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

[cathode]

David,
If you would be kind enough to provide me with the equipment list you have I'd be happy to help you achieve the most from your rig.
As for compression of audio levels? That depends on how much dynamics you want expressed in the program material. I prefer to compress vocals lightly if possible. 2:1-3:1 ratios and with a reduction in gain of just a few dB. You must play with the attack and release sometimes so as not to have induced artifacts i.e. pumping/breathing. If done correctly you can get a natural sounding track with lots of level while staying out of the overlevel range. Of course with digital you want to get as much level to disk as you can.
Also, if you are a small low budget studio you might try some dynamic microphones like the sure SM-57 or the Sennheiser 421 or 441 for vocals. Although these mics are not as sensitive to the delicate nuance of audio capture like a condenser they will also not be as sensitive to ambient noise.

I hope this helps a bit!

[James1966]

James1966 here....
David one of the smartest things you can do is record in the bathroom after everyone is gone, or gone to bed.You should be able to get a good live vocal sound- to act as a guide track before going to the proper studio.Personally, I think Mac members are a thrifty lot, so I tend to wait for ideal conditions.However if your not willing to wait you should read as much about recording as you can, and/or make friends with an engineer at a studio.You may want to trade work for studio time once your songs are not in rough cut form.It pays to rehearse a band till your songs second nature.You can usually get a good take by the 2nd run thru.save money! Don't forget you have to pay for mixdown time unless you mix yourself.
Steve Vai once said in seminar that he read a book on acoustics and sound principles and then built his Blue Moon Studio in Hollywood hills.He then experienced happy years of recording life.Nothing beats having control and knowing what your doing.

[Sunny Voice]

I recorded all my voices in my little room without any isolation, I find that takes made in studio especially in a cabin are too "sanitized".
Anyway, you need a good microphone, preamp and compressor (with Tube it's better).

I use an Audix CX 101 Microphone, a TL Audio VP 5051 preamp linked to a MindPrint T-Comp and find my sound GREAT... An engineer was very surprised to hear the grain and quality of the takes.
I use the 2 channels of my compressor, one for compressing, the other for limiting.

Make a lot of tests... try to find your "sound" and enjoy !

[krisg]

As for me, my favourite is a U47 or other, depending on the voice etc, Manley Preamp and a 1176 comp. No eq tweaking before the tape.

[cathode]

Krisg...
That's a nice inexpensive setup!
I also like a tube 47 but with a Neve 1081 pre and a pinch of Fairchild on that or perhaps an LA-2A.
However for most people who cant spend more on a mic than their computer?
I kind of like the Audio Technica AT-4033 Around $500 or less.
Pretty quiet and decent prescence.
Still, gotta love those old Neumanns!
Cathode

[krisg]

What I gave as an example was what I use in professional studios. At home it is pretty much down to what you talk about. Not enough money to have vocal recording for roughly 5000 euro!!! I have often used some kind of a chinesee mike that looks very impressive with its tube preamp in a seperate box, and a mindprint preamp compressor. It's at one of my friends' house and the quality seemed surprisingly very good. And that is not an expensive setup I gather.

[Sunny Voice]

Krisg, think about Audix Microphones, especially the CX 101, it's a very good mic and not expensive at all ! I do all my vocal recordings with it

[bilhep]

I believe the greatest frontier I have to cross here, at home, is to eliminate ambient noise. The current reality is that I shut the refrigerator down(it runs 8-on and 6-off) if I don't want to wait for the cycle to come around. I have the fan on the G3 which I'cannot testify as to hearing on any recordings. I must say that the new Seagate drives are dead-quiet and make me smile. If my cat does not meow and the phone does not ring (forget the doorbell! ) I get through. Have a listen to my recordings at
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/544/will_adam.html
I'm getting good reports; even from pros!

Isolation is the greatest goal for a home studio. Not just a booth but one on a separate and disconnected slab if you're on cement; structure in anycase. This, due to the transferrance of ground-waves which resonate on walls. I think you can do this with shock-absorbing material in the home but the artist inside would initially feel strange because it will necessarily move, like getting into a car which, by-the-way, is definitely isolated well. They don't fit well, however, through most doors.

My AT-3035 out-performs anything I've ever had although I would like to get my hands on some Sony ECM-21's I gave away several years ago after I let go of my Tascam reel-studio. As I recall they were quite clean and I see that several studios list them as assets.

I'm aiming for some Røde NT-3 mics for guitar-micing as a next step but would gladly explore anything Audio Technica has to offer. I'm going to check out the Audix mics Krisg mentioned.

Bill Heppe
Apple Valley, CA