Hi Everyone! I made this video nearly 7 years ago now! One of my first ever videos! Since then many amazing mics have come out for less than $300! We live in an amazing time where music making is becoming more and more affordable!
I recorded vocals in a studio, and he had colored lights in the vocal booth. He turned off all lights in the other rooms...It made me feel comfortable because I felt the stage atmosphere, and couldn't see past the glass of the booth to be inhibited ...it was a great experience !!!
This advice is GOLDEN. as a singer, the distraction element is key, I've found that I perform better if I sing while doing something else at the same time. If I try to focus and sing on pitch and try to make everything perfect, it usually comes out forced. Throw on some light auto tune, light a few candles, sip a bit of warm tea and you're ready to go.
Hi +Sean Donahue Starter Condensers that sound good are $300 they can go up to 15k plus. Personally I think the Lewitt LCT 550 is amazing and is around $600 I believe. I hope that helps! Happy New Year!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Even after 15 years in a studio and having studied it in college you'd think a video like this would be pointless for someone like me. It's far from that. It's important to see how other people demonstrate and explain methods for recording, and seeing someone that is a top end producer and engineer put a free video out that gives their take on it is invaluable
HOT TEA! I'm so glad you said this as I was JUST thinking if using hot tea when I record is helpful for my vocals and you've just confirmed it. Thank you!
Now that is high praise indeed coming from you martyzsongs! Thanks very much indeed. Keep on rocking and serving the guitar players of the world like you do so well Sir! Many thanks Warren
After spending a lot of time as a vocalist the mic that sounded the very best on my voice, even more so than the really expensive Mics, was a $350 ish mic made by Shure, the tried and true sm7b, love it. I’ve also heard great things about the Slate mic modeling system and I’m going to check that out as well.
hi Warren how are you? do you have any videos on recording with compression, vocals, snares, etc, and how to get different sounds, i always hear: dont record with compression! cause if you dont like it, you cant go back" but then i see people like Chris Lord Alge etc and they say that you "have to record with compression cause if you dont, then it doesnt sound like a record" and "to get the sound you are looking for, when you know what you already want" , then i end up kind of stuck cause im scared of trying something out, and i dont know what the sounds are, but you´d like to understand what would make it sound better, or more this or more that, so this is something would be awesome for you to talk about, i happen to have a Neve Prism channel that comes with a compressor, and the thing is I never use it, and im sure it would sound better than many plug ins, and every time i decide i wanna give it a shot I end up ruining mi track, so I would love to have some guide lines to get started, i mostly record myself, so i can do a lot of try and error, but again, would be nice to have some guide lines, thanks for your time!
Nice tip at the end-baffle behind the artist. I use the SE mic reflector and it helps however like you said the mic is pointing in the opposite direction. I found some old office cubical panels on Craigslist that I use and they were inexpensive and work great. As always. Thanks Warren. Thanks to guys like you and Dave I don't have to fork out $40k a year at full sail. I can just sip tea and go to class on UA-cam 🎤🎼
I've just found your goodself on youtube, great video...especially the tip at the end about the acoustic treatment behind the artist. I have them around my mic but have never put them behind myself...& it's actually much better now & gives me the control of the room ambience, so a big thanks for sharing, keep up the great work.
Hi Scott Davis Haha yes it's interesting how we don't use logic on that one! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it! Warren
What would be best for a distant vocal sound with a singer belting would you say? Having the singer stand 3-4 feet back, or turn the gain way down? Or would you create that far away effect with processing in the mix later? Very helpful video btw thanks!
Brilliant video. I liked the part about having the singer stand in the corner and baffle the area behind them. I'll have to give it a go. i have also heard that if you are in a room where there is very little acoustic treatment then you may try to place the mic in the middle of that room so that it is away from the reflective surfaces and hence is less exposed to the reflections. But at the end of the day a great performance is the thing that counts most. Have a wonderful day Warren.
Hi +Greenleaf3791 Thanks very much! Yes simple solutions to problems always work best for me! Agreed a great performance always wins!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
I just got an SE Space filter for dampening behind the mic, works wonderfully. If you have a great open room for a singer and you are going for the wide open sound then you wouldn't want this, but for tight, dry, controlled vocals with little room to no room sound, its a must have. It's not cheap, but compared to real deal sound proofing for an awesome booth its dirt cheap. One guy at sweetwater recommended setting this up with the singers back to an open closet full of clothes, pretty much taking care of the dampening behind the singer like you are suggesting.
