Thought provoking Article on recording Vocals

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

...and different microphones can be used to get closer to the desired recorded sound.

There's an issue that doesn't seem to get talked about very often. We talk about microphones in general but we don't talk much about the importance of the mic/singer combination. Great talent will sound great on almost any mic but for those who come in lower than "great" on the ladder, some mics really do sound better on us than others.

It took me a lot of money and a lot of years to figure out what works best for me. In retrospect, I could have saved myself a lot of time, cash, and aggravation by booking time in a quality studio 15-20 years ago and demo-ing all the usual suspects (49, 87, 47, 67, and whatever else they might have). Had I done that, my search for the right mic would have had more focus and I probably could have avoided those unfortunate SolidTube years.

[Trent in WA]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

As a recording engineer/producer I do a lot of voice recording. I work from top to bottom - the highly talented professionals to avocational musicians. Guess what? Whenever a musician of any grade is "in the tank" his or her ego and emotions are right out on their sleeve. They are very vulnerable. They often do their work while looking me in the eyes. The temporary psychological bonds that happen are very interesting and their is definitely something spiritual about it. It is my job to become their temporary best friend, choosing to both gently hold their heart in my hands and affirm and urge them on to excellence. I do so by encouragement. I do it in an atmosphere of acceptance.

One of the first things I do is to talk to them and place a sheet of paper over my face and show them that until they push the expressive bounds a little, no-one can hear a difference. I tell them three things: 1) We are not simply singing, we are acting out the emotions involved in the song. The voice is a stream, and unless we modulate it purposely to communicate, the audience won't hear the emotion in our voices. 2) Until you push the emotional bounds until you are a little uncomfortable, there's a pretty good chance that the audience won't feel your communication. 3) We are all "Italians" in the studio. As a culture, Italians communicate freely with their hands. Guess what? When you gesture with your hands, it is almost impossible to keep your voice from inflecting, from responding with greater emotion. So point, wave, sweep, shake your hands, reach for the sky. We are all Italians in the studio and we aren't ashamed of it. "Speak with your hands... we can hear it."

When you are at the point of the DAW being in record-ready and the talent standing before the mic, it is time to accept the tool (voice) for what it is but work to get the most out of it while encouraging the talent so he or she can leave the experience feeling he or she gave it his or her best, whatever that was, and can hold his or her head up and look forward to the next time.

Oh, and I use these techniques with myself as well.

Bob

Bob, this is brilliant and wise. Thank you.

When I track my vocals, I wind up gesturing, stretching my arms over my head, and frequently breaking into tears even on songs or sections of songs that aren't that emotionally intense. Singing is one of the most visceral things that we do, as musicians and as humans.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by jim1960

I could have saved myself a lot of time, cash, and aggravation by booking time in a quality studio 15-20 years ago and demo-ing all the usual suspects (49, 87, 47, 67, and whatever else they might have). Had I done that, my search for the right mic would have had more focus and I probably could have avoided those unfortunate SolidTube years.

I don't know what "SolidTube" years are

The search for "THE" mic is usually never easy.
But there is a lot of wisdom in either booking time in a well equipped studio (with multiple quality mic types) or finding places to rent good high quality mic's from ..
Even if as an amateur one is never going to spend multi thousands for a mic , the above experience will at least give one an idea of what type, model, and or brand of mic, to as you say focus your search for a less expensive alternative to be modeled on...

Plus as I mentioned I think what experience taught me was there is a huge difference between mics that work adequately for live use, and what works equally as well for recording

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by KevWind

I don't know what "SolidTube" years are

I was referring to the years when my main vocal mic was an AKG SolidTube.

[DukeX]

Good article. Great thread. Thanks KevWind and all contributors!

[GeorgeG]

I played acoustic guitar and sang folksy songs in the 60's and guitar in a rock band in the 70's but did not sing much. After a career, marriage, kids, etc I decided last year to take advantage of modern DAW's, get tuned up, learn the other instruments and make an album that is all me. I had a lot to learn, was rusty as hell and my voice range is now more limited with age (66). I started off picking rock songs that I liked as a guitarist, songs that are fun to play but I never sang. I got all caught up in the mechanics of it and in learning bass, keyboards, drum loops, etc. Well after I laid down my first two songs I went to record the vocals and guess what? I had not adequately tested the key and range of the songs, especially with the harmonies and I was really stuck. I also did not know about pitch shifting back then. I had to bash my way through those songs and got feedback like " your guitar work is solid but do you know any other singers"

For the next few songs I cut a "demo" first where I could see if I have the technical chops, if its "right" and if I can sing it and if so in what key organically or shifted in the DAW if necessary. I started burning through song demos like a woman trying on wedding dresses in front of her brides maids! Crap. Nope. Ouch, that sucks. Bingo - that one works! As I progressed through my "album" (it's a bucket list thing), my songs got better and better and the feedback from my mentors got better and better and you know what? The best feedback I get is when I sing the old acoustic stuff that I played in the early seventies in college, songs that I screened and selected 50 years ago using the popularity with the ladies if you know what I mean as the ultimate screening process.

