Mastering Mix Q&A - How to Sing in MIX Voice - Head and Chest

[Snowboardbound]

I used to be able to sing, then I took an arrow to the knee. :(

[Meowbay]

Why are these videos so badly mastered, audiowise? I mean honestly, way too much 5 to 9 kHz man, ugly compression, just aweful.

[rafael1801maragogi]

@Meowbay man, how the hell do you have an ear to realize something like that?

[Meowbay]

@rafael1801maragogi Well, member of the AES, studied at the NFTVA (Dutch film academy) and worked and studied at the SAE (School of Audio Engineering). Started making radio, music mixing and audio recording/production in 1977. So, maybe that's how?

[rafael1801maragogi]

@Meowbay shit man, you're awesome, i'm your biggest fan now!

[SecondsFromEternity]

i used to not be able to sing. after singing success, well, see for yourself...my covers on youtube are a product of Brett's exercises

[SophieElisellwood]

@freddyd74 how much are skype lessons?

[taesichowang]

it's so helpful~~!!

[VcookiemonsterV]

I was wondering if one of you guys can touch on the subject of "mask" singing or "the inner smile" i noticed none of the brett manning associates have had any lessons about it. good or bad?

[nathsMusic]

@VcookiemonsterV actually, there's a video that says "if you do weird faces in order to hit the note, is problem" what that means is, its good to do the "mask" when you are practicing in order to understand from where the sound needs to come, but, as time goes, you need to try to stop doing those (:

[VcookiemonsterV]

@nathsMusic which video? can you link me?

[nathsMusic]

@VcookiemonsterV ooh, i'll try to find it.. if i do, i'll sure link it to you (:

[flaze3]

@VcookiemonsterV 'the inner smile' is an italian opera concept, which has to do with lifting the larynx and creating space in the throat. It's not so imperative to the type of singing Brett Manning teaches.

[Kelvin702]

I just got this program yesterday and it is amazing! I really don't understand how people can complain about its price when he's put over 2 decades worth of experience in it. After using his first singing program, I saw, felt and heard a great difference in my voice, I think it's a definite prereq before getting this program. My current vocal coach doesn't know I'm using this though lol.

[nuclearkittyfox]

@876209 Sorry, that's my other account. What I had meant with the original comment was that if people aren't doing Skype lessons with you, there's no way real way to insure that people aren't learning improperly. I wasn't trying to knock down your experience/SLS/teaching methods, only stating that it's best for a person to learn with feedback and guidance from an actual person. Again, just my opinion.

[1lastrun]

Ive done All of singing success but not nearly mastered it. Do you think I should move onto mastering mix, or keep at singing success till its flawless.

[Thetaquo]

Is Taylor Swift a great singer??? I've seen her being vocalised by Brett, and she sounded good there. But every other live performance I've seen of her doesn't sound any better than anyone in my local karaoke bars.

[freakinawesomeguy32]

which is better for broadway type singing; singing success or mastering mix?

[TheRooksie]

@freakinawesomeguy32 find a voice teacher near you-- train classically and not solely through DVDs! There is no safe way to learn how to sing through digital videos-- though Brett does give good tips-- take everything with a grain of salt until you know your own voice, it's limits and how to safely move forward. You can do so much damage to your vocal chords if you're just imitating what you think you're supposed to sound like on a dvd.

[djdinodave]

@freakinawesomeguy32 you should use singing success first. always. then once you have mastered that use this, as he even says in the program this is an addition to singing success

[septichka]

@TheAquaTiger i reacted poorly because i have different point of view on singing and different school, and tried to comment on he's teachings as from that point. there are even some teachers who could benefit from brett's ideas but i would never accept him as my personal "opera singing" teacher. i wish u and brett all best in your work and efforts!

enjoy your holly-days. (sorry for bad grammar, i'm from croatia)

[septichka]

@TheAquaTiger cannot put all i wont to say so i'll say it short: Brett has done in his (so far) short life more than i will ever do in mine, plus there are live results to his work...I got it all wrong here, as a opera singer, i'm actually afraid for poor souls here as "opera" singing can be dangerous if not done properly. Brett is NOT teaching opera singing - end of discussion. there is no room for examples + its pointless for me to make some since i would be talking about different perspective

[TheOldSpirit]

I love how excited he gets talking about voice

[shelamorgan]

12 audio cds? and how long is the dvd?