+Ma Ja I will second the SE Space endorsement. They work fabulously well. Of course, they are not a complete solution in and of themselves. Rear baffling is also very important.
Hi +Gregory Abat Yes I highly recommend baflling where the mic is pointing! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
sm58 best mic I've ever had. $80 brand new on sale @ Guitar Center. Sylvia Massey said her and Rick Rubin compared u47s and more Telefunkens and u87s , but the SM58 gave the best results with Billy from Smashing Pumpkin's doing takes. I took her advice and it blows away my friends nt1A. The mic is great.
Hi Warren.. lovin your videos.. should vocals always be recorded in mono? If so why, since stereo sounds better?! .. or should they be recorded in mono and then converted to stereo when mixing? Would love to hear your advice and reasoning on this...
@@Producelikeapro Thanks Warren.. do you not think stereo vocals sound better though? Also, where can you be contacted for production work and to see rates etc? I have some new tracks that could do with a pro producer like yourself :)
This is so very helpful!! This is by far the best vid I've watched on the topic. Would love to hear your method on getting the right headphone mix for the vocalist. Thanks so much for your channel.
Thanks very much nillywelson for sharing. Yes that's a great question indeed! The perfect headphone is really very important indeed! I will definitely address that in a future video. Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
another majorly crucial thing in vocal recordings is technique & emotion. a good vocalist can save the mixing engineer many hours of work by impeccably controlling the dynamics of their performance. as a vocalist im even controlling my EQ as i sing. learning your mic and how it reacts to quiet and loud sounds helps one to mainuplate your voice in the best way for that mic. because i mix aswell im always looking to deliver a perfect vocal for listening and an easy one to mix ! im on both sides of the looking glass !
Hi +kingdizzyworld Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Thanks for the fantastic tip! Yes if you have the time to work in your own environment and really hone you skills it's fantastic! Unfortunately a lot of singers rarely get to record so it's up to us to hep guide them properly! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Thanks Warren for this videos and the subs in spanish! ¡¡Muchas Gracias!! im making a list of the videos you did in spanish for all the people who only speaks spanish...keep up the good work
Hi +Erick T. Great thank you! We are slowly getting through all of the videos in Spanish! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
I`m really grateful for your videos, you helped a lot in my mixes, greetings from Colombia, thanks also for the C.C I know it help a lot the people from spanish countries.
i cant believe no one has commented on this video, the quick tips you gave were pretty good, and the question i had is what mic would you recommend if i am on a low budget
Hi ***** thanks very much for the excellent question! In the $200-300 price range, personally I like the Lewitt LCT 240, but there is a lot to choose from in that price range. Let me know how you get on! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
Just bought the NT1. Been attempting home recording for years, on and off, and had little success, due to bad luck with OS choices and hardware. Back on board now with the Rode and decent interface and Mac, subscribed to your videos, and I'm back into it! Glad to hear I didn't go too tight-arse on the mic. :p
Hi Warren. I was wondering if you have any thoughts about doing a video on recording woodwind instruments like flute. It would be great to have some advice from you. And some general comments about recording classical music would be great. Keep up the great work!!!
Hi, protective screen behind the microphone needs to sound from the singer did not continue raspostranen room. Thus the reverb of the room will be less because the screen will absorb sound from the source
Hi +funduky Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes agreed that makes a slight difference to the sound, but I will say baffling behind where the vocal mic is actually pointed will make a huge difference! I hope that helps! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Would be fab if you could share a video on the use of reverbs in a dense mix. You are going to be my go-to channel to learn great techniques explained by a pro.
Hi +Lucretious2006 Thanks for the great question! Please check out all of my How To Arrange Videos and also my vocal mixing video ua-cam.com/video/syudb_B1x_A/v-deo.html Have a marvelous time recording! Warren
Wow, Warren. You did such an excellent job expressing yourself creatively, utilizing that microphone to effectively get your points across, that I'm subscribing. I'm a determined, fourth-year songwriter unable to afford professional demos, so creating with Cubase 8 Pro with a MOX6 keyboard, acoustic guitar, and vocals for now. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your professional insight and caring. Larry Bryant-Lubbock, TX
As I was watching this video I thought of my experiences of working with the vocalists that have sung my songs and I try to do exactly what you say. They need to feel relaxed and comfortable.
