Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Table​ ​of​ ​Contents 

Introduction

Section​ ​One​ ​-​ ​Preparing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Session 

Chapter​ ​1​ ​-​ ​Pre-Production
Chapter​ ​2​ ​-​ ​Room​ ​Choice​ ​and​ ​Recording​ ​Location
Chapter​ ​3​ ​-​ ​Acoustic​ ​Treatment​ ​and​ ​Room​ ​Analysis
Chapter​ ​4​ ​-​ ​Prepare​ ​To​ ​Succeed
Chapter​ ​5​ ​-​ ​Setting​ ​Up​ ​Equipment
Chapter​ ​6​ ​-​ ​How​ ​To​ ​Chose​ ​a​ ​Microphone
Chapter​ ​7​ ​-​ ​Headphone​ ​and​ ​Loudspeaker​ ​Monitoring

Section​ ​Two​ ​-​ ​Getting​ ​the​ ​Best​ ​Sound 

Chapter​ ​8​ ​-​ ​Getting​ ​the​ ​Vocalist​ ​Ready
Chapter​ ​9​ ​-​ ​Finding​ ​the​ ​Right​ ​Mic
Chapter​ ​10​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Technique​ ​and​ ​Microphone​ ​Placement
Chapter​ ​11​ ​-​ ​Setting​ ​Levels​ ​and​ ​Using​ ​Outboard​ ​Equipment

Section​ ​Three​ ​-​ ​Working​ ​with​ ​Vocalists 

Chapter​ ​12​ ​-​ ​Managing​ ​Takes
Chapter​ ​13​ ​-​ ​Getting​ ​the​ ​Best​ ​Performance
Chapter​ ​14​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Efficiently
Chapter​ ​15​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Backing​ ​Vocals,​ ​Ensembles,​ ​Choirs​ ​and​ ​Double​ ​Tracking
Chapter​ ​16​ ​-​ ​Game​ ​Time
Chapter​ ​17​ ​-​ ​Next​ ​Steps

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Introduction
Like​ ​most​ ​people,​ ​my​ ​life​ ​has​ ​consisted​ ​of​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​peaks​ ​and​ ​troughs.

More​ ​specifically,​ ​my​ ​life​ ​as​ ​a​ ​home​ ​recordist​ ​has​ ​consisted​ ​of​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​peaks​ ​and​ ​troughs.

It​ ​all​ ​started​ ​at​ ​the​ ​tender​ ​age​ ​of​ ​13.​ ​I​ ​formed​ ​a​ ​band​ ​with​ ​my​ ​best​ ​friends,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​decided​ ​it
was​ ​time​ ​to​ ​record​ ​some​ ​of​ ​our​ ​own​ ​demos.

We​ ​bought​ ​a​ ​basic​ ​USB​ ​interface,​ ​a​ ​cheap​ ​large​ ​diaphragm​ ​condenser​ ​microphone​ ​(although​ ​I
had​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​what​ ​it​ ​was​ ​at​ ​the​ ​time)​ ​and​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​accessories.

On​ ​the​ ​way​ ​home​ ​from​ ​the​ ​store,​ ​we​ ​couldn't​ ​contain​ ​our​ ​excitement.​ ​We​ ​would​ ​finally​ ​record
our​ ​own​ ​music.​ ​We​ ​had​ ​created​ ​something​ ​original​ ​and​ ​now​ ​it​ ​was​ ​time​ ​to​ ​share​ ​it​ ​with​ ​the​ ​world
-​ ​and​ ​we​ ​couldn't​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​get​ ​started.

I​ ​was​ ​on​ ​a​ ​high.

Later​ ​that​ ​day,​ ​we​ ​plugged​ ​in​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​and​ ​started​ ​recording.​ ​I​ ​remember​ ​thinking​ ​"how
hard​ ​can​ ​it​ ​be?"

As​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​we​ ​finished​ ​recording,​ ​we​ ​listened​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​track​ ​for​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time...

That's​ ​when​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​low​ ​of​ ​my​ ​home​ ​recording​ ​career​ ​began.

Of​ ​course,​ ​it​ ​sounded​ ​awful.​ ​From​ ​that​ ​moment​ ​onwards​ ​my​ ​focus​ ​shifted​ ​from​ ​playing​ ​bass
guitar​ ​to​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing.​ ​I​ ​dedicated​ ​the​ ​next​ ​few​ ​years​ ​to​ ​improving​ ​our​ ​demos.

I​ ​spent​ ​hundreds​ ​of​ ​hours​ ​reading​ ​online​ ​blogs​ ​(of​ ​which​ ​there​ ​were​ ​very​ ​few​ ​back​ ​then),
browsing​ ​online​ ​forums​ ​and​ ​consuming​ ​any​ ​other​ ​free​ ​resources​ ​I​ ​could​ ​find.​ ​My​ ​confidence
grew,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​I​ ​was​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​record​ ​a​ ​full​ ​album​ ​to​ ​send​ ​out​ ​to​ ​some​ ​labels.

I​ ​was​ ​on​ ​a​ ​high.

We​ ​bought​ ​some​ ​more​ ​equipment​ ​and​ ​set​ ​aside​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​weekend​ ​to​ ​record​ ​a​ ​few​ ​tracks.​ ​I​ ​had
been​ ​reading​ ​about​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​online​ ​for​ ​a​ ​long​ ​time​ ​now...​ ​"how​ ​hard​ ​can​ ​it​ ​be?"

BOOM.​ ​It​ ​sounded​ ​awful​ ​again.​ ​I​ ​lost​ ​all​ ​my​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​almost​ ​gave​ ​up​ ​completely.

But​ ​then​ ​I​ ​had​ ​an​ ​epiphany...​ ​I​ ​needed​ ​a​ ​teacher.​ ​A​ ​mentor.​ ​This​ ​whole​ ​time​ ​I​ ​had​ ​been
teaching​ ​myself​ ​with​ ​free​ ​resources,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​hadn't​ ​worked.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​time​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​from​ ​somebody
else.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

I​ ​spent​ ​some​ ​time​ ​in​ ​a​ ​professional​ ​studio.​ ​I​ ​got​ ​a​ ​job​ ​as​ ​an​ ​assistant​ ​live​ ​sound​ ​engineer.​ ​I
started​ ​buying​ ​reputable​ ​books.

I​ ​took​ ​everything​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​about​ ​working​ ​in​ ​a​ ​studio​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​live​ ​sound,​ ​and​ ​applied​ ​it​ ​to
home​ ​recording.

That's​ ​the​ ​bit​ ​that​ ​took​ ​time​ ​-​ ​applying​ ​everything​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​to​ ​home​ ​recording.​ ​It's​ ​a​ ​completely
different​ ​beast.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​resources​ ​out​ ​there​ ​are​ ​geared​ ​towards​ ​working​ ​in​ ​a​ ​studio.

It's​ ​great​ ​listening​ ​to​ ​an​ ​experienced​ ​engineer​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​how​ ​he​ ​mixes​ ​tracks​ ​that​ ​were
recorded​ ​in​ ​a​ ​multi-million​ ​dollar​ ​studio...​ ​but​ ​can​ ​you​ ​apply​ ​what​ ​you​ ​learn​ ​to​ ​home​ ​recording?

That's​ ​the​ ​part​ ​I​ ​figured​ ​out​ ​on​ ​my​ ​own.​ ​There​ ​were​ ​very​ ​few​ ​people​ ​teaching​ ​that.

Nevertheless,​ ​once​ ​I​ ​started​ ​learning​ ​from​ ​people​ ​with​ ​experience,​ ​my​ ​skills​ ​advanced​ ​at​ ​an
incredible​ ​rate.

I​ ​was​ ​on​ ​a​ ​high...​ ​and​ ​I'm​ ​still​ ​on​ ​that​ ​same​ ​high​ ​to​ ​this​ ​very​ ​day.

Over​ ​the​ ​years​ ​I​ ​have​ ​studied​ ​audio​ ​production​ ​at​ ​University,​ ​worked​ ​in​ ​a​ ​range​ ​of​ ​studios
around​ ​London​ ​(from​ ​multi-million​ ​pound​ ​studios​ ​to​ ​small​ ​independent​ ​studios),​ ​learned​ ​from
some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​engineers​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​(who​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​bands​ ​like​ ​Queen​ ​and​ ​Motorhead),
built​ ​several​ ​studios​ ​and​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​some​ ​amazing​ ​artists.

Most​ ​importantly,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​at​ ​home​ ​throughout​ ​my​ ​entire​ ​career.​ ​I​ ​have
spent​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​hours​ ​in​ ​the​ ​search​ ​for​ ​better​ ​techniques​ ​and​ ​methods​ ​for​ ​producing​ ​music
at​ ​home.

Now​ ​I​ ​spend​ ​my​ ​time​ ​working​ ​with​ ​artists​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world​ ​as​ ​a​ ​freelance​ ​mix​ ​engineer​ ​from​ ​my
own​ ​home​ ​studio.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​teach​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​people​ ​about​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​at​ ​home​ ​through
my​ ​education​ ​company,​ ​Musician​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Mission​ ​(w ​ ww.musicianonamission.com​).

It's​ ​likely​ ​that​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​my​ ​story​ ​resonates​ ​with​ ​you.​ ​Perhaps​ ​your​ ​journey​ ​started​ ​at​ ​a
different​ ​stage​ ​in​ ​life...​ ​I​ ​have​ ​some​ ​students​ ​who​ ​are​ ​over​ ​70.

But​ ​wherever​ ​you​ ​are​ ​in​ ​this​ ​world,​ ​I​ ​expect​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​struggled​ ​with​ ​home​ ​recording.

In​ ​this​ ​book,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​find​ ​practical​ ​advice​ ​(specific​ ​to​ ​home​ ​recording)​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​implement
right​ ​away.

This​ ​isn't​ ​advice​ ​that​ ​only​ ​applies​ ​to​ ​professional​ ​mixes​ ​and​ ​recordings.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

This​ ​isn't​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​a​ ​pro​ ​who​ ​has​ ​been​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​in​ ​multi-million​ ​dollar​ ​studios​ ​for
years​ ​and​ ​has​ ​forgotten​ ​the​ ​struggles​ ​of​ ​working​ ​with​ ​affordable​ ​equipment​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​a​ ​studio.

This​ ​isn’t​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​a​ ​bedroom​ ​warrior​ ​who​ ​has​ ​no​ ​experience​ ​as​ ​a​ ​professional​ ​engineer.

This​ ​isn't​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​somebody​ ​who​ ​learned​ ​everything​ ​they​ ​know​ ​about​ ​sound​ ​recording​ ​in​ ​a
professional​ ​studio.​ ​Sure,​ ​I've​ ​been​ ​there,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​have​ ​applied​ ​what​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​from​ ​the
professionals​ ​to​ ​home​ ​recording.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​have​ ​spent​ ​far​ ​more​ ​time​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​at​ ​home
than​ ​I​ ​have​ ​in​ ​a​ ​studio.

Neither​ ​is​ ​this​ ​is​ ​poorly​ ​communicated​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​an​ ​old​ ​school​ ​engineer​ ​who​ ​can't​ ​remember
what​ ​it’s​ ​like​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​beginner.

This​ ​is​ ​practical​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​somebody​ ​who​ ​has​ ​been​ ​recording​ ​at​ ​home​ ​almost​ ​every​ ​day​ ​for
the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​their​ ​life.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​advice​ ​from​ ​somebody​ ​who​ ​understands​ ​what​ ​it's​ ​like​ ​to​ ​work
with​ ​a​ ​small​ ​budget​ ​in​ ​a​ ​less-than-ideal​ ​environment.

I’m​ ​not​ ​perfect​ ​-​ ​in​ ​fact,​ ​I​ ​still​ ​have​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​discover.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​know​ ​the​ ​frustration​ ​you​ ​feel.​ ​I​ ​know
the​ ​mistakes​ ​you​ ​have​ ​made.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​the​ ​struggles​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​deal​ ​with​ ​every​ ​day.

I'm​ ​just​ ​like​ ​you.

Listen…​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​ease​ ​some​ ​of​ ​that​ ​pain​ ​by​ ​teaching​ ​you​ ​what​ ​I​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​from​ ​years​ ​of
mistakes​ ​and​ ​experience.

Are​ ​you​ ​ready?​ ​Let’s​ ​not​ ​waste​ ​another​ ​minute.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Recording​ ​Vocals​ ​at​ ​Home

The​ ​first​ ​time​ ​I​ ​recorded​ ​vocals​ ​at​ ​home​ ​was​ ​a​ ​catastrophe.

You​ ​know​ ​the​ ​feeling.​ ​You​ ​throw​ ​up​ ​a​ ​mic​ ​and​ ​spend​ ​hours​ ​working​ ​with​ ​a​ ​singer​ ​(or​ ​singing
yourself).​ ​You​ ​finally​ ​get​ ​a​ ​few​ ​good​ ​takes,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​some​ ​editing​ ​you​ ​know​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​possible​ ​to
piece​ ​together​ ​a​ ​good​ ​take.

But​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​the​ ​mix,​ ​it​ ​all​ ​falls​ ​apart…

● The​ ​vocals​ ​just​ ​sound​ ​odd.

● They​ ​sound​ ​dull,​ ​but​ ​when​ ​you​ ​boost​ ​the​ ​top​ ​end​ ​they​ ​just​ ​become​ ​harsh.
● They​ ​sound​ ​tinny,​ ​and​ ​not​ ​loud​ ​enough​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix.
● You​ ​adjust​ ​the​ ​low​ ​end​ ​to​ ​add​ ​some​ ​warmth,​ ​but​ ​then​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​clash​ ​with​ ​the​ ​guitars
and​ ​other​ ​instruments.
● The​ ​vocals​ ​sound​ ​like​ ​they​ ​don’t​ ​belong​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​space​ ​as​ ​the​ ​music.
● You​ ​can’t​ ​make​ ​the​ ​music​ ​properly​ ​wrap​ ​around​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​(while​ ​maintaining​ ​fullness
and​ ​texture​ ​in​ ​the​ ​voice).

THEN,​ ​on​ ​top​ ​of​ ​that,​ ​you​ ​lost​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​takes​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​frustration​ ​and​ ​pressure​ ​of​ ​the
recording​ ​session.

Audio​ ​engineering​ ​is​ ​a​ ​science​ ​–​ ​but​ ​producing​ ​and​ ​mixing​ ​great​ ​vocals​ ​is​ ​an​ ​art.​ ​An​ ​art​ ​that​ ​can
take​ ​years​ ​to​ ​perfect.

Vocals​ ​are​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​part​ ​of​ ​any​ ​song.​ ​Unfortunately,​ ​they’re​ ​also​ ​the​ ​most​ ​challenging
thing​ ​to​ ​record​ ​and​ ​mix.

Focusing​ ​on​ ​getting​ ​great​ ​sounding​ ​vocals​ ​is​ ​the​ ​quickest​ ​way​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​your​ ​mixes.
In​ ​turn,​ ​this​ ​will​ ​help​ ​you​ ​to​ ​get​ ​more​ ​fans,​ ​get​ ​more​ ​clients,​ ​produce​ ​better​ ​music​ ​and​ ​reach
your​ ​#1​ ​goal.

Want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​your​ ​mixes​ ​sound​ ​professional​ ​and​ ​polished?

Get​ ​better​ ​at​ ​producing​ ​vocals.

Want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​your​ ​mixes​ ​more​ ​engaging​ ​and​ ​musical?

Get​ ​better​ ​at​ ​producing​ ​vocals.

But​ ​don’t​ ​take​ ​it​ ​from​ ​me.​ ​Take​ ​it​ ​from​ ​one​ ​my​ ​favourite​ ​producers,​ ​Tony​ ​Visconti.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Tony​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Grammy​ ​Award​ ​winning​ ​producer​ ​who​ ​has​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​artists​ ​like​ ​David​ ​Bowie​ ​(one
of​ ​my​ ​all-time​ ​favourites),​ ​T.​ ​Rex,​ ​Morrissey,​ ​The​ ​Moody​ ​Blues​ ​and​ ​Kaiser​ ​Chiefs…

“The​ ​vocal​ ​is​ ​probably​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​mix.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​is​ ​poorly​ ​placed​ ​in
the​ ​mix,​ ​it’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​defeat​ ​the​ ​purpose,​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​going​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​the​ ​music.”–​ ​Tony​ ​Visconti
(David​ ​Bowie,​ ​T.​ ​Rex,​ ​Morrissey)

By​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​this​ ​book,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​record​ ​vocals​ ​at​ ​home​ ​that​ ​sound​ ​professional,
clean,​ ​emotional​ ​and​ ​full​ ​of​ ​character.

There​ ​are​ ​two​ ​general​ ​principles​ ​to​ ​remember​ ​along​ ​the​ ​way.

Principle​ ​1:​​ ​There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​small​ ​decisions​ ​and​ ​moves​ ​that​ ​go​ ​into​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​great​ ​vocal.
There​ ​isn’t​ ​one​ ​‘secret’​ ​that​ ​will​ ​make​ ​your​ ​vocals​ ​sound​ ​good.​ ​Hundreds​ ​of​ ​small​ ​decisions​ ​will
add​ ​up​ ​to​ ​create​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​vocal​ ​recording.

Principle​ ​2:​​ ​The​ ​key​ ​to​ ​improving​ ​is​ ​practice.​ ​Implement​ ​what​ ​you​ ​learn​ ​in​ ​this​ ​book.​ ​Don’t​ ​just
read​ ​it​ ​and​ ​never​ ​practice​ ​what​ ​you​ ​learn.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​never​ ​progress​ ​as​ ​an​ ​engineer​ ​or​ ​producer​ ​if
you​ ​just​ ​read​ ​and​ ​never​ ​put​ ​it​ ​into​ ​action.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Who​ ​This​ ​Book​ ​Is​ ​For

This​ ​book​ ​is​ ​perfect​ ​for​ ​musicians​ ​who​ ​record​ ​themselves​ ​at​ ​home.

● You​ ​record​ ​demos​ ​for​ ​your​ ​band​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​better​ ​music
● You​ ​have​ ​been​ ​recording​ ​at​ ​home​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​take​ ​the​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​your​ ​mixes
to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​level
● You​ ​have​ ​just​ ​started​ ​recording​ ​at​ ​home​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fastest​ ​way​ ​possible
● Vocals​ ​are​ ​the​ ​only​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​you​ ​are​ ​bad​ ​at​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​fill​ ​that​ ​gap

This​ ​book​ ​is​ ​perfect​ ​for​ ​experienced​ ​engineers​ ​who​ ​run​ ​a​ ​home​ ​studio​ ​business.

