Is there an intelligent eq that can match diff clips on a vocal track?

[T Boog]

When I record vocals I usually go line by line or do punch ins. As we all know, slight changes in distance or angle to a condenser mic(esp the closer u are) changes the eq curve/tonality of each take. 

Often, when I get a great take the tonality will be a little diff than the clip next to it. So I'm left with the option of deleting the great take or inserting an eq on the clip and trying to match it. It usually takes me lots of trial and error to make it sound seamless. 

I know there are smart eqs that fix troublesome freqs. Im curious if there is software that can listen to one clip and approximately match the curve to another clip, not the eq settings, but the actually tonality/curve

Im also curious how other users here deal with this issue. Do yall just keep punching in until it sounds seamless or do yall have a way of matching the tonality fairly quickly? I'll take any advice that may improve my results and speed up my workflow. Thanks! 

[mettelus]

Being as consistent with tracking as possible helps up front (definitely focus this one as much as possible), but even then your voice can change over the course of a couple hours. One of the better methods is to do all matching pre-FX (gain/EQ), so that time-based FX used afterward will help meld the takes. iZotope has a Match EQ (and a Dialog Match which is geared specifically for what you are asking, but that is PT only). Many methods require a clip-by-clip adjustment to a "standard" so that the follow-on FX chain will "meld" it into a seemingly single take... the fewer takes involved, the better.

There are more tools involved, but what you are asking is also often used in ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement) matching for TV and film. Same tools/principles, so a Google search of "dialogue matching techniques" will give you some more insight. This link is a nice synopsis of situations/tools used for such, but there are even more methods out there... check out write ups on those and see what suits your situation/workflow best.

[reginaldStjohn]

Melda's MAutoDynamicEq has a match EQ ability as well as the Izotope's EQ has one as well.

https://www.meldaproduction.com/MAutoDynamicEq

Not cheap though.

Edited March 4 by reginaldStjohn

[T Boog]

22 hours ago, reginaldStjohn said:

Melda's MAutoDynamicEq has a match EQ ability

Thanks a lot. I checked it out and downloaded the free trial. It's EXACTLY what I was describing. Unfortunately, it wasn't the magic fix I was hoping for(It actually took me further away tonewise). I guess the positive news is Im gonna get more practice at decerning freqs by ear.

Btw, mettelus is 100% right in that most of my problems are self induced thru inconsistent distances(and sometimes slightly varying gain levels). But Im on a QUEST to try and get away with as loose & stress-free a workflow as possible. I actually get off on making each process as quick, consistent and easy as I can. I wanna be able to jump between tracks and punch in audio as if it were midi. Even if it means sacrificing a bit of sound quality. Flow, speed and consistency are more important to me.

That said, Ive also been checking out acoustic IRs in place of micing. I hate that I have to be super mindful of micing distance and angle. It takes some of the joy out it for me and stiffens my performance a bit. When I play guitar, I naturally move my body. Stiffness and thought are the enemies

Im even searching for an auto-strummer that attaches to my guitar so I can rest my right hand.

(Yeah, that one's a joke 😊)

[Amberwolf]

9 hours ago, T Boog said:

Im even searching for an auto-strummer that attaches to my guitar so I can rest my right hand.

(Yeah, that one's a joke 😊)

But they do exist

https://hackaday.com/2021/05/07/auto-strummer-can-plectrum-the-whole-flat-strumming-spectrum/

[mettelus]

Have you tried a dynamic mic? They are far more forgiving for distance and allow freedom of movement (and adjust mic placement with your hands). When things are works in progress, I can see punching used more often, but as a tune fleshes out doing takes on complete verses/phrases would be ideal. Dynamic mics can take a bit to work with placement while moving around, but they are much less sensitive to environment (which can be the Achilles heel when sessions are spanned over a long period).

I worked with someone extensively on book narration, and reading a book in one sitting is nigh impossible. A few things to speed up that work flow were:

• Physical condition/environment when recording... keep these as consistent as absolutely possible. Don't record when tired or in a hurry, that rarely works.
• Mic placement/performance... again, this is paramount to repeatability (I am a former Six Sigma weenie, so if inputs into an identical system are consistent (hopefully identical), so is the output).
• Background noise... this may be taken care of by #1 and #2, but always keep this in mind to check this (may need to remove it (by clip), since the first FX chain is on the track). Definitely use a spectrum analyzer as a guide for checking (SPAN is a perfect one)... some of the shifts may be things the condenser mic is picking up that you are not realizing.
• Clip gain... left click/drag on a waveform tends to be the simplest and fastest way to get clip gain in the same ballpark visually... this automatically redraws the waveform (yay!), so is fastest for gain matching... also, this only works on the clip being actively hovered over (regardless of which/how many clips are selected); keep this in mind.
• Track-level FX should be light and focused on the clip matching portion (at least initially), buss-level FX for the final pass. This is a preference thing though, so once get the hang of it can clip match with track FX off, then turn them on for mixing.

[Will.]

On 3/4/2025 at 6:31 PM, T Boog said:

When I record vocals I usually go line by line or do punch ins. As we all know, slight changes in distance or angle to a condenser mic(esp the closer u are) changes the eq curve/tonality of each take. 

This is where more knowledge on different genres will help you a lot - especially "rap" vocals who are recorded the exact same way. So, this is where my experience might help you in this scenario. 

Recording TIP: Don't lean into the mic when recording stand up straight. 

