For our fourth TTOTD summit we polled our readers for information on how they record what is arguably the most elusive instrument of all — the human voice. The question was actually sparked by repeated inquiries from our valued inSync readership (we are listening guys). Of all the questions we get, and we get a LOT of questions, this was one of the most common. Since so much about this process is subjective and often practices are developed over years of experience, we thought that same inSync readership would be the best place to find useful and fresh information.
So, starting on 10/19/98 we set about finding tips and techniques for recording vocals from our readers. In this case, rather than just asking the question and leaving it at that, we asked a number of specific questions that relate to the concept of vocal recording. The query was as follows:
Okay boys and girls, it’s finally time for another TTOTD inSync summit. It has been nearly a year since the last time we did this. Now that everyone’s a year older and wiser we think it’s time open it back up to the readers for some input. For those of you who were not with us when we did the last one (or who just can’t remember back that far) our summits are where we solicit input from the vast pool of knowledgeable inSync readers to share their expertise with one another. Sort of a community of help, if you will. Our past summits have covered piano miking, acoustic guitar miking, and there was the One Piece summit, which asked readers to speak about the one piece of gear or one technique that has made the most difference in their recording. You might want to check back in with those because there is some great information from experienced people there.
This fall’s topic? Your obsequious inSync editor, David Stewart was very tempted to use one of several clever ideas that came up over the past few months. It ultimately occurred to me, however, that people don’t need or want “clever.” They want “useful.” The one question I’ve heard come up time and time again over the years is, “How do you get a great vocal recording?” People at all levels of talent and technology have been struggling with this issue for as long as we’ve been recording.
How do you get a great vocal recording? What do you do? This is not just about miking (though miking is obviously very important); it’s also about the recording, and about the performing.
Here are some starter questions to get you thinking. What microphone do you use? Why? How do you select the proper microphone? Where do you position it? Do you compress to tape (or disc)? What about EQ? Do you use a microphone pre amp? If so, how is it connected? What to you do to help ensure a good vocal performance? The correct answer is not, “I pull my pistol out, start shooting and yell, ‘DANCE WHILE YOU SING!'” How do you set up the headphone mix for a singer? What else do you do to make them comfortable? What about punching in and doing takes? Any tricks for keeping vocals pitched correctly? What about in mixing? Do you compress the vocal track(s) a lot? Do you use any exciters? Do you berate the singer during tracking and offer to remove his or her vocal chords in the interest of humanity?
We received many interesting responses. Some readers took it as a challenge to describe in detail an almost step-by-step method of how they approach vocal recording, while others went into the “philosophy” of it. We thank them for their diligent efforts. A few took to simply providing quick answers to the various suggested questions that were raised, which also proved quite interesting.
The edited results of the Vocal Recording summit appeared in several daily issues of inSync (11/9/98, 11/10/98, 11/11/98, 11/16/98, 11/17/98, 11/18/98, and 11/27/98). In some cases these edits were not easy to come by because of the way individuals responded. Thus the inSync staff has decided to post (nearly) unedited versions of these responses. We have tried to leave the writing styles of them in their original form — only correcting obvious spelling or punctuation mistakes (and only where those changes did not interfere with style). We hope you enjoy reading these responses in their entirety as much as we did.
Without further delay, here they are in the order we received them.
Bob Lichty
Music Industry and Touring Liason, Crown Audio
I’ve always been of the mindset that capturing a great vocal performance means capturing the right emotion for the song. This, of course, means making the singer as comfortable as possible. (The studio is usually a foreboding enough place to those who are used to performing live!) Obviously, there’s some tried and true standbys here: Dimming the lights in the studio, keeping the temperature in the room where they like it, but there are a few unique ones to try as well: For those who are used to performing live, try giving them a 58 (or similar handheld) just to keep in their hand. It really does help! I’ve also been known to pull out floor monitors instead of headphones (hey, it worked for Sinatra). Obviously this requires a great deal of getting a setup where bleed is minimal. Of course, the other thing to help a singer is to give them as good a mix in the phones as possible. Make it sound like the band is right there. Usually, if I can listen to their mix, and feel it is close to a final sounding mix, I’ll know I’m close.I really try to avoid beating up the singer too much. rather than punch my way through, I prefer to get 3 or 4 solid takes on separate tracks and then comp them to one. Too much punching leads to fatigue, and the emotion seems to drain. If they can handle complete takes, they seem to keep the energy flowing better.
As far as mics, I’ll usually have 3 or 4 set up in the room when they arrive, all with capsules placed close to each other. (Usually an old Neumann Tube (U47), A U87, AN AKG 414, and an AT 4050, there’s others, but those are usually where I hed to first). As they start going through the first tune, I’ll listen to each one and see which sounds the best for the particular voice and song. I don’t always use the same mic for a singer for a whole album. Some are (general audio terms coming) warm for ballads, while others are brighter for more up tunes.
I’ll usually lightly compress to tape, more to protect myself in case a Mariah style note comes out. As far as a pre goes, it depends on the room and the console. If it’s a board I’m not familiar with, or one whose preamps aren’t what I like, I’ll run the mic right into a pre and right to tape. If the board’s preamps are good though, I’ll use ’em.
I try to track with flat EQ on everything, including vocals. the only time I don’t is if I’m in someone’s basement and there’s low rumbling throughout the place, then I may try to get some of that out.
I don’t suppose any of this is new or earth-shattering. I just try to make the singer comfortable, and have equipment that can help do that.
James
I’m calling this piece “Vocal Setup” because I feel it’s important to have a setup in place so that things go more smoothly while recording. In my case, a very good condenser mic going through a clean preamp (possibly tube), then a limiter before recording the track to digital. While there are many wonderful things I can do to the vocal once on tape (ehh, virtual tape), I can get the most out of my recording quality with a nicely rounded off sound. After this, I have a separate mastering section with a compressor and exciter, to make the vocals jump out of the mix.This is a time proven way of tracking vocals. In today’s world of affordable outboard effects and freeware plug-ins, it is possible to do almost anything to a cleanly recorded vocal track. This can only be true, if in fact you have a well designed “Vocal Setup.” Good luck.
