Background vocals; Special recording tips?

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singer202

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I also posted a thread in the mixing forum as well, but I wonder if there is a technique to recording background vocals that works well too.....

I want my backgrounds to sit more in the background. They are too far forward and if I pull the volume down they seems to get lost. Is there a technique of recording (like mic placement or pickup patterns) that help get the backgrounds to to sit more....well....back?
 
mic placement.

room dynamics.

rolling off highs.....
using reverb.....

lots of ways to approach it.
 
Back off from the mic.
Isn't that what they said in another thread?
 
Pretty much what Gonzo said.

I would keep them up close tothe mike, because I would want as clean a vocal signal as possible. But having done this, I would use a combination of panning, reverb and level to give them distance.
 
careful reverb is a really good tip.
you might also try boosting some of the high-mid to give them a bit of presence - which would mean you could back them off a little more before they get lost.
 
lots of compression. (more than lead vocal) That way when you lower the volume in the mix, you can still hear them.

as said, reverb makes things sound further away, but like all sonic spices, a little goes a long way......

I would use eq to cut the frequencies that make the bu vocals more "present" . Not so much that they cant be heard, but in relation to the lead vocal. This is particularly helpful if the lead singer is also doing backups
 
It's no rule to follow, but in a lot of my sessions I compress the crap out of the backing vocals.

I usually double track them, and I'll cut out a lot of little joining phrases like "and the", and "but".

I also tune them if needed and become really really picky about the timing if it's not perfect.

If you solo my backing vocals, they sound so artificial but in a mix they do exactly what I want them to do.


Another thing though, If I mute the main vocal part, I'm often surprised by how low the backing sits.

I don't generally record them any differently to main vocals, in terms of mic choice, position etc.
 
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gecko zzed said:
I would keep them up close tothe mike, because I would want as clean a vocal signal as possible.
Click to expand...

Curious...in a nicely treated room, distance shouldnt effect the "cleaness" of the signal but just give a sense of depth correct??

Anyway... I followed a lot of your advise in my latest recording which I posted in the mp3 clinic. I would love to know how I did as well as any other advise if any of you are willing to take a listen....

https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...ristmas-song-please-give-feedback-mix-348996/
 
singer202 said:
Curious...in a nicely treated room, distance shouldnt effect the "cleaness" of the signal but just give a sense of depth correct??
Click to expand...

Different frequencies degrade by different amounts due to absorption and diffusion in any environment.
That's what gives the sense of distance.

I can see how backing off for backing vocals would help in that they'd be less direct and focussed sounding.
Personally, I just eq, comp, and reverb a close recording to get what I want, but both are certainly valid methods.

Maybe recording from further back would help to reduce the strength of all those consonants that I end up cutting out?
 
Everyone missed the obvious: sing the background vocals like a background vocal singer! Less projection, more concentration on timing and harmonizing/contrasting with the lead singer.
 
mjbphotos said:
Everyone missed the obvious: sing the background vocals like a background vocal singer! Less projection, more concentration on timing and harmonizing/contrasting with the lead singer.
Click to expand...

^^^^This^^^^^

I struggled to get backing vocals to sit in my mixes how i wanted to for a long time. the handful of things i've found to be useful are;

1) as Mike said, singing the backing vocals like a backing singer - concentrating on pitching and phrasing that work with the lead vocal. even to the point where you cut out 'ess's and the very end of words at the end of phrases so you don't end up with the phrases fighting or too heavy "esses"

2) as Gonzo said, rolling off the high end and adding a hint more reverb to get the backing vocals to sit behind the main vocals

3) as steen said, compress and tune to death. like steen, my backing vocals on their own in a mix sound really processed alot of the time but it helps them work with the lead vocal

4) and this has been my main approach for a while now; if i've recorded the main vocals with an LDC (which i do the vast majority of the time) i record the backing vocals like a backing singer with a ribbon mic. this achieves the natural high end roll off, there's no presence peak to fight between the main and backing vocals, and, for me, it's really helped achieve that effect of getting the backing vocals to sit behind the lead vocals without them fighting.
 
Ok, one more approach.

Timing - get it spot on
Tuning - get it spot on
Record them a couple times so you can pan...I find hard R and hard L too artificial. Maybe 60% max for me.
Compress them so they're pretty even volume wise.
Reverb them - but not as much as you might think. Just enough to give them a different space.

And, yeah, sing them like a background part...softer dynamics etc.

Also, depending on the type of song, you may want to consider group background. For example, get 3-4 singers around one mic and sing instead of having the lead singer doing the background. It provides one more element of distance between the lead and background.
 
Lead and backing separation

Make sure your lead vocal sits good and strong right in the center of your mix. Get that right and backing comes a lot easier. One trick that can sometimes help is doing EQ in mono. Once you've got a good serration where the BG vocals are supporting the lead, then go back to stereo and work on your panning. I typically have less highs/lows and more effects as well on backing vocals. Make sure the breathing and pronunciation are the same as the lead. I often then take the volume down of the "S's", "T's" and sibilance's of the backing as well. You want those spots to be the same as the lead without competing with it. Try panning the BG vocals 2 the outside of the mix but still above the music. Keep your effects to the outside of the mix That often helps.

Good luck!
 
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