is it normal to feel wierd recording vocals last?

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a27thletter

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sometimes i feel like i'm recording kareoke or something, i just dont feel as into it if i record all of the music first and then lay down the vocals afterwards,, . but i've been told by many that thats the most common way to do it and yeilds best results most of the time,. i do agree that its probably the easiest way to focus directly on the vocals, , i guess in time it'll feel more natural,. whats everyones take on this?
 
I do it different every time I record. Sometimes I record the bare tracks, drums, bass, and one guitar before I lay the vocals. It helps me to hear them better, especially for backing vocals. Then i add the rest of it on top. Sometimes I need to hear the interaction between guitar parts and what-not to get the feeling right and the proper emotion behind the vocal, so I do them next to last. The last part I record almost every time is the lead breaks or solos.
 
Rokket said:
Sometimes I need to hear the interaction between guitar parts and what-not to get the feeling right and the proper emotion behind the vocal, so I do them next to last.
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Dito ;) Dito ;) Dito ;)
 
I always do vocals last. The one exception was last week. The singer of my side project left for tour Monday so I layed down scratch guitar tracks to a metronome & had him do his vocals over those. In the end we decided to record the new songs while he's gone & have him do the vocals when he gets back.
 
There is not really any set order that tracks have to be recorded in. It's a matter of choice and preferance. Although most people find the order of, #1, drums #2 bass #3 rythm #4 lead instruments and lastly vocals and harmonies there is no law that says it has to be done in that order. Simply do whatever works best for you. You will find that for certain songs or with certain musicians the order has to be changed to get the desired results.
 
i look at recording (and mixing) as similar to building a house. you have to start with the foundation, and in the case of modern (rock/pop/country) music, that's drums and bass. the guitars/keys/etc provide the walls. the vocals are the roof that sits on top.

the vocals are what sells the song. you have to make sure they work within the context of all of the instruments and the mix.....and when you're talking about the world of multitracking and overdubbing, the only way to ensure that is to record the vocals last. otherwise you end up in a world of hurt if you record vocals first, and then start laying down organ, mandolin and guitar tracks over top of it.

sometimes when i'm mapping out the rough sketch of the song, i'll start with a DI'd guitar and scratch vocals to a click track. that helps with the arrangement, etc., but rarely do those vocals get kept. and if you're recording a band tracking all in one room and have vocal mics open, you're gonna get an inordinate amount of drum and guitar bleed into the vocal track.....if you've ever tried to mix a vocal that's littered with cymbal and guitar fuzz, you'll know how much easier it is to work with a separately recorded vocal.

at times it does feel kinda like karaoke. but if you can get a compelling enough sounding cue mix in the cans, you can elicit a HELL of a performance from a decent singer.

and sometimes, some singers can't pull it off and work a LOT better playing/singing together since that's what they're used to doing. do whatever works best for you.


cheers,
wade
 
:D

It would almost be an oxymoron to do the vocals first--but, when you are "da" boss, you can try anything.

Green Hornet :p :p :D
 
i've found that most vocalist i know dont mind going last cause they can hear the whole song and know exactly where their voice is going. what drives me crazy is the singers that cant sing without playing the guitar because their voice/playing intensity changes each time they do it. the last guy that said that about 3 days ago still wanted to record it. and i told him that it would be fine if he recorded the guitar and vocals together but be prepared to do it more than 5 times because if he cant conform to one method for the recording, hes always going to hate it. i told him to do like the grateful dead does...pick one for the cd and play the others live.
 
Strange enough, I often do some scratch vocals just to get deeper into the song, to have everyone understand the lyrics a.s.o. and often they will end up in the song. But our recording type IS weird: drum machine, scratch bass, scratch guitars and scratch vocals, then guitars then bass and the drums in the end...

Pretty embarassing, somehow... ;)

aXel
 
There was an article in Sound on Sound about recording Tina Turner a while back. They got her to sing over just a few of the instrumental parts. The producer said that if they had played her the entire instrumental backing she would have fought with it and gone over the top. Just shows once more - you can't use preset rules.
 
I would advise anyone to start a track with:
a. Sort out your BPM.
b. Put down a click track.
c. Put down a guide instrument - keys, guitar, whatever is good for the song, and leave it to just the basic structure only.
d. Put down a scratch vocal.

When you've done all that - now you're ready to start recording seriously, as everyone who needs to play on the track will be able to get the feel of it, and therefore will be able to give a performance with feel.

When all your tracking is done, create a rough mix with the vocalist, for him / her to sing on. Strip away any unnecissary elements, make it easy and comfortable for him / her to perform, just like you would (or should) do for all the other performances.
 
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