7 Effective Vocal Recording Tips (That The Pros Use)
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by how records were made.
Listening to well-produced records as a child was a completely different experience, being completely ignorant to the importance of good mixing and recording. As a child, tracks sounded larger than life itself, and the mystery of it all made it that much more exciting.
Today, I listen to music in a completely different light.
Of course, that same overwhelming sense of curiosity and wonder is still there, except there is now a highly analytical component that I love exploring. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you also feel the same.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to toy, mess, and meddle with a plethora of techniques on projects (both my own and from other clients).
These vocal recording tips cover everything from getting the headphone mix right, creative microphone tips, and more. Let’s dive in.
1. Don’t overcompress the vocalist’s headphone mix
While a little compression can help singers get more into a performance (same effect as reverb), too much compression can completely throw off a singer’s sense of natural dynamics and destroy a good performance. Back off the compression 2-3db max to help catch those peaks, that’s all they should really need.
2. Audition a few microphones with your vocalist
While a modern, super-clinical, and clean EDM track might call for a Shure SM7B, it might just be too pristine and shimmery for what you’re after.
Have a think about what microphones would work best for the job, and have your vocalist audition a few vocal passes on top of the instrumental to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.
Remember, a vocal might sound fantastic in isolation, but completely out of balance when played back in the context of the full mix.
Communicate with your vocalist to see if they enjoy the amount of compression and other effects you’ve applied. You may find they might ask you to turn them all off. Again, whatever makes them the most comfortable.
3. Use different microphones for different sections
Look, even if you own a $6000+ Neumann U67, does that mean you should be using it on every vocal part? Probably not. Experiment with different microphones for different purposes. Do you have a bridge section that would lend itself well to having a duller, less ‘full frequency response’ tone that you intend on saturating in post? Try using an SM58 just for that section. Get weird and creative, and you might be surprised with the results.
4. Record backup vocals in a separate space
Do you have a section of a song where the entire band joins in for a classic ‘gang vocal’ chant? Instead of cramming the entire band into the same vocal booth that you’ve been recording the main vocalist in, why not use a different space altogether?
In this circumstance, I’d experiment by having the ‘gang vocal’ recording done in a large, live room such as a hall. Thanks to laptops and small, portable interfaces, there’s little excuse for not having the availability to record remotely.
5. Manipulate proximity effect
Proximity effect refers to the relationship of bass frequency build-up to the position of the singer. Put simply, the closer the vocalist is to the microphone, the more bass frequency build-up that occurs.
There is a lot to be said about microphone technique, and it isn’t always obvious to the performer. Many singers are flawless when singing without a microphone, but as soon as you introduce one, a lot can go wrong. Mouths too close to the microphone, not singing directly into the microphone, or moving around too much while recording can all have a drastic impact on the final outcome of the song.
Use your best judgment and guide the vocalist on positioning, and have them be aware (but not too aware) of where they are standing.
As a general rule: with personal, intimate sections that are whispered, have the vocalist closer to the microphone to capture more breathiness. Conversely, during aggressive screaming sections, have them back off a little.
You can manipulate the proximity effect by instructing the vocalist to move slightly back during louder vocal passages and closer for softer phrases. Some engineers such as Steven Slate refer to this as ‘manual compression,’ and it is an incredibly powerful technique.
6. Control headphone bleed
Be careful not to overdo it with the vocalist’s headphone mix volume. If the singer needs it loud in their ears, move them further back away from the microphone and ensure you are using a good pair of closed-back headphones.
The performer should avoid releasing one headphone cup from their ear so that they can hear their performance. This is just asking for excessive bleed. It can be a force of habit for many people though, so if you do notice them doing this, turn the instrumental down in their headphone mix so they can hear themselves properly.
Headphone bleed may not appear to be a severe concern during the recording phase, however, once you start mixing them, compression will make the bleed more apparent, especially once you start layering stacks of vocals.
7. Add effects into the headphone mix
Confidence does wonders to a performance. An unconfident singer will hold back, have poor posture, and generally not perform to the best of their ability. A little trick I find that helps get singers comfortable is to add various effects to their headphone/monitor mix to give them that boost of confidence.
Reverb, delay, and de-essers help to smooth some of the rough edges, which we can become overly self-conscious about when performing and tracking vocals.
Currently, my go-to vocal chain for recording includes a reverb, a short, subtle delay, a de-esser, and an EQ. Some artists will request to record with pitch correction software like Autotune, however, I advise against it unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Bio: Sean is Co-founder & Editor In Chief at Producer Hive, a community-run music production blog, YouTube channel, and podcast. As Commit, he has released music on renowned deep dubstep labels such as Deep Heads and Interchill Records.
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