- Equipment
- The recording space
- Finding the best spot to sing in
- Getting in the zone
- Recording
- Comping
- Editing
- Sending tracks to the mix engineer
Would you like to be able to experiment and perfect your vocals in your own time and space? Or perhaps you’re stuck at home and unable to visit the studio?
You can get great results with minimal equipment and a little bit of knowledge. Music technology has come so far in the last few decades that you can now record with all the finesse you need from the comfort of your own home. Even using some budget equipment, you can get professional results once your tracks have been mixed properly.
I’m going to cover the basic principals of getting a good vocal sound, but as with all things musical, these are just guidelines and I’d encourage you to experiment and see what works best for you and your music. Hopefully this article will give you an understanding of some basic principals which will allow you to make more informed decisions and get the results you’re looking for.
1. Equipment
All that said you still need some equipment to get a decent recording:
- Computer (duh!)
- DAW software – Ableton, Cuebass, Logic Pro, Pro Tools. even reaper if you want to go there. Any modern DAW is good enough to get professional results so pick the one you have or which ever takes your fancy.
- Microphone – Any budget condenser and even some dynamic microphones are good enough to get great recordings. We’ll cover some options in another article – but you needn’t spend huge amounts of money. £100-£300 can get you a pretty good microphone these days.
- Audio Interface – again, £100-£150 will get you a pro quality interface with a mic preamp that you can plugin into and get great results.
- Headphones – preferably a closed back design.
- Mic Stand and clip (you don’t want that mic to move!)
- Pop shield (you can pick these up pretty cheap, or make your own)
- XLR Cable
- Some duvets and heavy blankets and a means to hang them can be useful. Get inventive!
- Optionally, you might purchase a reflection filter such as the SE Electronics Reflexion Filter Pro
Choosing the right microphone
By far the most important piece of equipment is the microphone. Most modern interfaces do a great job of recording your signal but can’t do much for you if that signal is rubbish to begin with. That said, not every mic will work for every singer.
There are two types of mics to consider for recording vocals at home on a budget. Which one you choose largely comes down to what kind of vocals you’re recording.
Dynamic Mic – Loud and fast
Dynamic mics are best for heavy metal, screaming and forceful vocals. They can also be very effective for rap vocals. A dynamic will be able to handle the rush of air shooting out of your mouth. They are also used regularly as stage microphones, so if you can’t sing with out using live vocal techniques, such as moving away from the mic for louder passages, then a dynamic might suit you better. They strongly respond to distance, so are less likely to pick up sounds further away, including room reflections. Due to their durability, you can usually get closer as well.
Condenser Mic
Most people choose a condenser mic to record vocals. A large diaphragm condenser will pick up all the detail and subtle nuances of a performance. For vocals, you’ll want to choose one with a cardioid polar pattern to minimise room reflections and other noise entering the mic.
Because condenser mics are so sensitive, you shouldn’t scream directly into it or let spit fly into it. In fact, they can be prone to damage and moisture so be careful if buying second hand; rough treatment, moisture, dust and dirt can seriously damage the microphones recording abilities.
Using a pop-shield with a condenser mic is usually a very good idea to protect your mic from the moisture in breath and reduce plosives caused by rushes of air from your mouth.
Plug your mic in, make sure it works and you know how to record in your DAW
I’m going to assume that you can plug your interface into your computer and get a signal into your DAW using your microphone. If you don’t know how to do this, first just grab your mic and interface and make sure you can record some signal into your DAW . Once you can do this you’re ready to start honing the sound.
2. Setting Up The Space
In most home-recording situations, you’re going to want to get quite a dry sound. Something, dry, clean and crisp. Then you can experiment more with different spaces and tonal colouration during the mix process. If you’re not recording with professional acoustic treatment you will need to get quite close to the microphone (but not too close – more on this later); this will help in minimising the sound of room reflections in the recording. However, the louder you sing, the louder those reflections will be, so it’s usually a good idea to dampen the space as much as you can.
Find the best room to record in
You’re not limited to the room which has your computer or work desk. XLR cables are cheap and easy to couple together, so listen to the acoustics in different rooms if you’re not already certain which room sounds the best.
The best way to do this is to walk around clapping your hands and listening to the reverberations each room has. You’ll probably want to choose the room with the least amount of reverberation.
Find the best spot for the microphone
Start by finding the best spot for your microphone in the space you have. To do this walk around the room clapping and listen carefully for any echos that you can hear. High, tight slap back is common in most rooms with hard walls. You’ll want to avoid spots where slap-back echoes are strong. You can also start singing and listen to what you can hear. Find a spot where reflections from around the room sound the least obvious and where you think your voice sounds best.
