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In the Booth:
Getting a Good Vocal
By Amanda Garrigues -
singer, songwriter and
technically challenged. |
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Taking
on a recording project is one of the most daunting tasks known to
musicians. Why? It reveals everything. It shows the blemishes and
the scars. It forces us to look at our craft square in the eye and
acknowledge the rough spots, but that can be a very beautiful and
courageous experience. I should know. I've done recordings in barns,
closets, tiny cubbies, as well as state of the art studios. I've
recently spent the last 6 months wood-shedding for my second record.
I've discovered my limitations, and how I can make them mighty.
This column is the first in a series aimed at helping musicians
to better understand their craft. This month I hope to shed a little
light on an important part of the recording process: THE VOCALS.
Know how you want your record to sound.
This can have a great effect on how you record your vocals. Ed Cherney
from MIX ONLINE wrote, "I might have an artist who may like to be
out in the room singing live vocals with the musicians playing for
whatever spark of energy they can get out there". When I began my
second CD, I was urged by my friend and co-producer to explore this
idea. I had to ask myself, did I want to go for a grand, polished,
masterpiece or a stripped-downed, organic, low-fi project? For example,
on REM's appropriately titled Murmur - Michael Stipe seems to mumble
through the entire record. The vocals seem to be more a part of
the background than front and center. Deciding what kind of record
I wanted to make helped develop the parameters. The boundaries were
ever-changing and they helped me focus on what I needed to do vocally.
On this project, I focused less on getting a perfect vocal take
and more on the passion I put into the performance.
Communicate with the engineer.
It's important to be direct with the engineer. Like many artists,
especially women, my eyes often glaze over when those "dudes" in
the studio start talking "shop". Maybe I don't have the kind of
brain that can absorb technical talk. So, I ask a lot of questions
and have people with me in the studio who can communicate my ideas
if I can't. A lot goes into recording a vocal, such as choice of
preamps, amount of compression, overall mic choice. Expressing to
the engineer my ideas helps him or her to make these choices. It's
often a trial and error process. Remember: asking questions doesn't
mean you are stupid or annoying. It means that you want to learn,
and knowledge is power. The more information we have, the more control
we can assert over our own project. For example; during a mix, the
engineer wanted to load my voice with delay and reverb. That effect
was the opposite of what I wanted my vocals to sound like. I told
him my ideas and by the fourth song, he had it right.
Know how to "use" a microphone - know your instrument.
What kind of voice do you have? Do you know where, in your vocal
range, your voice sounds the best? My vocals are the warmest between
G below middle C and D above middle C. They get "hot" around G &
A above middle C. What does that mean? It means that when I am singing
a part in that "hot" range, I try to sing to the side of the mic
or back away from it slightly. When I am singing a part in a lower
range, I get closer to the mic. The engineer often rides the board
so that the mic isn't overblown.
What microphones sound good with your voice?
This knowledge comes from having a lot of experience recording
vocals. Every voice sounds different with every mic. "[The voice]
goes from being very soft to very loud, and you need a microphone
that can deal with that." (Ed Cherney - MIX ONLINE -1998) My voice
is very warm and bell-sounding. I've often use a Telefunken. I've
tried using a Rhode and Neumann, and they don't bring out the warmest
tones for me. Ask the engineer what microphones you have access
to in the studio and try them out.
Get yourself as comfortable as possible.
I've had to be pretty flexible for most of my recording projects.
I've been in the crudest of situations - I once had a mouse crawl
over my foot while I was tracking guitar! Most low-budget projects
don't have the luxury of spending a lot of time and money on creating
the mood. You don't have to be uncomfortable. Is the headphone mix
suitable for you? Are the vocals too soft or the bass to loud? For
example, I don't sing well when I'm cold. The temperature needs
to be a little warm in the vocal booth. I also do really well when
a stranger is watching. It puts me in performance mode. I try to
be rested, fed and feeling positive.
Performance verses perfection.
If I can stress one overall theme in getting a good vocal, it's
the idea of performance verses perfection. I've learned that there
is something incredibly important in that vocal pass that may be
a little sharp, but has miles of heart and truth. Sometimes those
are the best ones. Sometimes they are not. If there was a pill we
could swallow to get a flawless performance loaded with passion,
I think I could quit my day job! I remember I spent one night doing
about what seemed like about 30 passes on the beginning line of
a song. I wanted it to be perfect, and the end result was great,
but I think I sacrificed some passion on that 29th try. I am not
as concerned as I used to be about having a vocal part that's flawless.
Rather, I want to get a vocal that has some personality and conveys
the mood of the song.
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Amanda Garrigues is a singer and songwriter based in Gainesville,
Florida. She runs her own label, Average Sinner Records. For more
info check out Amanda's official Web site:
http://www.amandagarrigues.com
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