Vocal Recording

[DreadfulJake]

hey,

Im going to be recording a band this weekend and i was wondering if anyone had any good advice for recording/mixing vocals thanks.

 

[AlexW]

What equipment do you have available? If you have multiple mics/pres, then try a few out with the vocalist to see what gives you the best sound for their voice. In general, use your best mic/pre combination. You can use a pop-filter if you have one and the vocalist is prone to percussive enunciation. You can also consider using a compressor is you can get a decent sound with it inline and the dynamic range of the vocalist is wide enough to require it. If you're set up for it, you can also try adding some reverb during tracking (but not printed) to help with "performance ambience".

In terms of mixing vocals, go by the song and style of the band. Typically an upfront, clear vocal is good. You can add a bit of reverb to give it a sense of space. Sometimes a low-mid eq cut can help clear up an otherwise muddy sound--but if it was tracked well it may just sit in the mix fine.

 

[reshp1]

In addition to the reverb, keep the headphones at a modest level. Too loud tends to make people sing flat (or sharp when they overcompensate). Too much reverb can give you pitch problems too. Some people simply can't get use to monitoring on headphones. If you are having trouble getting a good performance, try playing the music over the monitors and have him/her just sing along with that (don't put the vocals on the monitors or you'll get feedback)

 

[Rokket]

Rehearse the song so that the singer can do it in his/her sleep before you try to record it. Let them get used to the whole process before you add the demands of nailing it. Make sure they stay hydrated, and drink lots of room temp water, not alcohol.
As stated, keep the volumes in the headphones to a moderate level, and let them get used to what they are hearing before you record it.