● You​ ​have​ ​a​ ​few​ ​clients​ ​but​ ​want​ ​to​ ​expand

● You​ ​have​ ​been​ ​charging​ ​others​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while​ ​but​ ​want​ ​to​ ​start​ ​charging​ ​more
● You​ ​have​ ​a​ ​home​ ​studio​ ​and​ ​have​ ​been​ ​recording​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while,​ ​so​ ​want​ ​to​ ​start​ ​charging
others
● You​ ​are​ ​starting​ ​to​ ​get​ ​your​ ​first​ ​few​ ​clients​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​can​ ​provide​ ​the
best​ ​quality​ ​possible

How​ ​to​ ​Read​ ​This​ ​Book

Before​ ​you​ ​implement​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​you​ ​learn,​ ​I​ ​recommend​ ​that​ ​you​ ​read​ ​through​ ​the​ ​whole
book.

This​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you​ ​an​ ​overview​ ​of​ ​the​ ​general​ ​recording​ ​process​ ​and​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​stages​ ​involved.

Then,​ ​once​ ​you​ ​have​ ​read​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​book,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​go​ ​back​ ​and​ ​implement​ ​the​ ​stages​ ​one​ ​by
one.​ ​Go​ ​through​ ​the​ ​chapters​ ​alongside​ ​a​ ​real​ ​vocal​ ​recording​ ​session,​ ​or​ ​at​ ​least​ ​practice​ ​on
yourself.

The​ ​chapters​ ​are​ ​ordered​ ​chronologically,​ ​so​ ​you​ ​can​ ​treat​ ​this​ ​book​ ​as​ ​a​ ​step-by-step​ ​guide.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Section​ ​One 
Preparing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Session 

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​1​ ​-​ ​Pre-Production

Is​ ​the​ ​song​ ​ready?

The​ ​first​ ​stage​ ​of​ ​any​ ​professional​ ​recording​ ​session​ ​is​ ​good​ ​pre-production.

Your​ ​song​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​be​ ​finalized.​ ​The​ ​structure,​ ​the​ ​instrumentation,​ ​the​ ​melodies,​ ​the
harmonies​ ​–​ ​everything​ ​should​ ​be​ ​as​ ​close​ ​to​ ​100%​ ​finished​ ​as​ ​possible.

It’s​ ​much​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​make​ ​changes​ ​at​ ​the​ ​start​ ​of​ ​a​ ​project.​ ​The​ ​deeper​ ​you​ ​go​ ​and​ ​the​ ​later​ ​you
leave​ ​it,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​difficult​ ​it​ ​is​ ​to​ ​make​ ​changes.

You​ ​can​ ​completely​ ​change​ ​entire​ ​sections​ ​of​ ​a​ ​song​ ​with​ ​no​ ​consequences​ ​early​ ​in​ ​the​ ​writing
stage.​ ​Try​ ​and​ ​make​ ​the​ ​same​ ​changes​ ​halfway​ ​through​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​session,​ ​and​ ​you’re
going​ ​to​ ​run​ ​into​ ​trouble.

Once​ ​the​ ​song​ ​is​ ​complete,​ ​you​ ​or​ ​the​ ​artist​ ​must​ ​decide​ ​in​ ​what​ ​order​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​record​ ​the
track…

Scratch​ ​Tracks
Before​ ​we​ ​move​ ​on,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​have​ ​an​ ​awareness​ ​of​ ​scratch​ ​tracks.

Scratch​ ​tracks​ ​are​ ​temporary​ ​demo-quality​ ​recordings​ ​made​ ​during​ ​the​ ​pre-production​ ​phase.
They​ ​allow​ ​an​ ​instrumentalist​ ​to​ ​record​ ​the​ ​song​ ​with​ ​the​ ​energy​ ​of​ ​a​ ​full​ ​band.​ ​The​ ​scratch
tracks​ ​are​ ​later​ ​re-recorded​ ​and​ ​replaced​ ​with​ ​high-quality​ ​final​ ​recordings.

Let​ ​me​ ​give​ ​you​ ​an​ ​example.​ ​An​ ​artist​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​record​ ​drums​ ​first.​ ​If​ ​they​ ​just​ ​put​ ​on​ ​a
metronome​ ​and​ ​asked​ ​the​ ​drummer​ ​to​ ​play​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​song​ ​on​ ​their​ ​own,​ ​they​ ​might​ ​find​ ​it
difficult.​ ​It​ ​would​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​know​ ​which​ ​section​ ​they​ ​were​ ​on​ ​without​ ​the​ ​vocals,​ ​and
it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​get​ ​into​ ​the​ ​song​ ​and​ ​play​ ​with​ ​right​ ​emotion/energy​ ​when​ ​playing
solo.

To​ ​solve​ ​this​ ​problem,​ ​the​ ​artist​ ​would​ ​quickly​ ​record​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​other​ ​parts​ ​to​ ​a​ ​metronome
before​ ​the​ ​drum​ ​recording​ ​session.​ ​The​ ​drummer​ ​would​ ​then​ ​play​ ​along​ ​with​ ​these​ ​scratch
tracks.

As​ ​the​ ​production​ ​progresses,​ ​each​ ​scratch​ ​track​ ​would​ ​be​ ​replaced​ ​with​ ​a​ ​final​ ​recording.

When​ ​to​ ​record​ ​vocals?

There​ ​are​ ​three​ ​main​ ​options:

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Option​ ​1:​ ​Record​ ​vocals​ ​last​ ​over​ ​a​ ​completed​ ​track​ ​(or​ ​at​ ​least​ ​90%​ ​finished)
Option​ ​2:​ ​Record​ ​vocals​ ​live
Option​ ​3:​​ ​Record​ ​vocals​ ​over​ ​scratch​ ​tracks​ ​that​ ​are​ ​later​ ​re-recorded

Option​ ​1​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​way​ ​to​ ​work.​ ​It​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​best​ ​performance.​ ​And​ ​it​ ​allows
you​ ​to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​best​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​the​ ​source​ ​(as​ ​opposed​ ​to​ ​recording​ ​live​ ​vocals).

Option​ ​2​ ​is​ ​sometimes​ ​a​ ​necessary​ ​evil.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​a​ ​live​ ​track,​ ​this​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a
necessity.​ ​But​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​an​ ​artist​ ​that​ ​prefers​ ​to​ ​record​ ​vocals​ ​live​ ​in​ ​all​ ​situations​ ​(e.g.
a​ ​high​ ​energy​ ​band​ ​that​ ​need​ ​to​ ​perform​ ​live,​ ​or​ ​a​ ​guitarist​ ​who​ ​also​ ​sings​ ​and​ ​prefers​ ​to​ ​record
both​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time)​ ​you​ ​may​ ​have​ ​to​ ​resort​ ​to​ ​this​ ​option.

Option​ ​3​ ​is​ ​rarely​ ​used.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​reason​ ​you​ ​would​ ​record​ ​vocals​ ​over​ ​scratch​ ​tracks​ ​is​ ​if​ ​you
had​ ​time​ ​constraints​ ​that​ ​meant​ ​you​ ​couldn’t​ ​record​ ​vocals​ ​after​ ​the​ ​track​ ​had​ ​been​ ​properly
recorded.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​only​ ​in​ ​town​ ​for​ ​the​ ​next​ ​two​ ​days.​ ​You​ ​might​ ​not​ ​have
time​ ​to​ ​properly​ ​record​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​band​ ​within​ ​that​ ​time.​ ​Instead,​ ​you​ ​could​ ​quickly​ ​record​ ​some
scratch​ ​tracks​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​record​ ​to.

Mix​ ​Preparation
If​ ​you’re​ ​going​ ​with​ ​Option​ ​1​ ​(which​ ​you​ ​should​ ​be​ ​99%​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time)​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​your
instrumental​ ​mix​ ​is​ ​ready​ ​before​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​session.

Recording​ ​over​ ​scratch​ ​tracks​ ​will​ ​require​ ​these​ ​same​ ​steps,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​a​ ​much​ ​lower​ ​standard.
Speed​ ​is​ ​the​ ​name​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game​ ​when​ ​using​ ​Option​ ​3,​ ​so​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​as​ ​tidy.

You​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​completed​ ​the​ ​following:

● All​ ​important​ ​instruments​ ​have​ ​been​ ​recorded​ ​(you​ ​can​ ​leave​ ​unimportant​ ​backing
instruments​ ​and​ ​parts​ ​till​ ​later​ ​if​ ​that​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​easier)
● A​ ​rough​ ​mix​ ​of​ ​the​ ​track​ ​has​ ​been​ ​completed​ ​(the​ ​vocalist​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​enjoy
listening​ ​and​ ​performing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​track)
● Instruments​ ​have​ ​been​ ​logically​ ​grouped​ ​to​ ​make​ ​quick​ ​adjustments​ ​easier​ ​(you​ ​can​ ​use
mix​ ​groups​ ​or​ ​you​ ​can​ ​send​ ​all​ ​the​ ​drums​ ​to​ ​a​ ​single​ ​aux​ ​channel,​ ​send​ ​all​ ​the​ ​guitars​ ​to
a​ ​single​ ​aux​ ​channel​ ​etc.)
● Everything​ ​is​ ​well​ ​organised​ ​and​ ​clearly​ ​labelled​ ​(things​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​get​ ​out​ ​of​ ​hand​ ​during
the​ ​recording​ ​phase​ ​–​ ​now​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​time​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​session​ ​and​ ​give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​tidy)
● Make​ ​sure​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​is​ ​there​ ​and​ ​nothing​ ​is​ ​corrupt/missing​ ​(you​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to
notice​ ​that​ ​an​ ​important​ ​instrument​ ​is​ ​missing​ ​half​ ​way​ ​through​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​session)

Before​ ​your​ ​vocal​ ​session​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​completed​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these
activities.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​2​ ​-​ ​Room​ ​Choice​ ​and​ ​Recording​ ​Location

The​ ​Perfect​ ​Room

The​ ​room​ ​that​ ​you​ ​record​ ​your​ ​vocals​ ​in​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​significant​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​the​ ​final​ ​quality.
It’s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​time​ ​on​ ​room​ ​treatment​ ​and​ ​preparation.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​make​ ​the
difference​ ​between​ ​professional​ ​and​ ​amateur​ ​sounding​ ​vocals.

That’s​ ​not​ ​to​ ​say​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​get​ ​a​ ​professional​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​home​ ​–​ ​you​ ​can.

Vocal​ ​Booths​ ​vs.​ ​Live​ ​Rooms

In​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​cases,​ ​your​ ​aim​ ​with​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​is​ ​to​ ​make​ ​the​ ​room​ ​as​ ​dead​ ​as
possible.

Reverb​ ​is​ ​not​ ​particularly​ ​desirable​ ​on​ ​vocals,​ ​neither​ ​are​ ​room​ ​resonances​ ​or​ ​reflections.​ ​This
is​ ​for​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​reasons:

● Reverb​ ​pulls​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​back​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix,​ ​making​ ​them​ ​harder​ ​to​ ​hear.​ ​You​ ​want​ ​the
vocals​ ​to​ ​be​ ​in​ ​your​ ​face​ ​right​ ​at​ ​the​ ​front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​mix.
● Lively​ ​medium​ ​and​ ​small​ ​sized​ ​rooms​ ​impose​ ​an​ ​amateur​ ​element​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​vocal.​ ​This
noticeable​ ​reverb​ ​can​ ​also​ ​make​ ​it​ ​harder​ ​to​ ​blend​ ​in​ ​artificial​ ​spaces​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix.
● Pitch​ ​correction​ ​isn’t​ ​as​ ​effective​ ​when​ ​vocals​ ​have​ ​reverb​ ​on​ ​them.
● Due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​large​ ​dynamic​ ​range​ ​of​ ​vocals,​ ​heavy​ ​processing​ ​is​ ​often​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​balance
out​ ​the​ ​volume​ ​(in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​automation,​ ​compression​ ​and​ ​limiting).​ ​If​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​have​ ​a
noticeable​ ​reverb​ ​on​ ​them,​ ​heavy​ ​dynamic​ ​processing​ ​will​ ​also​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​and
sound​ ​unnatural.

Another​ ​problem​ ​with​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​in​ ​a​ ​lively​ ​room​ ​is​ ​that​ ​direct​ ​reflections​ ​from​ ​nearby
surfaces​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​comb​ ​filtering...

If​ ​a​ ​vocalist​ ​records​ ​next​ ​to​ ​a​ ​flat​ ​wall,​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​waves​ ​will​ ​bounce​ ​off​ ​of​ ​the​ ​wall​ ​and​ ​back​ ​into
the​ ​microphone​ ​after​ ​a​ ​slight​ ​delay​ ​(the​ ​length​ ​of​ ​the​ ​delay​ ​will​ ​depend​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​distance
between​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​and​ ​the​ ​wall).​ ​A​ ​delay​ ​of​ ​more​ ​than​ ​25ms​ ​will​ ​be​ ​perceived​ ​as​ ​an​ ​echo,
but​ ​a​ ​delay​ ​below​ ​25ms​ ​will​ ​instead​ ​be​ ​perceived​ ​as​ ​the​ ​same​ ​sound,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​is​ ​what​ ​leads​ ​to
comb​ ​filtering.

This​ ​slightly​ ​delayed​ ​duplicate​ ​version​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​interacts​ ​with​ ​the​ ​original​ ​vocal​ ​coming
directly​ ​from​ ​the​ ​singer’s​ ​mouth.​ ​As​ ​they​ ​are​ ​slightly​ ​out​ ​of​ ​phase​ ​(due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​short​ ​delay),​ ​some
frequencies​ ​will​ ​be​ ​completely​ ​cancelled​ ​out.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​bad.

Imagine​ ​that​ ​the​ ​following​ ​graph​ ​represents​ ​a​ ​single​ ​frequency​ ​within​ ​the​ ​vocal.​ ​Let’s​ ​say​ ​2kHz.
The​ ​darker​ ​line​ ​represents​ ​2kHz​ ​from​ ​the​ ​vocal,​ ​whereas​ ​the​ ​lighter​ ​grey​ ​line​ ​represents​ ​2kHz​ ​in

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

the​ ​delayed​ ​reflection.​ ​As​ ​the​ ​peaks​ ​and​ ​troughs​ ​are​ ​the​ ​complete​ ​opposite,​ ​absolute​ ​phase
cancellations​ ​occur​ ​and​ ​this​ ​frequency​ ​becomes​ ​inaudible.

But​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​cancellation​ ​won’t​ ​only​ ​occur​ ​at​ ​2kHz​ ​-​ ​it​ ​will​ ​occur​ ​at​ ​many​ ​other​ ​frequencies
across​ ​the​ ​spectrum​ ​(such​ ​as​ ​4kHz,​ ​6kHz,​ ​8kHz​ ​and​ ​so​ ​on).

Eventually,​ ​you​ ​get​ ​something​ ​that​ ​looks​ ​like​ ​this​ ​(which​ ​is​ ​why​ ​it’s​ ​called​ ​comb​ ​filtering).

All​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​know​ ​is​ ​that​ ​comb​ ​filtering​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​an​ ​unnatural​ ​tone.​ ​Certain​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​the
sound​ ​will​ ​be​ ​completely​ ​missing​ ​or​ ​reduced​ ​in​ ​volume,​ ​whereas​ ​other​ ​elements​ ​will​ ​be
increased​ ​or​ ​even​ ​doubled​ ​in​ ​volume.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

To​ ​avoid​ ​comb​ ​filtering,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​any​ ​direct​ ​reflections​ ​from​ ​nearby​ ​surfaces.

For​ ​these​ ​various​ ​reasons,​ ​vocal​ ​booths​ ​are​ ​very​ ​popular​ ​(although​ ​they​ ​have​ ​their​ ​drawbacks​ ​-
more​ ​on​ ​this​ ​later).​ ​They​ ​are​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​as​ ​dead​ ​as​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​reverb​ ​and​ ​direct
reflections.

But​ ​a​ ​room​ ​can​ ​be​ ​too​ ​dead.​ ​Too​ ​much​ ​absorption​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​muffled​ ​highs​ ​and​ ​an​ ​unnatural
sound.​ ​The​ ​perfect​ ​balance​ ​is​ ​a​ ​room​ ​that​ ​is​ ​absorptive​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​prevent​ ​any​ ​significant
reflections​ ​and​ ​resonances,​ ​but​ ​not​ ​so​ ​dead​ ​that​ ​the​ ​voice​ ​sounds​ ​noticeably​ ​muffled.

Try​ ​shouting​ ​into​ ​a​ ​pillow​ ​or​ ​thick​ ​duvet.​ ​Notice​ ​how​ ​not​ ​only​ ​the​ ​volume​ ​of​ ​your​ ​voice​ ​is
decreased,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​highs​ ​are​ ​attenuated​ ​more​ ​than​ ​the​ ​lows?​ ​That’s​ ​what​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​avoid.

Use​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​booth​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​access​ ​to​ ​one,​ ​but​ ​check​ ​that​ ​it​ ​isn’t​ ​too​ ​dead​ ​before​ ​recording
day.​ ​People​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​over-treat​ ​vocal​ ​booths.

You​ ​should​ ​also​ ​avoid​ ​small​ ​vocal​ ​booths​ ​(smaller​ ​than​ ​6​ ​foot​ ​square)​ ​as​ ​these​ ​often​ ​have​ ​an
unpleasant​ ​boxy​ ​sound​ ​and​ ​problematic​ ​room​ ​resonances,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​how​ ​well​ ​they​ ​are
treated.

The​ ​better​ ​option​ ​is​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​normal​ ​room​ ​with​ ​some​ ​strategically​ ​placed​ ​acoustic​ ​treatment.
You​ ​can​ ​quite​ ​easily​ ​build​ ​a​ ​temporary​ ​vocal​ ​booth​ ​in​ ​your​ ​room​ ​by​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​square​ ​or​ ​triangle
of​ ​acoustic​ ​panels​ ​around​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​and​ ​microphone.

What​ ​about​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​in​ ​a​ ​large​ ​live​ ​room?​ ​This​ ​completely​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​the​ ​feel​ ​of​ ​the
track.​ ​If​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​other​ ​instruments​ ​were​ ​recorded​ ​live​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​room,​ ​it​ ​might​ ​sound​ ​more
cohesive​ ​if​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​were​ ​also​ ​recorded​ ​in​ ​that​ ​room.​ ​Some​ ​people​ ​prefer​ ​livelier​ ​sounding
vocals​ ​so​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​vocal​ ​booths​ ​and​ ​opt​ ​for​ ​recording​ ​in​ ​a​ ​good​ ​sounding​ ​live​ ​room.

Sometimes​ ​direct​ ​reflections​ ​can​ ​enhance​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​and​ ​add​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​space,​ ​as
long​ ​as​ ​they​ ​don’t​ ​cause​ ​significant​ ​comb​ ​filtering.​ ​The​ ​key​ ​is​ ​to​ ​have​ ​an​ ​even​ ​spread​ ​of
reflections,​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​just​ ​one​ ​or​ ​two​ ​loud​ ​reflections.​ ​This​ ​can​ ​help​ ​to​ ​make​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​appear
more​ ​consistent,​ ​even​ ​when​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​moves​ ​around.