Thanks for watching Jed Wunderli yes agreed once they are relaxed you can get amazing results! Have a marvelous time recording! Thanks for watching! Many thanks Warren
Dear Warren, this is Dragon from Hong Kong and thanks a lot for your great videos: full of passion, interesting, professional, knowledgable and your presentation is very easy to understand; I like your voice is very easy to hear! A question from me is you mentioned in the tutorial that if the room is big, we better to record sound at the corner, I want to know do you mean I face to the corner or my back is a corner? Now I am facing an issue is my office is about 400 feet and no room and as a studio so the voice is hard to control, not solid. Trying to lower the gain and make it just reach 6-8 inches capturing the sound as your tutorial mentioned. Thanks!
I wonder about using the corner, padding the 2 walls behind with absorbent? Never tried that. In an ambient room an expensive sensitive large diaphragm might not work so well. Another type of mic might give a better result if the room resonance is part of the instrument in a sense. I've heard some very good stuff with Blue mic's and even the cheaper models with a good EQ curve sounds fine.
Hi +rawstarmusic Yes padding in the corner could work very well, it's just important to make sure that behind you is dead. Vocal booths in studios have the padding behind the singer to stop the mic hearing that because it's facing that way. Home made solutions can work very well indeed! Personally I've gravitated towards Lewitt mics to add to my arsenal since I made this video, they are very affordable and extremely transparent. However the Blue mics are great mics indeed. I hope that helps! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, thank you for making these videos. You speak very unassumingly and your advice is remarkably effective! I love your channel and have learnt so much already!! Your room doesn't look like it has several acoustic panels, nor are there any baffles around you (atleast from what I can see in the video) - I'm not sure where in your room you are standing - so how does your vocal recording for this video have almost zero room tone/ambiance built in? It sounds perfect! This is something I'm struggling with right now. Could you please shed some light? Thank you very much!
Thank you Warren for the great tips! Will be using them here very soon! Never thought about the baffling being more important to be placed behind the vocalist but that makes perfect sense...like you said the mic is going to pick up whats coming from behind.
Hi Warren, I hope you are having an absolutely marvelous day, and you are absolutely marvelous yourself by the way. You are smart, talented, and dedicated to our recording community and I love watching all your videos and live webcasts. I have a question for you, if possible can you render an opinion on the Toft ATB line of consoles? I am thinking about one because of the price point but I have seen a lot of negative about their build quality. Things just coming pre-broken or parts breaking down in short order. Can't have something that is unreliable in my studio. What do you think? Thanks!
Great vid. To add to it, a good, cheap, easy solution for baffling a vocal "booth" that everyone has access to is a clothes closet. Hanging clothes create a natural deadening, and it's easy to just pull off some sweaters and jackets to surround the vocalist. I've done this for years in my home studio, it also keeps my wailing to a minimum if anyone else is around, lol. There are times where some bounce is a really cool tone tho (think Sun Records), for a rockabilly or vintage live-feel, a bathroom with tile and glass is just the the thing.
Wow, great information and, for me, very timely! This entire series on recording and mixing vocals is wonderful. Watching you work w those familiar plug-ins (later in the series) is SO instructive.
Ha ..producing music, Spitfires and Yellow Submarines...all wonderful things. Sort of a related question... I am getting a lot of latency when using Anteres Auto tune in Auto mode. ..using PT LE, low buffer setting and low latency activated on plug in. I'm assuming there's not much else to do about it? I mostly use the graphical side to touch up vocals, but it would be nice to be able to use the auto side with less latency. Thanks for all the videos!
Hi Allen Smith thanks for the kind words! Is there are delay compensation settings in the version of Pro Tools you have? Have a marvelous time recording! Many thanks Warren
Dear Warren! I own a Rode NT1-A condenser microphone as part of my tiny home recording studio. I'm quite satisfied but I have issues with sibilance - the sss sounds just seem to be very pronounced, especially when I lean forward to the mic in more quite parts of the song. Is there a tip on how to counteract this? Thanks for the advice and the brilliant videos!
