welcome

yes your vocals will sound raw
because they are
the 58 is fine for now and could still remain the mic of choice for ever

the vocals sits on top of the mix because it is dynamic and the mix is probably a tighter sound

keep the vocal in mono but centred
a second vocal take can be good but for now just keep it to one vocal

Compression will help
learning how to apply the compressor is a big part of the secret
to begin with
keep things gentle until you learn what the controls are and how they effect a vocal ... in comparison to a drum kit

very general for vocal compression
slow in
slow out
less than 4 to 1 on the ratio

if in doubt
use two compressors gently
set them the same ( for now )
the LA2 is a famous compressor and used often on vocals
it is very simple and has few controls
a software version that mimicks this could be a good start

do a search here for vocal compression and compressors

another simple trick
hi pass filter
this will weaken the huffs and puffs

yes you could EQ the vocal with a multi band filter/EQ but that is another skill you must learn

keep it simple while you learn
SM58 ... Hipass filter ... compression
perhaps with a second compressor after that

electronics and software are all great
BUT
Microphone Technique is where the magic starts
not being fippant here
there are some singers that can sound just right ... with only an SM58
they have learned how to position the mic, distance, angle ... projection of the voice ... it just takes time to learn

good luck
keep asking questions

Wow, thanks so much for the quick and detailed reply.

You've really gave me some great tips there, thanks so much!

I'll try out all those things and see how it goes.

Thanks again Kev, i really appreciate it!

Hey all,

I've had a go at compression in the Sound Forge Graphics Dynamics, i set the ratio to 4.1:1 and played around with the other controls but dont seem to be getting much further.

For instance, there are two slide bars titled "Attack" and "Release", me being a novice i have no idea what these do, even after playing around with them i cant seem to make much of a difference to the overall sound of the vocal track.

I have recorded the vocal in mono and kept it centered, also i'm not really sure about the slow in/slow out, i've looked all over the program and cant find anything that resembles that.

Setting the Graphic Dynamics setting to 4.1:1 seems to have helped the overall sound slightly but i've become stuck now.

The hi pass filter is something else i cant seem to find on Sound Forge, i have played around with the EQ but not knowing what to set it to, it hasnt really helped.

Forgive me for my lack of knoledge, i'm really new to recording and really would like to learn so much more about these things.

Any help what so ever would be greatly appreciated :)

The slow in and slow out refer to the attack and release. They control how quickly the signal is 'picked up' and 'let go'.

The high pass filter is in fact your EQ - you're on the right track. Check your presets and more than likely you'll find one.

The settings suggested and the presets are for a good basis. Keep in mind that the settings might not give you the sound you're looking for, so just adjust them until you hear what you want.

The "high-pass filter" Kev referred to in his excellent reply is a roll-of the lower frequency range. Dial the low end to be 'cut' by 12 dB below, say 100 Hz. to start with. Then move that frequency point up/down, maybe as high as 240 Hz. Listen to the effect this has on your voice. Find the spot where it keeps things from being too "husky" or "muddy".
Then you can use the high frequency section of your EQ to add some presence and clarity. Try a gentle (+3 to +6 dB) boost around 5KHz. Too much will make it harsher and sibilant, but a little will add a bit of "zip".
Does that Sound Forge compressor have a "sidechain filter" (also called a "detector filter",etc.)? If so, try rolling off the low end on it like you did on the mic track. And if you're running your music track(s) through the compressor, this is even more important to do. Heavy bass pounding a compressor on a stereo music mix makes some bad-sounding "pumping".
Rolling off some of that bass in the "detector sidechain" will help the mix punchy without that. Sorry to go on, just some things to try.

You guys are awesome!

Thanks so much for the detailed replies, i can't tell you how much i appreciate it :)

I'm going to re-record some stuff today and try out everthing you guys have suggested :)

Thanks again, i really appreciate the help :)

I had a similar problem where it felt the vocals were either sitting above the music, or buried deep in it. What I found to work really well is to duck the music by putting a compressor on the instruments and triggering it with the vocal track. What will happen is every time the vocal track kicks in, the music will decrease in volume very slightly, as to not be noticeable, but enough to allow the vocal to come through clearly. Then, when the vocals stop, the music comes up in volume so there isnt a very audible difference in volume between when the vocals hit and are silent. I find that the vocals and the music mesh much better after using this technique. Just make sure the attack and release are pretty fast on the compressor, because otherwise you will get an annoyingly noticeable volume change.