Chad Austin
Secret World Records and Salamander Studios (producer, engineer, session guitarists, vocalist — this list gets more boring the more I write it) Recording the Elusive
Here’s my two cents. Maybe it’s not much because I don’t have a million dollars behind my name, but I do have thousands of hours of experience, most from trial and error. I have won a few awards as a producer and engineer — but that don’t really amount to anything either — except trying to impress chicks at a party. I have a small studio here in my home that I use for mainly for myself. On occasion I record others. In the last several years it has seemed as though everyone in my area has started to come to me for help as a producer and engineer for their sessions. It seems they have trouble when going to a “real” studio in getting the right sound or even more, the best performance. I have found several overlooked “issues” that I have witnessed time and time again. And the trouble is, you don’t read that much about this in the recording magazines. So let’s take a look at some parallels:Where do you work? Are you one of those people who feel as though you do all the work? Even if it’s a “day” job, do you have a certain amount of pride that makes you excel more than others? Most of us do. Most of wants to be accepted — be it by peers or the boss. Some even aspire to do more than that. They take a self-pride in their work because what they do really matters to them. They want to leave at the end of the day knowing they have done the best job possible — even if it’s not their chosen career. Where in the world is all this leading? — hold on.
Being a serious guitarist, I am all too familiar with the competitiveness that exists amongst other guitarists. Everyone has their own opinion about who’s the best player, who has the best technique… blah, blah, blah. That exists in the engineering field as well. Around here, so-and-so engineer uses too much compression, another uses too much FX, another engineer mixes the drums as if it were in a live setting and not capturing the true timbre of the instrument. There’s so many opinions. I don’t think any of them matter.
What does matter is that, just like in the office or day job, there’s an abundance of people who do their job by just squeaking by. We all know those types. Have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like if everyone truly loved their job? Think about how much better your job could be. Now turn that into the studio situation. It matters here as well. Too many times have I been invited to watch a session to watch the engineer do his job with a certain sense of apathy, of not really caring or digging the band. That is the start of a bad performance. Can you imagine (I think we all can) of being in a band where the other members don’t care for your performance? I know that when I play live and I turn to see the smile on the bassist’ face while we’re performing that I play better. Point one made.
The other thing is the sense of “better-than-you” that I feel emanates from studios. This attitude of “WE own this studio and WE can make you sound like this and WE can make or break your recording” is a crock of bull. It should be “WE are working for YOU and WE WILL do what we have to make it sound its best”. After all, without the clients, the public studio doesn’t exist. Just because Wana’ Brotha’s hasn’t signed this artist doesn’t make them bad.
Now, in defense of the studio owners and engineers, I know that sometimes you’ll get a band that either a) has music that doesn’t really appeal to you, or b) not ready to record. My perception then becomes, “Is this workable? What I can I do to make this project sound better? Should I just tell the band that they’re not ready?” Most studios won’t be that honest to their clients, after all, they have to make money to keep the doors open. But the downside is that after the band who’s not ready finishes their recording and gets home, they’ll start blaming the studio for their sounding bad. And word of mouth is the best and worst form of advertising.
Atmosphere is also important. How does the singer feel the best? If he or she feels better standing on their head, as an engineer you may want to explain the problems they’ll encounter breathing, but by all means — let them. Just explain the consequences. They (the artists) are relying on you to tell them. I usually request a jam-box recording of all the songs before the sessions begin so I can know what I’ll be up against and become more familiar with the tunes. I also request a consultation with the entire band to discuss ideas, problems, and consequences. It is during this time that I need to know if the band will be open to ideas with their songs. Maybe some vocal parts may need re-arranging. Who knows? But no one argue that the more knowledge you have the better armed you are for any problems that may appear.
OK, so you understand my point of attitude makes the difference. I’m into the equipment too, but less as much. Probably because I’ve been into this for so long that it’s become quite secondary. I use a large diaphragm condenser mic to start with. I may try others, like the ole’ sm57. I run through a mic preamp, compressor, sometimes a noise gate and eq, a DIGITECH vocalist unit for a very small amount of doubling — if the voice needs it. I record this all to tape. I use reverb or delay on a send just for the singer’s monitoring purposes, but not to tape. It helps to create the mood for the singer. I check the vocal lines against a keyboard to show vocal imperfections. I also use this keyboard to show the singer new ideas. I allow the singer to try different ideas and compare them to one another. I keep my CD player handy to offer suggestions and ideas as well.
I also will record a full dummy-track of a tune and listen for any problems or adjustments. I explain to the singer what I’m hearing, what adjustments I may have to make, and ask what are they trying to achieve.
I listen to the singer. What kind of problems are they having? If there are technique problems — which occur with almost every singer — what can you do to battle them? If I hear a singer sing flat, I will ask them to smile while singing. This will cause the mouth to go wide and the pitch to go up a few cents. It’s really funny how this works. But it does. I try to fix everything at the source as opposed to the mix. Then mixdown becomes a breeze.
Oh, no, I hear my doorbell. That means my next project is ready to begin. Punctuality is also a nice courtesy. Take my advice with a grain a of salt — it makes it taste better.
Best regards
Flo Macheck
Vienna
Hi peoples! My name is Flo Macheck and I am a teacher at the School of Audio Engineering “SAE” Vienna, Austria. Since I spent a lot of time doing vocal recordings, maybe someone else can benefit from my experiences. Well, here they are….
