Vocal recording tips?

[SoundCrafter]

Does anyone have any? I just purchased a couple condensers...and APPARENTLY I've got a good voice but my vocal recordings = poo.

Any advice, both while recording and processing?

[Saga Musix]

I heared these 2 tips some time ago:

1) Your voice is not at the same levels when you sing low or high. Move away from the microphone when you go into the high octaves and come nearer when you're singing lower!

2) after recording, you should apply a Compressor on the voice.

no guarantee that everything is 100% correct, but I heared about it some time ago

[LPChip]

When I record vocals, I always put the microphone under my chin, facing its head straight up, and then just speak straight ahead, so it goes over the microphone. This way it doesn't record hard P's and T's etc, or other wind noices.

[KrazyKatz]

Its hard to say without a sample. Different mics sound good on different people. What mics are you using?

General recording rules:

- Pop filter = Very important.
- General Mic distance is recommended at 6-12 inches
- Room acoustics make a big difference, especially with condensers. Make a chamber of duvets surrounding you to dampen the sound.
- Most important rule: Dont rely on the Mix to fix the recording! Make the best recording you can.

Processing Rules

- Compression is almost always necessary. To preserve naturality apply a soft knee setting.
- Frequencies to boost: 6-15khz
- If boosting the upper frequencies sounds good, but causes sibilance ( a high frequency sounding "distortion"), use a de-esser.
-Frequencies to avoid boosting 1-2khz.
-Rolling off very low frequencies will help it to stand out in the mix.
-Dont abuse EQ! Voices are the most natural of instruments so people notice changes more readily.
-Most beginners think of using reverb on the vocal. Good vocals generally dont use it. What they do use is Delay.
- Most important rule: Every voice is different, so any rule is a general one and not gospel.

For more in depth info - "Basic Mixing Techniques" by Paul White has a reasonably lengthy section on recording vocals.

Send us a sample for a more fine tuned approach.

Cheers!

[Sam_Zen]

LPChip's method is a good tip for not needing a pop-filter. Or compression.

The 'best' microphone doesn't have to be always the right one. A very surround-sensitive mike could always pick up
the noise made by the fan of your system. Sometimes a simple cheap mike, because of its limited reach, can do the
job better.
But, as said by KrazyKatz, this has primary to do with the room circumstances where the recording takes place.

Some technical aspects :
It's better to have the mike-signal externally amplified first, so you can offer it to the system at line-level with
more pre-control.
Most of the times, mikes produce a signal with a DC-offset, so one has to correct this first, before any editing.

[Asharin]

http://forum.midiaddict.com/viewtopic.php?t=87074 home made pop filter
I remembered seeing that post a while back, so figured it might be a handy link if you can't be bothered to buy one hehe.
I might make one myself now lol

[SoundCrafter]

@JoJo: 1 I was not aware of, but I definetly knew 2. It's especially nice now that I know HOW to properly use a compressor...haha.

@LP: I just saw someone using this method this weekend. Although, he was using a dynamic and pointing it straight into his chin. I though it was odd, but it worked. I'll have to experiment.

@Krazy: A lot of good advice. 'Preciate it. Unfortunately I've no longer got the XLR cables (I borrowed them), but I'll upload the one example I have soon.

@Sam: I definetly noticed the DC offset...fixed it in Audacity. Are you referring to a pre-amp when you say 'externally amplified?'

@Asharin: The mics came with windscreens. Same effect?

EDIT: The mics I'm using are matched Behringer C-2s.

[Asharin]

@Asharin: The mics came with windscreens. Same effect?

Probably depends if windscreens is just another name for pop filter
What do they look like?
Does remind me though, I need to get a decent mic myself....

[SoundCrafter]

They're a foamy-type material fitted to the top of the mic.

[Asharin]

They're a foamy-type material fitted to the top of the mic.

Then it's not really the same at all, does a similar thing but not as good.

[Sam_Zen]

Are you referring to a pre-amp when you say 'externally amplified?'

Yes. The microphone inputs of soundcards often are crappy, noisy things, so it's better to use an external pre-amp to bring it up to line level before importing the sound.

As far as damping plops in vocals, one could use a piece of the same cloth used to cover the front of a speaker-box, in front of the mike.

But recording vocals with a mike also requires learning the technique. One has to learn to adapt to the circumstances, and find
for exampe a proper balance between the actual vocal volume of some strophe, and the distance to the microphone.
Many problems of mike-recording can be solved in this physical way. Mouth straight in front of the mike, or with the head
slightly turned aside.

[SoundCrafter]

Are you referring to a pre-amp when you say 'externally amplified?'

Yes. The microphone inputs of soundcards often are crappy, noisy things

What about USB Mixers? I'm still trying to figure out why my recordings are just below the level of quality I want them at.

[Sam_Zen]

Don't know such mixers, so I can't help you there.

[MisterX]

The mics came with windscreens. Same effect?

Not really, the windscreens are engineered for, well...wind.  

A "spitstopper" or pop filter is more geared towards softening vocal irregularities.  The windscreen may help to dampen the vocal pops a bit, but it is not made specifically for that purpose.

The mics I'm using are matched Behringer C-2s.

An inexpensive, but good choice for an all-around studio microphone.  While not designed specifically for vocal recording, they should do the job if set up correctly.  Make sure that the low-cut filter setting of the mic is activated and the 10db pad setting is not (impossible to have them both at the same time since they are on the same switch) unless you are using a pre-amp.  

Since it is not a "vocal" microphone, it will accept a wide range of frequencies with no bias towards voice frequencies, so you may have to work a bit harder with the recording environment and noise reduction in the mix to get the results that you want.