My Vocal Recording Chain and Why It Doesn't Matter
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2021
- With all the obsession over Vocal Chains I thought I'd talk about my Vocal Chain and why it doesn't matter.
Distressor Compressor - www.empiricallabs.com/distres...
Avalon - www.avalondesign.com/
CAPI Mic Pre's - capi-gear.com/catalog/
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My links:
Instagram: / billyhume
Facebook: / billyhumeproducer
Website: www.billyhume.net
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This is some of the best advice I've seen on vocal chains and vocals...
I'm really loving your channel Billy. I do hope people realise how very good your advice is in the UA-cam world of recording advice.
Thanks so much. It's been a long climb to get this many subscribers but I'm going to keep doing it. Thanks for the support.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I know it's corny but reminding people to like and subscribe, probably near the beginning works... I know it feels like
A hard sell but!.... Anyway Billy, just keep on keeping on. Great content.
@@martinn6564No
Brilliant! that's it! Trouble is they didn't start out in music being poor, like us who made music with kitchen pots.
One of my first recording was playing clay flower pots and I had gotten different sizes to make some sort of scale so I could do a melody. Now that I think of it, I think I'm going to head to the garden shop....
I’m a student at Full Sail University and building my own home studio. I love your honesty. You’re very informative. Thank you.
What I’m understanding is that it comes down to the skill and ear of the engineer above everything.
Side Note: I also have the Distressor Compressor on my list.
Yes. You are correct. It's also about (mainly about in my opinion) good songs and a great performance.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume thanks brotha
Great video. Again, a $10 million studio can not make a poor singer and song sound good. It starts way before the gear. Great points!
All good points. I will say, I recently invested quite heavily into a professional new chain (mic,pre,eq,comp). It really is a whole different level than plugins and a budget mic imo. My performance was way better, took less takes, just an amazing experience. My advice is just do your research on the mic/pres you like and stick with it. Make it part of "your sound".
Thanks! Nothing beats a good mic with the right Pre. Glad you've upgraded.
You know Billy, I Have to give it to You. You're Dead On Point. To Me, It's about Learning what My Equipment can and can't do. Knowing what to use and how to use it. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Some awesome advice. Thx Billy!
Thanks Max!
Best video on vocal chain I’ve seen!! I’m actually doing a series about building my vocal chain on my channel so I’m finding the right mic, pre, and audio interface for me and my situation
That's a good video for a video series. I'd love to talk with you about this series.
TSD's is one of the dopest records made in hip hop!
I wouldn't of thought that it was a blend of multiple takes and studios on the vocals! Well done!
*_BIG KNOT, BIG CHAIN, BIG rIMS_* is the line i heard the mic change!
Thanks!
Totally agree. I have and use lots of different flavors of mics , along with different compressors, and pre amps. Not once has anyone cared which one I used. Only if the song was good or had the vibe they could connect with. Thanks for this.
Performance does matter but a professional vocal chain does help a lot and really boosts everything.
I think what this guy is trying to say is that there is no golden chain of processors that will work in every situation. It really depends on the vibe of the singer. That’s why pro recording engineers are first and foremost psychology experts because they know how to set the mood so they can get the best take from a singer. Yes, a good chain may squeeze a bit more emotion out, but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter that much.
Thank you for this!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
finally someone said the truth ,...for gods sake they
are electrostatic/dynamic diaphragms and amplifiers that just so happened to have some harmonic distortion(cuz it is distortion even though ppl call them magic) but everybody fails at the performance stage and the vibe etc etc... anyway love it how you put simple electrucity back into it's place!
Thanks!
Curtis Mayfield recorded the vocals on his last album lying down due to his sad paralysis. That singer you work with is in good company.
Tell the truth brother!!! 👍🏻
You could have the most expensive gear laying around and still record “crap”… 🤷🏼♂️ Some truly valuable information right here! Thx!