How​ ​is​ ​this​ ​achieved?​ ​By​ ​finding​ ​a​ ​good​ ​sounding​ ​room​ ​and​ ​positioning​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​away
from​ ​any​ ​walls,​ ​then​ ​treating​ ​indirect​ ​reflections​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​tail​ ​(so​ ​that​ ​the​ ​sound
consists​ ​of​ ​pleasant​ ​early​ ​reflections​ ​but​ ​not​ ​too​ ​much​ ​of​ ​a​ ​reverb​ ​tail).

It’s​ ​down​ ​to​ ​your​ ​own​ ​style,​ ​the​ ​vibe​ ​of​ ​the​ ​track,​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​and​ ​any​ ​other​ ​limitations​ ​(you
might​ ​only​ ​have​ ​one​ ​room​ ​available​ ​to​ ​you).​ ​My​ ​personal​ ​preference​ ​is​ ​somewhere​ ​between​ ​the
two​ ​–​ ​a​ ​large​ ​live-sounding​ ​vocal​ ​booth​ ​(that​ ​isn’t​ ​too​ ​dead)​ ​or​ ​a​ ​well-treated​ ​live​ ​room​ ​with
strategically​ ​placed​ ​acoustic​ ​panels​ ​to​ ​kill​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​early​ ​reflections.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Either​ ​way,​ ​avoid​ ​rooms​ ​that​ ​are​ ​full​ ​of​ ​hard​ ​surfaces.​ ​These​ ​will​ ​sound​ ​far​ ​too​ ​lively.​ ​For
example,​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​recording​ ​at​ ​home,​ ​chose​ ​your​ ​bedroom​ ​over​ ​the​ ​kitchen.​ ​If​ ​you’re​ ​recording
in​ ​a​ ​studio,​ ​chose​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​deadest​ ​rooms.

Microphone​ ​Position
Before​ ​you​ ​place​ ​your​ ​treatment​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​decide​ ​on​ ​a​ ​position​ ​for​ ​the​ ​microphone.

There​ ​are​ ​two​ ​rules​ ​that​ ​you​ ​must​ ​take​ ​into​ ​account:

1. Don’t​ ​position​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​in​ ​the​ ​center​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room​ ​(due​ ​to​ ​a​ ​buildup​ ​of​ ​standing
waves)
2. Position​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​as​ ​far​ ​away​ ​from​ ​walls/reflective​ ​surfaces​ ​as​ ​possible

The​ ​best​ ​place​ ​to​ ​position​ ​your​ ​microphone​ ​considering​ ​these​ ​rules​ ​if​ ​just​ ​off​ ​the​ ​center​ ​of​ ​your
room.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​you’re​ ​a)​ ​not​ ​dead​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle,​ ​and​ ​b)​ ​as​ ​far​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​walls​ ​as
possible.

Take​ ​the​ ​room​ ​below​ ​as​ ​an​ ​example.​ ​You​ ​want​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​the​ ​red​ ​areas​ ​when​ ​possible.

Activities
Decide​ ​where​ ​you​ ​will​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​in​ ​the​ ​room.​ ​Draw​ ​a​ ​rough​ ​plan​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room​ ​if
necessary.

Now​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​room​ ​and​ ​make​ ​a​ ​test​ ​recording​ ​of​ ​your​ ​own​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​check​ ​there​ ​isn’t​ ​too​ ​much
reverb​ ​or​ ​room​ ​sound.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​3​ ​-​ ​Acoustic​ ​Treatment​ ​and​ ​Room​ ​Analysis

Acoustic​ ​Treatment
Once​ ​you’ve​ ​settled​ ​on​ ​a​ ​room,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​need​ ​to​ ​adjust​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​with​ ​some​ ​acoustic
treatment.

I​ ​highly​ ​recommend​ ​building​ ​your​ ​own​ ​acoustic​ ​panels​ ​(l​ ike​ ​this​).​ ​These​ ​can​ ​easily​ ​be
manoeuvred​ ​and​ ​suspended​ ​from​ ​microphone​ ​stands.

If​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​the​ ​time/funds​ ​available​ ​to​ ​build​ ​panels,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​items​ ​laying​ ​around​ ​your
house​ ​for​ ​absorption:

● Mattresses​ ​(the​ ​best​ ​option​ ​–​ ​build​ ​a​ ​DIY​ ​vocal​ ​booth​ ​by​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​triangle​ ​with​ ​3​ ​of
them)
● Thick​ ​Duvets​ ​(suspend​ ​them​ ​from​ ​shelves​ ​or​ ​cloth​ ​drying​ ​racks,​ ​or​ ​just​ ​tape​ ​them​ ​to​ ​the
ceiling)
● Thick​ ​Drapes
● Thick​ ​Rugs
● Pillows

Those​ ​items​ ​are​ ​listed​ ​in​ ​order​ ​of​ ​effectiveness.​ ​You​ ​would​ ​be​ ​surprised​ ​how​ ​big​ ​a​ ​difference
some​ ​strategically​ ​placed​ ​duvets​ ​and​ ​mattresses​ ​can​ ​make.​ ​It’s​ ​a​ ​hot​ ​and​ ​sweaty​ ​endeavour,
but​ ​well​ ​worth​ ​the​ ​effort.

You​ ​can​ ​use​ ​microphone​ ​stands​ ​or​ ​clothes​ ​racks​ ​to​ ​suspend​ ​and​ ​position​ ​these​ ​items.

Placement​ ​of​ ​Treatment

There​ ​two​ ​main​ ​things​ ​that​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​when​ ​you​ ​treat​ ​your​ ​room:

1. Kill​ ​early​ ​reflections​ ​from​ ​the​ ​closest​ ​reflective​ ​surfaces​ ​(walls,​ ​floor,​ ​ceiling).
2. Lower​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​time​ ​(RT60)​ ​in​ ​your​ ​room.

With​ ​properly​ ​placed​ ​treatment​ ​these​ ​two​ ​things​ ​can​ ​be​ ​quite​ ​easily​ ​achieved.

The​ ​vocal​ ​booth​ ​method​ ​(surrounding​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​with​ ​absorptive​ ​material)​ ​is​ ​the​ ​quickest​ ​and
easiest​ ​way​ ​to​ ​treat​ ​your​ ​room.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

If​ ​that’s​ ​not​ ​possible​ ​(or​ ​is​ ​too​ ​inconvenient/temporary)​ ​you​ ​should​ ​place​ ​treatment​ ​in​ ​these
locations​ ​(and​ ​in​ ​this​ ​order):

● Behind​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​head​​ ​–​ ​If​ ​you’re​ ​using​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​microphone​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​area​ ​that
the​ ​microphone​ ​is​ ​most​ ​sensitive​ ​too.​ ​Placing​ ​treatment​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​head​ ​will​ ​kill
any​ ​reflections​ ​from​ ​the​ ​wall​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​singer.
● Above​ ​the​ ​microphone​​ ​-​ ​Quite​ ​often,​ ​the​ ​ceiling​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​closest​ ​reflective
surfaces.​ ​Don’t​ ​forget​ ​to​ ​add​ ​treatment​ ​above​ ​the​ ​microphone.
● Between​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​and​ ​any​ ​close​ ​reflective​ ​surfaces​ – ​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​microphone/vocalist​ ​is
near​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​or​ ​other​ ​reflective​ ​surface,​ ​place​ ​some​ ​treatment​ ​between​ ​the​ ​two.​ ​Loud
early​ ​reflections​ ​can​ ​wreak​ ​havoc​ ​on​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​(less​ ​intelligibility,​ ​comb​ ​filtering)​ ​so​ ​this​ ​is
an​ ​important​ ​step.
● To​ ​the​ ​sides​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphone​​ ​–​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​microphone,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​help​ ​to
place​ ​treatment​ ​either​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​an​ ​omnidirectional
microphone,​ ​this​ ​will​ ​be​ ​even​ ​more​ ​important.
● Behind​ ​the​ ​microphone​​ ​–​ ​Not​ ​important​ ​for​ ​cardioid​ ​microphones,​ ​but​ ​will​ ​help​ ​with
omnidirectional​ ​mics.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​a​ ​music​ ​stand​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​lyric​ ​sheets,​ ​remember​ ​that​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​reflective​ ​surface.

Don’t​ ​spend​ ​all​ ​of​ ​your​ ​time​ ​treating​ ​a​ ​room​ ​to​ ​then​ ​place​ ​a​ ​largely​ ​reflective​ ​surface​ ​right​ ​in
front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocalist!

Imagine​ ​that​ ​the​ ​music​ ​stand​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mirror.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​could​ ​see​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mirror,
then​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​is​ ​being​ ​reflected​ ​directly​ ​into​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​Instead,​ ​angle​ ​the​ ​stand​ ​so​ ​that
any​ ​reflections​ ​are​ ​directed​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​The​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​is​ ​by​ ​tilting
the​ ​stand​ ​backwards​ ​(you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​some​ ​tape​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​the​ ​sheets​ ​in​ ​place).

Measuring​ ​your​ ​room

Use​ ​Room​ ​EQ​ ​Wizard​​ ​with​ ​a​ ​pair​ ​of​ ​monitor​ ​speakers​ ​and​ ​a​ ​condenser​ ​microphone​ ​to​ ​measure
the​ ​reverb​ ​time​ ​of​ ​your​ ​room.

If​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​decide​ ​on​ ​a​ ​room,​ ​or​ ​want​ ​to​ ​calibrate​ ​a​ ​permanent​ ​set-up,​ ​this​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​software​ ​is
extremely​ ​useful​ ​(and​ ​it’s​ ​free).

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

​ ​Activities
1. Measure​ ​the​ ​T30​ ​(reverb​ ​time)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room​ ​using​ ​Room​ ​EQ​ ​Wizard.
2. Add​ ​treatment​ ​to​ ​the​ ​room.
3. Make​ ​another​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​how​ ​the​ ​treatment​ ​has​ ​affected​ ​the​ ​room​ ​sound.
4. Make​ ​any​ ​necessary​ ​adjustments​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​(experiment​ ​with​ ​moving​ ​your
treatment​ ​around​ ​and​ ​trying​ ​different​ ​setups).
5. Measure​ ​the​ ​room​ ​again​ ​(with​ ​the​ ​treatment)​ ​and​ ​observe​ ​the​ ​difference​ ​in​ ​T30​ ​(has​ ​the
reverb​ ​time​ ​decreased?).
6. If​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​happy​ ​with​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room,​ ​start​ ​from​ ​scratch​ ​and​ ​try​ ​a​ ​new​ ​location.
Remember,​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​make​ ​changes​ ​now​ ​than​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​down​ ​the​ ​line.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​4​ ​-​ ​Prepare​ ​To​ ​Succeed

Preparation​ ​Is​ ​Key

“By​ ​failing​ ​to​ ​prepare,​ ​you​ ​are​ ​preparing​ ​to​ ​fail.”​ ​―​ ​Benjamin​ ​Franklin

A​ ​few​ ​minutes​ ​spent​ ​planning​ ​your​ ​recording​ ​session​ ​can​ ​go​ ​a​ ​long​ ​way.​ ​Even​ ​a​ ​quick​ ​mental
plan​ ​is​ ​better​ ​than​ ​just​ ​diving​ ​in​ ​head​ ​first.

How​ ​many​ ​songs​ ​are​ ​being​ ​recorded?​ ​What​ ​are​ ​your​ ​time​ ​constraints​ ​and​ ​deadlines?​ ​Who
needs​ ​to​ ​arrive​ ​before​ ​you​ ​can​ ​start​ ​recording?​ ​Does​ ​everyone​ ​know​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​location​ ​and
time?

Have​ ​you​ ​thought​ ​about​ ​food​ ​and​ ​drink?​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​necessary​ ​equipment?

Has​ ​any​ ​of​ ​your​ ​equipment​ ​been​ ​playing​ ​up​ ​recently?​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​backup​ ​recording​ ​rig​ ​in
case​ ​it​ ​all​ ​goes​ ​wrong?​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​multiple​ ​hard​ ​drives​ ​ready?

These​ ​are​ ​all​ ​questions​ ​that​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​yourself​ ​before​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​session,​ ​even​ ​if​ ​you
are​ ​only​ ​recording​ ​yourself.

Preparing​ ​Your​ ​Comp​ ​Sheets

It’s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​take​ ​notes​ ​during​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​session.​ ​In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​scribbling​ ​on​ ​a​ ​notepad,​ ​it
helps​ ​to​ ​complete​ ​a​ ​proper​ ​comp​ ​sheet.

A​ ​comp​ ​sheet​ ​is​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​table​ ​that​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​take​ ​quick​ ​notes​ ​on​ ​every​ ​take​ ​and​ ​performance.
This​ ​makes​ ​editing​ ​and​ ​comping​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​quicker.​ ​Rather​ ​than​ ​having​ ​to​ ​go​ ​through​ ​and​ ​remind
yourself​ ​of​ ​every​ ​take,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​skip​ ​to​ ​the​ ​best​ ​takes​ ​by​ ​following​ ​your​ ​notes.

You​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​about​ ​comp​ ​sheets​ ​later​ ​in​ ​the​ ​book.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​5​ ​-​ ​Setting​ ​Up​ ​Equipment

Set​ ​Up​ ​For​ ​The​ ​Session

Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​equipment​ ​set​ ​up​ ​and​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​go​ ​before​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​arrives.

This​ ​means​ ​setting​ ​up​ ​microphones,​ ​mic​ ​stands,​ ​headphones,​ ​recording​ ​equipment,​ ​your
computer,​ ​the​ ​DAW​ ​session,​ ​a​ ​music​ ​stand​ ​and​ ​perhaps​ ​even​ ​a​ ​stool​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​sit​ ​on.

The​ ​Importance​ ​Of​ ​Mic​ ​Pairing

Every​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​unique.

The​ ​human​ ​voice​ ​is​ ​a​ ​complex​ ​thing.​ ​What​ ​works​ ​for​ ​one​ ​singer​ ​won’t​ ​always​ ​work​ ​for​ ​another.
For​ ​this​ ​reason,​ ​mic​ ​choice​ ​is​ ​EXTREMELY​ ​important​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​recording​ ​vocals.

Here​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​reasons​ ​why​ ​you​ ​should​ ​always​ ​try​ ​out​ ​a​ ​few​ ​different​ ​microphones​ ​and​ ​match
the​ ​mic​ ​to​ ​the​ ​vocalist:

1.​ ​Get​ ​a​ ​Great​ ​Sound​ ​Before​ ​Touching​ ​EQ

When​ ​you​ ​spend​ ​time​ ​selecting​ ​the​ ​right​ ​mic,​ ​you​ ​get​ ​a​ ​great​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​the​ ​source.​ ​The​ ​same
goes​ ​for​ ​spending​ ​time​ ​on​ ​microphone​ ​placement.

And​ ​when​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​great​ ​sound​ ​early​ ​on,​ ​EQ​ ​becomes​ ​a​ ​choice​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​a​ ​necessity

2.​ ​Add​ ​More​ ​Character​ ​and​ ​Mojo

Think​ ​about​ ​which​ ​element​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​most​ ​pleasing​ ​or​ ​unique,​ ​and​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​mic​ ​that
emphasises​ ​or​ ​compliments​ ​that​ ​element.

Say​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​male​ ​vocalist​ ​with​ ​a​ ​deep,​ ​rumbling​ ​voice.​ ​An​ ​old​ ​dynamic​ ​microphone​ ​might
emphasise​ ​that​ ​warmth​ ​and​ ​add​ ​even​ ​more​ ​depth​ ​to​ ​the​ ​voice.​ ​Or,​ ​a​ ​condenser​ ​might​ ​be
needed​ ​to​ ​compliment​ ​that​ ​deepness​ ​and​ ​make​ ​it​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​less​ ​bassy.

By​ ​experimenting​ ​with​ ​different​ ​microphones​ ​you​ ​can​ ​work​ ​with​ ​the​ ​character​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​and
improve​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​or​ ​compensate​ ​for​ ​their​ ​flaws.

3.​ ​Record​ ​Vocals​ ​That​ ​Sit​ ​Better​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Mix

If​ ​you’re​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​over​ ​the​ ​final​ ​version—not​ ​scratch​ ​tracks—you​ ​can​ ​also​ ​take​ ​into
consideration​ ​how​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​work​ ​with​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​mix.

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A​ ​dynamic​ ​mic​ ​might​ ​help​ ​a​ ​high​ ​pitched​ ​female​ ​vocalist​ ​sit​ ​further​ ​back​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix​ ​and​ ​appear
more​ ​cohesive.

4.​ ​Get​ ​Better​ ​Performances​ ​From​ ​the​ ​Vocalist

Getting​ ​a​ ​nicer​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​the​ ​first​ ​stage​ ​of​ ​recording​ ​will​ ​make​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​feel​ ​better​ ​about​ ​their
performance.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​in​ ​turn​ ​improve​ ​their​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​even​ ​better​ ​performances.

You​ ​might​ ​also​ ​be​ ​helping​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​further​ ​understand​ ​their​ ​own​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​learn​ ​which
microphones​ ​work​ ​for​ ​them.​ ​When​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​their​ ​next​ ​studio​ ​session​ ​they​ ​will​ ​already​ ​know
what​ ​works​ ​and​ ​what​ ​doesn’t.

A​ ​happy​ ​vocalist​ ​means​ ​better​ ​recordings.

5.​ ​Every​ ​Microphone​ ​is​ ​Different

Every​ ​microphone​ ​has​ ​a​ ​distinctive​ ​response​ ​curve.​ ​Sometimes​ ​the​ ​curve​ ​of​ ​a​ ​mic​ ​will​ ​work​ ​with
a​ ​vocalist;​ ​other​ ​times​ ​it​ ​will​ ​fight​ ​it.

Find​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​that​ ​makes​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​sound​ ​better,​ ​not​ ​the​ ​one​ ​that​ ​makes​ ​them​ ​sound​ ​worse.

6.​ ​Some​ ​Vocalists​ ​Are​ ​More​ ​Sibilant​ ​Than​ ​Others

Sibilance​ ​is​ ​the​ ​presence​ ​of​ ​too​ ​many​ ​‘sss’​ ​or​ ​‘ts’​ ​sounds​ ​in​ ​a​ ​recording.

You​ ​can​ ​remove​ ​them​ ​later​ ​on​ ​with​ ​a​ ​de-esser​ ​or​ ​multiband​ ​compression.​ ​It’s​ ​better​ ​to​ ​fix
problems​ ​at​ ​the​ ​source,​ ​though.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​too​ ​sibilant,​ ​try​ ​using​ ​a​ ​dynamic​ ​microphone.

