Recording duet - two singers

[Agent47]

Just got off the phone to one of my couple-jobs-a-year songwriter clients.

He wants to revisit a song we worked on 3 years ago and turn it into a duet (yeah, I've got to dig out the old Cubase files, audio files etc...sheesh) for a male and female vocalist.

Just a quick poll really - how do YOU do it? I'd be tempted to give them a mic each (TLM 193) and record onto separate tracks, then checkerboard-edit them. Or I could do them in isolation.

What's the general consensus on having two vocalists? Do singers have a preference generally?

Hmm...

 

[Emperor !!!]

have you heard them singing together?
if you haven´t, you can´t tell if they´re singing in tune together, if they complement each other voices, or if it´s a dialog between two singers, etc.
tell them to sing it for you with the music
I guess that hearing them singing it together can give you a basic idea of how to approach the recording

 

[Seafroggys]

I recorded a duet like this about a year ago. I had them each on a mic right next to each other (Rode NT2-As) and just recorded them. Came out great. Because of the bleed over (they were standing right next to each other) I panned them really hard left and right and got a great stereo mix from it.

 

[guitarboi89]

personally i would say get as much separation as possible, because if you have to correct one vocal then the other will be altered as well

 

[danny.guitar]

I'd personally do what Seafroggy's did. They should be able to play and sing well together. If not, then maybe you will need separation. But if they sound good together naturally, I'd try to get a natural-sounding recording and rely less on post effects.

 

[Agent47]

Thanks. I haven't met the male yet so I have no idea what he's like (she's very good, and I've done a couple of projects with her). So not sure how they'll work together.

I'll probably space them out with a mic each at different ends of the room. I believe that there'll be maybe half a verse each, then together on the chorus. In which case I'll probably let them do the chorus together, then make them do separates just for safety...

 

[NYMorningstar]

I'd do what Seafroggys suggests too and keep in mind the 3:1 rule.

 

[Agent47]

Thanks.

I had to Google the '3:1 rule'...

I can space them out at each side of the room, so shouldn't be a problem. Might have them facing each other so they get eye contact, and there's more rejection from each mic.

 

[danny.guitar]

Might have them facing each other so they get eye contact, and there's more rejection from each mic.

That sounds like a good idea.

 

[Robert D]

Emperor had a great point. If they are peas in a pod, and just naturally sound great together, and are well trained vocalists with great mic technique, I might put them facing each other with a figure 8. Duets can become almost like sex, where a very intimate moment is exchanged between singers. But more likely you'll want to retain some degree of seperation. Still, I would lean towards intimacy over perfect seperation and put them facing each other with a pair of cardioids, something much less than clear across the room.

 

[Dani Pace]

By all means have them maintain eye contact. Duets often rely on visual cues from one another.

 

[Freudian Slip]

If they are good, two mics. If they are going to need much editing and or compression I would isolate.

If you have a iso room with a window, you could maintain thier eye contact and isolate them.



F.S.