Hi Niels, great question! The BBC Trick is to put a pencil across the pop screen to break up the Air! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Awesome! Thanks! Luke warm water is best for vocals. Hot drinks relax the vocal chords too much, cold drinks constrict, caffeine dries them out, and sugar coats them and increases mucous production. Having said that, to each his own and ask the singer what works for them.
This was a very helpful video! I actually have a nice Akg mic and I am fairly happy with my recordings but I see room for improvement. My recordings sound kind of quiet and like they're in a tunnel when I plug in my ear moniters. Trying to figure it out, I thought the reason other professional recordings sound so much louder and crisper was because of some effect like EQ or Compression. I have a basic knowledge of what all those terms mean but as for what amount to enter I'm kind of guessing. But one thing I definitely need to try is setting up a blanket or foam on the walls. At one point I thought of doing something I saw online about putting a mic in one of those fabric cube boxes sideways with foam, but I'm glad I watched this video first because it makes so much more sense that you put things behind you instead of only around the microphone. You told so much information in such a short time. Thank You! :)
Wow thanks Guitargirlmiranda! I really appreciate your kind words! I'm so glad I can be of help. I am starting a once a week lesson series and I will be touching on all aspects of recording, please check back when you can. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
Hey warren great video. I had a question, in the video you say that it is better to place baffles behind the singer instead of in front of them, what is you take on portable acoustic treatments such as the sE Electronics SPACE?
Thanks for the question Roman Rios! I have used the sE Electronics SPACE on some Ribbon Mics, I put it behind the Ribbon to focus it forward so there wasn't any bleed from behind it as Ribbon Mics are always in Figure of 8. Thanks for watching! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
warren please share your thoughts about compressing the vocal going in. My interface has the option to print the compression going on to the track or just using it to monitor. What do you prefer, and pros and cons to the approaches.
i know it is dependant on the room,source and gear; about what unity gain do you find yourself around during gain staging? like as a starting point. i assume with most miss in a certain price range the gain is about the same?
Hi Jezz Johnson interesting question, I've always just used my ears, try to print a good fat undistorted tone. I started on tape so I might print hotter than guys coming up on digital do now though. Let me know how you get on! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
I use a Beta 52a for vocals, that's all I have, and I find myself cranking the gain really hard to get the character of a take. I'm thinking that it has to do more with the preamps of the Tascam US-1800 interface than with the mic itself but any feedback on this would be appreciated. Is it normal for a microphone to not pickup certain frequencies at certain gains?
Great video. Lots of good tips. I upload new videos each week and am beginning to integrate cover and orginal songs in to that more often, so this is really helpful, as I am one of the musicians who plays. If you could give tips aimed towards the musicians themselves (how to loosen up, mic tricks and so on) that would be really helpful for someone like me.
Warren! Excellent video as usual! Quick question - how would you set up compression ratio, attack etc on the way in for vocals? I'm looking for a rock/pop sound that is not obviously overly compressed so still has some dynamics, but is 'squashed' enough to keep the gain good for softer and louder parts to automate or compress later. Thanks, and fantastic channel, I've learned more about production in the last month than I have in 5 years of recording in a band! Cheers
Brilliant video and wonderful studio! Will share this with people! Quick question: if your singer keeps the same "safe" distance to the mic, even during soft verses, is it a bad thing to normalise the signal later in the mix for optimal level?
Hi +Lucretious2006 Great question! There are many tools we have now in digital, I would suggest ring the gain when singing if you can, it's an interesting thing to do and requires a good understanding of where the singer is going to sing soft or belt out, but if you can do it it will sound amazing!! Have a marvelous time recording! Warren
Hi Warren..great video..i wonder if you could give me some advice..i want to record an album of covers just using backing tracks off the internet..and I very much like to sing at home when the mood takes me..incidently you are so right about making the singer feel comfortable..could I possibly do this on my own on a small budget..it doesn't have to be to a very high standard...im good at buying second hand stuff as well.
Hey Warren, you mention a concept that's new to me here: setting your gain to control the amount of ambience in the room. I've always been under the impression that by turning up the gain, you bring up the level of everything, in equal proportion. (Therefore, the only way to control ambience is to treat it in the room) Could you explain why turning up the gain affects certain elements differently?
