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10 TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR VOCAL RECORDINGS
Monday, August 10, 2009
These tips have been compiled from personal experience and through various resources from award winning recording artists. Although these tips are from a professional recording studio they still apply to the home recording enthusiast. Hopefully these tips will save you some time and aggravation in a recording session that way you can focus on the performance which is what its really all about.
1.Prepare
Quite often alot of vocalists i meet have never taken any formal training even taking it for granted but i can tell you from experience it always helps and never hurts. They can help the singer to sing in tune, control their voice, learn proper breathing control, get more in rhythm. In the past I've gone to the trouble of hiring a vocal coach to come to the studio to help a new vocalist especially if they are having vocal issues. Ask the singer(s) if there any recommended microphones they have used on past recordings. It might be wise if there are any past recordings of the artist to give a good listen to to see how you might be able to improve upon.
2.Warm up
I'd recommend at least 30mins of vocal exercises although its not uncommon for people to warm up for 45 to 60mins. For a typical vocal recording session i don't try to exceed the 2-3hour mark possibly sooner since the voice tires easily. You don't want to burn out the vocalist on the first day unless they can nail the tracks cold right away.
3.Breathing Control
The majority of an excellent vocal performance rests on breath control. Breathing exercises again are the key.
4.Sore throat? Sorry no recording today
you can cause alot of harm to your voice even permanent damage in some cases if you try to sing with a sore throat. If you have a cough or cold or sore throat don't sing at all just rest until you are better. Did you know that every time you cough your vocal cord slam together making them raw which can cause swelling and laryngitis then your really screwed.
5.Get plenty of rest
Make sure you get plenty of rest prior to the recording session. If you don't it can affect how long you can sing before you voice gets tired, and how well you can control it in general.
6.Ear training can help sing in tune
As a singer you have to be able to sing in tune. A vocal coach can give you ear training exercises to help develop perfect relative pitch.
7.Be aware of the rhythm
You need rhythm as a singer. If you are by yourself you can try a metronome or drum machine. karaoke is excellent for this.
8.Proper Nutrition for the vocalist
You should really try to avoid dairy products several weeks before the recording. The dairy products create alot of mucus in your throat that can interfere with singing. Avoid drugs and alcohol since they can make you believe you are better than you truly are on your tracks and they can dehydrate your throat. Always have liquids preferably nothing with sugar in it since it also dehydrates your throat. Water is ideal.
9.Sing in key
If you are straining to hit notes your vocals will sound weak, pitch will sound off and you can damage your voice. You can prepare for this in practice by singing the song in as many different keys as possible.
10.Understand how studio singing differs from live singing
In a studio the vocal tracks have to be more precise and are more demanding. In a recording the mic can pic up all kinds of sounds like sibilance, scratching, breathing and moving around. On the other hand you don't have to belt out the tracks as hard as you do in a live setting.
I would recommend a pop screen between your mouth and the mic which reduces sudden bursts of air from consonant sounds like "p"s. Another way to control these is to turn your head slightly away from the mic but this is a last resort since its difficult to time it jut right.
When you sing softly move a little closer to the mic and when louder a little further away to control the dynamics.
make sure you have the right microphone for the job. There are some great dynamics but i usually prefer condenser or ribbons mics for this. If you have a chance test out a bunch other them that way you will understand how it affects your voice. All mics accentuate and de-emphasize certain frequency(s).
In a studio setting sometimes it feels a little alien not being in front of people when singing. It may help to visualize people or an audience in front of you to help you focus on the emotion of a song.
In my next post i will gather some tips together for cures and remedies for singers illnesses.
1.Prepare
Quite often alot of vocalists i meet have never taken any formal training even taking it for granted but i can tell you from experience it always helps and never hurts. They can help the singer to sing in tune, control their voice, learn proper breathing control, get more in rhythm. In the past I've gone to the trouble of hiring a vocal coach to come to the studio to help a new vocalist especially if they are having vocal issues. Ask the singer(s) if there any recommended microphones they have used on past recordings. It might be wise if there are any past recordings of the artist to give a good listen to to see how you might be able to improve upon.
2.Warm up
I'd recommend at least 30mins of vocal exercises although its not uncommon for people to warm up for 45 to 60mins. For a typical vocal recording session i don't try to exceed the 2-3hour mark possibly sooner since the voice tires easily. You don't want to burn out the vocalist on the first day unless they can nail the tracks cold right away.
3.Breathing Control
The majority of an excellent vocal performance rests on breath control. Breathing exercises again are the key.
4.Sore throat? Sorry no recording today
you can cause alot of harm to your voice even permanent damage in some cases if you try to sing with a sore throat. If you have a cough or cold or sore throat don't sing at all just rest until you are better. Did you know that every time you cough your vocal cord slam together making them raw which can cause swelling and laryngitis then your really screwed.
5.Get plenty of rest
Make sure you get plenty of rest prior to the recording session. If you don't it can affect how long you can sing before you voice gets tired, and how well you can control it in general.
6.Ear training can help sing in tune
As a singer you have to be able to sing in tune. A vocal coach can give you ear training exercises to help develop perfect relative pitch.
7.Be aware of the rhythm
You need rhythm as a singer. If you are by yourself you can try a metronome or drum machine. karaoke is excellent for this.
8.Proper Nutrition for the vocalist
You should really try to avoid dairy products several weeks before the recording. The dairy products create alot of mucus in your throat that can interfere with singing. Avoid drugs and alcohol since they can make you believe you are better than you truly are on your tracks and they can dehydrate your throat. Always have liquids preferably nothing with sugar in it since it also dehydrates your throat. Water is ideal.
9.Sing in key
If you are straining to hit notes your vocals will sound weak, pitch will sound off and you can damage your voice. You can prepare for this in practice by singing the song in as many different keys as possible.
10.Understand how studio singing differs from live singing
In a studio the vocal tracks have to be more precise and are more demanding. In a recording the mic can pic up all kinds of sounds like sibilance, scratching, breathing and moving around. On the other hand you don't have to belt out the tracks as hard as you do in a live setting.
I would recommend a pop screen between your mouth and the mic which reduces sudden bursts of air from consonant sounds like "p"s. Another way to control these is to turn your head slightly away from the mic but this is a last resort since its difficult to time it jut right.
When you sing softly move a little closer to the mic and when louder a little further away to control the dynamics.
make sure you have the right microphone for the job. There are some great dynamics but i usually prefer condenser or ribbons mics for this. If you have a chance test out a bunch other them that way you will understand how it affects your voice. All mics accentuate and de-emphasize certain frequency(s).
In a studio setting sometimes it feels a little alien not being in front of people when singing. It may help to visualize people or an audience in front of you to help you focus on the emotion of a song.
In my next post i will gather some tips together for cures and remedies for singers illnesses.
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