Recording brutal growling vocals

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Linchpin

Linchpin

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Hi dudes,

I'd really appreciate any advice you could give me about recording growling metal vocals ala Napalm Death, Slipknot, Pantera etc. We've already laid down the drums, bass, and guitar. Everything up to this point is sounding pretty good, vocals are the part I've been worrying about the most.

Are there any special techniques to be used? Here is what I have to work with.

Shure SM57
Shure SM58
Roland DR-20

Delay, chorus, and distortion pedals

Cool edit pro software

Should I buy a condenser or something? I don't really know what I'm doing, this is totally new territory for me, but I want it to turn out the best possible.


Thanks,
 
I'm not real good at it, but a compressor will probably help you.
I've never used cool edit's built in compressor, not sure how well it works.
 
I've recorded some of this kind of vocals... stick with the sm-57, and a clear eq ( I mean, not so bassy or the voice will turn out to be muddy).
Sometimes you will want to try a slight overdrive in the track... if possible, double it, and apply the overdrive in another track ( so you can combine it or use a short delay).
Good luck !
 
I've found these type of vocals to be pretty easy to record. You can use a condenser if you want, but it's not necessary (to me it sounds OK on higher screechy vox, not-so-OK on low, gutteral, sewer-gurgling vox).

If you want a low growling sound, I'd use the 57. You can get closer to the capsule than with a 58 and take advantage of the proximity effect (yeah, detuned6, I guess that's "cheating"! ;) ). I've found personally that the vox also sound better if done with little force, as opposed to the vomit-out-your-lungs power style. It gives more definition to the individual gurgles, and sounds brutal! A little compression to even out the levels, cut some of the freqs below 80hz or so (or higher), a little delay or 'verb if it needs help sitting in the mix, and voila! :)

d6: Sorry for being such a bum and having no time or anything for the jamz. And now I live up in Cumberland with the girlfriend.... how's the hand?
 
Would this be a good peice of gear to use? It has a compressor and feedback reduction. Any other suggestions?
http://www.music123.com/item/?itemno=66734&t=4#tab

All of the effects in cool edit have to added after recording, so it'd be nice to have something I could use real-time.

Also, is there a certian cut off frequency I should use? I don't want the vocals shaking subwoofers.

Thanks for all the help guys
 
i use an at 4033 and some comp on suffocation/dying fetus style vocals and it sounds great.
you can try overdriving your pre amp for distortion effects.
 
Linchpin said:
Also, is there a certian cut off frequency I should use? I don't want the vocals shaking subwoofers.
Click to expand...

There's no particular frequency; it all depends on the song and the vocal sound. But guessing I'd say you could roll off everything below 100-150hz or so (perhaps even higher) and see how that sounds, then play around from there to get the best sound. Those freqs I mentioned should definitely get the vox out of the subs.

(I know I said 80hz in my last post.... I've rethought that, obviously. :) )

The low end of the song will be full of the bass, kick, the low end of the snare and lower guitar harmonics. In this kind of music one really doesn't need aqny of the low end of the vocals, except the little bit needed to make it sound like the low end wasn't completely "chopped off"...

Hope this helps! :)
 
Yeah that helps a lot, thanks man.

I don't have a pre-amp, I'd just be plugging into the mixer which goes straight into my pc. I just wanted to know if there are any fundamentals, gear and techniques wise.

When we go to record the vocals, chances are we're going to have the stage monitors cranked up to get the right energy going. That's one of the reasons I was looking at that effect box. It's supposed to "destroy feedback". Plus it has a compressor etc.

On a side note, can anyone tell me exactly what compression does?
 
cHECK OUT EMOTIONAL fLALINEMIX

GO TO THE MP3 SECTION AND FIND EMOTIONAL FLATLINES NEWEST POST IN THE MIX CLINIC. HATELESS VOID...I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE 2ND PAGE. IF YOU LIKE THE VOCALS I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I DID. LOATER -A-MAN
 
I wouldent use a compressor while recording, a pop screen is deff needed. i roll off at 80hz.
a linchpin try doubleing your voxs, i had my old singer(extremmly low voice) listen to a trax i was working on and all he would say is "they are not brutal enought, double trax the hole song" . So i did that and it made the vocals thicker and rounder and they held their place in the mix a lot clearer without touching much eq. threw a lil bit o ' verb and a 3:1 compression and i was happy.

esactun: word up man. My hand been pretty good especially between drums and guitar. im back on the 7 string in bflat.any new material??????????????
 
Yo, Bri!!!

detuned6 said:
esactun: word up man. My hand been pretty good especially between drums and guitar. im back on the 7 string in bflat.any new material??????????????
Click to expand...

