i'm afraid i may be becoming a "perfectionist"

[a27thletter]

how many takes do you all usually do for the vocal track? i've gotten to a point where i just cant settle on a take and i fear i'm just being too anal about it,. i'm constantly finding little mistakes in each take and its just discouraging, and then i get to a point where i'm stressing about it and then by that point its hopeless to try and get a good take,. so, do you usually just do a few different takes and mix and match the few to make one good take , , i'm really starting to realise why most musicians dont record their own stuff, cause you're always your own worst critic stands true for me at least.

 

[GABritton]

Ever really "listen" to commercial CD's over the past 30 years? There's little mistakes in a lot of recordings you would call classic. Now hititng wrong notes can't be forgotten sometimes, but so what if you hung on to that note a little longer than you thought.

Now on the other hand, how bad are you "missing" it? If you won't be able to perform the song on stage, don't record it that way!!! Find another way, melody, build-up.....whatever, just always remember you have to perform it good, not perfect every night you play.

 

[AGCurry]

Recording is a humbling process.

The only advice I can give is to step away from the recording for at least a day, long enough to get your head into something else. Then, when you feel ready, try it again.

There is nothing wrong with mixing different takes, as long as they don't sound like different takes.

 

[Track Rat]

I usually have folks do two to three takes and I make a comp from that. I STRONGLY discourage the vocalist from further takes from that point. In my experience it's never better, just another take. It makes me insane when I'm looking at someone through the glass after the 9th or 10th take and they say "one more time". If you can't get it in 3 to 4 takes, you just ain't gonna get it.

 

[a27thletter]

thanks for the replies. it isnt really major mistakes i'm talking about, i just tend to notice the minor stuff and i guess in my head i feel like everyones gonna notice it when in reality people usually arent looking for mistakes so most likely they wont notice. i tend to blow things out of proportion when it comes to my own recordings.

 

[Bartman]

Energy & Feeling

I'll take energy & feeling in a vocal performance over perfection every time.

When was the last time you listened to a song and said "wow, what articulate vocal phrasing and the pitch was nothing short of spectacular" ? Probably never unless you evaluate classical genre singers.

Go for a take that has life, energy, emotion, originality and fits best with the overall song.

I completely agree with Track Rat's statement about take 9, 10, 11, etc....way too many. Rehearse before you record then nail what you worked out in no more than 3-4 takes.

 

[xstatic]

That truly is the tough thing about trying to record yourself. It's really important to have someone else around that you trust and to learn how to let go a little and allow things to happen. There really is no rule to how many takes you should or shouldn't do. Whats most important concerning multiple takes is to be able to accurately assess whether or not a better take is possible or not. Not just possible, but whether or not it will happen. One of the most important skills in the studio is the ability to stop when it is time to stop. I have had to reccomend this on many occasions. Cut a session short and try again in a couple days. It can be hard to stay out of that cycle of frustration where you just want to get it done, but aren't in the right frame of mind to get it done.

 

[smtcharlie]

Great thread. I hear you loud and clear, this is a huge downside to home recording - perspective sometimes gets really, really tough. Not just with vocals, but with sounds in general. It's hard to worry about mic placement, levels, performance, etc while actually doing the singing yourself.

The advice I can think of is that it would be best to back off on getting all the details perfect. Just sing the song through a couple times the way it should be sung, try not to worry about all the other stuff (or do set up and levels way early so that you are not still worried about it). Easy to say, I'm not good at taking my own advice.

Then wait a couple days and listen to what you did.

The bright side is that us home recorders can do 2-3 takes of vocals every day for a month, if so inclined. No big deal. In my opinion, the beauty of home recording is not getting all the details exactly right (should probably hire a studio for that), it is being able to play and record whenever inspiration strikes you. Sure, it's more rough, but beautiful nonetheless.....