Recording Vocals Any Help Appreciated!!!

Paint a Picture....

Guys has anyone got any good tips for me?? i can plug my semi into my laptop direct and get bang on reproduction, but im having trouble when it comes to vocals as my mic (no problem with quality) just picks up endless inteference, really bad quality, have tried a few things to know avail!! any tips??!!

stonetemplejam

Ok to get really good vocals for demos you need a recording interface. I would suggest the maudio 410 or the mbox 2. You will need protools or cakewalk or some other recording program to record and mix. You will need plugins for reverb, chorus, tube emultators, and mic modelers. Or instead of getting all the pluggins you could go by a good premic rack mount hardware. Most of the time a tube mic pre would sound the best. Also you would want a vocal effects hardware. Software pluggins are cheaper. Then you would want to master the vocals once the guitar and other instruments are done. This adds compression, eqing, and other effects. This is just the basics envolved there is a lot of other things you could do before mixing like adding fades, other vocal effects. Also keep in mind that most albums have multiple layers of vocals and back up vocals. Same goes for guitar most albums have multiple tracks of guitar. Maudio 410 is one of the cheap ways to go but you will need to get a good recording software with it to get good sound recording. Also you will need to get pluggins. Also you may need to buy a pc card that has a fire wire connection. My dell inspiron lap top did not work with the 410 even though it had a fire wire built in. I had to buy a pc card then it worked fine. http://www.protools.com or http://www.calkwalk.com also http://www.guitarcenter.com

Also keep in mind the mic will make a big difference. You may want to get a really good condenser mic in the future and a pop filter.

The pop filter and the interface should get rid of most of you noise problems. Also a better mic will help. The software will make a diffence also.

PJ-Sin

Are you recording in an open room? Try in the closet or something like that. I know a few people who have done that and it turned out pretty good.

stonetemplejam

Yeah I have heard of people recording their amps in closets. I have not heard of people recording vocals in closets. You could record your vocals in the bath tub. You will get a natural reverb that way. You could make a vocal booth to keep out side noises out similar to what a studio would have. YOu could put a plexy glass windo in and soundprof the enclosure. Put some monitor head phones in there and a mic and you should be good to go.

Paint a Picture....

all good stuff guys and i'll give it all a try as soon as the man gives me some space ye!! i'll let ya know when the demos done u can give me some more advice!! -)

ianvomsaal

Basically you should get a decent microphone and preamp for vocals (I've used everything from cheaper Audio-Technica to more expensive Neumann, and even a very expensive Manley Reference Gold.
I DON'T suggest using basic mics like an SM57 or SM58 (get yourself a condenser or cardioid condenser mic, it'll sound better).
And for best results, never try to plug into that little 1/8" jack on your computer for sound input. I'd recommend just getting a basic Pro-Tools rig (since that's the industry standard, and even if you use a basic version of Pro-Tools you can take that recording to any real recording studio and they can just plug it in).
Generally you also have to watch out for what kind of room you record in. A really dead or really hard room tends to yield a fairly bad recording (I wouldn't suggest a closet for vocals or amp since it's too small and dead - a bathroom would be better for vocals than a closet).
If you don't want to take the cheap bathroom route (sometimes toilets run and make noise), yet you don't have the $$ to build a sound booth, I'd tell you to just record vocals in a fairly empty room with only a few pieces of furniture to help absorb some of the sound from bouncing around (a small rug can help too). I usually record my amp in a separate room so I can turn it up (studio's do that, even for live room recordings).
Anyhow, get a decent mic & preamp, that'll help your vocals out.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

Pearl Jam and toast

stonetemplejam wrote:

Yeah I have heard of people recording their amps in closets. I have not heard of people recording vocals in closets. You could record your vocals in the bath tub. You will get a natural reverb that way. You could make a vocal booth to keep out side noises out similar to what a studio would have. YOu could put a plexy glass windo in and soundprof the enclosure. Put some monitor head phones in there and a mic and you should be good to go.

Yeah I think recording vox in a closet might make them too dry. Bathroom is a classic, time tested idea for budget vocal recording.

Some simple tips:

- Don't crowd the mic. Proximity effect sucks. But at the same time don't be afraid to get close to it... Mess around with it until you get the right set up is what I'm saying .

- I believe you'll want a nice, wide ranged condensor microphone... an SM57 works wonderfully. Relatively cheap too.

- If you have the ability (and if you need this) go into samplitude or something and roll off the high end to get rid of sibilance (hissing sounds produced by words like ssssssssnake and ssssssphinxter... get it?). It will make a world of difference (IF you need it... usually the less you have to do the better).

harrisonmerwin

one of the most overlooked aspects of recording vocals is quite a suprising one...... the vocals.

The better you perform your track during recording, the easier it is to work with after. Pitch Editor is designed for near perfect vocals, not terrible. De-sibilancers are meandt for slight "sss" not peopel with a lisp, and good microphones are meandt for peopel who sound good in a room, not to make people sound good in a room. When it comes down to it, the closer you can sing to exactly what you want, the easier it is. so allways make sure you are 100% prepared for vocal tracks, because it is one of the hardest things to fix.

ianvomsaal

harrisonmerwin wrote:

one of the most overlooked aspects of recording vocals is quite a suprising one...... the vocals.

The better you perform your track during recording, the easier it is to work with after. Pitch Editor is designed for near perfect vocals, not terrible. De-sibilancers are meandt for slight "sss" not peopel with a lisp, and good microphones are meandt for peopel who sound good in a room, not to make people sound good in a room. When it comes down to it, the closer you can sing to exactly what you want, the easier it is. so allways make sure you are 100% prepared for vocal tracks, because it is one of the hardest things to fix.

Good Vocals - I second that.
With all the microphone and spec stuff I mentioned earlier, I forgot to mention a good voice (yeah that helps) You can run through a vocalist to help bad pitch, but then they tend to sound a bit synthesized - you can hear it overused like Ozzy's daughter Kelly, that Ashley Simpson Chick, Britney Spears, you know what I mean.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal


♫♫ http://www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal

harrisonmerwin

ianvomsaal wrote:

Good Vocals - I second that.
With all the microphone and spec stuff I mentioned earlier, I forgot to mention a good voice (yeah that helps) You can run through a vocalist to help bad pitch, but then they tend to sound a bit synthesized - you can hear it overused like Ozzy's daughter Kelly, that Ashley Simpson Chick, Britney Spears, you know what I mean.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

the trick they do is layering, and basically hope that the takes are close, but not perfect so the "perfect" note is hit in one of the performances. Its like gambling, if you place a beat on all 4 options...yoru going to win.

Paint a Picture....

Guys u could have mentioned that i have to be able to sing right at the beginning before filling me up with technical info, so layering??? ok then!!! haha seriously tho good stuff everyone.

ps yeah ur right i cant sing,
only joking
not really tho! -)