Vocals are the focal point of most modern musical arrangements. Therefore, your studio’s vocal chain needs to be spot on. Your vocal chain should not only be built from high-quality components, but the components should also be hand selected to complement one another, to produce a sound that flatters the voice you’re capturing, and to deliver a sonic character relevant to the genre in which you’re working. In this article, we’ll dive into the components of a vocal chain. Then, we’ll build some genre-specific chains put together by our in-house Sweetwater experts.
- What Are the Most Important Components of a Vocal Chain?
- Classic Rock Vocals
- Extreme Metal Vocals
- Pop Diva Vocals
- Modern Hip-hop Vocals
- Vintage & Vibey Vocals
What Are the Most Important Components of a Vocal Chain?
Putting together a great-sounding vocal chain is no different than erecting a sturdy house. When building a house, you construct a rock-solid base upon which you assemble the rest of the structure, which includes walls, a roof, and maybe a few eye-catching decorations. But just like with a house, if any part of your vocal chain isn’t up to par, then the end result may be less than you desire.
Microphone
Your microphone is the first thing in your vocal chain, and it’s the most important. After all, it’s the single piece of gear responsible for capturing a sound source and sending it down your signal path — everything else is designed to reinforce and complement your microphone.
Preamp
Preamps are sometimes misconstrued as magical boxes that will spin anything you send into them into gold. But that overstates their influence. Preamps are tools designed to bring your mic’s signals up to useable levels. That said, if you choose the right preamp for your applications, then it can also impart a pleasing character to the sound.
EQ
No matter how amazing your mic and preamp may sound, they’ll often need a bit of tweaking. That’s where EQ comes in. These tone-shaping tools will enable you to filter out unwanted low-frequency rumble, attenuate annoying resonant frequencies, add air to your vocals, and a whole lot more.
Compressor
Even well-trained vocalists with impeccable mic techniques sing at inconsistent volumes — it’s all part of their emotional expressions. A finely tuned compressor is exactly what you need to rein in these errant dynamics. Whether you use it subtly for transparent control or aggressively for effect, a compressor is an essential component of any complete vocal chain.
Extras: De-essers, Saturators & More Compression
Many engineers also use de-essers, saturators, and even a second (or third) compressor as part of their vocal chains. De-essers remove unwanted sibilance from vocal performances, and saturators add an ear-grabbing sizzle to your recordings. Using multiple compressors in series is a great way to attain both invisible dynamics control as well as a character-filled sound — without squeezing your signal too much.
Classic Rock Vocals
Essentials Chain
Record a future rock classic
For a rock-solid rock vocal, start with a Neumann TLM 103 large-diaphragm condenser microphone. This mic delivers the revered Neumann sound with a transformer-less design, minimal self-noise, and a wide dynamic range. A Heritage Audio HA73 ELITE microphone preamp serves up the sound of a British console on a silver platter, with plenty of gain and loads of convenient features. A Klark Teknik 1176-KT Classic FET-style compressor provides you with convincing — yet cost-effective — dynamic control with familiar vintage-style controls. A Heritage Audio LANG PEQ-2 program equalizer puts the final sonic sheen on this top-shelf vocal chain.
Deluxe Chain
Harness the full might of rock ‘n’ roll
If you really want to take a rock vocal over the top, then start with the industry-standard vocal mic: the Neumann U 87 Ai set large-diaphragm condenser. Ever since the 1970s, the 87 has been a first-call vocal mic for countless engineers in most professional recording studios worldwide. The Manley VOXBOX tube channel strip has all the right features to complement the U 87, including a gorgeous-sounding mic preamp, a Pultec-style EQ, an optical compressor, a de-esser/limiter, and an old-school VU meter.
Extreme Metal Vocals
Essentials Chain
Get it all, from clean to scream
Clean singing, guttural growling, stratospheric screaming — metal encompasses a zillion different vocal techniques, oftentimes at ear-punishing volumes. To capture these types of vocalists, you need a microphone that can handle that, such as the Shure SM7B cardioid dynamic vocal microphone. Thanks to a mightily detailed sound, built-in sound-shaping controls, and the ability to withstand up to 180dB, the SM7B is a clear winner for high-powered vocalists. A Solid State Logic VHD+ Pre 500 Series microphone preamp does a remarkable job of harnessing the SM7B’s meager output, while an API Select SV14 gives you four bands of high-octane, tone-carving capabilities. Top that off with an Empirical Labs Pump 500 Series compressor, and you’ve got everything you need for killer metal vox. Of course, you’ll also need a Radial Workhorse Cube 3-slot 500 Series desktop chassis to house your modules.
Deluxe Chain
Tackle any vocal, no matter how extreme
If you want to give metal vocals the Cadillac treatment, then the Telefunken TF51 large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone is a great place to start. A fresh take on the near-mythical Austrian sound, the TF51 offers tons of smooth, airy detail and three polar patterns. And given that it can withstand the output of a raging guitar cabinet, it’s a sure bet that it can endure the lungs of any metal vocalist you plant in front of it. An API TCS-II Channel Strip is next in line, providing you with a preamp, compressor, and EQ based on the sound of an old-school API desk — a console that’s been synonymous with heavy rock since before heavy rock was a thing. Next, an Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ parametric equalizer with de-esser is on hand for further sound shaping and extra-strength sibilance control. An Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor compressor/limiter puts the finishing touch on this chain, arming you with flexible compression and limiting plus variable harmonic distortion for adding edge to your final sound.
