Production RECORDING VOCALS -- Drop ur techniques and tips!
- Thread starter N.U.G.
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Agent Smith
IllMuzik Junkie
ill o.g.
DONT OVERKILL REVERB!
too much reverb automatically screams "cheap shit"
some light delay sounds nice depending on the mood of the track and it sometimes helps keep the lyrics moving.
an alternative to punching in...if the verse is really complicated and the mc sort of has it but not locked, record the verse in sections on 2 tracks. record one section on one track and then alternate to the next track and so on.
a quick way to stop plosives without a pop screen...tape a pen in front of the mic...sounds stupid but it works.
something i do to really emphasize sections of the verse is record the same bit of lyrics on two tracks and pan them opposite ways (adding effects as desired) listen to murs feat. shock g "risky business" to get an idea (i think shock did something different but it sounds similar)
too much reverb automatically screams "cheap shit"
some light delay sounds nice depending on the mood of the track and it sometimes helps keep the lyrics moving.
an alternative to punching in...if the verse is really complicated and the mc sort of has it but not locked, record the verse in sections on 2 tracks. record one section on one track and then alternate to the next track and so on.
a quick way to stop plosives without a pop screen...tape a pen in front of the mic...sounds stupid but it works.
something i do to really emphasize sections of the verse is record the same bit of lyrics on two tracks and pan them opposite ways (adding effects as desired) listen to murs feat. shock g "risky business" to get an idea (i think shock did something different but it sounds similar)
sYgMa
Making head bangers!!!
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 26
Hey, just wondering... my recordinf setup is real cheap... what could I do (understand, that I'm a cheap SOB) to get good quality recording with what I have...
SM-58
SB Live Platinum
a guitar amp (dont know the brand with a XLR, a RCA and a three 1/4 inch entry)
I basically use the guitar amp as a preamp... but, when I record... I really dont like how it sounds. it sounds as if there was no punch to the voice....
I'll put up a sample tomorrow...
SM-58
SB Live Platinum
a guitar amp (dont know the brand with a XLR, a RCA and a three 1/4 inch entry)
I basically use the guitar amp as a preamp... but, when I record... I really dont like how it sounds. it sounds as if there was no punch to the voice....
I'll put up a sample tomorrow...
WORDAMOUPH
NUPHONIX PRODUKTIONS
ill o.g.
Record the main verse and copy paste it on another track, but make it slightly behind it adds that reverb,...this are some ghetto bedroom techniques for peeps who aint got much to work with
Since I don't have a studio hand when I record myself I just set a verse to repeat while recording with a leadin at the beginning and I'll record myself 4 times. That takes care of the doubling as well as finding the best track is easy... Not to mention you can splice in the extra 3 to make a perfect double track.
I do that with artists now too, it makes them calm down, since everyone's nervous when they come in here for the first time.
-Donovan
I do that with artists now too, it makes them calm down, since everyone's nervous when they come in here for the first time.
-Donovan
young_keyz
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
To get thicker sounding vocal tracks just copy your main vocal track you recorded 2 times and then pan the two tracks left and right and keep the main vocal track pan center. Run all these tracks thur the same compressor or whatever effects you would use on that one track.
Arc.I.Tect
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
May have been answered, but I really don't get what exactly is a "double" is it just two tracks merged in places like the chorus or am I just being a complete idiot?
N.U.G.
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Arc.I.Tect said:
I think it usually refers to when a vocalist will "double up" their vocals or at least some of their vocals. It make teh vocals more full and emphasises certain words/lines. It;s uasually dont at the end of each line of a rappers verse and then in other places that want to be emphasised.
hope that helps
Arc.I.Tect
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
O ok thanks you guys
These methods work for me but results may vary 
*Reverb - Dont use it.
*Compression - A MUST.
*Turn gain down (I do -13/-14) on breath takes, take care when doing it.
*To sperate vocals, say on the Hook, record 2 set's (dont duplicate one to another track) and pan each, one to left one to right, doing this to adlibs can work good sumtimes depending on mc, also try turn compression off on one of the panned hooks.
*Dont Compress adlibs.
*Learn your program short-cut keys, makes things alot faster.
*Reverb - Dont use it.
*Compression - A MUST.
*Turn gain down (I do -13/-14) on breath takes, take care when doing it.