Hi +Nelson Gast Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! I'm not sure what you mean? I set the gain for the signal, but of course you will pick up ambience as a result if the room is extremely live sounding. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
+Produce Like A Pro -- To clarify, at 2:10 you say, "Don't have the signal to noise ratio so low that you pick up all the ambient noise around." Wouldn't recording at a lower level just have the entire signal be quieter, rather than the signal's sound change because it's picking up more ambience? What you seem to be suggesting is that when the mic is set to a higher gain, it picks up sound differently, and things that are closer will become more present and there will be less ambient sound. I guess to provide an example: If one was recording in a large, live cathedral, and the direct sound was coming it at -4db, and the natural, ambient reverb around -16db, (a difference of 12db) would turning the gain down cause something like the direct sound at -24db and the reverb at -30db (Now a difference of 6db) or would it react the way I've understood it, the lower level being a difference of 12db as well (direct=-24db, reverb=-36db)?
Hi +Nelson Gast Analog equipment has an inherent noise floor, if I record a single very low then have to gain it up heavily that inherent noise created in the equipment will come up as well! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Wazza. Just wondering if it's a good Idea to apply a bit of compression on the way in?. If so what kind of compression settings would be best. Cheers dude
about the baffle I think if you put it behind the mic maybe you cant stop the reflections to go to the wall in front so it cant reflects to the wall behind you.So I think there is sense to baffle behind the mic.Of course its better to make a vocal Cabin anyway so nothing can reflects anywhere.
Hi +alecek Thanks for the comment! Always best to baffle behind first as that's where the microphone is pointed and where it hears 90%, if you would afterwards like to try and baffle in front of course please do! But I would suggest solving the main issue first! I just had to have a band recut all their vocals because the mic was picking up comb filtering in the room and when I asked they told me they had just used one of those devices on the stand, however the mic was hearing tons of standing waves behind. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hey! I know this is an older video, but could you point me in the direction of information on the screens behind you? I think in a previous video you mentioned it is a system for communicating remotely during sessions? I'm looking to link two of my studios in different states; isn't there a proper system designed for this? Any help is much appreciated. Thank you for all you do!
Hi Warren Do you have a Trick or some Tips for Recording a Singer Songwriter with Guitar and Vocal at the same time? He dont feel confortable in only singing or only Playing guitar
Right on about baffling *behind* the singer! Quick mobile, low budget baffle: Extend a mic stand as high as possible. Set the extension horizontal so the mic stand forms a "T" about 6 feet tall (prop it up on a speaker if you need more height). Drape two thick moving blanks over the T and position 1-3 ft *behind* the singer. Usable results in almost any room. (Make sure mic is set to cardioid!)
Hi Warren, Just out of curiosity, what piece of equipment were you (unexpectedly) surprised how good it was, and which were you expecting to be great, but for some reason it didn't quite 'get there'? I guess I'm curious about the role of the equipment, rather than a manufacturer's name though.
Couch cushions! Why didn't I think of that :) What has your experience been using reflection filters? Or even de-verbing after recording with Izotope's RX? I'm working from home, so options are limited. Love your stuff, Warren, thanks!
Hello Warren, when I record my vocals what effect do i use ? I listen to Marc Anthony's song called " I need to Know"(J-Lo's x-husband) and I don't hear a delay but rather a smooth reverb type Sir? How do I choose an effect that fills the voice but... doesnt bounce or delay all over the place Sir??? I sing/write alot of Latin tropical Salsa and soft Rock vocals and its time I clean them up before sending to publishing. Can you assist me Sir??? Ps: Nice vocal Tut on open air recording. I always record in an open-non-booth room and taking away the ambient sounds so to make the vocal thicker hasnt affected me much...yet!
Hi +Unique Touch Yes it's a combination of the voice and the song! Whatever works best for the singer and the song! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, that microphone sounds great, what microphone is it and what microphone preamplifier did you use this time? I have a Rode NT2 and a neumann TLM103 which inexpensive preamplifier would you recommend me ?? thanks
double track. copying and panning L and R won't do anything except make the vocal louder but still sound centered. you could offset one duplicate by about 20-50ms, which will simulate some width, but it may sound a bit phasey or comb filtered, especially in mono. I usually like tracking one vocal take, and edit, tune, and otherwise make that pass as close to perfect as you see fit. then have the singer do another pass, and leave the inconsistencies in pitch and timing and blend in (usually about 6-10db quieter) with your "perfect" track. this will usually give some thickness, and give the best of both worlds, a track that sounds really great, but not unnatural or robotic.