Well.... I think most of what I do is pretty good bit I definitely have made some crap in my time.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume we all have… keep it up! 😊
i use close the same settings on my distressor lol glad i ran into this video
It’s all about the performance Baby!
ABSOLUTELY!
Together with Dan Worrall's videos, this is the best advice on UA-cam for anyone with magic mentality.
These days, one needs to look really hard to find the gear that will hold him back.
Great video. All true. Subscribed. 👍🏼
Thank you!
Word, Brother!
Thanks!
All very true and all great points. Buuuuuut, 90% of chart topping rappers use one of two or three chains most of the time. Nueman, Lauten, Sony mic -- Neve pre - CL1B or LA2A. I especially love the Lauten mics with multi-voicing.. Between the Atlantis and the Eden you have pretty much everyone covered. If I could only pick 3 I would pick those two and the TLM 103. Anyway, great topic!
The best gear is talent!
Truth!
I agree with pretty much everything he said in principle, but I will say having a couple of nice pieces of gear has made a difference in the quality of my productions. I have one "nice" vocal chain with a couple of other mics for vocal stacks. A Stam Audio SA800G -> a Heritage Audio 73 -> a Distressor -> Audient ID24. I also have a Rode NT1 and a Warm Audio CX12 to record stacks. Are all the pieces of my chain "necessary" no, would it work fine if I used a Warm Audio Tonebeast instead of a Heritage Audio 73 absolutely. The point of my comment though is that having the nice mic and the nice pre and the nice compressor did improve the sound of my productions over when I was just using an NT1 and a Focusrite 4i4. I could switch out any one piece and it wouldn't matter that much and I could record on a less expensive mic like an SM58 and still make a cool recording, but having a chain of quailty pieces does make getting a good recording easier. It leaves me with less work to do in the mix.
True. For the past few months I've been using a U87 for vocals, which I've never used much because I preferred my TLM 170. But I thought I'd give it a go for a while. But after mixing a bunch of stuff that I'd used the U87 on I found myself having to work the De-essors more and picking up more vocal artifacts that I didn't like... too much work in mixing. Going to swith back the the TLM 170 and the TLM 103 for a bit.
Thanks for helping drive up the price of those even more buddy ;-)
Sorry man.
100% True !!!
Great video, I agree with what you said a lot, but sometimes I feel I'm a fanatic for getting certain tonal characters, i think nowadays with software it can help but I'm still feeling like certain older mics/preamps still help with this?
Different mic pres make a huge difference. And each one is unique so you get a one time sound all your own.
I agree, the song and key are most important. That said, I have been recording for many, many years. My gear has evolved. For example, I had a Warm Audio Tonebeast preamp. Now I have a BAE. The BAE makes vocals sound significantly better. Same with a Lauten Audio Eden mic versus a Rode, there is a big difference. Just my 2 cents.
The BAE's are awesome! I have a 1073 clone from a company called AML out of the UK. One of the best clones I've ever used.
very nice
Thank you!
I just did a mini mic shootout before my vocal session recently and ended up on a 414 which I hadn’t used for over 20 years
Interesting... I used to use the 414 more often years ago for vocals. Maybe I'll try it again.
I use a RODES Classic 2 at home..the studio had that as well as a U47.
A video like this really separates the kids from the grown ups. The “bedroom producers” from the true engineers and artists. Something I’m still trying to wrap my head around. I love thinking about this…. If I’m working on a female vocal and there’s not enough low end, I might boost 200hz to see how that sounds. How can that move possibly also be right for a male vocal whose fundamental is down by 100hz? It can’t! What if I’m working on a mix where the singer was eating the mic? I probably don’t need a ton of agressive compression. So what about the next song where the singer is 2 feet from the mic and keeps moving closer and farther from it, or turns their head a lot? Will the same light compression that was perfect for that other song still work? Sure, but it probably won’t be enough to control that vocal fully. Context not only matters, but it’s the ONLY THING that matters. The best compressor for this song is the one that sounds good… on this song… not the one that sounded good on that other song. That tells us nothing about what this vocal needs to fit better into this mix. Luckily, those of us who understand this don’t really need to worry about all the shortcut takers competing for our jobs.
