Our singer has a girly voice (hes a he)

Guys, can anyone help us out..we are a newish band and play indie rock...but the problem is our singer has a very feminite voice....we want it a big gruffer.

Are there any tools that we can use to make it a bit more manly.. a bit like a guitar processor......but not a guitar processor. is this a normal problem for bands?

love and rocking chords

cjpw - Best of Eves

Three options spring to mind:

1) Get a new vocalist (helpful, eh?)

2) There are tablet's, (over the counter type things) the like's of Wayne Static (Static-X) take to loosen their vocal chords - although I'm not a huge fan of popping any kind of pill for anything other than legitimate reasons.

3) Get the guy to try taking vocal lessons to try and expand he's vocal range and abilities.

Ultimately, if he's natuarally got a "feminate" voice, there might not be much you can actually do, but it's worth exploring avenues.

On a side note: Placebo, The Bee Gee's and Boy George have all made a fortune out of such a voice...(perhaps not what you're going for, but if it work's, it works).

Uhhh, I'd find another singer if your not happy with his voice.

It's not common practice to alter a voice that much on a recording, b/c then your screwed when it comes to playing live.

Originally Posted by: cjpwoodGuys, can anyone help us out..we are a newish band and play indie rock...but the problem is our singer has a very feminite voice....we want it a big gruffer.

Are there any tools that we can use to make it a bit more manly.. a bit like a guitar processor......but not a guitar processor. is this a normal problem for bands?

Umm...you play indie rock. I thought you'd want a girly lead man.

Tools to make it more manly...puberty perhaps...testicles?

Seriously though, I'd just make do with what you have. Simon and Garfunkle never had any trouble.

Originally Posted by: JFRICKIt's not common practice to alter a voice that much on a recording, b/c then your screwed when it comes to playing live.

I didn't pick up on this point, but JFRICK's right...

And to pick up on Jolly's post - what's the average age of the band? If you're still (can't believe I'm about to say this) "going through that stage", then maybe you've just got to stick with it and see what happens when things do start dropping...

There are vocal processers out there but let the buyer beware with those things.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonUmm...you play indie rock. I thought you'd want a girly lead man.

Tools to make it more manly...puberty perhaps...testicles?

Seriously though, I'd just make do with what you have. Simon and Garfunkle never had any trouble.

How rude can you be, Jolly? How about offering real advice rather than a crude statement like "puberty perhaps...testicles?" Good grief.

DOD make a multi effects processor called the VoTech, I beleive discontinued though, dedicated to vocals that can also be used during live performance.

Digitech also makes some vocal processors such as the VX 300, and the VX400.

These are only masking what the problem is though....voice lessons may help, but he just plain might be "wrong" for your band, and fit in extremely well in another band.

Now that I think of it, I seem to remember seeing a band years ago where the singer used an octave pedal, meant for guitar, on his vocals and he sounded like an ogre when using it. Of course you would want something that added a lower octave....like the old BOSS OC-2 which has two lower octaves that can be combined or used individually. Just cause it was made for a guitar doesn't mean that it can't be used for vocals as well. Be creative.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by: 3fingeredbluesHow rude can you be, Jolly? How about offering real advice rather than a crude statement like "puberty perhaps...testicles?" Good grief.

Not everything has to be so serious, sometimes I like to say things in jest.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonNot everything has to be so serious, sometimes I like to say things in jest.

Maybe not everything is as funny to other's as they are to you. I know I would be offended if you had said those things about me or one of my friends. Your comments were not helpfull.

Originally Posted by: 3fingeredbluesMaybe not everything is as funny to other's as they are to you. I know I would be offended if you had said those things about me or one of my friends. Your comments were not helpfull.

I then added that they should try and work around it. Perhaps you should work on not being offended so easily.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonUmm...you play indie rock. I thought you'd want a girly lead man.

Tools to make it more manly...puberty perhaps...testicles?

Seriously though, I'd just make do with what you have. Simon and Garfunkle never had any trouble.

This is what you actually said...not "you can work around it.."
This guy wants to do indie-rock, not folk music.
Again, you offered nothing but sarcasm.

Perhaps you should think of what you are saying a little more carefully. Ask yourself "Am I being helpfull, or am I being a wise guy?"

Originally Posted by: 3fingeredbluesThis is what you actually said...not "you can work around it.."
This guy wants to do indie-rock, not folk music.
Again, you offered nothing but sarcasm.

Perhaps you should think of what you are saying a little more carefully. Ask yourself "Am I being helpfull, or am I being a wise guy?"

The Simon and Garfunkle thing wasn't sarcastic, neither was "you can make do" (forgive me for not memorizing every post I write). And indie rock has worked with singers with such voices as well. I pointed out Simon and Garfunkle to show that a guy with a high voice could still make a great frontman, and was in no way suggesting they start singing folk music. I guess I could have mentioned Belle and Sebastian, Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, or another of the various indie bands that have such a vocalist. I chose Simon and Garfunkle because, unlike those bands, I like them.

This isn't a personal debate, and I will not respond to you again on this thread.

you have offered no help here...Simon and Garfunkel are not offering any help, as they do not relate to the style of indie-rock, and he has allready said that the high voice is not appealing to his band.
If you aren't gonna help, then why be a wise guy?

Saying things like "puberty...grow testicles" is just plain rude, not funny.

ok, maybe it is a little funny, but it is all the way rude, and again, offers no help.

Jolly shame on you you naughty boy ;)

Bluesman Hang around a while and get used to people Jolly is very helpful when he wants to be and is by and large a good guy.

The testicles thing was harsh but if the guy cared he would have told jolly to go screw his self. He probably laughed too.

the bad thing is in this post it's just been you two guys going at it and the poor guy never got help from either of you. Come on guys I know your both better than that. :)

maybe you could dress him up as a girl if his voice sounds like one...and if it breaks then he can suddenly get a sex change

Originally Posted by: Shredda_42maybe you could dress him up as a girl if his voice sounds like one...and if it breaks then he can suddenly get a sex change

Hey, that is totally not cool. Such sarcastic comments are rude and unnecessary. :D ;)

Hmmm, Jolly is known for stirring up trouble.... :D

We all know he's just joking around, don't get all worked up over that.

I thought about asking the same thing, whether the singer had hit puberty yet....That is a legitimate comment since there was no age specified..

ahh, 3fingeredblues, perhaps you have not been around long enough to notice that Jolly very rarely says anything with any actual meaning in it (no offense jolly) and reading his posts is almost always quite comical.

other then that, yeah, they make rack mount voice processors if you want to give that a try.

Vocal lessons would be the way to go.
Or Just take a keyboard and play the low pitch notes and help him do vocal excercises.
Finally if that doesn`t work; you guys could add another member to band who has a lower range of voice, instead of getting rid off the singer you have right now.
Maybe the guy is a perfect Tenor.
and adding another singer or backing him up with vocals will do it.

Good one with the dual singers could add a whole new quality.