- Choice of microphone Believe it or not, but I found that the choice of (condenser-) mic is not as important as people want to make others believe (of course others, who did not have the chance to compare…). I’ve tried a lot of mics on vocals, including AKG 414s, C-3000s and TL-IIs, Neumann U87Ai, Tube M49, Rode NT-2 and Rode Tube, CAD E200 and E-300, just to name a few. Of course they all sound different, but the difference is often subtle, sometimes very subtle. Add or cut some dB of the high frequencies wit a good EQ and the differences get even smaller. The bottom line: There is a “best” mic for each voice, but by choosing a different mic in a price range from $700 up, it won’t sound “bad”. Don’t spend $20.000 on mics to have the perfect one for each singer. The price of the mic does not correlate with the results you get. (To me, the Rodes sound better on vocals than my U87Ai on most people. AND the difference between a Rode NT-2 and a Tube Rode is pretty much inaudible — you just get two NT2s for the price of one Tube Rode.) Another hint: When trying out mics, do not listen to yourself speaking into the mic listening to headphones at the same time, because of phase cancellations through sound that reaches your ears through your skull. Mics (and preamps, etc.) sound much more different this way than when recorded and played back afterwards for comparison.
- Placement and acoustics If you do not record in a good sounding room (99% of all cases) you need to keep Room reflections to a minimum, or the vocals will most likely not fit themselves into the mix. What you need is absorption-materials, like Sonex foam. Stick the foam on one corner’s walls, put a carpet on the floor and if necessary, put some more foam on the ceiling of that corner. Now, let the mic’s on axis face INTO that corner and place the singer in between mic and corner. Have a good distance between walls, singer and Mic, the closer they are, the boomier the sound gets. If you want the voice to sound distant in the mix, let the singer back away a bit from the mic and advise her/him to sing with an adequate volume, if you want it to sound whisper-close in the mix, then record it whisper-close and make sure the singer really whispers. Remember: You want to reproduce reality — not turn it around! Usually 5 to 10 inches mic/singer distance works fine for general purpose voice recordings. Use a pop-screen against plosives and as a distance-keeper AND as a mic-saver: saliva, food and smoke damage capsules. Use cardioid or hyper-cardioid pattern, switch in low-cut filter if necessary. Beware: On some mics low-cut really means low-cut filter (like C414s) against rumble etc., on some it’s more like an Low-end shelving EQ (like U87s) against proximity-effect.
- Preamps and EQ Differences are small, but noticeable. Try out a good outboard preamp in lieu of your console amps and see if it’s worth. I like the TLA-tube and Aphex 107 pre for a very clear and detailed sound, the ART TubeMP for a thicker, not so clear one. Match the preamp with voice. If the voice is thin, try a thick sounding preamp, if the voice is “phat”, try a clear preamp. Class-A preamps often sound better then Class-B units. Do not use heavy EQing before going to tape, just a bit if necessary. Most commonly I use high shelf boost for darker mics and some low shelving roll off against proximity effect. Use EQ to reduce nasty mid-frequencies in the mix rather than boosting a lot. Use EQ-bypass a lot for comparison. Do not EQ voices too much. Cheap EQ’s often sound bad. Keep the cable length not longer than necessary, avoid patch bays and daisy-chaining several cables to make them longer before the preamp to ensure an optimum transmission. Buy one good, long enough cable.
- Dynamics I always compress before going to tape — because I know what I do. If you do not have enough experience with setting up compressors, leave it for the mix. Compressing before recording supplies the A/D converters with an ideal level (higher and consistent) and protects from digital clipping. On analog tape it keeps the hiss lower, compared to compressing after tape (gain makeup brings up tape-noise as well…). Compression settings depend on type of music and singer. I use a lot on pop-music, less on jazzy stuff. Try ratio around 2:1 – 6:1, an attack longer than 3ms and a release around 200ms to 1 second. Set the threshold so the gain reduction is not more than around -12dB. If necessary, I compress or limit again during mix down. There are very good cheap compressors on the market. I especially like the Behringer Composer, it sounds excellent and has all parameters and features a compressor can have. Of the more expensive ones, I obtain good results with my Joe Meek Studio Channel and ART ProVLA — be careful, they do not protect against peaks, they cannot be used as brick-wall limiters. On vocals, a compressor is good when you do not notice it. The voice is just at a consistent volume all the time and doesn’t sound boxy when gain reduction is active. All three compressors I mentioned do just that — they are all equally suited for vocals. If you plan to use high-shelf EQ or an exciter on the voice (the Joe Meek Exciter is excellent for voice), consider using a de-esser before eq-ing.
- Performance This is the most important point. Believe me, people rather like to hear a good performance recorded mediocre than a poor performance recorded perfectly. Make the singer(s) feel good. Do not put any pressure on them, do not experiment with them too long, make them feel that you want to help them sound good on the recording. Make sure they are absolutely content with the headphone mix. Try different headphones, half-open models (like AKG 240s) often make singing easier than closed ones, though you then have got more spill into the mic. Keep people out of the studio when recording a singer, especially ones who are unknown to the singer. Keep the talk back mic open as often as possible. Let the singer hear what is being discussed in the control room. Most singers do not like to be watched when singing, do not place them in front of the control-room window without proposing a position in the room where they are not seen by the people in the control room. Do not overdo Punching in and out. Try to record entire takes and comp them together later (easy on a hard-disk based system). If the singer has a bad day, do the recording again on another, if possible. The mood of the singer will definitely be heard on the recording. Some days just ain’t right for a happy pop tune.
- Mix Run the entire recording through a distortion pedal and forget all I have said before — sounds cool!
Dave S
Slightly boost 5K…this is known as the “magic frequency” for the voice…..also, apply a little 2:1 compression going to tape (or whatever medium you are recording to). Both of these tips will get you close….you may have to fine tune a bit.
You want a great sounding verb on your vocal mix? Try about an 80 msec delay with a big verb that decays fairly quickly. You will get the bigness of a large verb without it getting in the way…..(the delay allows for clarity of the original sound)
Steve Hurley
* What microphone do you use?
TLM-103
* Why?