[septichka]

Its a noble idea (and u are probably milking loads of money for lessons but nwm that now) trying to "teach" or better say to improve someone else. and u have charisma and are gifted (almost a Natursanger) but for some reason u studied and understood only half of it. PLEASE man...learn how to sing,improve yourself along the way and then go and "improve" others. what u are doing now is irresponsible.

[whasian1990]

@septichka say that to Hayley Williams, Taylor Swift, Michael Barnes, Miley Cyrus, Keith Urban all of Brett's Students all with amazing voices. I don't like some of their music but their voices are still amazing

[septichka]

@whasian1990

u said it yourself...amazing voices. i do not know who (most of them) they are but i'm guessing they already had amazing voices. and its hard to ruin a good voice. i bet they are all "natural singers".

[Kokonuht]

@septichka I wouldn't care if he milked my money, as long as I improve. :D!

[septichka]

@Kokonuht

Well, u could save some money for polyps....not that i think it would happen to u, its just that it can happen to anyone, especially if u have half- knowledgeable teacher. 

[Kokonuht]

@septichka What's polyps? o.o

[septichka]

@Kokonuht google it,or even better, youtube it

[stardusth2o]

@septichka Ummm, He can and has improve other's voices! have you taken singing success? I have and the top of my range was Eb5 and now I'm singing notes in the seventh octave! my voice has improved dramatically all because of brett! don't speak until you know what your talking about.

[septichka]

@stardusth2o good for u, i would rather stick to real prof. though. And (think before u speak) i do now m8, couse i'm NOT saying this "singing success" is wrong (ofc i never took it, nor will i ever), just that brett is only understanding half of the whole singing process and that can be dangerous for some people. It did good for u and thats great, i whish u all the best. just remember when u feel pain in your throat just rest for a day, and if u are unlucky...well, polyps are easily dealt with

[septichka]

@stardusth2o btw, we have different measure for notes...which one is Eb5? The "c" key in the middle of piano is "c1" in my region....how do u call it, c4?

[stardusth2o]

@septichka Eb5 is a note in the fifth octave. this is all I can say because I really don't understand what you said.

[fizzyfox]

Find your own "individual" pallette of colours and then paint what you wanna see...

[rockimism]

I've had the program for about 6 months now and I just finally understood the mix. As an eager singer, I jump right to the master mix. I actually never even tried the singing success although i have it.

Yes, this program DOES work. But it takes a LOT of sensual understanding.

[mulderxyz]

huh, i thought this guy was mark hamil

[TorturedXeno]

I don't get how the Singing Success program is more focused on the overall voice than Mastering Mix. MM actually has you do exercises specifically targeted at building the chest voice, head voice, and then the mix.

[TheSajanes]

I think that if you aren't already a natural singer then this program won't do you much good -- unless you aren't aware that you're a natural.

Also, I wish they hadn't chosen to call all of this "Mastering Mix", since I came here looking for audio mixing and mastering info. It should be called -- with more honesty -- 'Mastering Vocal Mix'. That apparently suave 'marketing hook' turns me right off and makes me think this entire program is a lot of hokus built around misappropriated jargon.

[CityVirtueMusic]

I wish i could get personal vocal training from singing success online but i dont live anywhere near the studio. :(

[poopyscoopy5]

Hah he robbed Mellissa Cross of her techniques

[Ballermhcdj]

i wanna meet this guy..too bad im in Cali...lol

[MJrocks1305]

I am about to get the singing success and the mastering mix, how long does it take to perfect my voice with this program

[Music4LifeNFun]

@MJrocks1305 it depends on each person and on how much you dedicate yourself =D

[TorturedXeno]

@MJrocks1305 Your voice always gets better. You never stop learning. Unless you use techniques that are limiting or, worse, damaging to the voice

[androcci]

@MJrocks1305 ahahahaha several years bro, when u done with that progamm that's just to get you warmed up then after that u'll need a pro coach to make it perfect

[mouthpee]

this guy suck he doesn't know anything about singing

[TheBratcat1]

@RNBGUITAR100

hi! please tell me how did you download it!

i'm reall practicing and i really love to sing.

i'm trying to download singing success program please tell me how!!!