Preparing​ ​Several​ ​Microphones

Set​ ​up​ ​several​ ​microphones​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​when​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​arrives.​ ​I​ ​regularly​ ​test​ ​4+​ ​mics​ ​when
recording​ ​a​ ​new​ ​vocalist​ ​that​ ​I’ve​ ​never​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​before.​ ​Sometimes​ ​it’s​ ​worth​ ​doing​ ​a​ ​mic
shootout​ ​in​ ​a​ ​different​ ​session​ ​so​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​good​ ​performance​ ​on
recording​ ​day.

Sometimes,​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​will​ ​arrive​ ​excited​ ​and​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​go.​ ​You​ ​can’t​ ​kill​ ​their​ ​vibe​ ​by​ ​testing​ ​out
different​ ​microphones​ ​for​ ​20​ ​minutes.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​risk​ ​and​ ​make​ ​your​ ​best​ ​guess
after​ ​hearing​ ​their​ ​voice.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​why​ ​it’s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​go-to​ ​recording​ ​chain​ ​that​ ​works​ ​in
80%​ ​of​ ​situations.

If​ ​you​ ​do​ ​have​ ​time​ ​to​ ​test​ ​a​ ​few​ ​microphones,​ ​get​ ​the​ ​diaphragms​ ​as​ ​close​ ​as​ ​possible​ ​to
remove​ ​mic​ ​position​ ​as​ ​a​ ​variable.​ ​Use​ ​several​ ​stands​ ​(or​ ​just​ ​use​ ​tape​ ​if​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​get​ ​the​ ​mics
close​ ​enough​ ​on​ ​stands).​ ​Set​ ​up​ ​one​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​around​ ​6​ ​inches​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphones.

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If​ ​you​ ​mostly​ ​record​ ​yourself​ ​and​ ​can​ ​only​ ​afford​ ​one​ ​microphone,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​it​ ​suits​ ​your​ ​voice.
Test​ ​several​ ​microphones​ ​before​ ​you​ ​buy.​ ​Borrow,​ ​rent​ ​or​ ​buy​ ​and​ ​return​ ​mics​ ​until​ ​you​ ​find​ ​one
that​ ​suits​ ​your​ ​voice.

Cheaper​ ​microphones​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​be​ ​hit​ ​or​ ​miss​ ​with​ ​certain​ ​vocalists.​ ​Find​ ​a​ ​good​ ​match,​ ​and​ ​a
cheap​ ​microphone​ ​can​ ​sometimes​ ​outshine​ ​a​ ​more​ ​expensive​ ​model.​ ​But​ ​it’s​ ​mostly​ ​a​ ​case​ ​of
pot​ ​luck.

Expensive​ ​microphones​ ​will​ ​suit​ ​more​ ​voices​ ​and​ ​be​ ​more​ ​consistent.​ ​It’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​more
expensive​ ​microphone​ ​as​ ​your​ ​go-to​ ​mic,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​set​ ​up​ ​several​ ​affordable​ ​models​ ​alongside
in​ ​case​ ​you​ ​find​ ​a​ ​match.

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Chapter​ ​6​ ​-​ ​How​ ​To​ ​Chose​ ​a​ ​Microphone

Condenser​ ​Microphones
The​ ​first​ ​microphone​ ​type​ ​you​ ​should​ ​reach​ ​for​ ​is​ ​a​ ​large​ ​diaphragm​ ​condenser.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​the
industry​ ​standard.

Condenser​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​more​ ​sensitive​ ​to​ ​high​ ​frequencies,​ ​so​ ​capture​ ​the​ ​air​ ​and​ ​brilliance
of​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​well.​ ​A​ ​large​ ​diaphragm​ ​condenser​ ​will​ ​capture​ ​a​ ​warmer​ ​sound​ ​than​ ​a​ ​small
diaphragm​ ​condenser​ ​-​ ​pencil​ ​condensers​ ​(small​ ​diaphragm)​ ​are​ ​rarely​ ​used​ ​for​ ​vocals.

If​ ​your​ ​microphone​ ​has​ ​a​ ​pad​ ​switch,​ ​leave​ ​it​ ​at​ ​neutral​ ​unless​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​particularly​ ​loud
vocalist.

Cardioid​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​go-to​ ​microphone​ ​for​ ​most​ ​vocal​ ​recording​ ​situations.

If​ ​you’re​ ​recording​ ​at​ ​home​ ​(or​ ​in​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​sounding​ ​room)​ ​it’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​with​ ​a
cardioid​ ​pattern.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​point​ ​cardioid​ ​microphones​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​liveliest​ ​surface​ ​in​ ​the​ ​room
to​ ​reduce​ ​reflections​ ​(a​ ​window,​ ​for​ ​example)​ ​or​ ​away​ ​from​ ​any​ ​noise​ ​sources​ ​(like​ ​a​ ​laptop​ ​or
A/C​ ​unit)

There​ ​are​ ​many​ ​downsides​ ​to​ ​using​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​microphone,​ ​however.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​the
proximity​ ​effect​ ​-​ ​as​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​gets​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​microphone,​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​bass​ ​will​ ​increase.

This​ ​means​ ​that​ ​distance​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​is​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​important​ ​factor​ ​when​ ​working
with​ ​cardioid​ ​microphones​ ​(more​ ​on​ ​this​ ​later).

Cardioid​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​also​ ​more​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​plosives,​ ​so​ ​more​ ​thought​ ​should​ ​be​ ​given​ ​to
reducing​ ​plosives​ ​through​ ​microphone​ ​placement​ ​or​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​shield.

Omnidirectional​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

Many​ ​people​ ​are​ ​scared​ ​of​ ​using​ ​omnidirectional​ ​microphones​ ​at​ ​home,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​should​ ​not​ ​be
the​ ​case.

Although​ ​they​ ​capture​ ​sounds​ ​from​ ​all​ ​around​ ​so​ ​are​ ​more​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​unpleasant​ ​room
sounds,​ ​this​ ​problem​ ​can​ ​be​ ​easily​ ​fixed​ ​with​ ​some​ ​additional​ ​treatment​ ​and​ ​recording
technique.

Omnidirectional​ ​microphones​ ​don’t​ ​exhibit​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect,​ ​so​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​get​ ​closer​ ​to
the​ ​microphone​ ​without​ ​significantly​ ​affecting​ ​the​ ​tone.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​that​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​will​ ​be

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considerably​ ​louder​ ​than​ ​the​ ​room​ ​reflections.​ ​Combine​ ​this​ ​with​ ​some​ ​additional​ ​treatment
behind​ ​the​ ​microphone,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​room​ ​reflections​ ​are​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​a​ ​problem.

There​ ​are​ ​many​ ​benefits​ ​to​ ​using​ ​omnidirectional​ ​microphones:

● Less​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​plosives​ ​(so​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​have​ ​more​ ​freedom​ ​to​ ​move​ ​around)
● Less​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​handling​ ​noise​ ​and​ ​vibrational​ ​noise​ ​from​ ​accidental​ ​stand​ ​knocks​ ​(which
also​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​move​ ​around​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​more)
● Small​ ​fluctuations​ ​in​ ​distance​ ​are​ ​much​ ​less​ ​noticeable​ ​(again,​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​dance
around​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​more)
● No​ ​proximity​ ​effect​ ​(so​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​get​ ​really​ ​close​ ​for​ ​an​ ​intimate,​ ​whispery​ ​sound)
● Different​ ​tone​ ​to​ ​cardioid​ ​microphones

Figure​ ​8​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

Although​ ​uncommon,​ ​figure​ ​8​ ​microphones​ ​do​ ​have​ ​some​ ​uses.​ ​We​ ​will​ ​explore​ ​these​ ​uses​ ​in
later​ ​sections.

In​ ​general,​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​figure​ ​8​ ​microphones​ ​unless​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​reason​ ​to​ ​use
one.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​the​ ​most​ ​prone​ ​to​ ​plosives​ ​and​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect.

Multi-Pattern​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

The​ ​most​ ​versatile​ ​microphone​ ​type​ ​is​ ​a​ ​condenser​ ​with​ ​a​ ​switchable​ ​pattern.

These​ ​microphones​ ​allow​ ​you​ ​to​ ​quickly​ ​test​ ​out​ ​different​ ​patterns​ ​without​ ​changing​ ​anything
else​ ​in​ ​the​ ​setup.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​quickly​ ​and​ ​easily​ ​try​ ​out​ ​each​ ​pattern​ ​to​ ​see​ ​which​ ​works​ ​best​ ​with
the​ ​room​ ​and​ ​vocalist​ ​that​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording.

The​ ​AKG​ ​C414​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​multi-pattern​ ​microphone​ ​that​ ​has​ ​been​ ​the​ ​staple​ ​of
many​ ​studios​ ​for​ ​decades.

Valve​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

In​ ​general,​ ​a​ ​condenser​ ​with​ ​a​ ​valve​ ​element​ ​is​ ​preferred​ ​for​ ​vocals.​ ​The​ ​valve​ ​amplifier​ ​will​ ​add
more​ ​thickness​ ​and​ ​warmth​ ​to​ ​the​ ​sound.

Some​ ​popular​ ​examples​ ​are​ ​the​ ​AKG​ ​C12​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Neumann​ ​U67.

Don’t​ ​become​ ​obsessed​ ​though​ ​-​ ​you​ ​can​ ​still​ ​get​ ​a​ ​great​ ​sound​ ​with​ ​solid​ ​state​ ​microphones.
Adding​ ​a​ ​valve​ ​preamp​ ​can​ ​add​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​characteristic​ ​of​ ​sound​ ​and​ ​will​ ​probably​ ​be​ ​more
flexible.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​a​ ​valve​ ​microphone,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​often​ ​help​ ​to​ ​mount​ ​it​ ​upside​ ​down.​ ​This​ ​prevents​ ​the
warm​ ​air​ ​from​ ​rising​ ​across​ ​the​ ​diaphragm​ ​and​ ​causing​ ​noise.

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Cardioid​ ​Dynamic​ ​Microphones

Dynamic​ ​microphones​ ​work​ ​really​ ​well​ ​in​ ​bad​ ​rooms​ ​and​ ​can​ ​give​ ​a​ ​warmer,​ ​closer​ ​sound.

They​ ​are​ ​also​ ​great​ ​for​ ​more​ ​aggressive​ ​vocal​ ​styles​ ​(like​ ​Rock,​ ​Metal​ ​and​ ​Punk).​ ​Luckily,
dynamic​ ​microphones​ ​also​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​be​ ​more​ ​affordable.

Dynamic​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used​ ​up​ ​close,​ ​so​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​often​ ​treat​ ​it​ ​more
like​ ​a​ ​live​ ​performance​ ​-​ ​this​ ​helps​ ​them​ ​to​ ​relax.​ ​If​ ​it​ ​helps,​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​even​ ​hold​ ​the
microphone​ ​in​ ​their​ ​hand,​ ​assuming​ ​they​ ​hold​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​properly​ ​(and​ ​don’t​ ​cover​ ​the​ ​back​ ​of​ ​the
grill).

Another​ ​benefit​ ​of​ ​dynamic​ ​microphones​ ​is​ ​that​ ​they​ ​are​ ​less​ ​susceptible​ ​to​ ​background​ ​noise.

You​ ​won’t​ ​need​ ​as​ ​much​ ​acoustic​ ​treatment​ ​as​ ​they​ ​pick​ ​up​ ​less​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​also​ ​the
perfect​ ​microphone​ ​for​ ​open​ ​air​ ​monitoring​ ​(more​ ​on​ ​this​ ​soon)​ ​and​ ​live​ ​recordings.

The​ ​affordable​ ​SM58​ ​has​ ​been​ ​used​ ​on​ ​a​ ​surprising​ ​number​ ​of​ ​hit​ ​records,​ ​from​ ​bands​ ​like​ ​Red
Hot​ ​Chili​ ​Peppers​ ​and​ ​Rage​ ​Against​ ​The​ ​Machine.

The​ ​more​ ​expensive​ ​SM7​ ​(or​ ​SM7B)​ ​is​ ​a​ ​personal​ ​favourite​ ​of​ ​mine,​ ​and​ ​has​ ​also​ ​been​ ​used​ ​on
many​ ​a​ ​great​ ​recording​ ​(from​ ​AC/DC​ ​to​ ​Michael​ ​Jackson).

Two​ ​other​ ​popular​ ​models​ ​are​ ​the​ ​Beyerdynamic​ ​M88​ ​and​ ​Electrovoice​ ​RE20.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​live,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​need​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​dynamic​ ​mic​ ​for​ ​the​ ​isolation.​ ​If​ ​the
vocalist’s​ ​voice​ ​doesn’t​ ​suit​ ​a​ ​dynamic​ ​microphone,​ ​try​ ​isolating​ ​them​ ​with​ ​acoustic​ ​treatment
and​ ​position​ ​them​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​band​ ​with​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​microphone​ ​pointing​ ​away​ ​from
the​ ​noisiest​ ​instruments.

Ribbon​ ​Microphones
Ribbon​ ​mics​ ​can​ ​also​ ​sound​ ​great​ ​on​ ​vocals​ ​and​ ​give​ ​a​ ​smooth,​ ​warm​ ​sound,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need
a​ ​good​ ​preamp​ ​to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​right​ ​levels.

They​ ​are​ ​extremely​ ​delicate,​ ​so​ ​handle​ ​them​ ​with​ ​extra​ ​care.

Polar​ ​Pattern​ ​Overview

● If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​in​ ​a​ ​noisy​ ​environment,​ ​use​ ​a​ ​cardioid.
● If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​treating​ ​the​ ​room,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​either​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​or​ ​omnidirectional​ ​microphone.
● If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​get​ ​close​ ​to​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​without​ ​increasing​ ​the​ ​bass,​ ​use​ ​an
omnidirectional.

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● If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect​ ​to​ ​your​ ​advantage​ ​to​ ​add​ ​more​ ​bass,​ ​use​ ​a
cardioid.
● If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​give​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​more​ ​room​ ​to​ ​dance​ ​around,​ ​use​ ​an​ ​omnidirectional.
● The​ ​polar​ ​pattern​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​won’t​ ​only​ ​affect​ ​how​ ​it​ ​picks​ ​up​ ​on​ ​sound.​ ​It​ ​will
also​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​overall​ ​tone.
● If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​with​ ​switchable​ ​patterns​ ​(like​ ​the​ ​AKG​ ​C414),​ ​and​ ​are
recording​ ​in​ ​a​ ​treated/good​ ​room,​ ​quickly​ ​try​ ​out​ ​each​ ​polar​ ​pattern​ ​on​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​on
recording​ ​day.

Using​ ​The​ ​Right​ ​Accessories

There’s​ ​no​ ​excuse​ ​not​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​proper​ ​microphone​ ​accessories.

Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​use​ ​a​ ​sturdy​ ​microphone​ ​stand,​ ​and​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​it​ ​is​ ​set​ ​up​ ​properly​ ​and
tightened.​ ​You​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​to​ ​move​ ​at​ ​any​ ​point​ ​in​ ​the​ ​session​ ​once​ ​you​ ​have
everything​ ​set​ ​up.

Make​ ​sure​ ​the​ ​boom​ ​arm​ ​isn’t​ ​over​ ​extended​ ​(as​ ​this​ ​will​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphone
falling​ ​over).​ ​If​ ​necessary,​ ​add​ ​a​ ​heavy​ ​object​ ​(like​ ​a​ ​sandbag)​ ​to​ ​the​ ​other​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​boom​ ​to
counterbalance​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​Leave​ ​some​ ​slack​ ​in​ ​the​ ​cable​ ​underneath​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​(it
shouldn’t​ ​be​ ​too​ ​tight,​ ​nor​ ​should​ ​it​ ​hang​ ​too​ ​low).​ ​Coil​ ​the​ ​cable​ ​around​ ​the​ ​stand​ ​several​ ​times.

A​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​is​ ​useful​ ​in​ ​many​ ​cases,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​sometimes​ ​better​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​plosives​ ​through
microphone​ ​positioning.​ ​Pop​ ​shields​ ​can​ ​sometimes​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocals,​ ​although​ ​it​ ​is
barely​ ​noticeable.

You​ ​need​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​at​ ​least​ ​3​ ​inches​ ​between​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​and​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​for​ ​the​ ​shield​ ​to
work​ ​properly.​ ​However,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​a​ ​ribbon​ ​microphone,​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​is​ ​a​ ​necessity
(otherwise​ ​you​ ​could​ ​damage​ ​the​ ​diaphragm).

A​ ​shock​ ​mount​ ​will​ ​help​ ​greatly​ ​-​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​one,​ ​use​ ​it.​ ​Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​good​ ​pair​ ​of
closed​ ​back​ ​headphones​ ​for​ ​tracking,​ ​too.

Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​have​ ​all​ ​the​ ​right​ ​equipment​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​on​ ​the​ ​morning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​day
(or​ ​the​ ​night​ ​before).

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Chapter​ ​7​ ​-​ ​Headphone​ ​and​ ​Loudspeaker​ ​Monitoring

General​ ​Monitoring​ ​Advice

In​ ​this​ ​section​ ​you​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​several​ ​techniques​ ​for​ ​vocal​ ​monitoring.​ ​Before​ ​you​ ​learn​ ​the
specifics,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​general​ ​principles​ ​that​ ​you​ ​should​ ​keep​ ​in​ ​mind.

As​ ​mentioned​ ​earlier,​ ​it’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​finished​ ​arrangement​ ​when​ ​you​ ​record​ ​vocals.
Sometimes,​ ​it​ ​might​ ​actually​ ​help​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​some​ ​parts​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​particularly​ ​large​ ​arrangement​ ​-
you​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​overwhelm​ ​the​ ​vocalist.

If​ ​you​ ​set​ ​the​ ​monitoring​ ​levels​ ​high,​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​will​ ​compensate​ ​by​ ​singing​ ​loudly​ ​and
aggressively.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​set​ ​the​ ​monitoring​ ​levels​ ​low,​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​will​ ​be​ ​quiet​ ​and​ ​more​ ​subdued.
Different​ ​vocalists​ ​have​ ​different​ ​preferences,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​also​ ​tailor​ ​the​ ​monitoring​ ​level​ ​to​ ​the
vibe​ ​of​ ​the​ ​particular​ ​track​ ​or​ ​section.

If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​recording​ ​over​ ​a​ ​rhythm​ ​section,​ ​it​ ​often​ ​helps​ ​to​ ​add​ ​a​ ​synth​ ​pad​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​them
in​ ​tune.​ ​Equally,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​recording​ ​over​ ​a​ ​section​ ​without​ ​any​ ​rhythm​ ​parts,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​help​ ​to
throw​ ​in​ ​a​ ​click​ ​track.