*To sperate vocals, say on the Hook, record 2 set's (dont duplicate one to another track) and pan each, one to left one to right, doing this to adlibs can work good sumtimes depending on mc, also try turn compression off on one of the panned hooks.
*Dont Compress adlibs.
*Learn your program short-cut keys, makes things alot faster.
K
Kapulot
Guest
Record everything FLAT (No FX, EQ or Compression) all of this can be added later
R
Rich
Guest
As strange as this may sound but...
My uncle used to produce alot of reggae and dub in the mid-late '80s.
He said they would do things like have the vocalist sing into the condenser mic but place a bucket or a mirror behind it to capture different acoustic reflections.
My uncle used to produce alot of reggae and dub in the mid-late '80s.
He said they would do things like have the vocalist sing into the condenser mic but place a bucket or a mirror behind it to capture different acoustic reflections.
sYgMa
Making head bangers!!!
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 26
sYgMa said:
Alright. I loaned most of my old stuff to my cuz... so it's pretty much the same setup
SM-58
SB Live Value! card (with a live drive)
Guitar Amp (Yorkville 100K mixer amp)
I connected the mic to the Amp (that I use as a pre-amp, of course) and connected the amp to my computer (on the back) with a 1/8 1/4 cable...
I know there's a lot of hiss, but I'm more concerned with the sound itself than the parasite sounds (it's for a mixtape). how could I better the sound, software wise. (the cat's on a tight budget, tighter than mine, so...)
Is there a place I could upload my mic test so you could listen to it (in wav format)
beatzbybuddy
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
I need help with EQ on my Mackie board for my vocal Channel? Can someone tell me what to set my EQ at for recording rappers and female vocals for singing?? Also, I have an Alesis 3630 Compressor I have never used and need help with that for the same vocals... Please help out a brotha!!!
Agent Smith
IllMuzik Junkie
ill o.g.
i think there are a few cats on this site that know exact compression ratio's to throw on your vocals and all that...
but i do think you should record vocals with a flat e.q. and then e.q. it whithin your recoding program. its all about what you want to accentuate in the individual's voice. also, use common sense, if it rumbles take out some of the lows, it they hiss too much use a de-esser or take out the really high freq's
peace
but i do think you should record vocals with a flat e.q. and then e.q. it whithin your recoding program. its all about what you want to accentuate in the individual's voice. also, use common sense, if it rumbles take out some of the lows, it they hiss too much use a de-esser or take out the really high freq's
peace
T
The Bastard
Guest
like jm afia said , try to get the best sound (eqing compreesiion) before it gets recorded,much like in video and photo editting, its hard to correct major mistakes in post and you should always try to get the best sound going in, besides that its all personal technique. use a pop filter,make sure yur not peaking, make sure theres no air conditioner on, the mic can pic up that hum,
themucka
"The man behind the Hits"
ill o.g.
the best mic and vocal chain 2 me personally is a sony 800g going into a tube tech mec-1a into a appogee a/d into either my 192 or millinea converters... dbx 160 de esser
good tips.
1. if your man can rap without the paper pop the mic into omni mode clear up silibance and volume jumps aswell...
2. never compress more than 3db going into tape or digital relm... you can always compress after.. " i personally prefer the signal as dry as possible and either run the outboard gear or plug ins depending where im tracking."
3. do not i repeat do not record over -6db leave as much headroom for your plug ins and outboard gear 2 work.. when you record 2 hot you almost always are clipping inside the plug ins and outboard gaer so jus leave space for the future...
tracking is all about think ahaed
good tips.
1. if your man can rap without the paper pop the mic into omni mode clear up silibance and volume jumps aswell...
2. never compress more than 3db going into tape or digital relm... you can always compress after.. " i personally prefer the signal as dry as possible and either run the outboard gear or plug ins depending where im tracking."
