Coupla comments: 1) Almost any time you listen to a recording of yourself - whether singing or playing an instrument - immediately after making the recording, it will not sound as good as it did to you as you were singing or playing - give it a day or two, then listen to it; 2) I forget what the second comment was. Oh yeah - the quality of the equipment can make a tremendous difference, for the voice and certain instruments in particular, e.g. violin.