Hi. I have a song that has already been mastered from a couple of years ago. I want to change a couple of lines of vocals for sync purposes. I had recorded the song at another studio and I have all the project files. I am good for recording hardware including mics although different then the studio I recorded at. I have Wavelab 12 & Cubase 15. What would be the best way to try to match the sound of the newly recorded vocals for the 2 lines with the existing recorded vocals as well as matching the mastered sound thereafter? Maybe recording the vocals in wavelab? Thanks
So you have all the multi-track recordings, or just the final master?
Assuming it’s the multi-tracks I’d pull them up into Cubase & not Wavelab. Then record some test vocals with your different mics and use that to evaluate how the tracks differ from the original. That will help define what you need to do to make them match.
If you know the mic originally used there are folks here (not me) that can tell you which of your existing mics would be the most similar.
A totally different & more arrangement based approach would be to highlight the differences instead. Maybe give that section an interesting vocal effect.
@raino Making the new lines stand out on purpose is a really good idea.
A few more questions:
Are there any stacks and backing vocals?
Do you want to keep the original master and just replace the vocals > Spectrallayers, stem separation > you would need to glue the new vocals to the mix to add cohesion even if the new lines stood out on purpose. Tricky.
Or do you want to master the complete song all over again? This would most probably give you the most cohesive sound.
Yes, I have all the multi tracks and I’ll get the mic used from the studio owner. I have a GT67 [Groove Tube] diaphragm mic. with an option to switch to different patterns. The lyrics for those two lines may be a little suggestive for sync, so I am giving him an option. I am not doing anything else. I am happy with it. No backing vocals in those two lines. I think I’d have to have a new ISRC code for changing those two lines. I am only changing the vocals so it shouldn’t be that noticeable. The tricky part is mastering it again. I am not really sure about that part. I don’t want to take it to the mastering engineer because of the cost and I’d want to be able to do these quickies myself because of timeline constraints in the sync world. I think I recall that wavelab had a comparison kind of thing where it would listen to a track and the similar settings would apply to the new one. I’d use the original mastered recording as a reeference.
Hi @Yavor_Kresic ,
I’m not sure if you - or someone else on your behalf - can do that, or if this would still be realistic to do in your case:
- record the impulse responses of a previous recording room in order to later use it in any subsequent mix or even replacement mix.
As we all know, every studio recording room still has its own sonic characteristics, even if one might assume it has “neutral” ambience. Also, since most people don’t have access to a Bricasti recording device, one usually needs to find a way to do the same with software.
There’s a fairly easy workflow to do that by simply using Ableton Live Studio (v.12).
It has the necessary sweep & record plugin (“IR Measurement Device”) already on board.
Apart from having to include the correct feedback routing, you’d only need a measurement mic, or any other reasonably linear small membrane condenser mic, as well as a reasonably well performing monitor speaker.
Best,
Markus
( edit: typo, readability )
The studio doesn’t have that program so I’ll reflect on the other choices
how sad…
By the way: IMO a short “thanks” would’ve been a more adequate response.
Why? Someone who actually knows what he’s doing took some of his private time and gave you a hint at how you could resolve another part of your problem, - which is not only a matter of using the same microphone as in that previous recording session, - but also a matter of the room that’s been used. And even more.
And all you find worth mentioning is “I cannot do this, BUT I will reflect on other things”. 
So let’s recapitulate what exactly you’d asked for, in the first place:
You apparently want to match the vocals of an older recording session.
Basically, you partial vocal re-recording & replacement task has four major components:
- (1) the same (or very similar) singer’s voice and matching personal singing style
- (2) the same microphone (or very close to its characteristics)
- (3) the same room characteristics (or something that gets really close to that)
- (4) also, you may have to remove any reverb that had been used in the older mix session
To catch - or to remotely let someone else catch the former recording room’s characteristics, you (or the other person) could also use this standalone utility (free of charge), it works both on MacOS and Windows:
And if you want to use your newly generated room impulse response file, you can either use Cubase Pro’s excellent reverb plugin Reverence, or you can use another free VST plugin by Wave Arts named Convolution X (you may need to register this one):
How to record impulse responses:
- Speaker (mono) calibrated at 80 - 83 dB SPL (via pink noise), back of the room
- mono / stereo (A-B) small condenser mic(s), front of room, 5 ft high, postnd. to the inside
- inside the utility, set the right sample rate and bit depth for your recording task
- set the longest possible sweep time (that’s why Ableton is good: up to 60 sec sweep)
- normalize the IR file either inside the utility or externally, to -9 to -6 LU
- When using it on a track, set the VST mix output to 100%, use as SEND effect, fine tune
Best,
Markus
P.S.:
an IR file of my bedroom, created less than an hour ago: 
You are right Markus. I should’ve said thanks. My bad. There is a lot of stuff to digest. I’ll check what reverb may have been used but it is very dry sounding in the recording. This is my original song that was mastered and I am the singer and composer. I am thinking the studio owner may have the IR. It’s worth asking, as it is a commercial studio and I’d have to book time with him to do it.
Thanks
Hey @Yavor_Kresic,
no, I have to thank you - for it was good to have to think about this problem again myself.
And please accept my sincere apology if I seemed to respond to you in a rather snotty tone.
And yes, I do understand the need to have enough time to fully digest such new and very specific workflows.
So, thank you in return! Especially for you following up with your task in a serious way and by re-contacting the studio you’d already produced in. Perhaps they have a working IR file, or they can make one for you! Hope that this’ll work out for you!
Best wishes,
Markus
Thanks for clearing that up Markus. I appreciate it.
So I ended up getting the 2 lines recorded in the studio as I was finishing up mixing for my fifth Album. The sound was really seamless for the new lines compared to the old lines. If there is a next time, I’ll do it at home.
I now have the final mix with the new lines. I am thinking of mastering it in Wavelab 12 myself and I am going through some videos for that.