How to record good vocals?

Ez guys. Okay first off I'll start by saying I'm using a Dynamic mic with a pop filter so don't hate me. I got a friend who can spit bars pretty well but when we recorded some vocals they sounded weak. I had a girl who came over earlier this year and she sung but the vocal was pretty strong and punchy. Thoughts?

Ring Modulator

Get a condenser mic. Have your rapper friend overdub his own tracks wherever there's particular emphasis. Ask the singer if she can back off when the word starts with a P, T, and don't hold on to S's too long. Add a bit of reverb to any vocals, don't be afraid to use multiple back-up tracks.

This is not professional advice, btw, just crap I've noticed when recording vocals. I might be totally wrong. :sup:

  On 10/4/2011 at 7:12 PM, luke viia said:

Get a condenser mic. Have your rapper friend overdub his own tracks wherever there's particular emphasis. Ask the singer if she can back off when the word starts with a P, T, and don't hold on to S's too long. Add a bit of reverb to any vocals, don't be afraid to use multiple back-up tracks.

 

This is not professional advice, btw, just crap I've noticed when recording vocals. I might be totally wrong. :sup:

Yeah, basically this. Don't bother with a dynamic mic.

Also, compression is your friend.

Don't discount dynamic mics. They have their place.

I couldnt resist.

  On 10/4/2011 at 11:50 PM, modey said:

  On 10/4/2011 at 7:12 PM, luke viia said:

Get a condenser mic. Have your rapper friend overdub his own tracks wherever there's particular emphasis. Ask the singer if she can back off when the word starts with a P, T, and don't hold on to S's too long. Add a bit of reverb to any vocals, don't be afraid to use multiple back-up tracks.

 

This is not professional advice, btw, just crap I've noticed when recording vocals. I might be totally wrong. :sup:

Yeah, basically this. Don't bother with a dynamic mic.

Also, compression is your friend.

Can you suggest some settings on a compressor 'cause I'm not great with them. Cheers.

I don't really know how to use a compressor well enough to recommend specific settings, I usually just set the threshold to the target level and play with the ratio and attack/release until it sounds right.

#1 - get a good vocalist

obviously that's most important.

  On 10/5/2011 at 8:11 AM, Wall Bird said:

Don't discount dynamic mics. They have their place.

Oh sure, for live use or to mic up amplifiers and other loud sources in the studio. But I'd never use a dynamic mic for studio vocals.

I've managed to get quite a nice sound out of a cheap pair of Behringer condenser mics. I don't even use my SM57 anymore.

No, I mean don't discount them as vocal mics in studio recording situations. It's not at all uncommon for world class engineers to use them for vocal recordings. I just don't want Promo to get the idea that they're a bad choice for vocals.

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As Sneaksta said, a good singer has to be your main priority. Then mic placement. Then a good room. Then the type of mic, preamp, and so on.

Promo; when you act as the vocal engineer try to think about a couple of factors. First, - and I'm gonna say this again for emphasis - the performer has to have their act together. You can't polish a turd. Actually, you can these days, but you're gonna be in for a lot of pain when it comes time to mix.

Make sure their relationship to the mic is good. If they're singing into a cardioid mic you'll want to be aware of what's known as the proximity effect. That's what happens when they get too close to the mic and it creates crazy bass frequencies that will distort your whole sound. If your mic picks up in an omnidirectional pattern you can set it to that pickup pattern to negate the proximity effect. In general, setting your mic to an omni pattern will give you a more even frequency response and pick up bass frequencies better. Of course, cardioid may be the best option if you have to sing in a shitty room or if you want a very dry sound.

If they're singing a phrase that's going to be way louder than the rest, show them how stepping back from the mic at that point in the song will even out the dynamics and keep the mic from overloading. It will also add more room sound, which will be especially pronounced because their increased singing volume will excite the room. It can be beneficial under certain circumstances.

You could try hanging the mic at about eye level and eight inches away so that they must lift their head slightly to sing into the mic and thus open their throat a little more. Or try putting the mic down low, near their throat and their chest to better capture the lower components of their singing voice. This is pretty popular with a lot of hip hop guys these days.

You could try using two microphones simultaneously, such as a condenser mic to pick up the finer details alongside a dynamic mic that might provide a certain meatiness that you wouldn't get otherwise. Just make sure that the mic capsules are perfectly aligned so that you avoid any kind of phase issues that will distort your sound. You can then EQ and blend the two mics to taste.

Also, don't forget to empathize with your performer. Understand their mood. It may not be beneficial to exhaust them by having them do take after take. Be attuned to their needs, their disposition, and their confidence as singers. Encourage them. If they're singing out of tune, try and tell them in a way that wont bruise their ego. Often, when they're singing out of tune it's because they're not hearing themselves completely. Suggest that they keep only one half of the headphones on so that they may hear themselves in the room. It's also best to not have a ton of people around when it comes time to record. People get very self-conscious when it comes to vocals. Try to have just you and the performer alone in the studio.

What else? Oh yeah. You can double track or triple track certain parts. Simply record your singer's voice two, three, or ten times in unison and blend to taste. A cool effect that Bruce Swedien liked to do with Michael Jackson was ask Michael to move a little farther away from the mic when recording the doubling part. Then, when it came time to do the third voice move even a little further away from the microphone. This will create a nice depth in the recording as well as a difference in color for each of the vocal takes, resulting in a richer sound overall.

As for EQ, compression and other effects, I'm not even gonna touch that subject because there are a million resources online where you can read up on not only how to use those devices but strategies for using them. They are important, though, so do your homework on this one.

If you're good at mixing, you don't even need a great setup. I've recorded vocals just using my mac's built-in mic and have gotten really good results with it.