IMO It’s the least expensive professional grade vocal mic. My next mic will likely be the M147 when it comes out.
* How do you select the proper microphone?
Reviews on Rec.Audio.Pro newsgroup
* Where do you position it?
4 to 8″ away slightly off axis, (pop filter 1″ in front)
* Do you compress to tape (or disc)?
Yes. RNC Threshold -5 to -10, ratio = 2:1 to 6:1, attack and decay neutral.
* What about EQ?
No.
* Do you use a microphone pre amp?
Yes. Great River MP-2
* If so, how is it connected?
Mic,Pre,Comp,Xt-20 short Mogami or monster cables.
* What to you do to help ensure a good vocal performance?
No time pressure. If the takes aren’t cutting it, I walk away and return again the next day when I’m rested. Again and again until I am satisfied with the results.
* How do you set up the headphone mix for a singer?
I probably make 30 or 40 adjustments in the headphone mix until it is exactly right for the singer. This is a VERY critical step in getting the best performance from the vocalist.
* What else do you do to make them comfortable?
Comfy headphones, and comfortable padded piano bench to sit on while singing. This ensures exact mic accessibility over a long session. Room temperature control and lighting is important for singer comfort too.
* What about punching in and doing takes?
Lots of them. This is where the bench comes in handy. The singer can freeze after a take and retain the same mic angle and distance for flawless punch ins. 50 to 70 takes is not uncommon. Usually it requires about 20 takes to get a track with the desired feel. Then verses and choruses are reviewed and fixed until it is up to the proper measure of the song.
Conversely, there are times when the first take is the magic number. It changes from song to song, from day to day. All punches and fixes must be done in the same session though because a singers voices changes from hour to hour. Exceptions are of course the rule.
* Any tricks for keeping vocals pitched correctly?
Proper headphone mix.
* Do you compress the vocal track(s) a lot?
Not usually.
* Do you use any exciters?
No.
* Do you berate the singer during tracking and offer to remove his or her vocal chords in the interest of humanity?
always.
John A. Diehl
Diehl Productions, Indianapolis
The hardest thing I found about vocal recording was finding someone who could REALLY sing. I spent a lot of my dad’s money and four and a half years on the subject and though I gained a ton of knowledge about the topic I have found few who employed what they were supposed to have been taught. The biggest failure I have come across are the folks who think they have to be loud. What a joke! Scream is two more psi. away for them. Then there is the black application of melisma. For those unfamiliar with the term it is a series of note much like a cadenza. I have heard some black vocalists who sounded as though they really weren’t certain where they were headed in the first place using vocal antics that encompassed sometimes more than an octave. Have to say — What was that! HA!
The real winner though was the lady I was paying, a killer sight-reader and a well schooled vocalist from New York. I asked her to give me that velvety soft smooth sound that only a woman can sing like to her infant, her reply was “Oh, I don’t do that.” Obviously that was her last job with me. I had to use a pad on her track and barely had enough slider to get her part down far enough.
Setup: I use a Neumann 193 and by looking at the test pattern there seemed to me to be a bulge in the sweet spot slightly off center to the right I turn my mike to what I perceive to be that location and get very pleasing results. If the vocalist has to read it’s nice to raise the literature so they can use the full air column, but not so high they have to look up. I use a DBX 760 preamp with that mike. Works for me. Adequate light and appropriate temperature are important also since one really does work when one sings properly.
Love this site.
KFLEDMAN
Start with a great singer….put a mic in front of him/her and press record……okay, the long-form….
1.–what mic do i use? usually I will put up a U-47 first, then a C-24…….I recently picked up a Rode Classic and plan on using that a lot as well……if a tube mic isn’t getting what I want/need, I might try an SM-58, an RE-20…..or a U-87…maybe even a 414…….haven’t experimented with ribbons on vocals but i hear that they’re nice too….
2.—–why? because I try to use what has worked best in the past for me……i try to work as efficiently as possible in the studio….get to recording the artist rather than spend a lot of time making him/her worry about any technical issues…..
3.—-how do you select the proper mic?—-i LISTEN……if it sounds good, i go with it
4.—- Where do you position it? I put it in front of the vocalist, about 4-6 inches from the mouth……usually put a pop filter in front …..usually have the mic “upside-down”—-the capsule below the body of the mic…..
5.—–i usually compress to tape…….unless i’m feeling really comfortable about riding the levels
6.—–i usually do NOT use EQ………
7.—You always have to use a mic preamp….i will use the pre’s on the board if they’re the best pre’s i have available….when i’m working on a neve i’ll go with the boards pres…..if i’m on a mackie, i’ll use something outboard—either API’s, Neves, the Avalon is nice…
8.–how is it set up?—well, i try to set the levels so that the mic pre is at a point where the vocalist is hitting around 0vu most of the time….then i’ll put an LA-2a into the chain so that the threshold is a little below that……usually i’ll hit the la-2a pretty hard (but i like the sound of it…) might see 5-7 vu of gain reduction [at least i think that’s where i usually am hitting…..i have a somewhat zen approach to getting vocals to tape, my actual practice may be quite different from my descriptions…..)
9.—-you try to ensure a good vocal performance by making the artist as comfortable as possible….and take away as many distractions as possible……also, i try to not pressure the artist to much…..making a record should be fun (of course, on jingle dates i leave it up to the producer or client to make the singer as comfortable or uncomfortable as they feel necessary….)
10—for headphone mixes, i’ll either use the private cue system and let the artist put together their own mix…………or, i’ll monitor the same mix the singer is hearing
11.—what else to make them comfy—-dim the lights, give them a chair or stool to relax on…..a little table for water or whatever….and a music stand for lyrics (with some fabric on it to cut down on nasty reflections)
12.——punching in? multiple takes —-depends on the singer’s choice and the availability of tracks
13.—tricks for keeping vocals in pitch not while they’re singing…..
14—-but fixing pitch in mix??? now, isn’t that a well-guarded industry secret???
