Vocal Recording Essential Techniques
Are you about to lay down a new vocal track? Wait! Before you start wailing, there are a few basic things you should be aware of in order to get the cleanest and best sounding track possible. It is always possible to dirty up your vocals later and effects and so on, but starting with a clean vocal track is always a good practice.
Good mic technique is easy to achieve. Keep two things in mind: First, remember that the microphone's diaphragm reacts differently to the subtle variations in your voice, and the intensity of your vocal delivery. Second, your body position and proximity to the mic should be adjusted throughout the vocal delivery depending on the dynamics of your performance.
For quiet, soft, intimate vocals, you can stay just a few inches from the mic from start to finish. If you plan to let loose and sing full volume, stand back a couple of feet from the mic. If your performance requires a mixture of both, move up and back off as needed, and learn to make subtle adjustments, even if it's just for a short phrase.
Ideally, you should keep your mouth just a few inches from the mic as long as you're not overloading the levels. If you do overload the levels, two things can happen to your track. One, you will get digital clipping- which sounds horrible. Two, it's possible that your mic will shut down temporarily depending on how sensitive it is. Both scenarios effectively ruin your recording, but both are also easily avoided by just 'wasting' your vocals a little. by this i mean just pointing mouth to the side or above the mic so you're not singing directly into it during loud bursts.
Be aware of mouth pops and lip noise. If you are using a a stage mic like a Shure SM57 or SM58, the its likely that the pop filter is built in. Stage mics usually have a foam insert just behind the ball shaped mesh protective grid. Studio mics on the other hand, usually have a foam sleeve that slips over the mic. Many musicians and engineers argue that the foam sleeves tend to kill high end frequencies and prefer the nylon O-ring pop-filters. Positioning on of these between the singer and the mic will stop intermittent blast of breath from overloading the mic.
Avoid recording annoying mouth noise. Its and easily avoidable situation that requires minimal effort to correct, and makes a big difference in the end. Ok, brace yourself, here it is: drink lots of water, or have your singer drinks lots of water. It will go a long way towards eliminating unwanted mouth noise, and a few extra trips to the bathroom is a small price to pay.
If you follow these simple rules, you will start with a nice clean vocal track. From that point you are free to add reverb and whatever crazy effects you can dream up without enhancing the unwanted noise when you're trying to get at the meat. These simple practices will save you hours on Mr. Fix-it time in the end. - 18418
Good mic technique is easy to achieve. Keep two things in mind: First, remember that the microphone's diaphragm reacts differently to the subtle variations in your voice, and the intensity of your vocal delivery. Second, your body position and proximity to the mic should be adjusted throughout the vocal delivery depending on the dynamics of your performance.
For quiet, soft, intimate vocals, you can stay just a few inches from the mic from start to finish. If you plan to let loose and sing full volume, stand back a couple of feet from the mic. If your performance requires a mixture of both, move up and back off as needed, and learn to make subtle adjustments, even if it's just for a short phrase.
Ideally, you should keep your mouth just a few inches from the mic as long as you're not overloading the levels. If you do overload the levels, two things can happen to your track. One, you will get digital clipping- which sounds horrible. Two, it's possible that your mic will shut down temporarily depending on how sensitive it is. Both scenarios effectively ruin your recording, but both are also easily avoided by just 'wasting' your vocals a little. by this i mean just pointing mouth to the side or above the mic so you're not singing directly into it during loud bursts.
Be aware of mouth pops and lip noise. If you are using a a stage mic like a Shure SM57 or SM58, the its likely that the pop filter is built in. Stage mics usually have a foam insert just behind the ball shaped mesh protective grid. Studio mics on the other hand, usually have a foam sleeve that slips over the mic. Many musicians and engineers argue that the foam sleeves tend to kill high end frequencies and prefer the nylon O-ring pop-filters. Positioning on of these between the singer and the mic will stop intermittent blast of breath from overloading the mic.
Avoid recording annoying mouth noise. Its and easily avoidable situation that requires minimal effort to correct, and makes a big difference in the end. Ok, brace yourself, here it is: drink lots of water, or have your singer drinks lots of water. It will go a long way towards eliminating unwanted mouth noise, and a few extra trips to the bathroom is a small price to pay.
If you follow these simple rules, you will start with a nice clean vocal track. From that point you are free to add reverb and whatever crazy effects you can dream up without enhancing the unwanted noise when you're trying to get at the meat. These simple practices will save you hours on Mr. Fix-it time in the end. - 18418
About the Author:
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