Recording Vocals, tips, tricks, theory Options

[davidatler]

i'm looking for some information on recording vocals. i have a project studio set up at home and need some advice and info on how to get a good sound, ie: isolation, mixing, eqing, compression, etc... any help would be appreciated, books or magazines you've seen, websites, or your own experience. thanks.

[Presto]

I record vocals and other audio in my 100m2 studio in the country - should really call it a workshop as its not very isolated. There are lots of old wooden beams etc so the sound is nice and warm, but to get little or no unwanted noise from outside, I have to record at night.

I find that the sound in a small but very well isolated studio up the road (fortunately) would need plugins to make it sound less like my voice was recorded in a cushion. Also, I prefer to be free to choose my recording environment so I can get a sound I like from scratch without having to potter with plugins (try singing in the middle of a field or a forest on a still night, in the bathroom or a church, in a stone cave or derelict building, in a bowl etc.) Still, a bloody wind's been blowing for a few days now so I'm having to wait, and even considering going up the road to the properly isolated studio. I could get a plugin that will look at the sound in the 'silent' bits of recordings, then filter the same sound out all through, but that could also filter out sounds I want to keep, and it won't filter out the neighbours cock crowing.

I'm fortunate as I have a portable setup and can record where I want (ibook/mbox/miniature mic - still not got the second miniature for portable stereo). If I had to get a small part of my barn isolated from outside noise by professionals it would cost a fortune, and I'd still have to buy some good plugins. Unless you have pots of gold coins forget proper isolation. You can keep a few decibels out with odds and ends though. I found some advice on materials and cost by doing a search on the net.

Do you need to keep sound from entering your studio, or from leaving it?
Do you want to record a group or just you?

Anyway, to conclude if you get good phantom powered mics, a good preamp and A/D/A conversion, do your voice warming exercises, and record in a nice sounding environment (when there's no noise coming in), you can't go far wrong.

For the other considerations have a look round MacMusic. There's even a search button