Vocal Tips

bknot1

bknot1

Hustle Magic!! We Got It.
Aiiight time to start a new thread for '07 ...

this is not a what you should do by the book thread..this is what you do...to make your vocals sound good...so post your handy vocal tips you use when recording/tracking/mixing vocals..ie.. how many vocals tracks you use, how you double, how you do your chorus, how you compress, how do what you do..


Bknot
 
I start it off...

First I sound proof the vocal booth or room real good ta get the best vocal sound. I don't like that hollow sound you get if you don't sound proof.

What really helps for me is the Auralex Max Wall. I can make a custom room any size I want. I use it to separate vocalist when I record also.

Check it out.

I also use it for live recordings like the drums.
 
Lets say I'm sitting in front of the dm2000, what I do is track everything first, or if I don't have too much time, I'll record the first vocal, and while they sit there practicing for 5 minutes on the overdub, I start mixing down the main vox by first compressing the vox usually 4.1 compression, and -3 to -5db threshold, move the attack/release to their levels, and then I might give it BEARLY a touch of delay & reverb. Then it's off to recording the second main vox, doing the same thing.

Depending on what artist I'm working with, will depend on how many vox tracks I will lace. For Weatherman for instance, the usual track count is 3 main vox's + fill-in's, 2 adlibs, sometimes 1 harmony. so around 6. I also keep the tracks all separate of course... well the fill-ins' would be merged with each of the main vox's so that I only have 3 mains 2 adlibs 1 harmony. Then I'll proceed to say the adlibs, those are usually panned left or right, added some reverb onto it, depending on how many adlibs and if they were doubled or not. If they are doubled, and sound thicker, than I'll add a decent amount of reverb to it. If not I add a touch of it instead. btw, I'll compress all the vocals. I'll also pan maybe 1 main vox and lower down the volumes of all tracks a tad bit. I don't want 3 main vox's fighting each other, so I keep 1 at a good level, and the other 2 I'll lower them slightly, until they are almost barely noticeable. also, all the verbs & time based effects are calculated out & timed with the instrumental.

Also during these steps which are somewhat not in exact order... i'll EQ 1 main vox & 1 adlib & 1 harmony (if harmony is added). Lets say I'm eq'n 1 vox & 1 adlib. The adlibs I tend to boost some of the low end, at around 120hz, and the at around 180-200hz i'll use a sharp Q and get rid of some of the muddiness. That'll also allow a notch for where the instrumentals can sit at. Also on the main vox, I'll boost a little on sharp Q at around 5khz, and depending on how the performance is, I'll either boost or cut around 12-15khz. If there's too much sibilance's I'll cut some out.

Then, I'll hit the copy button on the dm2000, and copy the main vox eq's and paste them on main vox 2 & 3. That way I don't have to go in there and mess with too much and start from scratch... That's why I love the DM2000.... I'll do the same with the adlibs too. Then it's off to see how it sounds all together... Which usually sounds decent, but I always come back into each individual track and tweak it because each performance is not exactly like the one before. While I'm mixing down to CD, I'll study the adlibs, and maybe at some break in's or whatever i'll turn up the effects and let it delay into the next phrase and turn them back down quickly. Breakin' the vox in & out of the instrumental so to speak.

These steps depend on how much time I have during mixing... The longer the time, the better it is of course... I hate mixing stuff down very quickly, unless I do it just to hear how it will almost sound.
 
real nice post...Mindset


I know depending on how i record the artist or how i get the vocals from a artist over the net..I copy the main vocals 3 times (mostly for R&B) one of the tracks will get the living snot compressed out of it..then drop it about -10 db below the volume of the other track and start bringing it up until it just fattens the main vocal without walking all over it. then i will maybe do some pitch shifting on the to copies(not they are panned L&R) delay the 2nd one that has the _ pitch shift..and go from there..i might add a little reverb to the vocals if need be..but it all depends on the mood of the song..
for Rap its a little bit different...but close to the same process..plus i like tryin everything and writing it down as i go..
 
bknot1 said:
real nice post...Mindset


I know depending on how i record the artist or how i get the vocals from a artist over the net..I copy the main vocals 3 times (mostly for R&B) one of the tracks will get the living snot compressed out of it..then drop it about -10 db below the volume of the other track and start bringing it up until it just fattens the main vocal without walking all over it. then i will maybe do some pitch shifting on the to copies(not they are panned L&R) delay the 2nd one that has the _ pitch shift..and go from there..i might add a little reverb to the vocals if need be..but it all depends on the mood of the song..
for Rap its a little bit different...but close to the same process..plus i like tryin everything and writing it down as i go..
Click to expand...

When you are collabing with someone via the net, how is it you want to recieve vocals?

I know that it should be in a wave form, but what is the protocol for the way it is recieved? As far as adlibs, and other fill ins, how are they labeled and sent? I rarely do collabos via the net, I normally mail a person a cd containing the tracks along with a sheet with what part comes at what time.......I plan to do more collabos via net, hopefully with you guys, and I just want to know what the procedures are........
 
Trumpspade said:
When you are collabing with someone via the net, how is it you want to recieve vocals?