First let me say: Because you are your own "recording engineer" you will never be satisfied with a recording take. Don't focus too much on your "tonality" instead focus more on the "dynamic side of the take. This is what's more important when you're doing line-per-line recording - your dynamics. 

Get a fix point where you stand or sit and just keep recording from start to end. Layer the vocals at least 3 times for the entire song. This is where the fun begins. Mute all other double vocal takes and Level the dynamics of your first takes with a compressor. Start with a 4:1 Ratio and slowly back out until you find that sweet dynamic level - this is where the magic will happen. This is where all your "Tonality" issue will vanish or a better way to put "will balance out." 

Your first compressor should be downwards compression > followed by your EQ (you might also learn that you might not even need to EQ your vocals the more you learn this.) After your Downwards compression and EQ insert another compressor that can do UPWARDS compression. This will bring out all your soft words and will balance out the levels in your vocals by giving you a more constant dynamic range - which in return will give you that even tone you want. You might want to learn multiband compression too for both balancing the tonal aspect of the vocal and to level its dynamics.

Time to COPY and PASTE the same effects to the doubles we have. Use these for comping (Yes, we do comping with rap vocals too.) Listen to the original takes and the double and match the words/lines that sounds better than the original takes. CAUTION: DONT REPLACE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO AND BECAUSE ITS FUN - NO!! Replace the parts where it sounds as if the compressor hits too hard on a certain word. First practice with comping to understand it, before going crazy with it. It is a totally different form of art in music - it requires a trained ear. 

If you happy with your results send them to an Aux track, or Bus, for further processing, to shape the overall vocal. Remember the EQ on the vocal track should only be done to remove low and high frequencies you can remove up to -1dB in the 220 - 440 range, just don't boost any frequencies here. As mentioned, you can boost, shape and glue the vocal on the Aux or Bus. 

Theres times when I'll approach a rock vocal as what I'd do on a jazz vocal, or a Pop song as how I would do a RnB, or Metal vocal. 

So, to take away from this: Don't focus too much on the tonal side when recording line-per-line. Where there might be a slight tonal change - compliment that take with some doubles from the other takes you did. You can stand 10 feet away from the mic and mix it to sound the same as the one that was taken a foot away - if you know how. 

Hope this help. 

Edited March 6 by Will.

[Amberwolf]

13 minutes ago, Will. said:

insert another compressor who can do UPWARDS compression

Do you mean an expander (or compander)?   (sorry I don't know all the terminology)

[Will.]

1 hour ago, Amberwolf said:

Do you mean an expander (or compander)?   (sorry I don't know all the terminology)

A normal compressor is a "downwards" compressor and then you get compressors that are both downwards and upwards compressors. The Sonitus Compressor. Waves C1, RVox and MV2 are all both Down and Upwards compressors. 

You can also use the LA2A and the 1176 Bluey with a fast attack and release to level out your vocals. 

DOWNWARDS COMPRESSION:

UPWARDS COMPRESSION:

 

Edited March 6 by Will.

[T Boog]

7 hours ago, Amberwolf said:

But they do exist

Wow, I was just kidding around  😄

However, Im not surprised. When an idea is that stupid, someone is bound to invent it.

[T Boog]

9 hours ago, mettelus said:

Clip gain... left click/drag on a waveform tends to be the simplest and fastest way to get clip gain in the same ballpark visually

Awesome! I didn't know this shortcut. That's a great timesaver for me. And ur other advice is great too. I'll keep it in mind moving forward.

Btw, I do get why u keep stressing the importance of consistency when tracking. If I pay better attention to that, I'm actually SAVING myself time and work.

I guess I'm just trying to see how much I can get away with being a dumba*s.

It'd be great if I can continue being a dumba*s yet somehow get amazing results. Those two things combined would bring me great joy and a feeling of true accomplishment.  😁

Edited March 6 by T Boog

[T Boog]

5 hours ago, Will. said:

Don't focus too much on your "tonality" instead focus more on the "dynamic side of the take

Thanks for all the advice Will. And I think ur right about dynamics being one of my culprits. I also think clip gain level has been a biggy for me. Yall reminded me just how much the gain and dynamics effect the eq curve. Knowing where my problem lies is half the battle. I just need to change a couple of habits now and I think I'll be fine.

[Will.]

7 hours ago, T Boog said:

. I also think clip gain level has been a biggy for me. 

Careful with clip gain. It is one of those tools - when it is not needed - it's not needed." It is the reason why most cry why their tracks do not compete with commercially released tracks.

If your recordings have enough headroom. Only use clip gain where one-word peaks to high on the meters - this is why I suggested "comping." Instead of "lowering" that problematic word with clip gain and potentially sucking its dynamics away, rather replace that word with the vocals that was recorded to be used for comping, incase a mistake or something does not sound right for a more cohesive sound. 

If you know how to read your levels - you might notice that certain parts might look as if they are loud on the WAVEFORM, but your level meter and ears will tell you otherwise - DON'T EDIT or MIX VISUALLY too much. 

Clip gain and the Gain knobs in the console view are great tools, but it should be respected. So, before you use it- GET IT RIGHT AT THE SOURCE FIRST. 

Edited March 6 by Will.

[John Vere]

Plus one to trying a good quality dynamic Mike. I can’t use Condensers.  It brings out the worst in me. Snorting and grunting! 
My go to is my live Mike too, Shure Beta 58. It’s what I sound like! 
It also totally eliminates background noise.