How To Record Great Vocals at Home by:Fallon Morris
How to record great vocals
How to record great vocals
You have a great voice; so that's all you need to record great vocals isn't it? If only it was as simple as that. Well, now it can be. Many things ranging from acoustic conditions to microphone techniques can lower the quality of the recording; making it sound substandard. It is a common misconception that to have perfectly recorded vocals, you have to visit a professional recording studio. Luckily, in this article, you will find out all you need to know about recording great vocals at home.
Your first steps into music; the microphone
The first step to record great vocals is to choose the right microphone. Condenser, dynamic, what do they do and what are the main differences?
If you have no previous experience of using different types of microphones, or even one type of microphone, you would be forgiven for thinking they're all used for the same thing. However, their uses are quite different.
Condenser mic's are used mainly in studios. Their sensitivity allows the listener to hear everything the singer wants them to hear. They are renowned for having an extremely clear pickup and due to the size of the diaphragm you will experience a much more detailed vocal. Due to the level of pickup, a pop filter should always be used to avoid unwanted popping, spitting and hissing noises that would otherwise be picked up by the microphone.
Dynamic microphones are generally used for live performances, usually when performing on stage in front of an audience. Their strength and durability are ideal for live performances as they can usually survive general wear and tear from getting dropped, dirty, etc. Dynamic microphones aren't as sensitive as condenser microphones, which could be a good thing if there is a noisy audience in your background.
Vocal preparation
After choosing the appropriate microphone, it is important that you prepare your voice and your body to ensure you're able to perform at your best. Follow these simple steps and perform in the same league as a professional singer.
Always warm up your voice before recording to avoid straining it. Sometimes, just warming the vocal cords isn't enough. Other factors such as laziness or bad diet can have negative effects on the voice, not allowing its true potential to be heard. People who lack in stamina when doing physical activities may also struggle to sustain stamina when singing, causing them to become breathless on the recording. Doing exercise can cure this. Exercise such as running or swimming are ideal, as they both require plenty of stamina.
Always maintain good posture throughout the recording, keeping your head, neck and shoulders relaxed. Hunching the shoulders or bending the head when singing are to be avoided if you want to record perfect vocals! (Another little tip is to always keep your eyes open, as it always looks bad when a singer sings a whole song with their eyes shut. You want to create a personal interaction with the audience and by singing with your eyes shut you would be cutting them off).
Always memorize your song before you sing it!
It may be surprising to you that people can actually tell the difference between a singer who is reading the lyrics and a singer who is singing lyrics that they know. Nothing sounds worse that a person who is stumbling their way through a song they are reading, so always memorize the song you are singing before you sing it!
Bad acoustics = bad recording.
If the room where the recording is taking place has bad acoustics, a portable vocal booth would be one great option to improve the sound of the recording. If you step into a bathroom, you can hear the vocal reflection quite easily. Most people don't realize that recording in a home studio, even with a little bit of acoustic protection will still give a high degree of acoustic reflection, and this is bad for any recording. If a portable vocal booth is not available to you, then things like fiberglass acoustic panels placed around the room or even propping mattresses against the wall would reduce sound from bouncing off the walls and back into the microphone. (Remember, it doesn't matter how silly it looks, as people won't see this in the recording, you just want perfect vocals every time!)
I hope this has given you a small insight into the world of recording and how to record great vocals. Please check out our other articles, which go much deeper into the following subjects:
- Microphone technique
- How to get perfect acoustic conditions at home
- The perfect diet for the perfect vocals
- Avoid the most common recording mistakes
- How to make money from your music
- Recording on a budget (The 10,000 studio for under 500)
About the author
This article was written by Fallon Morris of
http://www.editorskeys.comEditors Keys is the worlds leading website for Shortcuts Keyboard, USB microphones and Portable Vocal Booths.
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