The location you choose should be at least a meter or two away from any walls (further if possible) or hard reflective surfaces such as tables, music stands or your studio desk and equipment. Soft furnishings such as sofas are less of an issue. Try to move as far away from any hard surfaces as possible. This “sweet spot” is where you are going to put your microphone not you! Get out your stand and set up your mic.
Reflect on reflections
Now we need to think about acoustics a little. How the sound behaves in your chosen spot and what you can do to change it’s behaviour to get the sound you need.
Often, you’ll want to minimise reflections from the room entering the microphone while maximising the sound of your voice. This is why it’s a good idea to use a microphone with a cardioid or hyper cardioid polar pattern. If you’re using a cardioid mic then not much sound will enter the microphone from the rear, although some mics have better rejection than others.
Although the sound coming from the rear and sides is quieter, most microphones with strong directionality also colour the tone of sound coming in from the sides or rear in an unfavourable way.
Because your voice also projects in a very specific direction – towards the microphone and past it to any surface in front of you, this means the strongest reflections are coming from in front of you and because of the microphones off-axis response, those reflections can end up sounding pretty nasty.
Managing the remaining reflections
If you don’t have a reflection filter then you’re going to have to get creative with your acoustic treatment. Even with a reflection filter attached to your mic stand, you might find it beneficial to dampen the rest fo the room, especially if you’re going to be singing loudly at any point. I’m going to assume you don’t have a reflection filter. If you do, you can skip the next paragraph.
Start by hanging whatever you have available behind the mic. The thicker the material the better as this will absorb more frequencies – duvet trumps wool blanket and wool blanket trumps cotton blanket and so on. If you have enough blankets you can layer them up to create more effective absorption. Mattresses and thick foam can also make effective absorbers.
It’s best to leave a gap between your makeshift acoustic treatment and the wall. This air gap will trap sound, and the larger the gap, the lower the frequency that will be trapped, helping you to control low mid and even bass frequencies which can make your recording sound muddy or boomy. A gap of two meters or so will trap frequencies as low as 170hz. If you want to get really nerdy, you can use a calculator like this one to tell you the size of a sound wave at a given frequency, but really there is no need to overthink this.
The height of your absorption is very important. If you’re 6ft tall then you need your absorption to be at the same height, it’s no good if it is only 3ft from the ground. A mattress laid on its long side, for example, will not be high enough for most people (unless you are a child or very very small person!).
If you have a hard floor put a rug and/or blanket down on the floor. Place one end under your feet with the rug stretching out in front of you and under the microphone. Many people neglect to think about the reflections coming surfaces above and below.
By far the hardest part of all this is coming up with ingenious ways of hanging duvets, blankets and standing mattresses up without them just being on the walls. Them being up against the walls is better than nothing, but not ideal. Really you have to get creative, try a bit of DIY and use whatever you have to make this work.
Clap your hands and sing some lines and listen for those reflections again. Hopefully they’ve improved, if not try moving around what you already have or look for some more damping materials.
3. Finding the best spot to sing in
So you’ve found the best piece of air to mic up, set up your equipment and done your best to treat problematic acoustics. Now you need to position yourself.
Proximity effect is a common problem on vocals. Don’t get to close to the mic! This causes a large boost in the low frequencies and will make your vocals sound muddy or boomy.
If you’re using a condenser microphone make sure your mouth is at least six inches away from the diaphragm, if not more. I like to set up the pop shield so that the singer can’t physically get too close to the mic.
If you haven’t already, set up your pop filter and headphones.
The height of the microphone also plays a role. Usually I find that it doesn’t sound great at mouth-level. Try aiming it at your top or bottom lip instead. usually I go for the top lip but it depends on the singer. Experiment with the tilt of the mic too, and see how that effects the tone of the vocal. Sometimes, for more aggressive styles, it can sound better to sing off-axis to the microphone – in other words sing past the microphone.
At this point, it is worth recording some warm-up takes. Don’t forget to mark the exact position you’re standing in before you go to your computer to press record!
It’s really worth the time to record your voice at different places relative to the position of the mic and listen back to it on your speakers. Listen to how the different positions effect the tone of your voice and choose the one which fits with your music the best. For example, you might record three different heights on-axis and off-axis then compare the recordings. What is different about each one? And which one sounds best in the mix – when played alongside your music – this isn’t necessarily the one that sounds best when played back in solo.
When you’ve found the right spot, don’t forget to clearly mark it so that you can easily find your way back.