15.—-ok for the last few questions——i use as little compression as necessary but none less……..i avoid ‘exciters’ like the plague that they are…….and i never berate the artist (i’m not phil specter…)
Bruce KEEN
Sunshine Groove Recordings
* What microphone do you use? I use a TLM140 and a 414 AKG. I love to record with an AKG C12 but they’re pricey so I rent when needed. M49 is cool to.
* Why? I like the high end of the TLM better than the 87 and the 67. I think it’s quite flat in response. I like to use the 414 on backing Vocals because it makes them sit nicely in the mix. The C12 has got such presence and beautiful mid range. The Sony C800 is also a good mike but having done a couple of albums with one, I find it a bit characterless. A good vocal to me is not a pristine beautiful sound. It’s something that has guts. I sometimes record Opera singers and I like a Bruel & Kjaer for that, because it handles high levels and is very quiet which is important when the dynamic range is high.
* How do you select the proper microphone? I generally know in advance what is going to work. But I also like to record several mics on singers I’ve never worked with before. If someone likes to roll on the floor during a performance I respect that and use a standard Shure Beta 58. Rough, but I’ve seen a couple of big hits recorded that way. I always try to bear in mind that the performance is more important than the sound itself and I’d rather spend a lot of time getting whatever it takes to make the singer comfortable than intimidating someone with loads of mics in front of his face.
* Where do you position it? I like low end in a vocal and I’d rather get it from the positioning than from EQ. I tend to put the mic tilted downwards towards the throat, slightly above the mouth. I’m always amazed that some people filter out the vocal a lot before going to tape. I find that just by changing the angle of the mic you can get a big difference in the low end. I also find that a singer will never have the same position whilst your setting up than during the performance. I put the center of the popsheild in a position where I want the singer to be, which is not the center of the mic. Most singers do go for the center of the popshield as they think the center of the mic must be right behind. But if they see the mic inclined they tend to incline also. However if it’s not working, the rule is that there are no rules and for instance if someone is singing very softly I get rid of the popshield and let her get real close on the mike. Once in a while I’ll come across someone who can’t stand headphones so I’ll put a couple of Auratones out of phase and make sure the null point is at the center of the microphone. This actually does work.
* Do you compress to tape (or disc)? Very moderately, just a little ride on the strong bits. But I always slam it on monitoring especially if the track is rhythmic. I think this is very important because it makes the vocal sit in the track and gives extra punch for the singer. It’s a rhythm thing. I love it when the percussion of certain syllables gives a whole new rhythmic line to the track. * What about EQ? EQ is overused, and the more I record the more I stay away from it. Obviously today vocals have to be bright to be clear but I’ll always make sure that the take is not harsh. Filtering out rumble is also obvious, as long as you don’t lose the low end. I don’t mind putting whatever EQ it takes on monitoring for the singer to be comfortable but I hate to be stuck with an EQ that doesn’t fit the song and have to re-EQ on top to change it. There’s always time to really get fancy in the mix.
* Do you use a microphone pre amp? Always. Jensen preamps are very dynamic and super clean. I used AMEK 9098 preamps for a while but I’ve got a couple of Avalon VT737’s now and everybody loves them. The old Neve preamps are magical and have a lot of character, but I don’t own any. These are my top 4 preamps. The Massenburg will make a vocal stand out but it’s expensive. When I was a tape-op, a great engineer told me : never two valves in a chain. It makes things muddy. I believe there is some truth in that. And I avoid using a valve microphone with a valve preamp, or a valve compressor. But then the first rule is no rules and I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with this.
* If so, how is it connected? Mic straight into the preamp. Preamp straight to tape. The shorter the better. Any suggestions ?
* What to you do to help ensure a good vocal performance? The correct answer is not, “I pull my pistol out, start shooting and yell, ‘DANCE WHILE YOU SING!'” I make sure the time is right, and I seldom get anything great early in the morning. Late afternoon is a good time. Of course this varies but it’s very important. I try to make everybody feel at home, put fruit around, have daylight, and keep the number of people in the room to a very strict minimum. Dimmers for the lights are also important. Most important: First Take is ALWAYS recorded even if you think the singer is just warming up. I’m continuously surprised that first takes are often the best. I don’t put clocks in the studio, and I make sure no telephone or any other event is going to break up the vibe. It’s all about the vibe you create and you don’t learn that overnight. Great Producers use a big deal of psychology to make the vibe right. Make sure the singer always has water. Technology should be hidden and transparent.
* How do you set up the headphone mix for a singer? Pretty obvious. Get the same set of cans as the singer and make them sound good. You can’t do a good headphone mix on speakers. Headphones are seldom flat and EQ’ing a headphone mix is worthwhile. A good pair of cans is a worthwhile investment. I always check the level of the vocal in the cans. You can make a singer sing softer by raising the vocal level and also make a singer sing louder by lowering it.
* What about punching in and doing takes? I use direct to disk now. This is a godsend for tracking vocals. As many tracks as you want, as many comps, loop record, undoable punch-ins, all this makes it hard to go back to tape.
* Any tricks for keeping vocals pitched correctly? Autotune is a brilliant tool in graphical mode and it works. Be careful not to make everything perfect because that sounds horrible.
* What about in mixing? Too vast a subject.
* Do you compress the vocal track(s) a lot? Yes. I love compression and I would say it’s more important than EQ. That doesn’t mean you have to nail the life out of the vocal. I love the fast attacks that give percussion and I also getting the release to work rhythmically.
* Do you use any exciters? No, never. I used to. But I hate them. They mess things up. It sounds nice on the moment but six months later you regret it.
Hope this helps someone one day.
Scott Metcalfe
Mind’s Ear Mastering, Metcalfe Digital Productions
How do you get a great vocal recording? What do you do? This is not just about miking (though miking is obviously very important); it’s also about the recording, and about the performing.
