{"id":1100,"date":"2012-07-31T22:05:07","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T02:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamieleger.com\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2013-03-23T17:39:23","modified_gmt":"2013-03-23T21:39:23","slug":"5-pro-vocal-production-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamieleger.com\/?p=1100","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Keys To Professional Vocal Production at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Pro<\/a>

Pro Vocal Production at Home<\/p><\/div>\n

The problem with recording vocals in a professional or home studio is\u2026 Well, just that\u2026 The act of\u00a0recording\u00a0<\/strong>vocals<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

There is nothing\u00a0natural<\/em>\u00a0about it. The human voice is the most complex and finicky instrument there is, and it takes quite a bit of technical outsmarting and finesse to effectively capture an accurate representation of the audible vibrations emitted from an individuals\u2019 vocal chords.<\/p>\n

Unlike recording a guitar, acoustic OR electric, a piano, or almost any other instrument, vocal recording presents a few unique challenges, namely, the critical nuances of the tracking process in regards to the direct effect on the captured performance.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve written lots more technical and procedural articles on\u00a0Vocal Recording Tips<\/a>\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

But while most of the articles online focus on the recording process from an engineer\u2019s perspective, which IS important, in this article I am going to speak more from the singer\u2019s vantage point and deliver advanced tips that will hopefully be very helpful for singers\/home recordists and perhaps even provide some insight and techniques for engineer\/producers as well.<\/p>\n

In about 9 years of producing vocals in my home studio, I must have tried about everything\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tried all kinds of tracking methods. I\u2019ve tried many microphones, many mic positions, all kinds of acoustic treatment solutions from reflective filters to absorbers, to hanging duvet-vocal-booths, to every kind of plugin across many many manufacturers. I\u2019ve tried out several schools of thought, and I\u2019ve brainstormed what I\u2019ve found to be the most critical pieces of advice that I could give in regards to Recording Vocals in a home studio.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve condensed that knowledge down into five primary points – that if utilized effectively would give anyone with decent preamps and a low budget condenser mic-the ability to record professional vocal tracks in their home studio.<\/p>\n

The 5 Keys To Professional Vocal Recordings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do ALL You Can With WHAT You Got<\/p>\n

One of the challenges about producing music in a\u00a0home<\/em>\u00a0recording studio, especially for those without much experience or perspective, is that you can easily go to extremes\u2026 Either on the OCD, technically perfectionistic.. Must. Be. Just. Right. But. never quite is\u2026 Or on the other hand, get lazy\u2026 All the way down to procrastinate. Either way, not getting things DONE.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll definitely admit to having done both\u2026<\/p>\n

But the key, to keeping your chops fresh on the recording side, as well as getting the best sounding vocals for each song-is that you are active with each song.<\/p>\n

You have to try stuff out. Tinker and explore. Everyone always harps on Mic Placement, but how can you can\u2019t find the SWEET spot in a room if you don\u2019t curiously experiment with it? You should really be familiar with and know how to maximize the best qualities of each component in your rig. Don\u2019t settle for the \u201cthis is just the sound of my room,\u201d or \u201cI just don\u2019t have the tools yet,\u201d excuses\u2026<\/p>\n

If you have great preamps get the majority of your signal pumping out of THEM, if you\u2019ve got way too much reflection and echo, go and sew two duvets together and attach to the joists in your ceiling (or something) with hanger-wire in a circle. Smooth sounding vocal tent in several hours. It works like a charm for the $40-50 cost of fabric from target.<\/p>\n

Knowing the microphone\u2019s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the singer\u2019s voice type should go without saying.<\/p>\n

The key here is that you are creatively learning how to use everything you have, most effectively.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure I don\u2019t need to remind you how important the vocals are, and how powerful a well produced vocal performance can have on a song. Not only does it significantly impact the emotional response the listener will have, but it can easily mean the difference between a Film and TV placement or not.<\/p>\n

Get Your Mic and Vocal Tracks Prepped First<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve covered in other tutorials in much more depth, this is the name of the game for capturing the best performances for EACH song.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve kicked myself for not ironing out the details and doing my prep-work before capturing the best vocal performance for a song during a one off scratch performance that was inspired, and which I did not capture properly.<\/p>\n