4. Getting in the Zone
Now it’s time to get in the zone. First of all you need to make sure you can hear the music properly.
Make sure your headphones are at a comfortable level, and that you can hear both the music and your voice when you’re singing. If you’ve selected closed back headphones you’ll be able to turn them up quite a bit before the mic picks up any noticeable bleed. Don’t turn them up too loud though, as you could be working for a while, and without an engineer to help, you need to remain objective about the quality of your recording.
Monitoring is a very personal thing. Some singers like to take one ear off the headphones to hear their voice naturally. If this is you, be careful as the headphones will be louder and playback will bleed into the mic more if they aren’t seated on you head properly. Also, as you are working without an engineer to monitor you, those headphones are your only reference to the sound you are actually recording, which will always be different to what you hear without headphones on. If you’re going to be recording yourself a lot I’d suggest keeping both sides of the headphones on and getting used to it that way.
Some vocalists also like to hear themselves through reverb. If your system allows for this you can set this up so that the reverb is heard but not recorded onto the track. However, words of caution: Monitoring yourself singing through DAW plugins can introduce a latency, throwing of timing. Reverb can also “mask” the sound, making it sound better than it really is and impeding your ability to judge the recording objectively. Comfort reverb is something I employ often in the studio as an engineer, but I am able to monitor the performance for the singer. If you are recording yourself, then you have to be able to monitor your self as both engineer and performer.
Make sure all cables are safely tucked away and secured, your don’t want to be tripping over your headphone cable on your way to and from the mic.
Set the scene, put on some ambient lighting, some incense or whatever floats your boat. Take the time to get comfortable and relaxed.
Know exactly what it is you’re going to do before you press that red button, even if it’s to improvise. Prepare yourself and warm up your voice, just like you would if you are paying for time in a premium studio.
5. Recording
Finally, this is the bit you’ve been waiting for (or dreading!). Now you’re all set up and prepared it’s time to start recording.
Before you start, it’s worth knowing that many of the most revered singers in the world don’t record a whole song in one take. Be patient, and keep trying until you get the results you want.
Depending on the song, and how confident you are that you can get it right, you might want to focus on one section at a time until you nail it. Another common strategy is to do a few takes all the way through pick the best bits and then touch-up anything else by dropping in.
Set up your DAW to give you ample time to get from your computer to your recording spot. Sometimes this means setting pre-roll or punch-in locators fro recording. Other times you can just start from the intro and press record if you’ve got a reasonably long intro to your song. Alternatively you could try a remote control app if you have an iPad or similar and your DAW has accompanying software.
Stay hydrated, take breaks and utilise the fact that you aren’t paying for every second of recording time. If you’re not feeling it, leave everything set up and go for a short walk or something. If you’re unsure if thats “the one”, you can leave things set up while you have a cup of tea, then come back to things with a fresh set of ears. Don’t underestimate the power of a short break.
6. Comping
Once you’ve got three or four takes you might want to create a “comp”, selecting the best bits from each take to create one super take. This is common practice in recording.
How you do this will differ from DAW to DAW but most major DAWs will allow for some form of comping. Otherwise, I recommend copying your tracks and then muting and/or hiding your originals to you can retrieve them later if things go amiss. Then you can simply cut up and crossfade the audio together.
When comping you might want to create a way to easily select different parts, again many DAW’s offer a way to do this. Being able to A/B different phrases is a good way to find the best version of each line word.
Watch out for differences in takes though, the whole thing needs to sound coherent. There shouldn’t be a huge difference in tone or sound if you’ve stuck to your spot, but if there is you might want to consider sacrificing some technical correctness for sonic consistency.
7. Editing
Although preparing your comp is indeed a form editing there are other things to consider.
Cut out any background noises between the vocal, but be careful not to trim any of the voice off.
You might want to remove or tone-down the breaths by cutting the audio and deleting or lowering the volume of parts.
Don’t be afraid to use a little bit of pitch correction if you know how. Using auto-tune doesn’t necessarily mean sounding like a robot, and can save an otherwise stunning performance when the intonation is a little bit off in places.
If you’re unsure about things, you can always leave it for the mix engineer or producer to have a look at and do some editing, although sometimes you might have to pay extra for this.
8. Sending tracks to the mix engineer
Well done! You’ve got a pro vocal recording! But the process doesn’t end here. You’ll want your vocal processed appropriately and mixed into the music (or the music mixed around the vocal!).
This is where a professional mix engineer can really help. However if you’d like to know more check out my article on mixing vocals.
If you fancy hiring someone to polish off your home recordings reach out.