Asking what the best one size fits all vocal chain is like asking what’s the best set of scalpels for performing surgery. It’s never about the gear, and always about what YOU can do with it. Just because I’m using the same knife that the lead surgeon at the Mayo Clinic uses for brain surgery does not mean i can be trusted to perform an appendectomy.
Everything you have said is spot on.
Don't know how these thing work I know it sounds good classic and that's what we search for at the end of the day the consumer isn't worried about what vocal chain you used great words of wisdom that Destressor is my favorite swish Army Knife
Thanks!
I love when the random dude walks through.
There always seem to be random people around.
Great Video. And I agree with you 100%. But i would really love to ask if all of these things are there good arrangement, good singer etc. After that how good it is it to upgrade from in the box to outboard gear. How much the outboard preamp boosts the sound of a vocalist. Thanks.
Thanks. I think a great song and/or a great vocal performance are the most important things. But after you have that squared away a good mic and a good mic pre definitely helps. I have no set vocal chain except for my Distressor compressor. Usually for mics I'll use either a Neumann U87, TLM 103, TLM 170, Shure SM7 and lately the Slate ML 1. As far as mic pre's I'll use either an Avalon VT 737, Focusrite ISA 110 (Original series), CAPI VP28 or a 1073 clone from England called EZ1073. Always I go into a Distressor at 6:1 and hit up to 12 db of compression on loud notes. Sometimes I'll put a De-essor at the end.
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Thanks a lot for the reply. I am a music producer residing in Pakistan. I have been making music in the box till now. Now i am looking to upgrade, but sadly, in pakistan, there are not a lot of outboard gear available. Very limited options are available even if there are. So i have to get some stuff through somebody coming here. I have been thinking about getting a vintech 573 neve clone, ssl ultraviolet stereo eq, a fredenstein 500 series chassis 6ds and a drawmer 1978. I think this will give me enough basic experience of outboard gear. Also i am not thinking about investing in to a high end mic right now i have a Rode NT1A. Would love to hear what you'd suggest to me.
All that gear sounds good. As far as a mic is concerned, the Audio Technica mics are pretty good for vocals and less expensive thatn Neumanns. When you think about upgrading check out the AT 4033.@@fawdian
Oh yes, i have heard of audio technica. Bundle of thanks for your suggestion. 👍
Also, check out my newest video about the Slate Digital modeling mics. They're pretty golod.
I’m not sure the point… if you are an engineer building a studio having a vast amount of mics, pre amps, compressors is ideal as you aren’t sure which combination might inspire the artist to reach their potential and give you the most inspired performance. That said many newbies are going to ask seasoned professionals what there go to setup is as they have a developed ear and have spent time building out a gear chain they like. Yes all things being equal it’s not a straight forward answer but it’s a fair question.
As a guitarist most novice chase their hero’s and they buy the gear based on what Hendrix played or page etc… then they begin to write their own music and find their voice. I’m new to recording and I’m setting up a studio for myself and I’ll say this finding the right preamp, mic and compressor to suit my voice is hard as there is no way to test gear to find your chain.
The point is, after going down the gear rabbit hole you eventually find out the what really matters is the song, performance and most importantly - the vibe. Some of the greatest records don't technically sound great but you never notice because the music is just doing what it's supposed to. Of course if you're just in your first few years of recording you SHOULD go down the gear rabbit hole so you can learn about different gear. I'm mainly addressing those who think somehow the right gear chain, plugin or mixing technique is why songs become hits and spend more time chasing that illusion instead of learning how to make better music.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume 100% I agree there is no magic bullet, the gear is just the tool to bring the music to life. Great song writers or musicians look at their instrument as a tool to express what they are trying to convey. If the message you convey sucks then expensive won’t magically make the song better. That said I do think great sounding gear in the right hands can inspire and bring something out of the performer they didn’t know they had. Your reply was on the money should have been part of your video.