Other than large diaphragm condenser mics, or for some voices Ribbons, and a high quality microphone preamp — one of the best things to do is often the most overlooked. Creating an ‘inspirational’ headphone mix, although that may be a bit time consuming, often results in the best performance the singer is capable of giving. Remember that equipment only goes so far. It’s relatively easy to make an excellent recording of an excellent performance with any virtually any kind of equipment, but it doesn’t matter how good your gear is, there’s no way of making a bad performance sound great.
Joel Fairstein
Castle Acoustics Mastering
As a mastering engineer, I’ve heard everything under the sun in terms of vocal recording quality. The most common problems stem from recording the vocalist on axis and without a pop screen. The rampant sibilance that results can be knocked down with a split-band sidechain compressor, such as Waves C1, using an infinite or even negative ratio. Plosives are much harder to control, however, since they occupy a bandwidth that overlaps the fundamental range of the vocalist.
In my own tracking experience, these plosive and sibilant problems can largely be avoided by placing the mic (cardiod) above the vocalist’s head and aimed downward at the neck, so that the vocalist is singing across the cone of response. The small amount of high-frequency attenuation with this technique is minor compared to the problems resulting from recording on-axis.
Another problem that I’ve heard on a number of masters is a ringing at around 8200 Hz. I like to call this “freezer burn,” because the sound is harsh and cold. I can only guess this problem results from the particular microphone response at that frequency range or perhaps the use of an aural exciter.
Exciters, unfortunately, tend to hype the bad part of the vocal frequency range — sibilance, and I recommend they be avoided on vocal tracks. Use some low cut instead to make the vocal sit better in the mix.
Which mic to use? Well, there is never a single answer to this question…I will track a vocalist with three mics to find the best fit. In one case, after my normal workhorse mics failed the listening test for a particular vocalist, I tried a kick drum mic, the Audix D2, and it worked great.
About a year ago, I received a mix for mastering from a small studio with limited recording experience. The vocal tracks, however, were the richest and smoothest I had heard. The mic used, it turned out was a Shure SM7, which is a dynamic mic normally used for spoken word in broadcast.
Finally, on the hype surrounding tube preamps. I compared a highly rated tube preamp against a bargain basement solid-state unit, the Yamaha MLA-7 by running the the same signal through the same mic into ProTools. After examining the waveform at sample resolution, there was no discernible difference in the leading or trailing edges of the waveform. In this case, the signal level was within the headroom of each preamp; I suspect the differences crop up only when pushing the headroom, in which case, a tube preamp will exhibit a smoother waveform.
The variation between preamp response will be a magnitude less than the variation between microphone models in terms of linearity, so I think it is safe to say that money is better spent on microphone selection than preamp selection.
Ziggy
Hey I thought I’d type you back and tell you how I get great vocal sounds from Ziggy’s Studio.
* What microphone do you use?
I use both a Shure SM58 and a Sure Beta 58
* Why?
The Beta 58 if a very “live” mic that picks up almost any spectrum of sound in the 20-2000 hertz range. (Normal human hearing range.) It’s crisp and clear. The SM58 is just a good all around mic for getting most sounds in the human hearing range. It’s crisp but not as “live”.
* How do you select the proper microphone?
I listen to the person’s mic edict. (How close they to the mic, if they breath on it or pop on the mic and if they are moving back and forth if the mic is on a stand. If they are holding the mic, I tell them to hold it steady and the same distance away from their face.) I listen to how loudly they sing and clearly they sing. I try them out on both mics in the same fashion and settings to see which mic is best.
* Where do you position it?
I position the mic right in front the person’s chin so I don’t get breathing or pops. I have yet to try out “Popper Stopper” on the mic.
* Do you compress to tape (or disc)?
I don’t compress unless it’s called for in the mix-down to DAT, ADAT or CD.
* What about EQ?
Usually I leave the high EQ’s a little higher, center EQ’s flat, and the low EQ’s a little higher. But it depends on the song, how many instruments are in it, what they are and how they are spaced out (in the foreground or background).
* Do you use a microphone pre amp?
Yes, I use one with 2 inputs. I use an Aphex 107 mic pre-amp. It works well and perfect for my studio environment.
* If so, how is it connected?
The mic’s are connected to the Aphex 107 and the Aphex 107 is connected to a PARIS MEC system via 2 outputs from channels 1 & 2 that the Aphex 107 has through an expansion card the PARIS MEC.
* What to you do to help ensure a good vocal performance? The correct answer is not, “I pull my pistol out, start shooting and yell, ‘DANCE WHILE YOU SING!'”
I tell the performer to keep the mic at the same distance and height placed away from their face. Don’t breath on the mic and leave it where I put it a opposed to their face.
* How do you set up the headphone mix for a singer?
I use the same mix that is used by the monitors.
* What else do you do to make them comfortable?
I make them take a bunch of takes for rehearsal and in each rehearsal, I tell the performer to a different thing that will make the recording of their voice better. Just little things each time though.
* What about punching in and doing takes?
I have two headphones, one for the recordist (me) and one for the performer. Point in the air, start the song about 4 measures before the punch in point, one measure before the punch in point I count down each beat with my fingers in the air. When the timing gets to one beat before the punch in point, I point at the performer. And he/she sings with the music on the other tracks playing.
* Any tricks for keeping vocals pitched correctly?
I use a keyboard’s piano sound and have the vocalist match the tone played by the piano. I play one note then a Mm7 in that note (for example a C note, then a C7).
* What about in mixing?
I mix the EQ first and then mix it to the sound of the other tracks via the sliders for volume.
* Do you compress the vocal track(s) a lot?
No, I don’t compress them until I mix them first and even then I don’t compress them a lot.
* Do you use any exciters?
No, I don’t need to use exciters with the Aphex 107 and the beta 57, it’s “live” enough.
* Do you berate the singer during tracking and offer to remove his or her vocal chords in the interest of humanity?