*thanks*

[JazzyMan1990]

Hey man let me know how the program works for you, good luck with it!

[TorturedXeno]

Buying this program and using it in conjunction with Singing Success will probably eliminate the need for a few lessons in the long run. Of course, nothing beats a one-on-one lesson with a professional BMA giving you feedback.

[callinthecaptian]

@TorturedXeno Whats a BMA

[TorturedXeno]

@callinthecaptian A BMA is a Brett Manning Associate, a vocal coach certified to teach the Brett Manning/Singing Success Method.

[yhc91]

yay just ordered mine ^^

completely forgot about shipping costs - - "

*sigh* why do i have to live on the other side of the world

[freddyd74]

Without a doubt, if you work with this product or with singing success, you will Improve. I ordered this a few weeks ago on preorder... Brett is a GREAT teacher - I do lessons with him via skype and he is a genius at getting you to improve (although you do have to work on your own)..

[howyadoinable]

@freddyd74 How much does he charge you per lesson ?

[howyadoinable]

@freddyd74 How much does he charge you per lesson ?

Could you upload some vids o you singing ?

[howyadoinable]

@freddyd74 Thank you for answering, I imagine that you must answer that question frequently at a weekly basis. I was wondering, if you wouldnt like to upload a video of you singing? It would be really nice!

[rockerforlyf]

haha when he smiled when he said "super crazy low range", I think he references it to the parody video. haha

[rightovertherainbow]

Might get this... my mix is driving me crazy x_x

[FreeFallin1976]

He's pretty much brilliant.

[BryanJustinXVII]

can't wait to receive it in about a week. so excited :)

[Zero3026]

Can't wait to get it next week

[Lavizzle]

why do you guys always say "commercial" as a positive thing? What ever happened to true expression?

[napilopez]

Although I totally get what you mean, and an one point agreed with you, what exactly makes being "commercial" a negative thing either? I actually believe they use the term "commercial" because it exemplifies having the potential to go big. The term commercial also helps encompass the fact that people have different tastes in music. If they just said a "good", people would disagree on what it means to be a good singer. Disagreeing on whether or not a voice is commercial is harder, methinks.

[Lavizzle]

Commercial means that you can SELL it as a PRODUCT.

It comes from the term COMMERCE.

[HLGGanoth]

Because underground singers are underground for a reason...they have no training/untalented.

Ever listen to 3/4 of the bands on myspace? Cringe-worhy!

I dont know about you Lavizzle, but the type I singing I like is GOOD singing! (Commercial)

My favs:

Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Hayley Williams (Paramore, THIS GUY IN THE VIDEO COACHES HER!!!) and Freddie Mercury (Queen).

You hate those bands, then you hate talent.

[Lavizzle]

alright so guess what: I agree that alot of underground bands suck, but if they played the music that, for instance, Nickleback's producer writes for them, then they would sound just like Nickleback and THEY WOULD BE COMMERCIAL.

Commercial means that it is a part of commerce, ie: a product to be sold.

Ashley Simpson is commercial, and she sucks.

Lady Gaga is talented, but not in a way that sells right now, so they put autotune and all that bs so she sells as a product.

COMMERCE KILLS ART.

[napilopez]

Is that really true, that commerce kills art? Don't get me wrong, I understand where you are coming from, but I don't see why you can't have both. By saying commerce kills art, you are discrediting tons of expressive and great artists who were and are successful commercially as well, or do you not think the likes of Michael Jackson, Chris Cornell, and the Beatles were both great artists and commercial-sounding? I mean, you may disagree on those choices, but still.

[napilopez]

There is a big difference between sounding commercial as a band, and having a commercial voice. Nickelback may suck artistically, but Chad Kroeger is at the very least a decent singer, if you listen to anything live from him.

Brett isn't saying all commercial artists are good, he frequently criticizes people who fake good singing. Rather he is saying with this program you can be commercial in terms of your voice ALONE. If you cant compose well or be in a band, at least you can sing.

