recoding screaming vocals

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mattimus

New member
my singer has to go back to the studio this week to re-record his screams because we're super not happy with them, my singer finds it way different to scream in the studio then live/rehearsal

anyone got any good tips for doing screams in the studio?
 
He needs to feel as if he's in the same environment. Have him hold onto a microphone (not plugged in) while he records or something.
 
Kinda tricky "getting in the mood" I've found - you feel like a right idiot standing in a dead quiet room with headphones on screaming to no one.

Make sure you've got some distance between the singer and the mic so you get a bit more body in the sound.

Sometimes too much foldback or hearing yourself in the headphone mix is a bad thing, like if you want the singer to actually scream, perhaps try not having ANY of his/her vocals in the headphones. See, if you're screaming and wearing headphones and your screaming is really loud right in your ears, you'll instinctively back off the volume so it's not killing your brain. But if you have to scream to hear yourself over the mix, you'll really try a lot harder and your screaming will be more natural (by which I mean less restrained). Depends on the type of screaming you're talking about I suppose, but give it a go recording with no vocals in the headphone playback.

See, in practice rooms, I bet you practice loud. Probably really loud - as you have to when competing with drums, and the vocalist is screaming over loud guitars, bass and everything else. It's easier to get caught up in the mood and be comfortable when everything is loud and sounds cool and all that. Your singer is probably quite used to singing live or in practice in that way...screaming to be heard, as it were. The studio is kinda the opposite, everything is dead quiet and it's not as intoxicating an environment, if you get me.

And have a few beers or something to loosen up and get in the zone... if that's your thing. Not too many! haha
 
thanks.. these are all great tips, my singer mentioned if the mic was lower and facing up so he could bend over and scream (which is what he usually does when screaming) it might be better for him, anyone seen this?
 
mattimus said:
thanks.. these are all great tips, my singer mentioned if the mic was lower and facing up so he could bend over and scream (which is what he usually does when screaming) it might be better for him, anyone seen this?
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I know what you mean, you could always just use a hand held vocal mic if he likes to bend over and all that stuff. Might be better.

I'm trying to picture having a proper condensor, positioned really low, facing up so it could be screamed into, would probably actually make the singer feel more out of place... it would be strange, like yelling at a robot midget or something, and the singer would kinda need to maintain that position for the whole song...call a chiropractor!
 
me and singer have done a ton of research tonight and everyone is saying a handheld sm58 with the recording vocals really low in the headphones would be the best bet... anyone use that one?
 
I like handheld mic with phones over 1 ear. No vox in phones, only music or a reference tone to what pitch the scream should be.
 
If you go for a handheld mic here is a little "trick" I've used. Tape a piece of wire (a straightened wire coat hanger works well for this) to the mic, extending beyond the cap several inches. This just helps the singer to remember not to eat the mic like many do in live settings.
 
I've got my best sceaming results with a e835 screaming just like younwould live. You more of a feel for it. I also turn up the music really loud in the head phone so it is almost like you are playing live. I've tried a beta58 and thought it sounded way to harsh, and condensers for me always sounded to clean for screaming. My favorite scram sound ever was done with a sm7 but sadly I do not have one :(
 
Chances are, when performing live the mic is very overloaded and likely he's cupping it, and getting the natural distortion required for the scream to sound proper. In the studio, most engineers are doing everything in their power to cause that scenario to not happen. When recording in the studio, it was always a fight with the engineer. At a home studio, we jacked up the input with an SM58 and I just overloaded the crap out of it. With a very modest amount of gain, it sounded a lot like a live vocal and it wasn't too hard to push down in the mix.
 
mattimus said:
my singer has to go back to the studio this week to re-record his screams because we're super not happy with them, my singer finds it way different to scream in the studio then live/rehearsal

anyone got any good tips for doing screams in the studio?
Click to expand...

Literally, the same thing happened with my best friend's old band. The producer (Geoff Rockwell) told the screamer to go watch the Zen of Screaming. I don't know if it will help, but it can't hurt to watch.

Their website- myspace.com/sagesandsaints
 
They have got to sound good to begin with but you can also do some dirtying in the post. Have the engineer run the screams back through a tube screamer or some type of distortion. It can be very mild but sometimes it makes a huge difference. Also don't underestimate the power of doubling. A lot of guys double with a lower scream and sometimes a voice speaking the words (mixed very low) against both screams.
Chances are though, your guy is cupping a mic live and causing it to distort. I've seen this scenario at least a dozen times. It may take some practice but he will need to learn to taylor his screaming voice to the studio.
 
Sometimes when I record singers I will set up a nice condenser with pop filter and then give the singer a 57 with cord attached and tell them to pretend they are on stage. The only rule is you have to face the pop filter.
When they can cup the mic, wrap the chord around their arm and hold it above their face like their drinking from it, they tend to 'get in the mood'
a lot faster. And the condenser is picking up the actual vocals so they can do whatever they want with the unplugged 57.

Tony Laughlin
Audio Engineer/Promoter
www.grooveboxmusic.com
 
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