3. do not i repeat do not record over -6db leave as much headroom for your plug ins and outboard gear 2 work.. when you record 2 hot you almost always are clipping inside the plug ins and outboard gaer so jus leave space for the future...
tracking is all about think ahaed
S
screwd-n-choppd
Guest
......
i see what y'all saying and its madd technical, which is right but you dont want to lose integrity. when i hear a rapper i want to hear the rap not some over produced lyrics which make the artist sound generic. so what im saying is just try to find a balance between production and the artist. i rap and i have no idea about all thsi technical shit but when my man produces the shit i always tell him to keep "me" in the track. I think hip-hop right now is abouit how you sound and not how good you are which is too bad. KRS-one is a perfect example, he had arguabley the illest lyrics then and now, but he wasnt produced like all the others which to me set him apart as one of the illest mcs period.
i see what y'all saying and its madd technical, which is right but you dont want to lose integrity. when i hear a rapper i want to hear the rap not some over produced lyrics which make the artist sound generic. so what im saying is just try to find a balance between production and the artist. i rap and i have no idea about all thsi technical shit but when my man produces the shit i always tell him to keep "me" in the track. I think hip-hop right now is abouit how you sound and not how good you are which is too bad. KRS-one is a perfect example, he had arguabley the illest lyrics then and now, but he wasnt produced like all the others which to me set him apart as one of the illest mcs period.
Hypnotist
Ear Manipulator
ill o.g.
Some of this is written especially for Pro Tools, but these tips can apply in any medium...
For artists:
REHEARSE! I know sometimes you want to run into a studio THE SECOND you finish writing, but when you don't KNOW your rhyme, it SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE READING IT! Few people can actually pull this off with the right accents and such, but there are a few more things you can work on before you hit the studio:
1) Break your verses down and find out the spots where you run out of breath. Underline the next line, or next few words, and choose not to say those in the first take. When you do dubs later, you can add those lines, but make sure you say the last line and the next line to keep you sounding like you did the last time.
2) While you're writing your rhyme, (UH-HUH) practice utilizing the negative space. (NA MEAN?) Write in your actual ad-libs while you write, (TRUE) and when you actually perform it, (UH-HUH) everything will be filled up. (THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYIN' SON!)
3) Practice good mic technique! I know that the engineer probably has a good compressor so that when you yell, it kicks in, and when you're quiet, it pushes the level, but a good technique to become your own compressor is to BACK AWAY from the mic when you yell, and GET CLOSER when you're quiet. Do this in moderation, and even small movements can effect the way it sounds. So practice it... it's worth it!
4) Depending on the microphone, you can avoid sibilance, etc. by turning off-axis from the mic, as posted before. But, with most low-end microphones, this will take away from your high end. And then you have proximity effect: When you get really close to the mic, all the low-end frequencies become really thick. This could be a good trick when you need it (notice Howard Stern and how close he comes to his RE-20) but try to find a good spot depending on the mic. And if there ends up too much sssssibilance, then use a de-esser later on, adjusting variably between 7-10kHz until it "ducks" it right with your set threshold.
For engineers:
These tricks have worked for me to make it as efficient as possible to record and make a client/friend feel comfortable and get the best takes they can.
1) Just like rehearsing for the artist, you should rehearse the song as well. And doing this will make so many shortcuts later on. Find out where the Verses start, and either write down the times, or make markers. (e.g. in Pro Tools, hit "enter") In Pro Tools, getting the right navigation is important, and later on, your mix engineer will thank the hell out of you. (or you'll thank yourself if you're mixing it). Set a good Pre-roll for about 2 bars, and (apple-K, or ctrl-K on PC) will turn on/off your preroll. Now you can hit a few buttons (period-marker#-period) to get to the spot, and hit apple-k and then roll, and the artist will hear the last two bars of the previous hook and be ready for the next verse. Artists can be in the zone one minute, and if you're sitting in the control room trying to find his next verse, he can lose his groove. BE QUICK! Learn how to set your memory locations or markers, whether you're using DA-88 tapes, a 4-track cassette recorder, Pro-Tools, Cool-Edit Pro, or anything else. If you don't have markers, then write down the times that everything begins! It makes it much easier later, TRUST me.
2) When tracking, it's all about LEVEL. You have to try to get the hottest sound to "tape" without clipping for the best sound. (You will get the best "SNR", or signal-to-noise ratio; signal=sound you want, noise=sound you don't want, e.g. air conditioning, the "air" of your preamp, etc.) You don't want your soundwave to look like some little mouse tail, so get it thick, but use light compression.