You​ ​won’t​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​either​ ​of​ ​these​ ​things​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​monitoring​ ​with​ ​loudspeakers.​ ​If​ ​the
vocalist​ ​is​ ​monitoring​ ​in​ ​headphones,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​there​ ​isn’t​ ​any​ ​bleed.​ ​You​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​hear
the​ ​click​ ​track​ ​in​ ​the​ ​final​ ​mix.

It’s​ ​worth​ ​applying​ ​EQ​ ​to​ ​headphones​ ​and​ ​loudspeakers​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​where​ ​appropriate.
The​ ​better​ ​it​ ​sounds​ ​when​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​monitoring,​ ​the​ ​better​ ​their​ ​performance​ ​will​ ​be.

Try​ ​reducing​ ​the​ ​high​ ​mids​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​harshness​ ​(3-6kHz).​ ​You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​add​ ​compression​ ​and
limiting​ ​to​ ​make​ ​levels​ ​more​ ​consistent.

Headphone​ ​Monitoring
Every​ ​vocalist​ ​has​ ​their​ ​own​ ​preferences​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​their​ ​headphone​ ​mix.

Despite​ ​that,​ ​now​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​time​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​rough​ ​headphone​ ​mix​ ​and​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​everything​ ​is
good​ ​to​ ​go.

Some​ ​like​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​their​ ​own​ ​vocals,​ ​some​ ​like​ ​to​ ​mute​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​and​ ​listen​ ​back​ ​through​ ​only
one​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​the​ ​headphones.

Always​ ​used​ ​closed​ ​back​ ​headphones​ ​when​ ​tracking​ ​vocals.​ ​Open​ ​back​ ​headphones​ ​will​ ​leak
far​ ​too​ ​much​ ​sound.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​monitoring​ ​‘acoustically’​ ​by​ ​removing​ ​one​ ​ear​ ​cup,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​mute​ ​that​ ​ear
if​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​prevent​ ​bleed​ ​(you​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​inside​ ​your​ ​DAW).

Many​ ​singers​ ​feel​ ​uncomfortable​ ​when​ ​monitoring​ ​with​ ​one​ ​ear.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​because​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​will
sound​ ​muffled.​ ​By​ ​covering​ ​one​ ​ear​ ​they​ ​will​ ​hear​ ​less​ ​high​ ​frequencies.

To​ ​counteract​ ​this,​ ​use​ ​a​ ​reflective​ ​surface​ ​(like​ ​a​ ​music​ ​stand)​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​into​ ​their
ears.​ ​Just​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​reflecting​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​back​ ​into​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​Again,​ ​imagine
that​ ​the​ ​music​ ​stand​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mirror​ ​-​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​see​ ​themselves​ ​but​ ​not​ ​the
microphone.​ ​ ​This​ ​makes​ ​a​ ​surprisingly​ ​big​ ​difference!

Other​ ​vocalists​ ​prefer​ ​to​ ​monitor​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​headphones​ ​as​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​backing​ ​track.​ ​In
this​ ​case,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​use​ ​hardware​ ​monitoring​ ​to​ ​prevent​ ​latency.

Let​ ​me​ ​explain​ ​this​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​further.​ ​Many​ ​DAWs​ ​allow​ ​you​ ​to​ ​monitor​ ​a​ ​channel​ ​in​ ​the​ ​software.
The​ ​signal​ ​goes​ ​into​ ​the​ ​DAW,​ ​through​ ​the​ ​channel​ ​(and​ ​any​ ​plugins)​ ​and​ ​then​ ​back​ ​out​ ​to​ ​the
headphones.​ ​This​ ​of​ ​course​ ​takes​ ​time,​ ​so​ ​there​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​short​ ​delay​ ​(this​ ​is​ ​called​ ​‘latency’).

This​ ​delay​ ​can​ ​cause​ ​odd​ ​psychoacoustic​ ​effects​ ​as​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​is​ ​hearing​ ​two​ ​versions​ ​of​ ​their
voice,​ ​one​ ​with​ ​a​ ​slight​ ​delay​ ​(of​ ​around​ ​10ms​ ​or​ ​less).​ ​Remember​ ​when​ ​you​ ​learned​ ​about
comb​ ​filtering​ ​earlier​ ​in​ ​this​ ​book?​ ​A​ ​similar​ ​effect​ ​occurs​ ​here,​ ​but​ ​inside​ ​the​ ​vocalist’s​ ​brain.

For​ ​this​ ​reason,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​use​ ​hardware​ ​monitoring.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​where​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​is​ ​directed​ ​back
out​ ​of​ ​your​ ​mixing​ ​desk​ ​or​ ​audio​ ​interface​ ​before​ ​it​ ​travels​ ​to​ ​your​ ​DAW.​ ​Most​ ​USB​ ​audio
interfaces​ ​have​ ​a​ ​‘Direct​ ​Monitor’​ ​switch​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use.​ ​This​ ​form​ ​of​ ​monitoring​ ​will​ ​have​ ​zero
latency.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Just​ ​remember​ ​to​ ​turn​ ​off​ ​hardware​ ​monitoring​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are​ ​playing​ ​the​ ​track​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the
vocalist​ ​between​ ​takes,​ ​otherwise​ ​they​ ​will​ ​still​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​themselves​ ​and​ ​the​ ​room​ ​they
are​ ​in​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are​ ​listening​ ​to​ ​the​ ​track.

But​ ​what​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​add​ ​effects​ ​when​ ​monitoring​ ​vocals?​ ​That’s​ ​still​ ​possible​ ​by​ ​combining
hardware​ ​and​ ​software​ ​monitoring.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​this​ ​trick​ ​in​ ​the​ ​following​ ​section.

The​ ​Reverb​ ​Monitoring​ ​Trick

I’ve​ ​found​ ​that​ ​the​ ​most​ ​common​ ​preference​ ​is​ ​monitoring​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​in​ ​both​ ​ears​ ​with​ ​a​ ​touch​ ​of
reverb.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​to​ ​get​ ​into​ ​the​ ​song​ ​and​ ​give​ ​it​ ​all​ ​their​ ​energy.​ ​Plus,​ ​it’s​ ​easier​ ​to
feel​ ​like​ ​you’re​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​band​ ​or​ ​song​ ​when​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​touch​ ​of​ ​reverb.

To​ ​avoid​ ​latency,​ ​monitor​ ​the​ ​dry​ ​vocals​ ​direct​ ​using​ ​the​ ​‘Direct​ ​Monitor’​ ​functionality​ ​on​ ​your
audio​ ​interface.​ ​Then,​ ​add​ ​a​ ​reverb​ ​plugin​ ​to​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​channel​ ​that​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​to​ ​and
turn​ ​on​ ​software​ ​monitoring.​ ​Set​ ​it​ ​to​ ​100%​ ​wet​ ​and​ ​adjust​ ​the​ ​room​ ​size​ ​to​ ​taste.

Now​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​will​ ​hear​ ​a​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​their​ ​dry​ ​vocal​ ​with​ ​zero​ ​latency,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​wet​ ​vocal
with​ ​a​ ​short​ ​10ms​ ​or​ ​less​ ​delay.​ ​As​ ​only​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​is​ ​delayed,​ ​this​ ​sounds​ ​perfectly​ ​natural
(pre-delays​ ​are​ ​often​ ​used​ ​with​ ​vocal​ ​reverbs​ ​in​ ​any​ ​case).

The​ ​only​ ​downside​ ​to​ ​this​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​that​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​mute​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​plugin​ ​every​ ​time
you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​listen​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​track.​ ​Another​ ​alternative​ ​is​ ​to​ ​send​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​channel​ ​to​ ​a​ ​new
aux​ ​and​ ​insert​ ​the​ ​reverb​ ​there.​ ​Then​ ​you​ ​can​ ​route​ ​the​ ​output​ ​of​ ​that​ ​new​ ​aux​ ​channel​ ​to​ ​the
headphones​ ​and​ ​not​ ​the​ ​main​ ​out​ ​(so​ ​you​ ​won’t​ ​hear​ ​it​ ​on​ ​your​ ​monitors).

Using​ ​a​ ​Dedicated​ ​Monitor​ ​Mixer

If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​hardware​ ​reverb​ ​unit,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​a​ ​small​ ​mixer​ ​to​ ​control​ ​three​ ​different​ ​levels
when​ ​monitoring:

1. The​ ​level​ ​of​ ​the​ ​dry​ ​vocal.

2. The​ l​ evel​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​reverb.
3. The​ l​ evel​ ​of​ ​the​ ​backing​ ​track.

This​ ​gives​ ​you​ ​more​ ​flexibility​ ​and​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​adjust​ ​levels​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fly.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Loudspeaker​ ​(Open​ ​Air)​ ​Monitoring

Sometimes​ ​monitoring​ ​in​ ​headphones​ ​just​ ​isn’t​ ​enough.​ ​Many​ ​vocalists​ ​prefer​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​the​ ​track
out​ ​loud​ ​and​ ​sing​ ​along.​ ​It’s​ ​more​ ​like​ ​singing​ ​at​ ​a​ ​live​ ​concert,​ ​which​ ​eases​ ​off​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the
pressure.​ ​This​ ​often​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​more​ ​energy,​ ​more​ ​emotion​ ​and​ ​a​ ​better​ ​performance.​ ​Getting​ ​a
better​ ​performance​ ​is​ ​usually​ ​worth​ ​a​ ​small​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​bleed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​loudspeakers.

There​ ​are​ ​many​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​go​ ​about​ ​this.​ ​The​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​is​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​mono​ ​loudspeaker​ ​with​ ​a
cardioid​ ​microphone.​ ​Point​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​directly​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​loudspeaker​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​bleed.
Dynamic​ ​microphones​ ​have​ ​better​ ​noise​ ​rejection​ ​so​ ​are​ ​more​ ​suited​ ​to​ ​this​ ​application.

Another​ ​option​ ​is​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​figure​ ​8​ ​microphone​ ​and​ ​place​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​either​ ​side​ ​in​ ​the​ ​rejection
zones.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​stereo​ ​monitoring​ ​and​ ​means​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​can​ ​get​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​speakers.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

However,​ ​figure​ ​8​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​less​ ​versatile​ ​so​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​recommend​ ​purchasing​ ​one​ ​purely
for​ ​this​ ​purpose.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​already​ ​have​ ​one,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​give​ ​this​ ​a​ ​go.

The​ ​Phase​ ​Cancellation​ ​Trick

One​ ​more​ ​trick​ ​that​ ​requires​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​more​ ​work​ ​but​ ​is​ ​surprisingly​ ​effective​ ​is​ ​using​ ​phase
cancellation​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​the​ ​bleed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​vocal.

Start​ ​by​ ​using​ ​the​ ​first​ ​technique​ ​of​ ​monitoring​ ​with​ ​a​ ​mono​ ​loudspeaker​ ​and​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​dynamic
microphone.​ ​Record​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​as​ ​normal.​ ​Once​ ​you’re​ ​done,​ ​record​ ​another​ ​pass​ ​to​ ​a​ ​new​ ​track
with​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​position​ ​but​ ​without​ ​singing.​ ​Reverse​ ​the​ ​polarity​ ​of​ ​that​ ​new
channel​ ​(most​ ​DAWs​ ​have​ ​a​ ​gain​ ​plugin​ ​or​ ​metering​ ​plugin​ ​that​ ​does​ ​this),​ ​set​ ​the​ ​level​ ​to​ ​be
the​ ​same​ ​as​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​track,​ ​and​ ​through​ ​phase​ ​cancellation​ ​it​ ​will​ ​remove​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​bleed.
That’s​ ​the​ ​magic​ ​of​ ​physics!

Although​ ​not​ ​100%​ ​effective​ ​(due​ ​to​ ​room​ ​reflections),​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​the
loudspeaker​ ​bleed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​vocal.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​cancellation​ ​technique,​ ​you​ ​can’t
use​ ​a​ ​compressor​ ​when​ ​tracking​ ​(otherwise​ ​the​ ​levels​ ​would​ ​be​ ​different​ ​between​ ​the​ ​two
recordings).

General​ ​Open​ ​Air​ ​Monitoring​ ​Tips

There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​things​ ​that​ ​you​ ​should​ ​consider​ ​when​ ​using​ ​any​ ​of​ ​these​ ​loudspeaker
monitoring​ ​techniques.

First​ ​of​ ​all,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​there​ ​is​ ​nothing​ ​coming​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​speakers​ ​that​ ​might​ ​not​ ​feature​ ​in​ ​the
final​ ​track.​ ​That​ ​means​ ​no​ ​metronome​ ​clicks,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​parts​ ​that​ ​are​ ​still​ ​undecided.

Next,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​monitoring​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​at​ ​all​ ​(neither​ ​hardware​ ​or​ ​software
monitoring).​ ​If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​wants​ ​the​ ​speakers​ ​loud​ ​but​ ​can't​ ​hear​ ​themselves,​ ​use​ ​a​ ​music
stand​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​some​ ​of​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​back​ ​into​ ​their​ ​ears​ ​(but​ ​not​ ​into​ ​the​ ​microphone).

It​ ​also​ ​helps​ ​to​ ​add​ ​a​ ​high​ ​pass​ ​filter​ ​and​ ​low​ ​pass​ ​filter​ ​to​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​backing​ ​track​ ​to​ ​remove
some​ ​frequencies.​ ​Go​ ​as​ ​extreme​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can​ ​without​ ​affecting​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​performance.​ ​A
high​ ​pass​ ​filter​ ​at​ ​80Hz​ ​and​ ​a​ ​low​ ​pass​ ​filter​ ​at​ ​14kHz​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​place​ ​to​ ​start.

Once​ ​you​ ​have​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​way​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​monitor​ ​their​ ​vocals,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​more​ ​things
you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​before​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​arrives.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Set​ ​rough​ ​levels

The​ ​vocalist​ ​will​ ​have​ ​their​ ​own​ ​preference​ ​as​ ​to​ ​what​ ​they​ ​want​ ​loudest​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix​ ​(more​ ​on​ ​that
in​ ​the​ ​next​ ​section).

That​ ​doesn’t​ ​mean​ ​you​ ​shouldn’t​ ​set​ ​a​ ​rough​ ​mix​ ​before​ ​the​ ​session​ ​to​ ​speed​ ​things​ ​up​ ​a​ ​little.

Mute​ ​any​ ​instruments​ ​that​ ​aren’t​ ​vital​ ​to​ ​the​ ​song​ ​so​ ​that​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​can​ ​concentrate​ ​on​ ​the
stuff​ ​that​ ​matters.

Put​ ​on​ ​the​ ​headphones​ ​and​ ​check​ ​that​ ​everything​ ​is​ ​monitoring​ ​okay.​ ​The​ ​vocals​ ​should​ ​have
no​ ​delay​ ​whatsoever.

Ambience
You’re​ ​almost​ ​there!​ ​Your​ ​prep​ ​work​ ​is​ ​almost​ ​over.​ ​Don’t​ ​worry,​ ​things​ ​are​ ​about​ ​to​ ​get
interesting…​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​tedious​ ​bit.

Now​ ​that​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​equipment​ ​is​ ​ready,​ ​try​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​nice​ ​ambience​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist.
If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​permanent​ ​recording​ ​location,​ ​consider​ ​installing​ ​mood​ ​lighting​ ​or​ ​throwing​ ​some
lamps​ ​in​ ​there.

Heck,​ ​get​ ​out​ ​the​ ​candles​ ​if​ ​you​ ​think​ ​it​ ​will​ ​help!

Vocals​ ​are​ ​all​ ​about​ ​emotion.​ ​You​ ​want​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​comfortable​ ​and​ ​relaxed.​ ​The​ ​more
emotion​ ​they​ ​can​ ​summon​ ​in​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​session,​ ​the​ ​better​ ​a​ ​song​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have.

Modern​ ​décor​ ​tends​ ​to​ ​be​ ​pretty​ ​sterile.​ ​Try​ ​making​ ​the​ ​room​ ​more​ ​inviting​ ​by​ ​adding​ ​rugs,
posters​ ​and​ ​interesting​ ​objects.​ ​It​ ​might​ ​sound​ ​silly,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​goes​ ​a​ ​long​ ​way!

Get​ ​some​ ​supplies

Make​ ​sure​ ​the​ ​area​ ​is​ ​prepared​ ​the​ ​vocalist.​ ​Get​ ​a​ ​pen​ ​and​ ​paper​ ​for​ ​note​ ​taking.​ ​Set​ ​up​ ​a
music​ ​stand​ ​for​ ​lyric​ ​sheets.​ ​Prepare​ ​a​ ​stool​ ​or​ ​chair​ ​for​ ​short​ ​breaks.

Get​ ​a​ ​large​ ​jug​ ​of​ ​cold​ ​water​ ​and​ ​a​ ​cup​ ​(or​ ​a​ ​few​ ​bottles​ ​of​ ​water).​ ​It’s​ ​good​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to
take​ ​a​ ​sip​ ​between​ ​every​ ​take.​ ​Swallowing​ ​is​ ​a​ ​much​ ​better​ ​way​ ​of​ ​clearing​ ​the​ ​throat​ ​than
coughing.

They’ll​ ​appreciate​ ​it.​ ​Treat​ ​them​ ​well​ ​–​ ​it​ ​will​ ​make​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​experience​ ​more​ ​pleasant.

Happy​ ​vocalists​ ​=​ ​good​ ​vocals.

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Final​ ​Check
Before​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​arrives​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​do​ ​one​ ​more​ ​final​ ​check.

Run​ ​a​ ​quick​ ​test​ ​recording,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​working,​ ​check​ ​the​ ​DAW
session​ ​is​ ​loaded​ ​and​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​go.

   

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Section​ ​Two 
Getting​ ​the​ ​Best​ ​Sound 

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​8​ ​-​ ​Getting​ ​the​ ​Vocalist​ ​Ready

Talk​ ​to​ ​the​ ​vocalist

Once​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​arrives,​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​them​ ​about​ ​their​ ​preferences.​ ​Most​ ​people​ ​will​ ​already​ ​know
what​ ​they​ ​like​ ​–​ ​how​ ​they​ ​want​ ​to​ ​monitor,​ ​how​ ​much​ ​reverb​ ​they​ ​want​ ​etc.

If​ ​you’ve​ ​never​ ​met​ ​them​ ​before,​ ​be​ ​as​ ​friendly​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can.​ ​Shake​ ​their​ ​hand,​ ​have​ ​a​ ​quick​ ​chat
and​ ​get​ ​to​ ​know​ ​them​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​more.

Ask​ ​them​ ​to​ ​start​ ​warming​ ​up​ ​their​ ​vocal​ ​chords​ ​(this​ ​is​ ​important,​ ​don’t​ ​jump​ ​straight​ ​in).