Hey Warren....Rooster here, Do you like to lightly compress on the way in when tracking vocals or not? Maybe an LA3A or 1176 just a tiny bit, or do you recommend not compressing when tracking?
Hi +Shane Ritter Great question! Yes I do! I like to print the vocal close to where to the way I want to hear it! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Even though I'm recording in the box, I like to record with an analog workflow. Makes mixing more efficient I find. Thanks again Warren!
Hey Warren, your videos are awesome. You make complex things easy and appealing to humble artists/producers like many of us. Do you know and have an opinion on the STC-2X by Sontronics? Do you give it your thumbs up?
Hi +Amado peiro espi Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! I own a couple of Sontronics Ribbon mics! They are very good! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, I’m a beginner mixer who has developed a love for not only the art of mixing, but a love for the creativity of recording as well. The bigger struggle I am running Into at the moment is mixing my own personal voice. I just can’t figure out how to get it to sound warm and welcoming without being muddy. Do you have any tips on this? I have tried several different mics, all ranging in prices as you said in this video. Thanks! -Ryan
I really like your 'How To' tutorials...and I hope you'd make some reviews between any recording software....I'm going to start some home recording but still kinda confused about which one is good and suitable with my...you know...low budget... lol anyway, keep it up sir, I'd like to learn more
The best drink is hot lemon, ginger and a splash of honey... Soothing, warming and helps reduce any straining as it's antibacterial and ginger has antiinflammatory properties... It's not everyone's favourite beverage, but it's a useful thing to use. Also, one of the best make shift booths I've used is a built in wardrobe. Hang a few heavy clothing items around strategically and yeah - pretty dry.
your record is great and i like it. thanks for suggesting the mic. I have never tried it but from what i heard in this is a good microphone for sure :)
Hi Phoenix Lights, thanks for the question. I think the Rode NT1 is a great low budget beginning mic, but I'm not a huge fan of it sonically. I agree it's not very warm and can be a little harsh at times. I suggest either 1. Using a de esser on the Rode during mix set where it's at it's harshens frequency, probably 3-5k. Don't be afraid to run two de essers 2. Getting a higher quality mic, look at $400-600 mics, Lewitt LCT 540 is a favorite of mine. Good luck with everything! Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
Haha Phoenix Lights, they are pretty good mics, especially for the price! But for me around $500 and above gets you a really great condenser that you wouldn't have sell. Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
Hello Warren. Thank you for posting such great videos. Do you ever record vocals in the control room with the loudspeakers on? I'm currently recording a singer that can't record with headphones on, so the only way to get a good performance out of her is with speakers blasting. Any recomendations on mic choices for this application to help with isolation?
Thanks for the great question Edgar Rodriguez! Yes I have had to do that a couple of times. I would suggest using a dynamic mic, an SM57 would be great, face away from the speakers (singing facing them). After you get your gain set record a version without her singing and you can flip the polarity and put that against the vocal track and it will pull out a little bleed. Or just deal with the bleed, it might not be that much depending on what is reflecting back from behind her. Also try any Hypercardoid dynamic mic, that will have better rejection still than an SM57. Personally I like the sound of a 57 on vocals! Have a marvelous time recording! Many thanks Warren
Warren Huart Recording Thank you so much for taking the time to reply so quickly Warren! Tomorrow we're taking another crack at recording vocals for the song, so I'll definitely try recording that second track and flip the polarity. I think I'll try my SM7 on a take to see what that sounds like.
Hi Everyone! I made this video nearly 7 years ago now! One of my first ever videos! Since then many amazing mics have come out for less than $300! We live in an amazing time where music making is becoming more and more affordable!
Thanks for all you do!!! I can't tell you how helpful you, you're channel, and PLAP academy have been for me!!!
@@conordo4657 thanks ever so much!
8 years later im taking the advice from this very good tutorial
9 years later here
@@mystikrebel1089 thanks ever so much!
I recorded vocals in a studio, and he had colored lights in the vocal booth. He turned off all lights in the other rooms...It made me feel comfortable because I felt the stage atmosphere, and couldn't see past the glass of the booth to be inhibited ...it was a great experience !!!