No I don’t. I listen to them before they come into the studio and decide whether their voice(s) are good enough to record. They also must have some kind of experience in a studio recording or a good sense of what they want to accomplish and how they want to accomplish it before they step in the studio.
Angela Taylor
I have “invented” tons of tricks. Hope these are useful:
I always want the mouth-to-mic distance to remain constant during the session, so I either put tape on the floor for my toes, or always sit in the same position in a chair. Otherwise overdubs/punch-ins can sound odd due to frequency/level differences. For the same reason I do all punch-ins the same day (or at least leave everything set up exactly). For a pop filter I prefer pantyhose stretched over a coat hanger to any foam pop filter. I feel that the foam colors the sound adversely. For “perfect” vocals I’ve been comping multiple takes in ProTools, and Pitch correcting them with Antares Auto-Tune. This combination is amazing! Auto-Tune’s Graphical mode yields better results than the auto mode.
Rick Powell
Studio71
Here is my take on recording vocals from a philosophic perspective:
- Consistency is important in getting a great vocal performance. As a producer or engineer, this means you have a responsibility to both know your equipment and to know the physical/spiritual/mental process that goes into giving a performance, and to do everything you can to facilitate something great happening and to avoid injecting negativity into the experience. This does not mean you should be a button-pushing smiling zombie in a chair; this means you have confidence in your abilities because you are good at what you do and you know how to push the performer to excel without being a jerk.
- There is a point of diminishing returns in multiple takes of a vocal performance, given the nature of the “instrument”. A good recording engineer or producer will develop a “sixth sense” of where this point is by experience (the more, the better!). It is way easier in the digital age to save multiple takes than it used to be in the analog age. Yes, Virginia, this is a good thing, because if you go past the point, you have something better from a previous take rather than having to trash the whole result of the session.
- As Roy Thomas Baker so eloquently said, “a sh***y recording of a hit song is still a hit recording”. That being said, we as engineers and producers should strive for as good a quality as we can possibly achieve, within the limits of our capabilities. The song (or the jingle or the soundtrack or the military march) is Numero Uno; everything we do should be for the song. This means not getting caught up in distractions like “I wonder whether using Compressor X with Mic Y, de-essing 3 kHz and boosting 8.8 kHz by 2 dB will make the vocal sizzle more” while you’ve got a singer delivering a knockout performance. Part of the genius of recording is recognizing when the magic is happening. If it is, chances are you’ve got something very usable no matter what you’re using as long as your basic techniques and equipment selection are sound.
Thanks for my 15 minutes.
Staffan Karlsson
Soundscape Studio, Halmstad, Sweden
First of all, pardon my Swenglish…
Make sure the singer drinks a lot of water. It’s best to use natural water, but stronger might sometimes do the trick. That is, if the singer needs “loosening up” a bit. I find it rather annoying that most performances tend to lack the presence and clarity if the mouth is dry. This may sound a little 1968, but it actually is very true.
Another point to take seriously, at least in Sweden, and maybe some other countries, is to “move the pronouncing backwards in your mouth” that is if you’re going to sing in English. Swedish singers, like the boys and girls of, for example, ABBA, tend to have the English language just behind the teeth, but that is so wrong. English is much better off further down the throat… Was that kinky? If so, I didn’t mean it. It’s just that I don’t have the words. I hope you see what I mean, and make sure your singer drinks a lot of water. That way he/she can keep up the work for much longer, without getting as tired as they sometimes (always) get.
Dan South
Here’s a clever tip that helps keep background noise from bleeding through sensitive condenser mics.
My house is located within a half mile of an interstate, and no matter how much soundproofing I do, I still have to contend with the distinct sound of speeding 18-wheelers. This wasn’t an issue when I used an SM58 or SM57 for recording vocals; they don’t pick up a lot of ambient noise. But when I graduated to condenser mics, the tractor-trailer sound became problematic.
The solution is to run the vocal through a gate triggered by… drum roll please… itself. That way, the noise is gated when you’re not singing.
Set up two mic stands, one for your condenser, and one for an SM57 or other dynamic mic. The dynamic mic should be just to the left or right of your condenser. Run the output of the condenser mic through your normal signal path (e.g. preamp to compressor to recorder, mixer to compressor to recorder, etc.) but add a noise gate, preferably as an insert in the preamp or the board channel. (I use an Aphex 105.)
Here’s the trick. Run the SM57 into a spare channel on your board and send the direct out of this channel to the sidechain trigger input on the gate. When you sing, the SM57 will open the gate and let the signal from the condenser mic to pass through the gate. This works because the dynamic mic is not sensitive enough to pick up the ambient noise. The gate opens when the dynamic mic picks up your voice. I’ve found that this works more reliably than having the gate trigger from the condenser mic. No matter how carefully I set the attack, release, and threshold, I find that words get chopped off unless I use the sidechain. Nothing ticks off a vocalist more than having their performance massacred by an overzealous noise gate. The sidechain gives the gate a clear indication of when to open and close.
You’ll have to do some level tweaking to get this to work — you may have to EQ the sidechain signal or experiment with the placement of the dynamic mic with respect to the condenser — but a clean vocal track is well worth the effort.
Sean Canada
Canada Studios
I have something to add to the idea of a having a good headphone mix. For pop/ rock music especially, keep the vocals lower in the mix; this will force the singer to push his/herself. If the vocals are loud in the mix the singer will hold back because they seem to be quite loud even when they are singing quietly, which often results in a less powerful take. Of course, make sure the mix is not so low that the singer has to strain, which may cause the singer to blow out his voice.
Ron Aldridge
I am not an engineer, but a singer and part-time producer. What I have found from a singers point of view is that a well rested and relaxed singer performs better. For background vocals, we only stack twice (three passes) from the same position. If we need a bigger “choral” sound, we either move about three steps back and give it three more passes or if the room prevents moving back, we turn our backs to the mic and then procede with the additional passes. This provides a different timbre. For some reason the fourth pass (from the same position) seems to cancel out one of the previous passes. It sounds less full with four instead of three passes. I don’t understand the science behind it I can only say it sounds like it to my ear.
