Tips and Tricks For Recording Vocals

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 5:25 pm

Please add to this thread at will. It would be nice to have as many as possible so that it can become a resource for our members. Also please lets number them so it becomes an easy reference for everyone- thanks- Very Happy

1- Make your singer comfortable and get extra people out of the control room. Extra people in the way will interfere with a good vocal performance 9 out of 10 times.

2- Have plent of liquids (read water here) for your singer.

3- Try different mics and pres with your singer, if you have the time.
If you find the right combination it will make all the difference in the world

4- Make sure the singer has his lyrics available in case he/she needs them. Try to post them nearby, like on the mic stand as the russle of lyrics in the hand often finds its way into the take.

5- try to get at least three to four takes out of a vocal so you can do comps later-

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:37 pm

i don't remember if i read this suggestion on this forum but here it is:

6- have the mic just above the level of the mouth and point it down. this is a good way of avoiding pops. exact distance and height adjustments alters according to the sound one is looking for.

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 3:44 am

Cool.

7. Take notes of levels and dynamic units used in a session. This is for consistency of future 'drop ins' & corrections. Particularly important for voiceover work.

8. Try not to use a solid music stand as it can acoustically get in the way.

9. Try out cheap mics as sometimes they can be just the ticket.

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:00 am

Antho, I renumbered your post- lets try to keep them in numerical order so this thread can become a resource that people can index- here is a couple of more while we are at it:

10- never tell your singer his take sucks- just say something like 'lets make a couple more takes so we have material to comp the vocal with' remember that the singers instrument is their body and when you knock their peorformance they will take it personal

11- Explain to your singer beforehand that you will be doing vocal takes and that in order for him/her to give the best performance they should get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids beforehand- also explain that in order to give the best performance they should throroughly know their material- i don't know how many times the singer has walked in my studio and not really known how to sing the song, phrase it properly

12- encourage them to work with a vocal coach on their songs if at all possible before recording them. An experience coach will take them through the nuances of phrasing and vocal placement in the tune

Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 12:55 am

quote maintiger: " they should get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids beforehand"

Just the right type of liquids Smile

There's not much can be done with a sloshed singer Exclamation

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:04 am

Dont know if I'm stating the obvious but here's my 2 cents.

13: sometimes inexperienced singers hit hard against the pop shield which introduces handling noise ( usualy in the middle of the best take), so I usualy screw the pop shield to a seperate mic stand instead of the one holding my mic, they can hit it as many times as they like, wont vibrate the mic.

Sammyg

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:12 am

14. If you are getting too much "mouth sounds", have the vocalist drink some apple juice. It seems to clear the mucous/saliva bubbles on the lining of the mouth pretty well.
SG

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:43 am

15. If your voice talent has a genuine "blow-out" of the vocal variety (as in losing their voice or aching cords), I suggest keeping a box of this stuff around:

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=28&pid=10

Yes, it is usually for sickness, but I have rescued sessions with a mug of this stuff with some honey added if it is too bitter. Don't sweeten it with sugar.

And no, under normal circumstances hot and cold liquids are BAD for the pro voice in session. Room temp water and rest is the best. But if you have an emergency and can't reschedule, this may save you a headache.

And no... I do not work for or get sponsored by them. But there are A LOT of pro singers on lengthy tours utilizing it.

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:55 pm

I am not a profesional, but i've heard.

16- I've heard that mic should always be placed higher than the mouth of the vocalist, reason being... That it makes it so that singers head is facing on an upward slant, opening the vocal cords, resulting in a clearer and more efficient vocal clearity..

this is probably a "we all know this already..." .. but i thought for the noob that walks in here.. might find it useful.

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 4:12 pm

These are my thoughts Shocked

on recording Lead Vocal..........providing you have enough eqipment to do it.

.17- Do not use the same Eqipment or settings that you use on your lead voice.( except same preamp is ok ) on any other instument or voice.This in my mind Evil or Very Mad

gives the lead voice its own space...
1. microphone
2. reverb
3.delays
4.other effects
You can still use the effects on other stuff but change the settings or patches Wink

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:05 pm

18- hmm..correct my if im wrong but chewing ginger helps right?

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:14 pm

19- cloraseptic-
thanks for the tip on the "Throat Coat", definately will have to keep some of that in stock !

I once had to fly in, record an artist's vocals on 10 songs, and then fly out... all in 4 days time (that's as much as the label would pay for ! )...we got very good vocals on perhaps 6 songs but the last 4 were misery..besides the artist not rehearsing the last 4 as much as the 1st 6 (she really "liked" the 6 songs better than the other 4 ! ). Anyway after 3 days the artist and vocal was shot ! ... artist was tired and getting sick fast, plus could barely speak above a whisper...the only thing that got us through was Cloroseptic...and lots of it !

I know...bad for the throat, but when your up against a dead line you do what you gotta do !

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:08 am

Maintiger,

Your ideas will propel this forum to it's greatest heights. You are spot on with your ideas of organization and resourcefulness for other viewers...this is the way it should be!

There is a wealth of information here but sometimes it can be difficult to reach and that makes it useless. Suggestions like these bring VALUE to this site and has my vote.

Keep it up!

Thanks,

Pokie

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:29 pm

thanks pokie- I've been a little lax about people not numbering their suggestions so I went back and did'em. here is an apropos one:

20- be ready and organized when your talent is recording. Have a plan of action, don't waste the talent's time neddlessly as this will probably result in a sub-par performance. The voice is an instrument that is built in the mind, body and soul., Any stress can result in a inferior take. Pamper your singers, your tracks will definitely thank you!

Please members, keep numbering the suggestions so we can refer to them by numbers as needed! Very Happy

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:39 pm

Here is a couple more:

21 Experiment, experiment, experiment with mic placement- Sometimes a couple of inches one way or the other will make a world of difference in your vocal tracks

22- If you have a multi pattern mic try the singer in omni and figure eigth as well as the usual cardioid. i have a couple k2's I use a lot and the optimal sttings are usually somewhere in between.

23- get out of the vocal booth into the control room or tracking room. Sometimes the vocal booth will 'suffocate' your vocals. If you have a home studio try putting the singer in the biggest room in the house (as long as there are no external noises, of course.

24- Have fun If you are in a bad mood your talent will pick up on it and it will affect their performance. Believe me, it will!

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