Humming​ ​in​ ​a​ ​comfortable​ ​pitch​ ​range​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​warm​ ​up​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​chords.

Also​ ​request​ ​that​ ​they​ ​memorize​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​if​ ​they​ ​have​ ​the​ ​time​ ​(and​ ​haven’t​ ​already​ ​done​ ​so).
This​ ​means​ ​you​ ​won’t​ ​have​ ​to​ ​worry​ ​about​ ​using​ ​music​ ​stands​ ​or​ ​taping​ ​lyric​ ​sheets​ ​to
microphone​ ​stands.

Finalize​ ​the​ ​monitor​ ​mix

When​ ​they’re​ ​ready,​ ​get​ ​them​ ​to​ ​sing​ ​along​ ​to​ ​the​ ​monitor​ ​mix.​ ​Listen​ ​to​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​make
any​ ​quick​ ​decisions​ ​about​ ​microphone​ ​choice​ ​or​ ​position​ ​(you​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​all​ ​about​ ​microphone
placement​ ​in​ ​the​ ​next​ ​section).​ ​Make​ ​any​ ​necessary​ ​adjustments​ ​to​ ​instrument​ ​levels,​ ​reverb​ ​or
overall​ ​volume.

Be​ ​wary​ ​of​ ​how​ ​much​ ​reverb​ ​you​ ​monitor​ ​with​ ​–​ ​too​ ​much​ ​reverb​ ​can​ ​start​ ​to​ ​mask​ ​issues​ ​with
pitch.

If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​asking​ ​for​ ​a​ ​crazy​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​reverb​ ​kindly​ ​explain​ ​this​ ​to​ ​them​ ​and​ ​find​ ​a

common​ ​ground.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​9​ ​-​ ​Finding​ ​the​ ​Right​ ​Mic

As​ ​discussed​ ​earlier,​ ​it’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​several​ ​microphones​ ​before​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​session.

Ask​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​record​ ​a​ ​chorus​ ​and​ ​verse​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​that​ ​you’re​ ​working​ ​on.​ ​Ask​ ​them​ ​not
to​ ​move​ ​too​ ​much​ ​and​ ​to​ ​stay​ ​near​ ​the​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​(that’s​ ​positioned​ ​6​ ​inches​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the
microphones).

Listen​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​with​ ​the​ ​vocalist,​ ​producer​ ​and​ ​anyone​ ​else​ ​who​ ​can​ ​help​ ​make​ ​the
decision.

Take​ ​notes​ ​on​ ​how​ ​each​ ​microphone​ ​sounds.​ ​Give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​rating​ ​out​ ​of​ ​10​ ​on​ ​the​ ​following​ ​qualities:
Character,​ ​Room​ ​Sound,​ ​Mix​ ​Cohesiveness,​ ​Dynamic​ ​Consistency.

Then​ ​tally​ ​up​ ​the​ ​scores​ ​to​ ​find​ ​the​ ​best​ ​microphone.​ ​Take​ ​down​ ​the​ ​other​ ​microphones​ ​and​ ​set
up​ ​your​ ​chosen​ ​mic​ ​with​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​accessories.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​10​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Technique​ ​and​ ​Microphone

Placement

Experimentation​ ​Is​ ​Vital

Getting​ ​a​ ​great​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​the​ ​source​ ​is​ ​simple.​ ​All​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​do​ ​is​ ​set​ ​aside​ ​some​ ​time​ ​(5
minutes)​ ​to​ ​experiment​ ​with​ ​different​ ​distances.

There’s​ ​no​ ​secret.​ ​Most​ ​people​ ​don’t​ ​realise​ ​how​ ​important​ ​this​ ​step​ ​is.​ ​Microphone​ ​choice
combined​ ​with​ ​mic​ ​position​ ​is​ ​80%​ ​of​ ​your​ ​sound.​ ​Skip​ ​over​ ​either​ ​of​ ​these​ ​steps,​ ​and​ ​your
vocal​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​harder​ ​to​ ​mix.

All​ ​singers​ ​are​ ​different.​ ​This​ ​step​ ​will​ ​be​ ​easier​ ​with​ ​some​ ​than​ ​others.​ ​After​ ​a​ ​while​ ​you​ ​will
learn​ ​what​ ​works​ ​and​ ​what​ ​doesn’t.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​pressed​ ​for​ ​time,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​resort​ ​to​ ​your​ ​go-to​ ​position.​ ​My​ ​go-to​ ​microphone
position​ ​is​ ​slightly​ ​above​ ​lip​ ​level,​ ​pointing​ ​slightly​ ​downward,​ ​at​ ​about​ ​5​ ​inches​ ​away.

Otherwise,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​spend​ ​some​ ​time​ ​experimenting​ ​with​ ​different​ ​positions​ ​and
distances.​ ​As​ ​with​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​shootout,​ ​it​ ​might​ ​be​ ​best​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​in​ ​a​ ​different​ ​session​ ​if
you​ ​have​ ​the​ ​opportunity.

Having​ ​said​ ​that,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​general​ ​guidelines​ ​that​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​recording
sessions.

General​ ​Recording​ ​Principles

When​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​recording​ ​technique,​ ​each​ ​microphone​ ​type​ ​has​ ​its​ ​own​ ​set​ ​of​ ​rules.

In​ ​general,​ ​it’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​bit​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​further​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​when​ ​using​ ​a​ ​condenser.​ ​This
is​ ​because​ ​variations​ ​in​ ​distance​ ​(when​ ​the​ ​signer​ ​starts​ ​dancing​ ​around)​ ​will​ ​have​ ​less​ ​of​ ​an
impact​ ​on​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​and​ ​volume​ ​when​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​further​ ​back.

Many​ ​singers​ ​use​ ​‘microphone​ ​technique’​ ​to​ ​move​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​closer​ ​and​ ​further​ ​away​ ​from
the​ ​mouth​ ​when​ ​singing​ ​live.​ ​When​ ​they​ ​sing​ ​loud,​ ​they​ ​move​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​to
maintain​ ​a​ ​consistent​ ​volume.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​studio​ ​environment,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​worst​ ​things​ ​that​ ​a
vocalist​ ​could​ ​do.​ ​Every​ ​time​ ​they​ ​move​ ​forwards​ ​or​ ​backwards​ ​it​ ​will​ ​drastically​ ​affect​ ​their​ ​tone.

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​reason​ ​to​ ​use​ ​compression​ ​when​ ​tracking​ ​vocals​ ​-​ ​the​ ​compressor​ ​will​ ​even​ ​out
the​ ​dynamics​ ​for​ ​them​ ​so​ ​they​ ​won’t​ ​feel​ ​the​ ​need​ ​to​ ​move​ ​forwards​ ​and​ ​backwards​ ​as​ ​they
sing.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

To​ ​stop​ ​a​ ​vocalist​ ​from​ ​moving​ ​around​ ​too​ ​much​ ​when​ ​tracking,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​shield​ ​as​ ​a
physical​ ​barrier​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​reference.​ ​You​ ​could​ ​also​ ​try​ ​using​ ​a​ ​second​ ​microphone​ ​stand​ ​with
just​ ​a​ ​clip​ ​attached​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​hold​ ​like​ ​a​ ​live​ ​microphone.​ ​Lastly,​ ​you​ ​could​ ​add​ ​a​ ​tape​ ​cross
to​ ​the​ ​floor​ ​so​ ​they​ ​know​ ​when​ ​to​ ​stand.

Throughout​ ​this​ ​section​ ​you​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​various​ ​techniques​ ​for​ ​reducing​ ​plosives​ ​without​ ​using​ ​a
pop​ ​shield.​ ​If​ ​none​ ​of​ ​these​ ​techniques​ ​work,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​simply​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​replace​ ​every​ ​‘p’
with​ ​a​ ​‘b’.​ ​It​ ​might​ ​seem​ ​bizarre,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​works.​ ​Try​ ​it​ ​now.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​context​ ​of​ ​a​ ​song​ ​it​ ​isn’t
noticeable,​ ​yet​ ​it​ ​removes​ ​most​ ​plosives.

The​ ​human​ ​voice​ ​consists​ ​of​ ​many​ ​moving​ ​parts.​ ​The​ ​quieter​ ​qualities​ ​(like​ ​consonants)​ ​come
from​ ​your​ ​smaller​ ​facial​ ​features​ ​like​ ​your​ ​mouth​ ​and​ ​tongue,​ ​yet​ ​the​ ​louder​ ​resonant​ ​qualities
come​ ​from​ ​your​ ​chest​ ​and​ ​throat.​ ​As​ ​you​ ​move​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​closer​ ​or​ ​further​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the
vocalist,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​exaggerate​ ​or​ ​reduce​ ​either​ ​of​ ​these​ ​qualities.​ ​Bear​ ​this​ ​in​ ​mind​ ​when
positioning​ ​your​ ​microphone.

For​ ​example,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​sounds​ ​unintelligible​ ​and​ ​undefined,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​need​ ​to​ ​move​ ​the
microphone​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​closer.

Now​ ​let’s​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​specifics​ ​of​ ​each​ ​microphone​ ​type.

Microphone​ ​Distance

Cardioid​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

With​ ​cardioid​ ​condenser​ ​microphones,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​remember​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect.​ ​In​ ​most
cases,​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​get​ ​closer​ ​than​ ​5​ ​inches.

Some​ ​old​ ​school​ ​engineers​ ​(like​ ​Al​ ​Schmitt)​ ​will​ ​default​ ​to​ ​around​ ​10​ ​inches.​ ​For​ ​a​ ​modern
sound,​ ​it’s​ ​best​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​closer.​ ​Start​ ​at​ ​around​ ​6​ ​inches​ ​and​ ​experiment​ ​from​ ​there.

It’s​ ​pretty​ ​simple,​ ​really.​ ​The​ ​further​ ​away​ ​they​ ​are​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone,​ ​the​ ​brighter​ ​the​ ​sound
will​ ​be​ ​and​ ​the​ ​more​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room​ ​you​ ​will​ ​capture.​ ​The​ ​closer​ ​they​ ​are​ ​to​ ​the​ ​microphone,​ ​the
warmer​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​will​ ​be​ ​and​ ​the​ ​less​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room​ ​you​ ​will​ ​capture.

Far​ ​away​ ​(12​ ​inches)​ ​=​ ​open​ ​and​ ​airy.

Close​ ​(4​ ​inches)​ ​=​ ​warm​ ​and​ ​intimate.

If​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​trained​ ​ears​ ​and​ ​aren’t​ ​100%​ ​confident​ ​with​ ​your​ ​decisions,​ ​it’s​ ​better​ ​to​ ​be
further​ ​away​ ​than​ ​too​ ​close.​ ​The​ ​proximity​ ​effect​ ​can​ ​quickly​ ​ruin​ ​a​ ​good​ ​recording.​ ​6​ ​inches​ ​is​ ​a
good​ ​starting​ ​point​ ​in​ ​80%​ ​of​ ​situations.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Omnidirectional​ ​Condenser​ ​Microphones

As​ ​omnidirectional​ ​microphones​ ​don’t​ ​exhibit​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​get​ ​much​ ​closer
without​ ​affecting​ ​the​ ​tone.​ ​It’s​ ​still​ ​better​ ​to​ ​err​ ​on​ ​the​ ​side​ ​of​ ​caution​ ​and​ ​position​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​a
few​ ​inches​ ​away​ ​-​ ​especially​ ​if​ ​they​ ​like​ ​to​ ​move​ ​around​ ​a​ ​lot.

For​ ​quiet,​ ​intimate​ ​sections​ ​you​ ​can​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​get​ ​right​ ​up​ ​close​ ​to​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​-
about​ ​1​ ​inch​ ​away​ ​(or​ ​less).​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​technique​ ​for​ ​whispery​ ​vocals.

Dynamic​ ​Microphones
These​ ​microphones​ ​are​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used​ ​up​ ​close.​ ​The​ ​low​ ​end​ ​is​ ​artificially​ ​lowered​ ​to
account​ ​for​ ​the​ ​proximity​ ​effect.

For​ ​this​ ​reason,​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​much​ ​simpler​ ​procedure.​ ​Simply​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​get​ ​right​ ​up​ ​close​ ​to
the​ ​microphone.​ ​This​ ​works​ ​particularly​ ​well​ ​for​ ​aggressive​ ​rock​ ​vocals​ ​(and​ ​even​ ​screaming).

You​ ​can​ ​still​ ​experiment​ ​with​ ​positioning​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​between​ ​6-12​ ​inches​ ​away.​ ​Some
engineers​ ​like​ ​to​ ​use​ ​an​ ​SM7B​ ​at​ ​12​ ​inches​ ​-​ ​there​ ​are​ ​no​ ​rules.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​generally​ ​find​ ​that​ ​these
microphones​ ​work​ ​best​ ​when​ ​used​ ​up​ ​close​ ​(as​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​they​ ​were​ ​designed​ ​for).

Microphone​ ​Height
Microphone​ ​height​ ​is​ ​another​ ​large​ ​variable​ ​in​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocal.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​use
microphone​ ​height​ ​to​ ​influence​ ​the​ ​way​ ​that​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​sings.

Vocalists​ ​sound​ ​different​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​where​ ​they​ ​are​ ​looking.​ ​Looking​ ​upwards​ ​opens​ ​up​ ​the
chest​ ​and​ ​helps​ ​with​ ​projection.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​also​ ​result​ ​in​ ​a​ ​more​ ​aggressive​ ​sound.​ ​Looking
downwards​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​a​ ​softer​ ​sound​ ​but​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​harder​ ​for​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​project​ ​their​ ​voice.

By​ ​positioning​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​above​ ​or​ ​below​ ​eye​ ​level,​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​will​ ​usually​ ​adjust​ ​their
head​ ​angle​ ​accordingly.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​control​ ​head​ ​angle​ ​by​ ​taping​ ​the​ ​lyric​ ​sheet​ ​or​ ​another
visual​ ​reference​ ​to​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​stand​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​microphone.

Of​ ​course,​ ​this​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​only​ ​way​ ​that​ ​the​ ​height​ ​of​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​affects​ ​the​ ​tone.​ ​High
frequencies​ ​are​ ​the​ ​most​ ​directional​ ​and​ ​emit​ ​from​ ​your​ ​mouth​ ​in​ ​a​ ​downwards​ ​cone.​ ​Therefore,
a​ ​microphone​ ​positioned​ ​under​ ​lip​ ​level​ ​will​ ​sound​ ​brighter​ ​than​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​positioned​ ​above
lip​ ​level.

But​ ​there​ ​is​ ​another​ ​variable​ ​to​ ​consider​ ​-​ ​a​ ​lower​ ​microphone​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​nearer​ ​the​ ​chest.​ ​This
increases​ ​the​ ​bass​ ​response.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

On​ ​the​ ​contrary,​ ​as​ ​you​ ​move​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​above​ ​lip​ ​level,​ ​the​ ​highs​ ​reduce​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the
bass.​ ​This​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​a​ ​more​ ​pronounced​ ​mid-range.

The​ ​go-to​ ​height​ ​for​ ​most​ ​people​ ​is​ ​lip​ ​level.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​acceptable​ ​in​ ​most​ ​cases,​ ​but​ ​can
sometimes​ ​sound​ ​bland​ ​and​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​increased​ ​plosives​ ​and​ ​sibilance.

One​ ​alternative​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​to​ ​position​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​slightly​ ​lower,​ ​nearer​ ​chest​ ​height
pointing​ ​upwards.​ ​This​ ​makes​ ​the​ ​voice​ ​sound​ ​warmer​ ​and​ ​more​ ​pronounced.​ ​Use​ ​a​ ​visual​ ​aid
to​ ​stop​ ​the​ ​signer​ ​from​ ​looking​ ​down​ ​at​ ​the​ ​microphone.​ ​To​ ​make​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​even​ ​warmer,​ ​point
the​ ​microphone​ ​lower​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​chest.

Another​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​to​ ​position​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​a​ ​few​ ​inches​ ​above​ ​lip​ ​level​ ​(at​ ​eye​ ​level)
pointing​ ​slightly​ ​downwards.​ ​This​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​a​ ​distinct​ ​boost​ ​in​ ​the​ ​lower​ ​midrange​ ​as​ ​we​ ​have
reduced​ ​the​ ​bass​ ​from​ ​the​ ​chest​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​reduced​ ​the​ ​highs​ ​from​ ​the​ ​mouth.​ ​That​ ​midrange
boost​ ​can​ ​complement​ ​some​ ​voices​ ​and​ ​help​ ​them​ ​to​ ​cut​ ​through​ ​the​ ​mix.

This​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​plosives​ ​and​ ​sibilance.​ ​Use​ ​a​ ​visual​ ​aid​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​the​ ​vocalist
from​ ​pointing​ ​their​ ​head​ ​too​ ​far​ ​upwards​ ​and​ ​singing​ ​directly​ ​into​ ​the​ ​microphone.

As​ ​with​ ​most​ ​things,​ ​different​ ​techniques​ ​will​ ​work​ ​with​ ​different​ ​singers.​ ​It’s​ ​important​ ​to
experiment​ ​if​ ​you​ ​get​ ​the​ ​chance.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​100%​ ​sure,​ ​keep​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​around​ ​lip​ ​or
eye​ ​level.

Microphone​ ​Position​ ​(Axis​ ​Orientation)

You​ ​can​ ​rotate​ ​a​ ​cardioid​ ​microphone​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​plosives,​ ​reduce​ ​bass​ ​response,​ ​increase​ ​treble
and​ ​capture​ ​more​ ​of​ ​the​ ​room.​ ​Try​ ​rotating​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​20​ ​degrees​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​small​ ​change​ ​to
the​ ​tone.

As​ ​well​ ​as​ ​rotating​ ​the​ ​microphone,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​rotate​ ​the​ ​vocalist.​ ​Most​ ​people​ ​have​ ​an
asymmetrical​ ​face,​ ​so​ ​sound​ ​slightly​ ​different​ ​on​ ​either​ ​side.​ ​Some​ ​vocalists​ ​will​ ​sound​ ​slightly
better​ ​from​ ​the​ ​right​ ​side,​ ​for​ ​example.

Placing​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​off​ ​axis​ ​can​ ​significantly​ ​reduce​ ​plosives​ ​and​ ​sibilance.

Chapter​ ​11​ ​-​ ​Setting​ ​Levels​ ​and​ ​Using​ ​Outboard

Equipment

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

The​ ​Gain​ ​Sweet​ ​Spot

In​ ​the​ ​analogue​ ​days​ ​you​ ​had​ ​to​ ​record​ ​as​ ​hot​ ​as​ ​you​ ​could​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​introducing​ ​noise.

Those​ ​days​ ​are​ ​long​ ​gone.

