Advice on recording voice ??

[homebrew]

I have heard there are tricks to recording voice - especially for singers who are not as "rich" or full-voiced.

I know you often have multiple takes, but it seems difficult to overlay those when the singer changes a bit each time. Some people have suggested duping a voice track and offsetting it slightly (phase) to make it sound richer.

Of course, I add compression and EQ, but you can only go so far before changing the voicing quality.

What about duping a vocal track, using aggressive compression, and mixing back with the original?

Any tricks or advice would be welcome!

Thanks to all.

 

[James Argo]

What's your media ? Analog ? Digital ? IMHO, it's easier if you edit the audio using PC... (say Cool Edit Pro 2 or sumthin') mess around with it, and hear the result. If you don't like what you got, undo... For the richness, using propher set of Eq will do it fine. Slight chorus effect also can make it full & crispy. Or double the track to have 2 similiar track, pan hard L/R each other. Downtune one of them -0.1 cent. Now play them together... IT"S FULL !!! Anyway, take a best recording as possible, and good singer will do the best for obtaining rich voice... Nothing beat this fact. I'm sure many will answer alot than me...


James.

 

[TripleM]

I know you often have multiple takes, but it seems difficult to overlay those when the singer changes a bit each time.

You can use multiple takes that are pretty close to one another and use punch-ins to fix the parts that aren't close enough. That's my favorite method.

 

[chessrock]

What about duping a vocal track, using aggressive compression, and mixing back with the original?

That's a good one, and it's done all the time. Do a search on the "New York vocal technique." You might even try radically EQ'ing the second vocal track in order to bring out more presence, or whatever it is the initial vocal track may be lacking. It's kind of the same concept as what goes on with an aural exciter, but only it tends to sound more natural, and you have greater control.

Another one I like to do sometimes is layer several harmonies, and bring those up just barely to the point of being audible . . . to where you might be able to barely detect them in the background if you listen real close. To me it has basically the same effect as a light chorus, only, again, more natural.