[napilopez]

One last comment: what do you think would be a better term? I used to agree with you and think it would just be better to say "good" voice, until I realized how different people's idea's of "good" are. Some people hate Adam Lambert's voice, but I think anyone who understands the mechanics of the voice knows he is one of the most technically capable singers recently. So even if someone may not think he's "good", they will prolly agree he's "commercial" if by nothing more than his voice.

[Lavizzle]

I think that the term 'commercial' here is being substituted in as the 'long term goal'. That is the point I am trying to make... The idea of trying to perfect your voice so that you can sell it irks me a bit. I work incredibly hard on my voice every day and its never going to be for sale.

If i do something that someone likes, and they want to pay me, great! But i respect my voice, and would rather not pimp it out like a ho.

[Lavizzle]

And as for Micheal Jackson, Chris Cornell, and the Beatles........

They are all examples of people who DIDN'T do what was considered commercial at the time, and actually ended up redefining what a commercial voice could sound like.

People have to stop cramming their voices (and lives...) into preexisting molds.

Anyway, Im sure you see what Im saying. The voice can be your personal spirituality, or it can be your whore, exposing itself for money.

damn that metaphor's a bit too heavy... :S

[napilopez]

Hehe, yea I totally do get what you mean, and I feel similarly. I mean, I'm a college student wanting to get his PhD in theoretical physics; I never had any intentions of making money from my singing, and most of my friends still don't know I sing, yet I've been training hard every day for over 3 years.

I guess it's just a disagreement on the semantics of it all ^_^

[OneVenusMinute]

@Lavizzle Chris Cornell had the same teacher as other famous grunge singer, Layne Staley, if you listen to their stylistic touches, you can tell they both had the same teacher.

[Lavizzle]

@OneVenusMinute Actually, Rob Lunte had the same teacher as Layne Staley, and I went down to Seattle to train with him a couple years ago.

While I was there I met someone from a band that DIDNT make it, but was still part of the scene. He knew Chris and Layne personally, and said that Layne sounded pretty shitty before taking lessons, but that Chris never took any.

They express similar stylistic elements because they were close friends, who had similar musical tastes and sang to similar music.

[upstartmike]

@Lavizzle: amen to that!!! unfortunately most (not all) young people interested in vocal lessons just want to be pop singers/idols/famous/rich/star­s and wouldn't do it if it were only a personal thing. Of course rarely do they ever admit it ... but it's so true.

[MaceGirl25]

I don't think being commercial is necessarily a bad thing. I think it means having that voice that just makes you sound professional. Audiences usually want to hear someone with a unique and professional voice. :)

[AJtteoe]

@Lavizzle I think by saying "Commercial" it just means "not classical". That's how take it anyways :)

[Lavizzle]

@AJtteoe Yeeeah... I think deep down inside I knew that... I guess Im just a little bristly about how shitty popular music is these days.

[AJtteoe]

@Lavizzle I hear you there, and totally agree. Pop music these day is very bad.

[RevolutionNo1]

@Lavizzle Because the vast majority of vocalists are after a commercial sound. I don't see why you can't have both the sound & expression.

[whasian1990]

@Lavizzle you can truly express yourself commercially too

[iTellyoueveryting]

@Lavizzle I agree but for the most part his clients are professionals trying to pursue it for a living... He's selling a product to people who want to sell their product...

[ejflesher]

@Lavizzle I think has more to do with a poor choice of terminology more then saying a person should have a commercial voice. I think it is more about polishing your voice then making it commercial. In order to be a vocalist that gets attention people want to hear a smooth transition from chest to head and that requires knowing how to utilize your mix well.

P.S.SingingSuccess - Use the term polished or professional not commercial. Many vocal purists don't want to be commercial.

[Axis1991]

@Lavizzle In this capitalistic world you need to be comercial is a fact... okei to win something with your music, if you want to do a true expression you are free to do anything you want..

[NathanielBarber1]

@Lavizzle Commercial is what allows you to live as an artist. Make a living so you don't starve.

[Andrexthor]

Great info!

[jtoxics]

Thanks :)