Choose the mic for the song, get the levels adjusted, understand the arrangement and\/or strip down the headphone mix for the song, have it ready to go. So when you get that brilliant melody idea or record that scratch performance that turns out to be PERFECT, you can proudly transition into the mixing phase with a satisfied smile on your face!<\/p>\n

The VOCAL is the Most Important Piece of Equipment<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, the VOCAL. Thus, take care of the vocalist! We can be fussy about nuances, but cut us some slack, so are engineers, they just don\u2019t have to listen to themselves back\u00a0on record<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Singers, you must remember this\u2026 You are playing an instrument. Your voice must be well maintained and you\u2019re instrument tuned and warmed up. It is 90% performance, and 10% everything else that chisels and polishes the first 90%.<\/p>\n

If your voice, (or if you are producing someone elses) is not respected, massaged and coaxed to inspire and facilitate the best performance of that instrument, then you are not doing your best to create the best record you can.<\/p>\n

Now, you know this.. You have heard it\u2026 But you\u00a0cannot\u00a0<\/strong>hear it enough, because it really is the performance that makes the record.<\/p>\n

Key Vocal Frequencies<\/p>\n

Before we get into setting suggestions and tips, what you should know is where your voice shines best. Both in and outside the mix of a song. My voice shows off a cutting smoky crispness between 2100-2400khz, and a smooth and balanced body is brought out around 750hz.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s helpful to know these, but it\u2019s much more of an exercise of becoming aware of these frequencies, and seeing which key vocal frequencies sound best for the song.<\/p>\n

I mean, for most it\u2019s no mystery that the real trick to vocal production is to slot the vocal by finding and highlighting the frequencies that make the vocal standout and sound best, and then cutting those frequencies from other secondary instruments which are competing for them. Vocal takes priority, always. Find where it sounds best, and carve that space out in the mix.<\/p>\n

Tracking Setting Suggestions<\/p>\n

Ahhh, here we go. The moment you\u2019ve all been waiting for\u2026 Well I might as well heighten the anticipation by saying that it\u2019s taken me a LOONNGG time to find this \u201cMagic Formula,\u201d that if followed, step by step, will immediately get your records play on the radio and make you millions! And now I shall unveil it to you, free of charge\u2026 Lol. Sorry folks, I couldn\u2019t resist! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

The fact is that when I started tracking vocals many many years ago, I recorded naked. No effects added. After tracking with every kind of compressor, with and without EQ boosts, tape saturation plugins, special abbey road plugins that boost 8k\u2026 I was searching for anyway to somehow give me that illusive little \u201cExtra,\u201d or special technical trick that would make womens panties instantaneously drop upon listening\u2026<\/p>\n

I found out what most seasoned seasoned producers and engineers are probably already grinning about now\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about a transparently great performance. No effects, just good old mic placement, mic technique, and a high quality singer.<\/p>\n

Now, I don\u2019t mean to sound so melodramatic about it, it wasn\u2019t like I was bloodthirsty for some illusive crack pipe that would turn into a genie and grant me eternal happiness\u2026<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m smart, I\u2019m technically savvy, I\u2019ve got an audio production and engineering degree, and I\u2019m a singer with a home studio\u2026 So i can experiment and will surely find some little trick that makes me sound – golly gee unfathomably GREAT, every-time, without trying!<\/p>\n

Well, it\u2019s kind of a boring answer, and you\u2019ve heard it before\u2026 But it\u2019s best to just track a clean performance that sounds good prior to any added effects.<\/p>\n

Anyway, there are tricks like parallel compression, highly compressed stacked whispering support tracks, and such\u2026<\/p>\n

But the real trick\u2026 IS a well prepared vocalist, good mic selection\/placement, great gain staging, and an INSPIRED performance.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: There are of course some people who are going to prefer to use a little bit of their favorite compression, and you can roll of at 100hz give or take a few, there is nothing wrong with this, and in fact you should test everything out for yourself. Certainly, and other people\u2019s mileage may vary, but let\u2019s not go there. Pro\u2019s know what i\u2019m talking about, regardless of whether or not they track with a bit of compression on their next project.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/em><\/p>\n