5 Steps For Better Vocal Recordings
A good vocal recording is the foundation of any good production
A bad one could ruin your song
We know most of you guys buy beats online, and record your vocals at home,
and some of you are even mixing your tracks yourselves
In the following article we’ll give you some points to get a better vocal recording
Get A Decent Microphone
Depending on your budget, get yourself a decent Condenser microphone
Good condenser mics can be bought relatively cheap these days
And you can get great results on a budget
Some recommended brands to look for are - Shure, Rode, Sennheiser, Neumann etc..
Find the mic that suits you and your budget, and you’ll improve your recordings dramatically
Room Acoustics
Most rooms tend to sound bad untreated. The common issues are long reverb times, boomy or harsh sound etc..
When recording your vocals in a room that wasn’t treated properly, you can’t expect it to sound as tight and clear as you want
Remember, you’re not only recording your voice, you are “recording” your room as well
I would recommend hiring a professional acoustical consultant if you can afford it
Another cheap alternative is a reflection filter, that can dramatically minimize the room’s effect on your recordings
Sibilance
When pronouncing consonant syllables (S,T and Z) the mouth emits a high frequency
blast of air. This can result in an unpleasant tonal harshness centered in the upper mids
To avoid, or at least minimize this effect, you can turn your head a little to the side, not pointing directly at the mic but slightly to one of it’s sides
If you still get an uneven recording and your esses still pop out, try applying some de-esser on your vocals.
Don’t overdo it though, just enough to make it a bit more even and pleasant.
Popping
Popping sounds might occur when pronouncing aspirated plosives(P, B)
It can result in a boomy and unusable recording
To avoid this effect we use a Pop Filter
Singing off-axis might work as well if you’re a more experienced vocalist
Proximity Effect
When using cardioid mics, moving closer or further from the mic can result in dramatic boosts in the low frequencies.
Such inconsistency can be very hard and even impossible to deal with in the mix
To avoid, place your pop filter at least a few inches away from the mic, preventing you from getting too close to it.
That’s it guys
We hope this article was useful and will help you get better vocal tracks
Please tell us what you thought in the comments below
And share if you liked
Love, Paper Tiger
Comments