With​ ​24-bit​ ​audio,​ ​you​ ​rarely​ ​need​ ​to​ ​worry​ ​about​ ​the​ ​digital​ ​noise​ ​floor.​ ​There’s​ ​absolutely​ ​no
need​ ​to​ ​record​ ​at​ ​high​ ​levels.

Here’s​ ​what​ ​you​ ​should​ ​aim​ ​for:

1. Averaging​ ​around​ ​-18dBFS

2. Peaking​ ​around​ ​-10dBFS
3. Never​ ​peaking​ ​higher​ ​than​ ​-6dBFS

You​ ​can​ ​see​ ​the​ ​dBFS​ ​level​ ​in​ ​your​ ​DAW​ ​on​ ​the​ ​channel​ ​meters​ ​(or​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​a​ ​dedicated
metering​ ​plugin).

Your​ ​main​ ​goal​ ​when​ ​recording​ ​is​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​ever​ ​getting​ ​near​ ​-6dBFS.​ ​Recording​ ​too​ ​quiet​ ​is
rarely​ ​a​ ​problem.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​just​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​gain.

Recording​ ​too​ ​loud,​ ​however,​ ​is​ ​a​ ​major​ ​problem.

Audio​ ​equipment​ ​doesn’t​ ​sound​ ​as​ ​good​ ​when​ ​it​ ​gets​ ​past​ ​-6dBFS.​ ​Your​ ​preamps​ ​won’t​ ​sound
as​ ​good​ ​at​ ​high​ ​levels.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​also​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​clipping.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​clips​ ​during​ ​one
of​ ​the​ ​vocalist’s​ ​best​ ​performances,​ ​you’re​ ​screwed.

Ask​ ​the​ ​signer​ ​to​ ​belt​ ​it​ ​and​ ​adjust​ ​the​ ​gain​ ​until​ ​the​ ​volume​ ​is​ ​averaging​ ​around​ ​-20dBFS​ ​(they
will​ ​probably​ ​sing​ ​even​ ​louder​ ​during​ ​an​ ​actual​ ​take).​ ​Use​ ​the​ ​channel​ ​meters​ ​in​ ​your​ ​DAW​ ​or
use​ ​a​ ​dedicated​ ​VU​ ​plugin​ ​like​ ​VU​ ​Meter​​ ​(don’t​ ​forget​ ​to​ ​calibrate​ ​the​ ​plugin​ ​to​ ​-18dBFS​ ​if​ ​you
do,​ ​though).

Using​ ​Outboard​ ​Equipment

“Don’t​ ​try​ ​and​ ​make​ ​one​ ​thing​ ​do​ ​too​ ​much​ ​of​ ​the​ ​work”–​ ​Dave​ ​Pensado​ ​(Mariah​ ​Carey,
Christina​ ​Aguilera,​ ​Mary​ ​J.​ ​Blige)

It’s​ ​common​ ​practice​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​hardware​ ​compressor​ ​when​ ​recording​ ​vocals.​ ​By​ ​nature,​ ​vocals
have​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​large​ ​dynamic​ ​range.​ ​But​ ​in​ ​a​ ​final​ ​mix,​ ​we​ ​want​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​to​ ​be​ ​consistent
in​ ​volume.​ ​For​ ​this​ ​reason,​ ​mixing​ ​vocals​ ​involves​ ​many​ ​stages​ ​of​ ​heavy​ ​dynamic​ ​processing
(automation,​ ​compression​ ​and​ ​limiting).

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Compression​ ​is​ ​best​ ​applied​ ​in​ ​small​ ​stages.​ ​Doing​ ​it​ ​this​ ​way​ ​sounds​ ​more​ ​transparent​ ​and
natural​ ​than​ ​applying​ ​a​ ​single​ ​compressor​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​and​ ​working​ ​it​ ​hard.​ ​Applying​ ​2​ ​or​ ​3​ ​dB’s​ ​of
gain​ ​reduction​ ​when​ ​recording​ ​can​ ​save​ ​you​ ​some​ ​time​ ​when​ ​mixing​ ​and​ ​add​ ​more​ ​character​ ​to
the​ ​sound.

It​ ​also​ ​helps​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​while​ ​tracking.​ ​If​ ​their​ ​vocal​ ​is​ ​more​ ​dynamically​ ​consistent​ ​when
monitoring,​ ​they​ ​won’t​ ​feel​ ​the​ ​need​ ​to​ ​compensate​ ​by​ ​moving​ ​closer​ ​or​ ​further​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the
microphone.

It​ ​ensures​ ​that​ ​the​ ​vocal​ ​sits​ ​better​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix​ ​when​ ​listening​ ​back​ ​to​ ​takes​ ​and​ ​assessing​ ​the
vocal​ ​tone​ ​and​ ​performance​ ​in​ ​the​ ​context​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song.

Aim​ ​for​ ​2-6dB​ ​of​ ​gain​ ​reduction​ ​(depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​genre)​ ​and​ ​a​ ​ratio​ ​below​ ​3:1.​ ​Medium​ ​attack
and​ ​release​ ​times​ ​will​ ​work​ ​best.

Applying​ ​a​ ​high​ ​pass​ ​filter​ ​can​ ​also​ ​save​ ​you​ ​some​ ​time​ ​when​ ​mixing.​ ​Some​ ​microphones​ ​have
a​ ​switch​ ​on​ ​them,​ ​as​ ​do​ ​some​ ​preamps.​ ​These​ ​high​ ​pass​ ​filters​ ​often​ ​sound​ ​more​ ​natural​ ​than​ ​a
digital​ ​HPF​ ​in​ ​your​ ​DAW,​ ​but​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​test​ ​this​ ​before​ ​recording​ ​day.

External​ ​preamps​ ​are​ ​essential​ ​in​ ​some​ ​cases.​ ​Expensive​ ​microphones​ ​require​ ​a​ ​good​ ​preamp
to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​most​ ​out​ ​of​ ​them.​ ​Many​ ​ribbon​ ​microphones​ ​and​ ​even​ ​some​ ​dynamic​ ​microphones
will​ ​also​ ​need​ ​a​ ​preamp​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​the​ ​gain​ ​up​ ​to​ ​an​ ​acceptable​ ​level.

Despite​ ​this,​ ​it’s​ ​much​ ​better​ ​to​ ​invest​ ​in​ ​a​ ​range​ ​of​ ​microphones​ ​than​ ​it​ ​is​ ​to​ ​invest​ ​in​ ​several
preamps.​ ​It’s​ ​worth​ ​having​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​half​ ​decent​ ​preamp,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​should​ ​be​ ​sufficient​ ​for
most​ ​home​ ​studios.​ ​A​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​USB​ ​audio​ ​interfaces​ ​now​ ​come​ ​with​ ​pretty​ ​decent​ ​preamps,​ ​so​ ​you
might​ ​not​ ​need​ ​one​ ​at​ ​all.

In​ ​general,​ ​you​ ​should​ ​spend​ ​less​ ​than​ ​20%​ ​of​ ​you​ ​microphone​ ​budget​ ​on​ ​preamps​ ​(until​ ​you
start​ ​investing​ ​in​ ​top​ ​of​ ​the​ ​range​ ​microphones,​ ​in​ ​which​ ​case​ ​you​ ​may​ ​need​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​a​ ​bit
more).

If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​only​ ​afford​ ​one​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​outboard​ ​equipment,​ ​get​ ​a​ ​good​ ​channel​ ​strip.​ ​In​ ​most​ ​cases
this​ ​will​ ​provide​ ​you​ ​with​ ​everything​ ​you​ ​need:​ ​a​ ​preamp,​ ​EQ​ ​and​ ​compression.

Set​ ​the​ ​levels​ ​on​ ​your​ ​outboard​ ​while​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​warming​ ​up​ ​and​ ​rehearsing.​ ​Always​ ​err​ ​on
the​ ​side​ ​of​ ​caution​ ​–​ ​any​ ​decisions​ ​that​ ​you​ ​make​ ​now​ ​are​ ​permanent.​ ​Avoid​ ​applying​ ​more
than​ ​6dB​ ​of​ ​gain​ ​reduction​ ​and​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​any​ ​EQ​ ​moves​ ​are​ ​subtle.​ ​Have​ ​some​ ​go-to​ ​settings
ready​ ​incase​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​get​ ​started​ ​without​ ​a​ ​warm​ ​up.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Section​ ​Three 
Working​ ​with​ ​Vocalists

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​12​ ​-​ ​Managing​ ​Takes

The​ ​Difference​ ​Between​ ​a​ ​1​ ​Hour​ ​Editing​ ​Session​ ​and​ ​a​ ​4​ ​Hour
Editing​ ​Session
How​ ​you​ ​decide​ ​to​ ​manage​ ​your​ ​DAW​ ​now​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​significant​ ​impact​ ​down​ ​the​ ​line.

Neglecting​ ​to​ ​properly​ ​manage​ ​takes​ ​now​ ​could​ ​cost​ ​you​ ​hours​ ​during​ ​the​ ​editing/comping
phase.

Every​ ​modern​ ​DAW​ ​has​ ​a​ ​system​ ​for​ ​managing​ ​takes.​ ​They​ ​have​ ​different​ ​names​ ​(Playlists,
Comping,​ ​Tracks)​ ​but​ ​all​ ​have​ ​similar​ ​functionality.

I​ ​highly​ ​recommend​ ​using​ ​your​ ​DAW’s​ ​built-in​ ​take​ ​management​ ​function.​ ​The​ ​old​ ​school​ ​way​ ​is
to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​track​ ​for​ ​each​ ​new​ ​take.​ ​But​ ​this​ ​is​ ​EXTREMELY​ ​time​ ​consuming​ ​when​ ​it
comes​ ​to​ ​editing.

Here​ ​is​ ​some​ ​info​ ​about​ ​several​ ​popular​ ​DAW’s:

● Pro​ ​Tools​​ ​-​ ​Create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​playlist​ ​for​ ​every​ ​take.​ ​Change​ ​the​ ​track​ ​view​ ​to​ ​‘Playlist’​ ​to
view​ ​and​ ​comp​ ​the​ ​takes.
● Logic​ ​Pro​​ ​-​ ​Record​ ​over​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​an​ ​existing​ ​region​ ​and​ ​a​ ​new​ ​take​ ​is​ ​automatically
created.
● Reaper​​ ​-​ ​Record​ ​over​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​an​ ​existing​ ​region​ ​and​ ​a​ ​new​ ​take​ ​is​ ​automatically
created.
● Studio​ ​One​​ ​–​ ​Turn​ ​on​ ​‘Record​ ​Takes’​ ​and​ ​check​ ​the​ ​‘Record​ ​Takes​ ​To​ ​Layers’​ ​box.​ ​You
can​ ​also​ ​manually​ ​create​ ​new​ ​‘Layers’​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​as​ ​using​ ​playlists​ ​in​ ​Pro​ ​Tools.
Right​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​channel​ ​and​ ​hit​ ​‘Expand​ ​Layers’​ ​to​ ​see​ ​your​ ​different​ ​takes.
● Cubase​​ ​–​ ​Record​ ​over​ ​the​ ​top​ ​to​ ​automatically​ ​create​ ​new​ ​‘Lanes’.​ ​Click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​‘Lanes’
box​ ​on​ ​the​ ​channel​ ​to​ ​view​ ​your​ ​takes.
● Ableton​ ​Live​​ ​–​ ​No​ ​built​ ​in​ ​comping​ ​feature.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​track​ ​for​ ​every
take​ ​and​ ​compile​ ​the​ ​takes​ ​manually.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​13​ ​-​ ​Getting​ ​the​ ​Best​ ​Performance

It’s​ ​All​ ​About​ ​The​ ​Music

It’s​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​all​ ​of​ ​you​ ​attention​ ​on​ ​production​ ​and​ ​forget​ ​the​ ​real​ ​reason​ ​you’re​ ​there​ ​–​ ​to
create​ ​great​ ​music.

The​ ​vocals​ ​are​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​aspect​ ​in​ ​conveying​ ​the​ ​emotion,​ ​feel​ ​and​ ​energy​ ​of​ ​a​ ​song.

If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​having​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​day​ ​and​ ​gives​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​performance,​ ​the​ ​song​ ​could​ ​be​ ​ruined.

A​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​playing​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​producer​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​engineer.​ ​It’s​ ​your​ ​job​ ​to
get​ ​the​ ​best​ ​possible​ ​performance​ ​out​ ​of​ ​a​ ​vocalist.

If​ ​you’re​ ​recording​ ​yourself,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​still​ ​bear​ ​these​ ​principles​ ​in​ ​mind.​ ​Tell​ ​yourself​ ​these​ ​things
as​ ​if​ ​you​ ​were​ ​an​ ​engineer​ ​talking​ ​to​ ​a​ ​vocalist.

The​ ​Warm​ ​Up​ ​Take

Once​ ​you’ve​ ​set​ ​the​ ​levels​ ​and​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​is​ ​ready,​ ​go​ ​for​ ​a​ ​warm​ ​up​ ​take.

Tell​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​that​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​recording,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​just​ ​want​ ​to​ ​run​ ​through​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​song​ ​once
so​ ​you​ ​know​ ​the​ ​different​ ​sections.

Here’s​ ​the​ ​twist​ ​–​ ​record​ ​it.​ ​Sometimes​ ​the​ ​first​ ​performance​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best.​ ​They​ ​will​ ​feel​ ​relaxed
(because​ ​they​ ​think​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​recording)​ ​and​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​will​ ​be​ ​fresh.

It​ ​may​ ​seem​ ​dishonest,​ ​but​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​the​ ​best​ ​performance​ ​of​ ​the​ ​day​ ​nobody​ ​will​ ​blame​ ​you.

While​ ​recording​ ​the​ ​warm​ ​up​ ​take,​ ​check​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​isn’t​ ​moving​ ​around​ ​too​ ​much.​ ​If​ ​it’s
necessary​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​move​ ​around​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​good​ ​performance,​ ​then​ ​so​ ​be​ ​it.​ ​If​ ​that​ ​is​ ​the​ ​case,
though,​ ​ask​ ​them​ ​to​ ​move​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​further​ ​back​ ​from​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​so​ ​that​ ​there​ ​aren’t​ ​large​ ​fluctuations​ ​in
volume​ ​and​ ​tone.

Get​ ​Lost​ ​In​ ​The​ ​Music

Ask​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​read​ ​back​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​and​ ​think​ ​about​ ​their​ ​meaning.​ ​Ask​ ​them​ ​to​ ​get​ ​into​ ​the
same​ ​frame​ ​of​ ​mind​ ​they​ ​were​ ​in​ ​when​ ​writing​ ​their​ ​song.

What​ ​emotions​ ​were​ ​they​ ​feeling?​ ​Where​ ​were​ ​they​ ​at​ ​the​ ​time?​ ​What​ ​was​ ​happening​ ​that
inspired​ ​these​ ​lyrics?

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

If​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​were​ ​written​ ​by​ ​somebody​ ​else,​ ​get​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​imagine​ ​how​ ​they​ ​felt​ ​when​ ​they
wrote​ ​the​ ​lyrics.

Encourage​ ​them​ ​to​ ​lose​ ​themselves​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song.​ ​And​ ​I​ ​mean​ ​REALLY​ ​get​ ​lost​ ​in​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​often​ ​helps
to​ ​ask​ ​everyone​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​the​ ​studio.

Flaws​ ​Enhance​ ​The​ ​Performance

Perfection​ ​isn’t​ ​always​ ​desirable.

It’s​ ​the​ ​small​ ​flaws​ ​and​ ​inflictions​ ​that​ ​can​ ​make​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​stand​ ​out.​ ​It’s​ ​better​ ​to​ ​have​ ​an
emotional,​ ​powerful​ ​performance​ ​with​ ​one​ ​or​ ​two​ ​flaws​ ​than​ ​a​ ​careful,​ ​sterile​ ​performance​ ​that’s
perfect.

Rather​ ​than​ ​aiming​ ​for​ ​perfection,​ ​aim​ ​for​ ​an​ ​emotional,​ ​powerful​ ​performance​ ​that​ ​has​ ​attitude
and​ ​conveys​ ​the​ ​meaning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song.

Take​ ​Regular​ ​Breaks

Take​ ​more​ ​breaks​ ​than​ ​you​ ​think​ ​necessary.​ ​Take​ ​a​ ​5​ ​minute​ ​break​ ​every​ ​half​ ​hour.​ ​Set​ ​a​ ​timer
to​ ​remind​ ​you.

If​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​delivers​ ​a​ ​few​ ​bad​ ​takes​ ​in​ ​a​ ​row,​ ​it’s​ ​time​ ​for​ ​a​ ​break.​ ​The​ ​best​ ​takes​ ​usually
come​ ​straight​ ​after​ ​a​ ​break,​ ​so​ ​take​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can​ ​(within​ ​reason).

Be​ ​Friendly​ ​and​ ​Re-Assuring

Never​ ​directly​ ​criticize​ ​a​ ​vocalist​ ​during​ ​a​ ​vocal​ ​session.

If​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​point​ ​out​ ​a​ ​repeated​ ​mistake,​ ​use​ ​the​ ​‘Compliment​ ​Sandwich’.​ ​Give​ ​them​ ​a
compliment,​ ​tell​ ​them​ ​what​ ​they​ ​keep​ ​doing​ ​wrong,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​give​ ​them​ ​another​ ​compliment.

For​ ​example:​ ​“Hey,​ ​it’s​ ​sounding​ ​really​ ​great,​ ​I​ ​absolutely​ ​love​ ​your​ ​emotion​ ​in​ ​that​ ​verse!​ ​I​ ​have
noticed​ ​that​ ​you’re​ ​coming​ ​in​ ​slightly​ ​early​ ​on​ ​the​ ​second​ ​verse,​ ​but​ ​apart​ ​from​ ​that​ ​it’s
absolutely​ ​spot​ ​on.​ ​Really​ ​feeling​ ​it.”

Every​ ​time​ ​you​ ​finish​ ​a​ ​take,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​them​ ​right​ ​away,​ ​especially​ ​if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​in
another​ ​room.​ ​Never​ ​leave​ ​a​ ​vocalist​ ​standing​ ​there​ ​wondering​ ​what’s​ ​going​ ​on​ ​-​ ​they​ ​might
start​ ​to​ ​think​ ​that​ ​you​ ​are​ ​criticizing​ ​them​ ​behind​ ​their​ ​back.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​recording​ ​in​ ​a​ ​separate​ ​room​ ​but​ ​it​ ​isn’t​ ​working​ ​out,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​always​ ​bring​ ​the​ ​vocalist
into​ ​the​ ​same​ ​room.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​communicate​ ​with​ ​them​ ​more​ ​effectively​ ​and​ ​can​ ​help
them​ ​to​ ​relax.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​14​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Efficiently

Using​ ​Comp​ ​Sheets

During​ ​the​ ​preparation​ ​module​ ​you​ ​were​ ​introduced​ ​to​ ​comp​ ​sheets.

