Tips for Flattening Vocals / Consistency

[JonPaulP]

When I listen to some recordings I've done, I could tell if I had changed distances or angles while recording my vocals. It sound really "karaoke". I'm using a compressor/limiter so maybe my settings are wrong?

Or is there something else to it?

Also, the room isn't acoustically treated yet. I get a decent sound about 5 inches away from the condensor michrophone (though somewhat bassy, it works at times) and less desirable sound about 12 inches away.

Listening to professionally done recordings, the vocals sound flat and consistent.

I haven't really been applying any effects on the recordings except reverb. Should I be?

 

[Massive Master]

90% of capturing a vocal take is up to the vocalist. If you can hear "moving around" then have the vocalist stop moving around. If you can hear severe volume inconsistencies, have the vocalist use better technique.

Improperly treated spaces, especially with condensers (which typically are too sensitive for most vocal applications, IMO) will kill you every time.

If you're compressing the input chain, I'd pull that right off the bat - Generally only makes matters worse - Screws up gain staging, "fools" the engineer *and* the vocalist into thinking they're doing things that they're not (and that doesn't fix things - It enhances them).

 

[NYMorningstar]

What he said, get rid of the compressor. If your room sucks then remove it from the equation. Stand a hard shell guitar case open on a chair and put your mic in it facing out and sing into the case. It's a mickey mouse sound booth but it works pretty good and it's free. You'll still have to use practicle mic techniques like you said and back away on loud passages.