Looking for Vocal Recording Tips and Tricks

[Thee_WeirdPoet]

Hello, I currently run an ATAT2020 through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It's in a booth that's padded in foam and has a vocal reflection pad behind it. Any tips on what else I can add or do to get a more professional sound? I'm always looking to improve.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hi,
First thing's first. What's unprofessional about your current sound.
Maybe post a clip of what you're getting and what you'd like?

The foam might be helping you but it's usually discouraged around here in favour of dense materials that can act on a wider range of frequencies.
Light foam can, at best, disturb higher frequencies which usually aren't the problem.
The result can be a dead or flat sounding recording.

Booths are generally discouraged too. When pro studios talk about the vocal booth it's usually a reasonably large well designed, or treated, room.

Tell us more.

 

[anoopbal]

A good singer always helps .

I think treating the room makes a big difference. Maybe your booth is pretty good.

And what he said about posting a sample.

 

[ocnor]

What settings do you recommend?

He'll have to cup his hands around a pair of crystal balls to obtain that information.

 

[ecc83]

Vocal Recording & Production Masterclass

Dave.

 

[kip4]

What settings do you recommend?

I recommend you ditch the foam screen and make your own acoustic panels as seen in the build threads.
I've been there with the screen.
I've never had a booth but I can say that with some room treatment I think you'll you won't need the booth.

I hope you find what you need sincerely.
Rich

 

[miroslav]

 

[pegger]

I use the AT2020 as well. Very good mic for the price point. Just a simple pop filter in front of it.. about 6" off.
Set your gain properly for how loud you plan to sing. Then let her rip. You can mess about with EQ on the raw file (sorry assuming you are using digital recording..).

I messed around with different spots in my room to record vocals. I found some places in the room had better natural reverb than others, and other spots in the room seemed to amplify unwanted noise. So..

Record a few takes, trying different positions in the room, and maybe even other rooms? That's my advice.
Seeking an easy answer for "professional" sound...whatever that is...is not as productive as figuring out what works for your setup.

 

[pegger]

Oh and one more thing...don't forget to exercise and warm up your vocal chords and breathing muscles before you start. Too often overlooked those are.