Thanks for sharing!
This advice is GOLDEN. as a singer, the distraction element is key, I've found that I perform better if I sing while doing something else at the same time. If I try to focus and sing on pitch and try to make everything perfect, it usually comes out forced. Throw on some light auto tune, light a few candles, sip a bit of warm tea and you're ready to go.
Thanks ever so much!!
Hi +Sean Donahue Starter Condensers that sound good are $300 they can go up to 15k plus. Personally I think the Lewitt LCT 550 is amazing and is around $600 I believe. I hope that helps! Happy New Year!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Even after 15 years in a studio and having studied it in college you'd think a video like this would be pointless for someone like me. It's far from that. It's important to see how other people demonstrate and explain methods for recording, and seeing someone that is a top end producer and engineer put a free video out that gives their take on it is invaluable
Wow! Such high praise! I really appreciate it! Thank you ever so much my friend!!
Thanks for what you do for home studio recording engineers. Your interviews and information is so valuable.
Thanks ever so much Shawn!
HOT TEA! I'm so glad you said this as I was JUST thinking if using hot tea when I record is helpful for my vocals and you've just confirmed it. Thank you!
Wonderful! Not too Hot, warm is best!
This was PERFECT! Thank you. You've touched on many points others have not and I appreciate that.
Thank you ever so much!!
i can honestly say whenever i feel a lack of inspiration any one of you're videos compltelty changes that for me. Thank you Mr. Warren Huart
Hi +Alberrrrt Thank you ever so much!! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren!
great video Warren!! good stuff my man
Now that is high praise indeed coming from you martyzsongs! Thanks very much indeed. Keep on rocking and serving the guitar players of the world like you do so well Sir! Many thanks Warren
After spending a lot of time as a vocalist the mic that sounded the very best on my voice, even more so than the really expensive Mics, was a $350 ish mic made by Shure, the tried and true sm7b, love it. I’ve also heard great things about the Slate mic modeling system and I’m going to check that out as well.
Great video! Thanks especially for the Spanish subtitles ...
hi Warren how are you? do you have any videos on recording with compression, vocals, snares, etc, and how to get different sounds, i always hear: dont record with compression! cause if you dont like it, you cant go back" but then i see people like Chris Lord Alge etc and they say that you "have to record with compression cause if you dont, then it doesnt sound like a record" and "to get the sound you are looking for, when you know what you already want" , then i end up kind of stuck cause im scared of trying something out, and i dont know what the sounds are, but you´d like to understand what would make it sound better, or more this or more that, so this is something would be awesome for you to talk about, i happen to have a Neve Prism channel that comes with a compressor, and the thing is I never use it, and im sure it would sound better than many plug ins, and every time i decide i wanna give it a shot I end up ruining mi track, so I would love to have some guide lines to get started, i mostly record myself, so i can do a lot of try and error, but again, would be nice to have some guide lines, thanks for your time!
Nice tip at the end-baffle behind the artist. I use the SE mic reflector and it helps however like you said the mic is pointing in the opposite direction. I found some old office cubical panels on Craigslist that I use and they were inexpensive and work great. As always. Thanks Warren. Thanks to guys like you and Dave I don't have to fork out $40k a year at full sail. I can just sip tea and go to class on UA-cam 🎤🎼
Hi +Gus P Music Haha thanks for noticing! I'm so glad to be able to help! Happy New Year! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Thank you, Warren. I find myself watching your instructional videos all the time. You do them "marvelously well". ;)
Thanks ever so much!
hi Warren what do you think about the at2020 audio technica, best regards
I've just found your goodself on youtube, great video...especially the tip at the end about the acoustic treatment behind the artist. I have them around my mic but have never put them behind myself...& it's actually much better now & gives me the control of the room ambience, so a big thanks for sharing, keep up the great work.
Hi Scott Davis Haha yes it's interesting how we don't use logic on that one! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it! Warren
What would be best for a distant vocal sound with a singer belting would you say? Having the singer stand 3-4 feet back, or turn the gain way down? Or would you create that far away effect with processing in the mix later? Very helpful video btw thanks!