3) With your setup, find a good setting for compression. (Before you record, mess with the levels and record dummy takes, finding out what compression actually sounds like. Turn the threshold waaay down and set the compression ratio to 20:1 or more. Listen to what it does to the sound level when your talent yells into the mic. And when he/she is quiet. You will hear the compression "breathing". Not just the artist's breath, which you can usually hear better in this situation, but the signal actually sounds like it "breathes". Mess with it and see what I'm talking about.) Now I usually find these numbers to be a good starting point: Threshold -10dB, Ratio 4:1, somewhat quick attack, and somewhat slow release. But since you know what compression sounds like, now you can make adjustments accordingly. Remember: hottest levels without clipping.
4) Okay, now that you have a good level, (pro tools users) create some new tracks and make more than one, and make sure your outputs are set. Your artist doesn't want to wait. NAME THEM. When you name them before you actually record, it will label the actual audio files "Verse_01" or "Vocals_01" or "Johnny_01" instead of "Audio1_01". If you look through your audio files folder later on, you shouldn't see "Audio23_03.L" etc. If they're labeled, it makes troubleshooting much easier later, and if you lose files, you'll know which ones you're missing. I'm not going to get into disk allocation today, but learn that too!
5) Layer for verses. When an artist can lay it on thick, the entire vocal tracks will cut through the record better. Depending on the song, and the hype you want to convey, encourage the artist to have a couple layers be the exact duplicate of the verse, and add layers that are lower in tone, maybe even whispers, or performing it as if he/she was bored, or even more lively than they were in the verse. Prepare to have audio tracks ready for dubs, dubs2, dubs3, etc, adlibs, adlibs2, what-whats, yea-yeas, uh-huhs, etc. You may not name them when you create them, but you can quickly double click on them right before you record. "Okay, you wanna do uh-huhs?" "Uh-huh." (name them) "Okay we're rolling." THAT'S what your artist wants to hear.
6) When doing hooks, layer layer layer. I like to name the tracks as follows before I begin: "HookL, HookR, HookMid, Hook4, Hook5", etc. Have them do hook left in mono, and when he/she performs the layer for Hook right, pan them both so that the artist can feel what it will be like in stereo, and match his/her voice better. This sometimes confuses the artist though, but try it once or ask them if they want it. Have them do many layers with parts that have more energy, try screaming, etc, and be suggestive. Of course, unless they have a producer and he/she's running the show, or the artist already has a game plan. But if the artist doesn't have a game plan, try to inspire a little creativity, and let him/her ride on the hype of what was just recorded. It can create a lot more energy than you think.
Okay, these are just a few tricks that have worked for me, and there are a few more that I can't think of right now, or someone else already covered them. But being prepared is most important once you get the LEVELS down pat.
Hope this helped someone.
-the Hypnotist
For artists:
REHEARSE! I know sometimes you want to run into a studio THE SECOND you finish writing, but when you don't KNOW your rhyme, it SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE READING IT! Few people can actually pull this off with the right accents and such, but there are a few more things you can work on before you hit the studio:
1) Break your verses down and find out the spots where you run out of breath. Underline the next line, or next few words, and choose not to say those in the first take. When you do dubs later, you can add those lines, but make sure you say the last line and the next line to keep you sounding like you did the last time.
2) While you're writing your rhyme, (UH-HUH) practice utilizing the negative space. (NA MEAN?) Write in your actual ad-libs while you write, (TRUE) and when you actually perform it, (UH-HUH) everything will be filled up. (THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYIN' SON!)
3) Practice good mic technique! I know that the engineer probably has a good compressor so that when you yell, it kicks in, and when you're quiet, it pushes the level, but a good technique to become your own compressor is to BACK AWAY from the mic when you yell, and GET CLOSER when you're quiet. Do this in moderation, and even small movements can effect the way it sounds. So practice it... it's worth it!
4) Depending on the microphone, you can avoid sibilance, etc. by turning off-axis from the mic, as posted before. But, with most low-end microphones, this will take away from your high end. And then you have proximity effect: When you get really close to the mic, all the low-end frequencies become really thick. This could be a good trick when you need it (notice Howard Stern and how close he comes to his RE-20) but try to find a good spot depending on the mic. And if there ends up too much sssssibilance, then use a de-esser later on, adjusting variably between 7-10kHz until it "ducks" it right with your set threshold.