Nathan V. Herman
VernHerman Productions, Reliance South Dakota’s Only Recording Studio! (Population: 175)
O.K., I’m going to answer for those on the _small_ side of studios or low-budget houses who may be receiving these postings. These may be no-brainer suggestions to some of you, but maybe not to others just starting out.
- Be a good host to your clients (read friends). Get them something to drink right up front. Within this friendly framework, it is easy to remind artists about the importance of proper hydration for better vocal work. Don’t serve them anything cold to drink if you can help it, and serve them their lukewarm water in a joking matter that reminds them why they’re getting it that way.
- Now about that room. You don’t have the money to tune a room and even the Sonex is too spendy for your budget. Go for the queen-size mattress pads on sale. Not as dense as the Sonex, but still does the trick.
- Tracking. Generally no compression. Track totally dry and feed back the signal with significant but appropriate reverb. Give them variety in the reverb they hear to keep things fun. Remember, they don’t want what they enjoy to seem too much like hard work.
- Headphone mix. Know the artist and the kind of day, week, month they are having. Last night, the artist was low-key up front and I wasn’t getting the emotion or saturation I wanted. Coached them confidently and yet as a friend and secretly slipped the levels up on the rest of the mix. They had to sing with a little more oompf just to hear themselves (not straining, however). Best tracks they have ever had in the almost 2 years of projects here!
- Microphone. Yeah, yeah. I know how important this is, but if you don’t have the bucks you don’t have the bucks. Try a mic like the Crown CM-700. Pristine sound, that mic, and not much cash. Or go with the DR-10 if using an 880, 880EX or 1680 and make use of the classic mic emulations. Worth putting the money into such a unit and saving on mikes. Does the trick on a shoestring.
- Compress the vocals if necessary when mixing. Then look for the reverb or effect that properly seats the vocal(s) in the rest of the mix. Sometimes that is a actually a died clean guitar effect. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and don’t feel like you have to only dial through vocal FX.
When the artist is made to be your friend, they will work a little bit harder for you and will gladly listen to what you have to say. Take the extra 10-15 minutes on the phone with them when they call to schedule and listen to them tell you about their family, their guitar purchasing decisions, their job, their aspirations, etc. Knowing them better keeps you on track when aiming for the proper emotion and effect in a vocal.
Chris Martin
Los Angeles
I am working with a baritone-tenor (extensive range) with a very rich voice, and capable of high levels. Our mic of choice is the Groove Tubes MD-3 coupled with an ORAM Octasonic pre. The MD-3 has an adjustable sensitivity, which also helps overcome proximity effect, and the ORAM is just awesome. We record direct to ProTools 24, flat EQ, and just a little compression. The mic/preamp combo we’re using requires very little EQ in the mix — it sounds THAT realistic. We like the AKG 270S headphones — they have a closed-ear design so there’s little sound bleeding into and out of them, and they output higher levels without distortion.
Mic placement: Diaphragm of the mic a foot away at the level of the bridge of nose/eyebrows. Mark the position of the mic stand on the floor with tape so you can keep it consistent. Lyric stands are a necessity, but I contour them with a big terry-cloth towel to prevent reflections back to the mic.
The quality of a vocal performance is directly related to a singer’s confidence level, mood, and attitude. This applies to some degree to all musicians, but more so to singers, since their instrument is entirely PERSONAL and susceptible to so many other factors — even the weather. Plus, a professional singer is more sensitive to these factors, and while he/she is trained to adapt to them, knowing that things are not clicking in their natural, most ideal state can be frustrating — although their vocal take may sound perfectly ideal to the rest of us. So it’s especially important to be totally supportive, positive, etc. Instead of, “Great, but I think you can do better…” try this: “That was great. Do you feel like doing another? I want to get as many great takes as possible.”
If things aren’t clicking for the singer, better not to push it. Take breaks, and remember that the vocal quality of most singers starts to change after a prolonged period of activity without recuperation time. This can lead to a situation where one take sounds slightly different from another, so comping a take can be impossible. Put up with a prima-donna’s attitude — at least in the recording session. Confronting it in the session will lead to a disastrous vocal performance, and shouting matches will damage a voice.
Little things also help — have some room-temperature water or tea ready for them… these things help make the atmosphere warmer and more comfortable.
Rich L
I have a response to your Jan. 19th paragraph about vocalists taking off one can when singing to headphones. You said, “…of course this drives engineers crazy because the sound from the open headphone cup bleeds into the microphone and on to the track.” I disagree; what drives me crazy is vocalists who sing out of tune because they don’t know enough to take one side off! I’ll take pitch over no bleed any day! I just engineered a session at Avatar (NYC, formerly Power Station) yesterday, and as soon as I suggested to the vocalists to take one cup off (to hear themselves AND EACH OTHER acoustically), their intonation improved. All they need to do is slide the cup slightly in front of or behind of their ear, and leakage won’t be an issue at all. But the beyerdynamic headset is undoubtedly the more comfortable way to go (and better for photo shoots). Either way, make sure you’re giving the vocalist a mono mix when you do this.
Another suggestion for uncomfortable headphone singers: have them sing into a bi-directional mic, with a loudspeaker positioned at 90 degrees to the mic. Done properly, the leakage will be no worse than headphones!
Stavros Logarides
Response to your voice miking techniques.
How come all those engineers and none of them mentioned the fact that the most important fact in recording is:
The technique that an experienced singer uses to change the threshold of the compressor by changing the distance of his head from the mike according to the sound pressures, using the dynamics of the compressor as a productive tool. Some very very experienced singers like me do not move their heads but their voice. I am the one who controls the compressor. The engineer can only take care the attack and release times but at the end of day I am doing the compression and not the engineer.
Best regards