Pop Diva Vocals
Essentials Chain
Capture the voice of a pop goddess
Pop stars might be divas, but they have the pipes to back it up. To capture these larger-than-life voices effectively, you need a larger-than-life mic. The Warm Audio WA-CX12 tube condenser microphone definitely fits the bill, deftly replicating the glassy highs and prominent midrange of one of the most respected studio microphones ever produced. The Grace Design m101 half-rack microphone preamp is the perfect choice to complement this mic, courtesy of its impeccable detail and crystal clear sound. The API Select SR24 dual-channel parametric equalizer gives you exactly what you need to polish your vocals to perfection, and the Empirical Labs EL8 gives you all the flexible dynamics control you could ask for.
Deluxe Chain
The secret to chart-topping vocals
If you want to achieve pop-vocal perfection, then you need a signal chain that’s worth its weight in gold. That’s why the Manley Reference Gold multi-pattern large-diaphragm tube condenser is the perfect mic for this application — gold is right there in its name! Moreover, when you hear the accuracy, clarity, and multi-platinum-worthy sheen it lends to your vocal tracks, you’ll want to place it in front of every performer that steps into your vocal booth. The DW Fearn VT-2 dual-channel microphone preamp is a great companion for the Reference Gold, arming you with audiophile-quality sound. The Pultec EQP-1A tube program equalizer provides you with ample tone enhancement with what’s arguably the most coveted sonic signature in recording history. The Tube-Tech CL 1B tube optical compressor has an untouchable track record as a vocal comp. Finally, the legendary GML 8200 2-channel parametric EQ allows you to fine-tune this hit-making vocal chain.
Modern Hip-hop Vocals
Essentials Chain
Your ticket to in-your-face studio vox
Hip-hop, whether old-school or modern, lives and dies by the quality of its vocals, which need to sound clear, articulate, and up in your face. The good news is that you can pull this off — with zero concessions — using a self-contained rig from Universal Audio. By plugging a Universal Audio Sphere DLX modeling microphone system into a Universal Audio Apollo Twin X DUO Gen 2 Essentials+ 10×6 Thunderbolt audio interface with UAD DSP, you get access not only to 38 authentic microphone models but also to UA’s unbelievable analog-modeled Unison preamps and true-to-life emulations of studio-standard hardware EQs, compressors, and a whole host of other audio-processing goodies for shaping, squashing, and otherwise perfecting your vocals.
Deluxe Chain
A vocal chain fit for hip-hop royalty
Searching for a no-compromise hip-hop vocal chain? If that’s the case, then the only mic that fits that description is the Sony C-800G large-diaphragm condenser — it’s the industry standard for high-caliber hip-hop. The hyper-clean, ultra-detailed sound of the C-800G is then piped into an Avalon V5 microphone preamp, which is renowned for its pristine, high-headroom character. Next in line is the Pultec EQP-1A3-SS EQ with API gain stage, which is primed and ready to add that elusive high-dollar sound to your vox. Finally, you get the famous one-two punch of the Universal Audio 1176LN, which trims the dynamic peaks off your signal for maximum transparency, and the Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Classic leveling amplifier, which adds a final tube-fueled gooiness guaranteed to elevate your tracks to their highest levels.
Vintage & Vibey Vocals
Essentials Chain
A vocal chain that would make Sinatra proud
To evoke the timeless character of a vintage vocal chain, you can’t go wrong with a ribbon microphone, like the AEA R84 passive ribbon mic. This classic-sounding, do-it-all microphone delivers a gorgeous, natural sound with smooth transients and enough volume capacity to withstand the lung capacity of any crooner who steps in front of it. Running a ribbon mic into the Warm Audio WA-MPX 1-channel tube/line/instrument preamp gives you instant vibe, as this particular unit reproduces not only the sound of a “351” preamp but also the tape saturation that goes along with it. The Heritage Audio MotorCity EQualizer is the perfect sound shaper for this vocal chain, arming you with the unmistakable character of Motown’s legendary hitmaking EQ. Finally, a Warm Audio WA-2A tube optical compressor puts a tube-filled gloss on your vocal track.
Deluxe Chain
Make every vocal sound timeless
If you’re looking for the ultimate vintage-tinged tube mic, then you’ll find everything you’re searching for in the Telefunken ELA M 251E large-diaphragm condenser. A meticulous reissue of one of the most revered mics ever created, the ELA M 251E is pure alchemy — it will transform anything you capture with it into gold. As for a preamp, the Chandler Limited REDD.47 tube mic preamp, a glorious rebirth of the Abbey Road Studios Holy Grail mic pre, is one of the few pieces of studio hardware worthy of the ELA M 251E’s unrivaled sound quality. The Pultec MEQM-5 mastering midrange equalizer adds an indefinable magic to this vocal chain that’s elevated even further by the Heritage Audio Herchild HA660 mono tube compressor — a painstaking re-creation of what’s arguably the most sought-after hardware compressor in the history of studio recording.
Want Killer Vocal Tracks?
Ready to level up your vocal chain? Reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 and get started today!