Better Vocals | Recording Tips & Tricks
As a recording and mixing engineer, one of the biggest hurdles I see artists struggle with is their recording technique.
Not everything can be "fixed in the mix" after its recorded.
I want to save you from wasting time and money.
That's why I decided to share with you some tips and tricks for recording professional sounding vocals! 🎙️
1. PREPARE BEFORE RECORDING
Have your lyrics memorized and rehearsed before rushing into the booth. Just being in the studio about to record vocals can be really intimidating for new vocalists. Practice, practice, practice before recording,
You can practice by recording yourself on your phone's microphone at home and listening back to it. Note what you like and fix what you don't like. This is your chance to nail down the performance before you shell out any money at a studio. You don't want to waste precious time redoing multiple takes or end up sounding monotone because you're reading your lyrics off of your phone instead of focusing on the energy of your performance.
2. MICROPHONE TECHNIQUE
This may not be as obvious, but part of getting good takes involved proper mic placement. This means the distance between your mouth and the microphone should remain the same during each vocal take. You should be standing relatively still while recording a song in the studio. Any sudden head movements can ruin the recording.
Common microphone techniques include:
Volume Control
Move closer to the mic as the volume gets lower and further away as the volume gets louder. This can help reduce the amount of volume fluctuations and reduce the amount of compression needed while mixing.
Reduce Popping and Sibilance
Words that contain B's and P's produce extra bursts of air referred to as "popping" or "plosives".
Sibilance us the excessive hissing created when saying words that have S's and F's in them. They are painfully obvious in recording compared to daily conversation. Adjusting your angle towards the microphone can help reduce this.
Use a Pop Filter
A great way to reduce popping and sibilance is to use what's called a pop filter. A pop filter is a thing mesh net that absorbs some of the harsher sounds before they get picked up by the microphone.
3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT MICROPHONE
Before you start recording, run through a verse or a hook through multiple mics at the same time.
Record at least 3 separate tracks without doing and EQ or compression and listen back. This will help you figure out which microphone is best for your voice. Using the wrong microphone can ruin the quality of your vocals. Each microphone has unique characteristics just like your voice. Pair the two correctly and you have a recipe for a great vocal sound.
4. COMMUNICATE THROUGH YOUR SONG
As you perform your song, the lyrics must become your own form of communication.
Mean what you say through conveying emotion. Great lyrics don't mean a thing if your performance doesn't convey the message.
Your phrasing should be relative to your emotion and should be believable in your style of music. You want your listeners to FEEL what your are saying. You can achieve this by coming up with your own unique sound by making your lyrics and emotions pop through the recording. This goes back to being comfortable in the studio. Avoid being nervous and taking steps to calm those nerves - like memorising your songs and practicing before hand.
5. SONG DELIVERY
Let your voice and emotion go beyond the recording so that your listeners can feel it, too.
Bring the same energy that you would during a live performance as if the listener was sitting in front of you and the lyrics were directed at them. You have to connect with the listener the same way you would with a live audience.
CONCLUSION
Mistakes and flaws become more obvious after recording. If you don't like the way something sounds, repeat these steps and practice more. You'll be able to hear the improvement in your vocal takes in no time.