For engineers:
These tricks have worked for me to make it as efficient as possible to record and make a client/friend feel comfortable and get the best takes they can.
1) Just like rehearsing for the artist, you should rehearse the song as well. And doing this will make so many shortcuts later on. Find out where the Verses start, and either write down the times, or make markers. (e.g. in Pro Tools, hit "enter") In Pro Tools, getting the right navigation is important, and later on, your mix engineer will thank the hell out of you. (or you'll thank yourself if you're mixing it). Set a good Pre-roll for about 2 bars, and (apple-K, or ctrl-K on PC) will turn on/off your preroll. Now you can hit a few buttons (period-marker#-period) to get to the spot, and hit apple-k and then roll, and the artist will hear the last two bars of the previous hook and be ready for the next verse. Artists can be in the zone one minute, and if you're sitting in the control room trying to find his next verse, he can lose his groove. BE QUICK! Learn how to set your memory locations or markers, whether you're using DA-88 tapes, a 4-track cassette recorder, Pro-Tools, Cool-Edit Pro, or anything else. If you don't have markers, then write down the times that everything begins! It makes it much easier later, TRUST me.
2) When tracking, it's all about LEVEL. You have to try to get the hottest sound to "tape" without clipping for the best sound. (You will get the best "SNR", or signal-to-noise ratio; signal=sound you want, noise=sound you don't want, e.g. air conditioning, the "air" of your preamp, etc.) You don't want your soundwave to look like some little mouse tail, so get it thick, but use light compression.
3) With your setup, find a good setting for compression. (Before you record, mess with the levels and record dummy takes, finding out what compression actually sounds like. Turn the threshold waaay down and set the compression ratio to 20:1 or more. Listen to what it does to the sound level when your talent yells into the mic. And when he/she is quiet. You will hear the compression "breathing". Not just the artist's breath, which you can usually hear better in this situation, but the signal actually sounds like it "breathes". Mess with it and see what I'm talking about.) Now I usually find these numbers to be a good starting point: Threshold -10dB, Ratio 4:1, somewhat quick attack, and somewhat slow release. But since you know what compression sounds like, now you can make adjustments accordingly. Remember: hottest levels without clipping.
4) Okay, now that you have a good level, (pro tools users) create some new tracks and make more than one, and make sure your outputs are set. Your artist doesn't want to wait. NAME THEM. When you name them before you actually record, it will label the actual audio files "Verse_01" or "Vocals_01" or "Johnny_01" instead of "Audio1_01". If you look through your audio files folder later on, you shouldn't see "Audio23_03.L" etc. If they're labeled, it makes troubleshooting much easier later, and if you lose files, you'll know which ones you're missing. I'm not going to get into disk allocation today, but learn that too!
5) Layer for verses. When an artist can lay it on thick, the entire vocal tracks will cut through the record better. Depending on the song, and the hype you want to convey, encourage the artist to have a couple layers be the exact duplicate of the verse, and add layers that are lower in tone, maybe even whispers, or performing it as if he/she was bored, or even more lively than they were in the verse. Prepare to have audio tracks ready for dubs, dubs2, dubs3, etc, adlibs, adlibs2, what-whats, yea-yeas, uh-huhs, etc. You may not name them when you create them, but you can quickly double click on them right before you record. "Okay, you wanna do uh-huhs?" "Uh-huh." (name them) "Okay we're rolling." THAT'S what your artist wants to hear.
6) When doing hooks, layer layer layer. I like to name the tracks as follows before I begin: "HookL, HookR, HookMid, Hook4, Hook5", etc. Have them do hook left in mono, and when he/she performs the layer for Hook right, pan them both so that the artist can feel what it will be like in stereo, and match his/her voice better. This sometimes confuses the artist though, but try it once or ask them if they want it. Have them do many layers with parts that have more energy, try screaming, etc, and be suggestive. Of course, unless they have a producer and he/she's running the show, or the artist already has a game plan. But if the artist doesn't have a game plan, try to inspire a little creativity, and let him/her ride on the hype of what was just recorded. It can create a lot more energy than you think.
Okay, these are just a few tricks that have worked for me, and there are a few more that I can't think of right now, or someone else already covered them. But being prepared is most important once you get the LEVELS down pat.
Hope this helped someone.
-the Hypnotist
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