One of the things I love about making these videos are the comments I get. It makes me think deeper about my ideas and how to make better videos. And yes, I should have said what I said in my reply to you in the video.
I want to open a home studio with ID 14 Mk2+ NTI gen 4 mic. But I am just mad for U 87ai which I can't afford. Can you suggest any other gear that is better than ID 14 MK2+ NTI gen 4. I can sing at any range in any range in any language if taught honestly.
I don't know what mic you're talking about and how it compares to a Neumann u87. But for general across the board recording I'd suggest a Neumann TLM 103. They're around $1,200 new. They are versitile. I've got a couple that I've been using for over 25 years and I use them all the time.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume TLM 103 is said have terrible boost in the upper frequencies. People say it is not balanced. Is it true.
It's a little bright but that just means I'm not going to add any high end to the vocals on the mix. However, I singer with a harsh voice will get a different mic. I've recorded a few hit records using this mic on vocals.
I just had to go listen to “throw some D’s on it.” Hahah
Song hits… me also.
All that matters is what comes out the speakers...
Yes
Funny But it's a video of Marvin Gaye singing/recording while lying on the coach.
Cool. I had a singer that would sometimes sing lying down. I do get a lot of people to sit when they sing.
They're asking and saying that because they don't understand the technology or the concepts of the technology
you actually mixed Throw Some Ds by Rich boy ? thats dope . fun fact actually lol
Yes. One of the longest and most difficult mixes I ever did.
the story about steve lillywhite was a miss. his options to select from would be the highest end. and hes the producer. as a producer, my job is to worry about the arrangements. its the artists job(and engineer), and these days the vocal producer's job, to worry about the actual quality of the vocal. and that often means the tools used capture the desired quality. now, we agree, ability is first and foremost. if someone cant sing/rap, then what are we even doing here. but beyond that initial point, the quality does matter. I remember when Throw Some Ds On It came out. Was a huge song. nice to know you took part in that.
In my experience, vocal chain mattered a lot back in the 90s when home recording equipment started becoming widely available. The stuff I could afford back then sounded really bad. Very muffled. Horrible mic preamps and AD converters in the "home studio" category of audio equipment. But nowadays, I am watching all these comparisons on UA-cam of $2,000 audio interfaces vs $200 interfaces; $100 microphones vs $1,000 microphones. The differences are so minor that it truly doesn't matter. Yes, it's cool to have the expensive stuff that perhaps a professionally trained ear can discern from the cheaper stuff, but there are hits on the radio that are being made with "vocal chains" of around $500. And the audience doesn't know any better.
So true!
Just talent matters the most. No one cares for your gear. Excellent mind blowing tips.
Yes! Even though I love tweaking gear I focus on the song and performance.
Throw Some D's, !!! RESPECT
It does matter. It also depends how good you are. Been working on a track where I was unhappy with the vocal - good performance, It just wasn't right using a good remake of the U47, I'd actually given up on the song, then realized could make it work with a more upfront and uncolored sound - enter the C12, Bingo, exactly what this unaggressive vocal required. I'd also add having an EQ like the Neve 1073 going to disk can be invaluable getting it to sit just right and inspire the vocal performance. Vocal chain does matter, if it didn't we'd all be using an sm57 into a Mackie.
Yes it can with certain artists. Some people just sound good on about anything whereas some you have to get the right combination of mic and pre. But what I think is more important is how the vocalist feels when using a certain mic. If they like the way it sounds then I'll get a better performance. I made the video because some people seem obsessed with the subject and gear in general.
Vocal chain - > GREAT SONG !! - Great Singer - > GREAT VIBE - > - all else is BS -
thanks for sharing
Maybe your missing the point- people don’t have thousands of dollars to throw around on gear- we wanna know where to start- Music production is like journalism now- anyone can do it-
I thought that was the point... you don't need all that gear to make good records.
What? You don't have to spend 10 grand to sound pro? Haha...