Almost! After I did a couple of those silly pop songs I'd told ya about, I did a stoner doom track and finished up a "Suburbordom" outtake for future METRIC CHEESE HEAD usage. Now I'm starting to record basic tracks for a few PTARMIGAN (grindcore, baby!!) songs destined for a split 7" with CARRION CRAWLER. It's back to the brutality, yo!!! :)

If anyone wants to hear really badly recorded, non-mp3-clinic materials, there's currently a few songs from each band on http://www.nowhereradio.com and a larger selection of songs on http://www.mp3.com . A few years back I actually made almost $11 off of PTARMIGAN's "Evil Things That Go Bump in the Night." :D (I try harder than that track nowadays :D :D)

One listen, and you'll KNOW why these tracks aren't in the clinic!! :D :) :D
 
Analytical, I can't find the post you're talking about.

When you say double track the vocals do you mean, record two seperate takes and layer them, or copy two of the same take and add a delay to one?
 
When you say double track the vocals do you mean, record two seperate takes and layer them, or copy two of the same take and add a delay to one? [/B][/QUOTE]


Yes, two seperate tracks. This where i will use a differant voice on some verses ala "pukey ,vomity , carcass tone". esactun has a cool sounding hi screechy gincore vibe that he uses.
 
Linchpin said:
When we go to record the vocals, chances are we're going to have the stage monitors cranked up to get the right energy going. That's one of the reasons I was looking at that effect box. It's supposed to "destroy feedback". Plus it has a compressor etc.
Click to expand...

I'm not too sure if I understand this because it sounds like you are not recording live. However, using stage monitors would imply a live recording situation.

If you are studio recording, blasting monitors is not usually a good way to go because you will get a huge amount of bleed through, especially when the singer isn't screaming into the mic. This bleed-through will usually cause problems when trying to mix down the song. Instead of blasting the monitors, I'd highly recommend blaring headphones for the singer if he needs it "to get the right energy going."
 
Re: Here you go dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Linkage

Analytical Man said:
Here is the link to Emotional Flatline stuff!!!!


http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2111&alid=-1


The song i am speaking of is Hateless Void, it is one of our heavier songs. Let me know what you think!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Damn that's good man. Do you have an album out? Vocally, we use more deep belly growls like Napalm Death. Your vocalist sounds a lot like Phil Anselmo, which is awesome. Would the same recording technique would work well for us too?

Anyway, If you have msn or aim maybe we could talk there sometime. I think I could learn a ton from you.


About the moniters.... Yes we're in my basement, we've got the drums, bass, and guitar recorded. We want to lay the vocals down using the monitors because headphones would be awkward. I will sacrifice a bit of quality if I have to. I know I would feel really uncomfortable going ballistic in a silent house while people are reading upstairs.
 
DUDE your alright!!

Here is my email address, i don't have msn messenger but i will soon. ruthandshaun@maqs.net
I think the same basic applications go for anything where the vocalist is really letting loose on the mic. What kinda of mic are you using again. For the screaming, really gutteral stuff i would use nothing other than an sm57 because with that mic it rolls off some of the really low stuff that makes that style of vocals muddy. Also compress that stuff till you can't compress it no more. Generally deathmetal style vocals, or "strategic micing of a mountain goat" as some of the dick holes around here refer to it doesn't need dynamic range because it is almost always a full on roar. So don't ever stop compressing the vocals no matter how many motherfuckers around here tell you that on The Beatles Abbey fucking road...yadadadada Not many people are into our style of music on here so i will keep in contact with you. Any other questions email or start a new post...i'll find it. My metal sensors are up heheheheh, later dude.
 
Sorry I forgot

I forgot in my last post yeah we have a 5 song demo out called Severed From Humanity. And the stuff you heard is from our new full length that is about to be released. If you would like a copy of both go to www.emotionalflatline.com and leave an address in the guest book. Or email me your address and i will send you some copies along with my neighbors dogs leg that i sawed off. Later Linchpin-keep it brutal
 
Shit man, it's good to find someone that understands what we're trying to do.

Right now I only run the mic straight to the mixer really. The only compression I can add is in cooledit once it's recorded. I guess I have to buy a preamp or something. Like I said before, this is new to me.
For mics, We have an sm57 and a sm58. I know Corey Taylor uses the 58, but what you said about the 57 rolling off lower fequencies makes sense.... I don't know, we might try both.

As far as your demo/album goes, hell yes I'd like a copy! If you send the dog leg, make sure it stays in one piece. It'll be the perfect thing to shoo away girl scouts and door to door salesmen.
Well I gotta get to bed, it's goddamn late. Here's my email dude kdk@monarch.net
 
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