I know that it should be in a wave form, but what is the protocol for the way it is recieved? As far as adlibs, and other fill ins, how are they labeled and sent? I rarely do collabos via the net, I normally mail a person a cd containing the tracks along with a sheet with what part comes at what time.......I plan to do more collabos via net, hopefully with you guys, and I just want to know what the procedures are........
Click to expand...
i actually like it if someone comes in for the 2nd or 3rd verse and has silence from the start point to their verse so i dont have to manually line anything up. it makes it 1000x better, plus i dont have to worry about putting them in off beat and starting over.

i've done quite a few net collabs where all files, for one, are wav's. no exceptions. either mail them on a cd-r, or email them zipped up. label them how you want, as long as the mixing engineer knows where they go. like 1, 2, 3... or VOX main, doubles/overdubs, adlibs... something like that. also, unless requested, vocals should be completely dry. if i'm sending my stuff, not getting others', i like to include a rough mix of what i think my vocals should/would/could sound like too.
 
Lead Hip-Hop Vocals:

Compress going in 2:1 - 3:1...-10 thres Auto Attack and Release.
Hpf 100-120hz depending.
Compress a little more and eq if necessary.
Slight reverb

That's about it.

Dubs about the same.

Sometimes I do another take of the lead vox and pitch shift it down a semi tone or two. Then slam the hell outta it with the compressor like 8:1 - 10:1 and turn it WAY down until it's barely audible. No Reverb and maybe a little low end cut.
 
Trumpspade said:
When you are collabing with someone via the net, how is it you want to recieve vocals?

I know that it should be in a wave form, but what is the protocol for the way it is recieved? As far as adlibs, and other fill ins, how are they labeled and sent? I rarely do collabos via the net, I normally mail a person a cd containing the tracks along with a sheet with what part comes at what time.......I plan to do more collabos via net, hopefully with you guys, and I just want to know what the procedures are........
Click to expand...

I prefer wavs in CD-R labeled. If you can give me to the millisecond where each part should go, I'll throw it in Cubase, mix it down, and make it work.

Fiev.
 
BillyBo said:
i actually like it if someone comes in for the 2nd or 3rd verse and has silence from the start point to their verse so i dont have to manually line anything up. it makes it 1000x better, plus i dont have to worry about putting them in off beat and starting over.

i've done quite a few net collabs where all files, for one, are wav's. no exceptions. either mail them on a cd-r, or email them zipped up. label them how you want, as long as the mixing engineer knows where they go. like 1, 2, 3... or VOX main, doubles/overdubs, adlibs... something like that. also, unless requested, vocals should be completely dry. if i'm sending my stuff, not getting others', i like to include a rough mix of what i think my vocals should/would/could sound like too.
Click to expand...

That sounds like what I thought!
 
Fieva said:
I prefer wavs in CD-R labeled. If you can give me to the millisecond where each part should go, I'll throw it in Cubase, mix it down, and make it work.

Fiev.
Click to expand...

That's what I normally do too Fiev.............
 
Mindset said:
Lets say I'm sitting in front of the dm2000, what I do is track everything first, or if I don't have too much time, I'll record the first vocal, and while they sit there practicing for 5 minutes on the overdub, I start mixing down the main vox by first compressing the vox usually 4.1 compression, and -3 to -5db threshold, move the attack/release to their levels, and then I might give it BEARLY a touch of delay & reverb. Then it's off to recording the second main vox, doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

We think a like. I normally mix while recording too...
 
If the session wasn't mixed in Pro tools I'll ask for the person to consolidate the files from the start point so they line up. I don't like to play any guess work in time stamping. Plus, it takes to much time to line everything up if the file isn't time stamped. You know what they say, "Time is money". Plus, if they say a vocal wasn't timed right, it was all consolidated at the start anyway and wasn't on my end.

CD-R is preferred. But, if you are in a time crunch and need the mix like in 24 hours, I'll give the FTP upload info and have the client upload the session. I try to stay in good contact with the person and email versions of the mix as I go for theire input.

I know this wasn't just for vocals, but thought I'd say how I get session data and such.

For FTP you'll need a fast server with A LOT of space if you get big sessions at 48K to 96K.
 
Trumpspade said:
When you are collabing with someone via the net, how is it you want to recieve vocals?

I know that it should be in a wave form, but what is the protocol for the way it is recieved? As far as adlibs, and other fill ins, how are they labeled and sent? I rarely do collabos via the net, I normally mail a person a cd containing the tracks along with a sheet with what part comes at what time.......I plan to do more collabos via net, hopefully with you guys, and I just want to know what the procedures are........
Click to expand...

i take wav file and mp3s..wav file preferred...and a sheet with the times is always helpful...cause i know i might switch verses around something depending on the song...def. have the labeled as vocals, adlibs, or what every to help...I have received some vocals where they recorded all the verses then then sent the chorus on another track the same was..as well as ablibs..

it depend on what your comfortable with..

and like BillyBos said zip everything is allways good...
 
Just for others to know, vocals should be mixed in with the instrumentals. Otherwise they will have a harder time fixing it.

Here's the charts for frequencies made by SouthSide Glen of HR, it's dynamic, so it might be either easier to read, or hard to read.

http://www.independentrecording.net/
just click on Interactive Frequency Charts

It's VERY helpful to know where your sound is, what frequencies range it is, the dynamic's of the sound, what kind of envelope it has, etc so that you know wtf exactly your doing to the sound when using a processor/effect on it.
 
yeah man, definitely a good link. i've seen the compression thing before... if it's the same one that's been posted around the \bbs before. i'm starting to focus more on frequencies now in my mixes in order to have vocals sit better with the instruments. i've EQ'd before, but very little and without proper knowledge of what to do really.

thanks.
 
Yeah, it was posted a long while ago in one of the threads. Like 4 months ago or something. Thought some of the new people today should view it, including ourselves lol
 
i kno its off topic but anyone got ideas for a cheap way to "soundproof" for vocal recording purposes....... i gotta small dorm room and im lookin for a way to make my vocals sound better i think soundproofing is my major problem.......
 
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