I'm not going to win any Grammy's, I know that I am a mediocre talent but I enjoy doing this and I still want the best I can offer. I suffered a great loss recently and Covid isolation has not been good but music has been a good friend, saved me actually. To the point of this thread, you have to work and be selective to find how to use the voice you have effectively.

I also agree that you need to find the right microphone match for you. If I sing through a detailed revealing mic I sound crappy. I need a softer mic in certain frequencies, it "helps" me along. That and Melodyne - that's not a cure all but a miracle drug for sure. At my age and with what I have been through I don't care what tricks I need to sound passable, fixing pitch, shifting timing, ... I'm not interviewing for a studio musician job I'm just hacking around in my garage trying to get something together that works. When my wife would put on make up to go out was that cheating? I don't know she looked pretty darn good to me and she liked it! Well she looked good to me all the time but I digress. LOL.


George

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by GeorgeG

... After a career, marriage, kids, etc I decided last year to take advantage of modern DAW's, get tuned up, learn the other instruments and make an album that is all me. ...

I'm not going to win any Grammy's, I know that I am a mediocre talent but I enjoy doing this and I still want the best I can offer. ... I'm not interviewing for a studio musician job I'm just hacking around in my garage trying to get something together that works. ...

George

Best of luck on your project George! It sounds very worthwhile! Kind of like writing your memoir, except this one will be musical!

- Glenn

[GeorgeG]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Best of luck on your project George! It sounds very worthwhile! Kind of like writing your memoir, except this one will be musical!

- Glenn

Glen

It's funny that you should say it that way because I started this in part so that I would leave something behind that would endure, that would be eternal


George

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by GeorgeG

Glen

It's funny that you should say it that way because I started this in part so that I would leave something behind that would endure, that would be eternal


George

Yes, I started making my videos for the same reason. A way to mark where we are in time.

Best of luck to you George!

- Glenn

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Yes, I started making my videos for the same reason. A way to mark where we are in time.

Best of luck to you George!

- Glenn

Guilty also ....... Certainly part of it, but I am fairly certain the motivation is multifaceted and bit more complex than a single element .

But your phrasing immediately popped these thought provoking lyrics from Dougie MacLean's song "Feel So Near"

"So we build our tower constructions there to mark our place in time
We justify our great destructions as on we climb on we climb."

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Guilty also ....... Certainly part of it, but I am fairly certain the motivation is multifaceted and bit more complex than a single element .

But your phrasing immediately popped these thought provoking lyrics from Dougie MacLean's song "Feel So Near"

"So we build our tower constructions there to mark our place in time
We justify our great destructions as on we climb on we climb."

Well, I hope I am building a lot more than I am destroying. But I suppose we do not generally have a good perspective about the damage we do while we're in the midst of things...

- Glenn

[GeorgeG]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Well, I hope I am building a lot more than I am destroying. But I suppose we do not generally have a good perspective about the damage we do while we're in the midst of things...

- Glenn

If we make adequate progress we leave the early selfish and self centered version of ourselves behind and focus outside ourselves to build and leave behind something better than we found. It's a journey. That's my story and I am sticking to it. lol

George

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Well, I hope I am building a lot more than I am destroying. But I suppose we do not generally have a good perspective about the damage we do while we're in the midst of things...

- Glenn

Oh please don't misunderstand, it was just wording of the phrase (not the intention or the product ) that flashed me to the song lyrics. And I do think marking a place in time with art, is not destructive . And I believe DM's lyrics were more of a nod to ill thought out environmental impacts .

[j3ffr0]

Originally Posted by GeorgeG

I also agree that you need to find the right microphone match for you. If I sing through a detailed revealing mic I sound crappy. I need a softer mic in certain frequencies, it "helps" me along.
George

I agree whole heartedly with this. Lots of trail and error in vocal mics -- the paper and specs don't even begin to tell the story. I'm finding I often sound better with a dynamic or ribbon than a condenser. I'm experimenting and getting more familiar with my own voice and how different mics respond to it. I'm starting understand what needs to be boosted or cut in certain situations with my voice and how the different types of mics all handle transients differently.

With my new found knowledge and experience, I'm willing to try to sing ideas that I've had for a while that I just couldn't make work before. Just trying to help my voice be all it can be... in the process, I'm even finding a thing or two I like about my voice in addition to all its flaws.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by j3ffr0

I agree whole heartedly with this. Lots of trail and error in vocal mics -- the paper and specs don't even begin to tell the story. I'm finding I often sound better with a dynamic or ribbon than a condenser. I'm experimenting and getting more familiar with my own voice and how different mics respond to it. I'm starting understand what needs to be boosted or cut in certain situations with my voice and how the different types of mics all handle transients differently.

With my new found knowledge and experience, I'm willing to try to sing ideas that I've had for a while that I just couldn't make work before. Just trying to help my voice be all it can be... in the process, I'm even finding a thing or two I like about my voice in addition to all its flaws.

Yes getting comfortable with ones own voice is a journey..... I am fairly content with the vocal sound on this recent recording of an original song of mine "Turn Out in the Wind" . And it may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes for me finding my voice is often harder on an original, than a cover song , perhaps because there is nothing for reference and to compare or contrast with ????