen to both songs in the morning and I'll give you my opinion tomorrow. Don't be offended if I don't like it. You can't please everybody. You are on the right track by asking outside opinion. I find that you can really grow as an artist when people are honest with you.

[Al B. Sure!]

Well I do it all. I just did the South trap stuff trying to be different and have a mainstream sound. I feel like my more true stuff is more droning and boring to people, though.

Here:

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/mr-bill-collector

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/fairhill-street

If you like those, here's another that I recorded in 2005 for perspective on any growth:

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/ho-happy

Again, we established that my audio quality is extremely amateurish ($15 computer mic and all that, no vocal editing). My question for you is, is my delivery ****ed or does it only seem ****ed and unlistenable because of my karaoke-like setup?

Delivery is the issue. Lyrics aren't. No one has ever criticized my lyrics.

[SlowwHand]

320 is a waste of space. Do me a favor. Rip some music as MP3 VBR and tell me if you see one near 320.

[Tupac Shakur]

ATL-style for you, Pax

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/who-is-that

http://soundcloud.com/ramseya/what-it-do

Seeing as I'm the most qualified person here, I'll sacrifice a little of my precious time to set you straight...

1. It's not just your setup; your flow is off and definitely needs work. Try loosening up so you don't sound so wooden and lacking in rhythm.

2. Your rhymes are lazy and sometimes non-existent; definitely need work. Rhyming "bag" with "bag"? Really? You do know that "bag" rhymes with "swag", right, which you use in the chorus and never rhyme with anything? "Fresh" and "death" don't rhyme, and you don't have the skills to make them seem like they do.

3. Your accent (or whatever accent you're adopting for effect) is hard to understand and annoying. You slur your words like Kanye, only you don't have a car accident to blame it on.

4. "See I'm from Philly, so you know I like scrappin'. Puttin' lights out faster than Barry White albums."

Good god, this is terrible. Poorly delivered, doesn't rhyme, and verges on nonsensical. Please change this.

[Tupac Shakur]

I lean towards groups/artists like Mos Def/Blackstarr, Common and A tribe called Quest, De La Soul, and etc for listening

This man's opinion may be worth listening to.

[Tupac Shakur]

Lyrics aren't. No one has ever criticized my lyrics.

I just did. Lyrics are all-important; if you don't get them right, it screws with your flow and makes you sound terrible, even if your delivery is good. You definitely need to work on this.

[Al B. Sure!]

I'm not trying to be 'lyrical' on those. That's some South-style trap ****.

And umm... how is it nonsensical? Scrapping as in fighting... you put people's lights out (as in knocking them out) when you fight. Barry White made baby-making music to which people put out the lights to engage in intercourse. Hence, I put out people's lights (as in knocking them out) faster than people put out the lights when they put on a Barry White album.


I'm not taking advice from you on lyrics. Lyrics are absolutely not the problem. I have a decade worth of experience writing. I know where my rhyme schemes, punchlines, etc. stand and those are all straight. Lyrics are the one thing I get praised on. Delivery is the only complaint I ever get.

I have had very little experience performing to music. The last time I performed to music was in high school. I've done raps as spoken word but not to a beat. So while I have 10 years of experience writing, I have basically not performed to music outside of these home recordings.

[Tupac Shakur]

Lyrics are absolutely not the problem.

Well, I tried. You're free to keep living in denial.

[giblets]

Al, your lyrics make me cringe.