Using​ ​comp​ ​sheets​ ​will​ ​also​ ​save​ ​you​ ​hours​ ​during​ ​editing.

In​ ​the​ ​left​ ​column​ ​you​ ​write​ ​each​ ​line​ ​of​ ​the​ ​vocal.​ ​On​ ​the​ ​right,​ ​you​ ​give​ ​each​ ​take​ ​a​ ​rating.
There​ ​are​ ​two​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​rate​ ​takes.​ ​Choose​ ​the​ ​method​ ​that​ ​you​ ​prefer.

Method​ ​1​ ​–​ ​Rate​ ​each​ ​take​ ​out​ ​of​ ​10

This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​to​ ​rate​ ​your​ ​takes.​ ​Simply​ ​give​ ​each​ ​line​ ​a​ ​rating​ ​out​ ​of​ ​10.

Use​ ​0​ ​for​ ​takes​ ​that​ ​are​ ​completely​ ​unusable​ ​and​ ​10​ ​for​ ​takes​ ​that​ ​are​ ​perfect.

Method​ ​2​ ​–​ ​Good,​ ​Bad,​ ​Sharp​ ​or​ ​Flat

This​ ​method​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you​ ​more​ ​detailed​ ​information​ ​but​ ​requires​ ​a​ ​good​ ​ear.

Rate​ ​each​ ​take​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​following:

● VG​ ​–​ ​Very​ ​Good

● G​ ​–​ ​Good
● X​ ​–​ ​Bad
● ↑​ ​–​ ​Sharp
● ↓​ ​–​ ​Flat
● ?​ ​–​ ​Undecided

Any​ ​takes​ ​that​ ​are​ ​marked​ ​as​ ​‘VG’​ ​are​ ​your​ ​keepers.​ ​Any​ ​that​ ​are​ ​marked​ ​as​ ​‘?’​ ​will​ ​need
checking​ ​again​ ​when​ ​comping.

Here’s​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​completed​ ​comp​ ​sheet:

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Whole​ ​Takes​ ​vs​ ​Dropping​ ​In

Start​ ​off​ ​by​ ​recording​ ​.at​ ​least​ ​3​ ​whole​ ​takes​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song.

After​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​two​ ​options:

1. Record​ ​more​ ​whole​ ​takes​ ​–​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​to​ ​get​ ​into​ ​the​ ​song​ ​and​ ​convey
more​ ​emotion.​ ​It​ ​sounds​ ​more​ ​natural​ ​and​ ​fluid,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​time​ ​consuming.
2. Drop​ ​straight​ ​into​ ​the​ ​sections​ ​that​ ​need​ ​work​ ​–​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​quick​ ​way​ ​to​ ​fix​ ​any​ ​phrases​ ​or
sections​ ​that​ ​are​ ​problematic.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​also​ ​necessary​ ​for​ ​overlapping​ ​vocals​ ​(common​ ​in
rap).

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Each​ ​technique​ ​has​ ​its​ ​uses.

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​dropping​ ​into​ ​a​ ​section,​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​give​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​a​ ​pre-roll​ ​(let​ ​them​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​a​ ​few
bars​ ​before​ ​they​ ​need​ ​to​ ​start​ ​singing)​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​get​ ​the​ ​tempo​ ​and​ ​feel​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song.

My​ ​preferred​ ​technique​ ​combines​ ​these​ ​two​ ​methods:

1. Record​ ​5​ ​full​ ​takes​ ​(can​ ​sometimes​ ​be​ ​less​ ​or​ ​more​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​skill​ ​of​ ​the
vocalist)​ ​so​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​at​ ​least​ ​2​ ​good​ ​versions​ ​(over​ ​‘8’​ ​or​ ​‘VG’)​ ​of​ ​most​ ​lines.
Remember​ ​to​ ​take​ ​regular​ ​breaks.
2. Look​ ​at​ ​your​ ​comp​ ​sheet​ ​to​ ​find​ ​any​ ​lines​ ​that​ ​have​ ​no​ ​good​ ​takes​ ​or​ ​only​ ​a​ ​few​ ​good
takes.​ ​Drop​ ​into​ ​them​ ​(or​ ​loop​ ​record)​ ​until​ ​you​ ​have​ ​at​ ​least​ ​2​ ​good​ ​versions.​ ​Save​ ​the
loudest​ ​sections​ ​for​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​session​ ​(or​ ​any​ ​sections​ ​that​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​sound
vulnerable​ ​and​ ​raw).

Wrapping​ ​Up​ ​The​ ​Session

It’s​ ​time​ ​to​ ​wrap​ ​up​ ​the​ ​session​ ​when​ ​you​ ​either​ ​a)​ ​run​ ​out​ ​of​ ​time,​ ​b)​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​performance
is​ ​just​ ​getting​ ​worse,​ ​or​ ​c)​ ​you​ ​already​ ​have​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​good​ ​takes.

Most​ ​vocalists​ ​can​ ​only​ ​last​ ​a​ ​few​ ​hours,​ ​so​ ​there​ ​is​ ​always​ ​a​ ​time​ ​constraint.

Ideally,​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​have​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​full​ ​take​ ​that​ ​is​ ​near​ ​perfect.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​make​ ​comping​ ​much
faster,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​result​ ​will​ ​sound​ ​more​ ​natural.

Once​ ​you’re​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​wrap​ ​up,​ ​tell​ ​the​ ​vocalist​ ​that​ ​you’re​ ​finished​ ​but​ ​would​ ​like​ ​them​ ​to​ ​record
two​ ​or​ ​three​ ​more​ ​full​ ​takes,​ ​this​ ​time​ ​singing​ ​whatever​ ​they​ ​want.​ ​Tell​ ​them​ ​to​ ​improvise,​ ​ad-lib,
make​ ​up​ ​lyrics​ ​-​ ​anything.​ ​This​ ​trick​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​performances​ ​of​ ​the​ ​day.​ ​Once
the​ ​pressure​ ​is​ ​off,​ ​people​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​relax​ ​and​ ​perform​ ​better.

You​ ​never​ ​know​ ​what​ ​you​ ​might​ ​capture!

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​15​ ​-​ ​Recording​ ​Backing​ ​Vocals,​ ​Ensembles,

Choirs​ ​and​ ​Double​ ​Tracking

Recording​ ​Backing​ ​Vocals

You​ ​don’t​ ​need​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​as​ ​long​ ​on​ ​backing​ ​vocals,​ ​but​ ​don’t​ ​underestimate​ ​their​ ​importance.

Set​ ​aside​ ​a​ ​separate​ ​session​ ​to​ ​record​ ​backing​ ​vocals​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​the​ ​same​ ​vocalist,​ ​or​ ​at
least​ ​take​ ​a​ ​long​ ​break​ ​after​ ​the​ ​main​ ​recording​ ​session.

I​ ​like​ ​to​ ​swap​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​out​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​different​ ​tone​ ​(try​ ​using​ ​a​ ​darker​ ​mic​ ​so​ ​that​ ​the​ ​backing
vocals​ ​aren’t​ ​as​ ​bright​ ​as​ ​the​ ​lead)​ ​but​ ​this​ ​isn’t​ ​essential​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​running​ ​out​ ​of​ ​time.

Layering​ ​different​ ​vocalists​ ​(rather​ ​than​ ​overdubbing​ ​the​ ​same​ ​vocalist​ ​several​ ​times)​ ​will​ ​always
sound​ ​thicker​ ​and​ ​fuller.

The​ ​quickest​ ​and​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​is​ ​to​ ​get​ ​great​ ​sounding​ ​backing​ ​vocals​ ​is​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​vocalists​ ​to
take​ ​a​ ​step​ ​back​ ​from​ ​the​ ​mic.​ ​Singing​ ​from​ ​an​ ​extra​ ​6-12​ ​inches​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​mic​ ​will​ ​give
them​ ​a​ ​more​ ​natural,​ ​open​ ​sound.​ ​They​ ​will​ ​naturally​ ​sit​ ​further​ ​backing​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mix​ ​and​ ​won’t
require​ ​as​ ​much​ ​processing.

This​ ​might​ ​not​ ​work​ ​in​ ​particularly​ ​bad​ ​sounding​ ​rooms​ ​as​ ​you​ ​will​ ​capture​ ​more​ ​reflections​ ​and
reverb,​ ​but​ ​give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​try.

Recording​ ​Small​ ​Ensembles

Use​ ​the​ ​same​ ​trick​ ​for​ ​small​ ​ensembles​ ​–​ ​the​ ​more​ ​singers​ ​there​ ​are,​ ​the​ ​further​ ​away​ ​the​ ​mics
should​ ​be.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​ensure​ ​a​ ​good​ ​balance​ ​between​ ​singers.

When​ ​recording​ ​several​ ​people​ ​it’s​ ​worth​ ​using​ ​two​ ​microphones​ ​and​ ​recording​ ​in​ ​stereo.​ ​Use​ ​a
matched​ ​pair​ ​of​ ​small​ ​diaphragm​ ​condensers​ ​in​ ​an​ ​X/Y​ ​pattern​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​phasing​ ​issues.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Recording​ ​Choirs
Use​ ​the​ ​same​ ​technique​ ​for​ ​larger​ ​choirs​ ​but​ ​also​ ​add​ ​in​ ​a​ ​pair​ ​of​ ​microphones​ ​using​ ​the​ ​spaced
pair​ ​technique.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​widen​ ​up​ ​the​ ​stereo​ ​image​ ​and​ ​capture​ ​anyone​ ​standing​ ​on​ ​the​ ​far​ ​left
and​ ​right.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Double​ ​Tracking
It’s​ ​worth​ ​double​ ​tracking​ ​the​ ​choruses​ ​or​ ​climaxes​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​skilled​ ​vocalist.

Double​ ​tracking​ ​can​ ​also​ ​create​ ​an​ ​interesting​ ​effect​ ​for​ ​bridges​ ​and​ ​verses​ ​when​ ​the​ ​two​ ​vocals
are​ ​panned​ ​hard​ ​left​ ​and​ ​hard​ ​right.

For​ ​double​ ​tracking​ ​to​ ​be​ ​successful,​ ​you​ ​need​ ​a​ ​singer​ ​who​ ​can​ ​repeat​ ​a​ ​phrase​ ​almost
exactly.​ ​The​ ​exact​ ​same​ ​pitch,​ ​the​ ​exact​ ​same​ ​timing​ ​and​ ​the​ ​exact​ ​same​ ​dynamics.​ ​Any
fluctuations​ ​in​ ​pitch​ ​and​ ​timing​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​phase​ ​issues​ ​when​ ​mixing.

Record​ ​double​ ​tracked​ ​vocals​ ​in​ ​almost​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​as​ ​the​ ​main​ ​vocals,​ ​but​ ​try​ ​moving
slightly​ ​closer​ ​or​ ​further​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​microphone​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​different​ ​tone.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​help​ ​to
create​ ​separation​ ​between​ ​the​ ​original​ ​vocal​ ​and​ ​the​ ​double​ ​tracked​ ​vocal.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​also​ ​enhance
the​ ​stereo​ ​imaging​ ​when​ ​using​ ​the​ ​hard​ ​pan​ ​trick​ ​(this​ ​involves​ ​panning​ ​the​ ​two​ ​vocal​ ​parts​ ​hard
left​ ​and​ ​hard​ ​right).

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​16​ ​-​ ​Game​ ​Time

Execution​ ​Is​ ​King

“Ideas​ ​are​ ​easy.​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​execution​ ​of​ ​ideas​ ​that​ ​really​ ​separates​ ​the​ ​sheep​ ​from​ ​the
goats”–​ ​Sue​ ​Grafton

It’s​ ​time​ ​to​ ​take​ ​action.

Arrange​ ​a​ ​session​ ​with​ ​a​ ​vocalist,​ ​or​ ​set​ ​aside​ ​some​ ​time​ ​to​ ​record​ ​yourself​ ​singing.
It​ ​doesn’t​ ​matter​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​not​ ​the​ ​best​ ​singer.​ ​The​ ​point​ ​of​ ​this​ ​exercise​ ​is​ ​to​ ​force​ ​you​ ​to​ ​take
action​ ​and​ ​apply​ ​everything​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​learnt​ ​in​ ​this​ ​module.

Look​ ​over​ ​your​ ​notes​ ​from​ ​this​ ​book,​ ​or​ ​read​ ​through​ ​it​ ​again​ ​and​ ​use​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a​ ​step-by-step​ ​guide.

It’s​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​forget​ ​important​ ​steps​ ​in​ ​the​ ​heat​ ​of​ ​a​ ​recording​ ​session,​ ​so​ ​practice​ ​this​ ​system​ ​with
a​ ​friend​ ​if​ ​possible.

Most​ ​importantly,​ ​implement​ ​what​ ​you​ ​have​ ​learned.​ ​Even​ ​if​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​apply​ ​everything​ ​I​ ​have
taught​ ​you​ ​in​ ​this​ ​book,​ ​practice​ ​at​ ​least​ ​three​ ​techniques​ ​that​ ​you​ ​haven’t​ ​used​ ​before.

A​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​people​ ​overlook​ ​the​ ​recording​ ​process.​ ​By​ ​purchasing​ ​this​ ​book,​ ​you​ ​have​ ​proved​ ​that
you​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​good​ ​sound​ ​at​ ​the​ ​source.

Take​ ​the​ ​techniques​ ​and​ ​methods​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​and​ ​apply​ ​them​ ​to​ ​other​ ​instruments.
● Properly​ ​prepare​ ​for​ ​a​ ​session​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​everything​ ​runs​ ​smoothly
● Consider​ ​acoustics​ ​and​ ​strategically​ ​place​ ​treatment​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​direct​ ​reflections
● Use​ ​microphone​ ​distance​ ​and​ ​height​ ​to​ ​alter​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​of​ ​an​ ​instrument
● Choose​ ​the​ ​right​ ​microphone​ ​for​ ​the​ ​situation
● Set​ ​levels​ ​properly​ ​for​ ​every​ ​instrument​ ​and​ ​use​ ​outboard​ ​equipment​ ​where​ ​it​ ​will​ ​help
● Manage​ ​your​ ​takes​ ​efficiently​ ​to​ ​save​ ​time​ ​when​ ​editing

Never​ ​stop​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​experimenting​ ​in​ ​your​ ​home​ ​studio.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​always​ ​more​ ​ways​ ​to
capture​ ​vocals​ ​(or​ ​any​ ​other​ ​instrument)​ ​in​ ​your​ ​room.

Most​ ​importantly,​ ​consider​ ​the​ ​music​ ​above​ ​all​ ​else.​ ​It’s​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​get​ ​lost​ ​in​ ​the​ ​technical​ ​jargon
and​ ​science​ ​of​ ​audio.

But​ ​remember​ ​why​ ​you​ ​are​ ​here​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​place​ ​-​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​great​ ​music​ ​that​ ​changes
people's​ ​lives.

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Chapter​ ​17​ ​-​ ​Next​ ​Steps

Mixing​ ​Vocals

Phew!​ ​Right​ ​now​ ​you​ ​might​ ​feel​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​overwhelmed.​ ​This​ ​book​ ​isn’t​ ​exactly​ ​light​ ​reading​ ​-​ ​you
have​ ​just​ ​learned​ ​everything​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​know​ ​about​ ​recording​ ​vocals.​ ​You​ ​have​ ​done
extremely​ ​well​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it​ ​this​ ​far​ ​(most​ ​people​ ​won’t).

Nevertheless,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​still​ ​have​ ​questions​ ​about​ ​producing​ ​vocals​ ​to​ ​a​ ​professional​ ​standard
at​ ​home.

One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​questions​ ​that​ ​people​ ​ask​ ​me​ ​after​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​them​ ​about​ ​recording​ ​vocals​ ​is
this:​ ​“But,​ ​Rob,​ ​there’s​ ​so​ ​much​ ​more​ ​involved…​ ​how​ ​do​ ​I​ ​edit​ ​and​ ​mix​ ​vocals​ ​to​ ​a​ ​professional
standard​ ​in​ ​my​ ​home​ ​studio?”

Recording​ ​a​ ​great​ ​vocal​ ​is​ ​only​ ​half​ ​the​ ​battle.

You​ ​also​ ​need​ ​to​ ​edit​ ​and​ ​comp​ ​your​ ​vocal,​ ​fix​ ​timing​ ​issues,​ ​apply​ ​pitch​ ​correction,​ ​EQ,
compression,​ ​de’essing,​ ​saturation,​ ​limiting,​ ​reverb,​ ​delay,​ ​automation,​ ​creative​ ​effects,
multiband​ ​compression…​ ​the​ ​list​ ​goes​ ​on!

Over​ ​the​ ​years,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​also​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​system​ ​for​ ​mixing​ ​vocals.​ ​It​ ​looks​ ​something​ ​like​ ​this…

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Stop​ ​Recording​ ​Amateur​ ​Vocals​​ ​by​ ​Rob​ ​Mayzes 

Although​ ​it​ ​is​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​scope​ ​of​ ​this​ ​book​ ​to​ ​go​ ​into​ ​much​ ​more​ ​depth,​ ​please​ ​feel​ ​free​ ​to​ ​use
my​ ​system​ ​outlined​ ​above.​ ​It​ ​works​ ​every​ ​90%​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time.

I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​free​ ​book​ ​that​ ​goes​ ​over​ ​each​ ​of​ ​these​ ​steps.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​download​ ​your​ ​copy​ ​at
https://www.musicianonamission.com/free-vocal-mixing-book​.

If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​your​ ​vocals​ ​sound​ ​professional​ ​and​ ​radio-ready​ ​-​ ​even​ ​if​ ​they​ ​were
recorded​ ​at​ ​home​ ​-​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​grab​ ​your​ ​free​ ​copy.

If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any​ ​other​ ​questions,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​reach​ ​me​ ​anytime​ ​at​ ​rob@musicianonamission.com.

I’m​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​questions​ ​about​ ​vocal​ ​recording.

Further​ ​Reading
You​ ​can​ ​join​ ​my​ ​free​ ​mailing​ ​list​ ​for​ ​weekly​ ​tips​ ​and​ ​tutorials​ ​about​ ​home​ ​recording​ ​and​ ​mixing.
Sign​ ​up​ ​here:​ ​www.musicianonamission.com​​ ​(it​ ​only​ ​takes​ ​a​ ​few​ ​seconds​ ​and​ ​it​ ​won’t​ ​cost​ ​you​ ​a
thing).

I​ ​wish​ ​you​ ​the​ ​best​ ​of​ ​luck​ ​with​ ​your​ ​music​ ​and​ ​hope​ ​I​ ​can​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you​ ​in​ ​your
career​ ​as​ ​a​ ​home​ ​recordist. 

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