Brilliant video. I liked the part about having the singer stand in the corner and baffle the area behind them. I'll have to give it a go. i have also heard that if you are in a room where there is very little acoustic treatment then you may try to place the mic in the middle of that room so that it is away from the reflective surfaces and hence is less exposed to the reflections. But at the end of the day a great performance is the thing that counts most. Have a wonderful day Warren.
Hi +Greenleaf3791 Thanks very much! Yes simple solutions to problems always work best for me! Agreed a great performance always wins!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
I just got an SE Space filter for dampening behind the mic, works wonderfully. If you have a great open room for a singer and you are going for the wide open sound then you wouldn't want this, but for tight, dry, controlled vocals with little room to no room sound, its a must have. It's not cheap, but compared to real deal sound proofing for an awesome booth its dirt cheap. One guy at sweetwater recommended setting this up with the singers back to an open closet full of clothes, pretty much taking care of the dampening behind the singer like you are suggesting.
+Ma Ja I will second the SE Space endorsement. They work fabulously well. Of course, they are not a complete solution in and of themselves. Rear baffling is also very important.
Hi +Gregory Abat Yes I highly recommend baflling where the mic is pointing! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
sm58 best mic I've ever had. $80 brand new on sale @ Guitar Center. Sylvia Massey said her and Rick Rubin compared u47s and more Telefunkens and u87s , but the SM58 gave the best results with Billy from Smashing Pumpkin's doing takes. I took her advice and it blows away my friends nt1A. The mic is great.
Hi Chris, yes indeed, the SM58 is an extremely versatile mic!! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren.. lovin your videos.. should vocals always be recorded in mono? If so why, since stereo sounds better?! .. or should they be recorded in mono and then converted to stereo when mixing? Would love to hear your advice and reasoning on this...
I would keep everything mono! Sometimes DAWs create stereo files, however, there’s no need for that when the source recorded is mono only
@@Producelikeapro Thanks Warren.. do you not think stereo vocals sound better though? Also, where can you be contacted for production work and to see rates etc? I have some new tracks that could do with a pro producer like yourself :)
There’s no difference when a mono source is doubled up for stereo, it will just make it louder. You can email me at warren@producelikeapro.com thanks
This is so very helpful!! This is by far the best vid I've watched on the topic. Would love to hear your method on getting the right headphone mix for the vocalist. Thanks so much for your channel.
Thanks very much nillywelson for sharing. Yes that's a great question indeed! The perfect headphone is really very important indeed! I will definitely address that in a future video. Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
Hey Warren did you ever make that video?
another majorly crucial thing in vocal recordings is technique & emotion. a good vocalist can save the mixing engineer many hours of work by impeccably controlling the dynamics of their performance. as a vocalist im even controlling my EQ as i sing. learning your mic and how it reacts to quiet and loud sounds helps one to mainuplate your voice in the best way for that mic. because i mix aswell im always looking to deliver a perfect vocal for listening and an easy one to mix ! im on both sides of the looking glass !
Hi +kingdizzyworld Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Thanks for the fantastic tip! Yes if you have the time to work in your own environment and really hone you skills it's fantastic! Unfortunately a lot of singers rarely get to record so it's up to us to hep guide them properly! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
You're a good guy. Thanks so much for putting all these videos out to help us improve! It helps a lot!!
Hi +Jeremy Lynch Thanks very much!! I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Great Tutorial! Thanks Warren!
Hi +Delta Music Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Thanks Warren for this videos and the subs in spanish! ¡¡Muchas Gracias!! im making a list of the videos you did in spanish for all the people who only speaks spanish...keep up the good work
Hi +Erick T. Great thank you! We are slowly getting through all of the videos in Spanish! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
I only bought me the Lewitt LTC 140 Air to record my piano but I also practicing singing a bit with it . For a beginner thats enough I think.
Agreed 100%!
5:02 Does it means mic isolation shields are useless?
fr i need answer to this
I`m really grateful for your videos, you helped a lot in my mixes, greetings from Colombia, thanks also for the C.C I know it help a lot the people from spanish countries.
Hi +Sebastian Herrera Soto You're welcome! I'm slowly getting through them!! Happy New Year! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
I like you putting efforts on trying to ease the singer first before jumping on technical details
Absolutely! Thanks ever so much
Could you please post a video on the workflow of recording the full vocals of a whole song?
i cant believe no one has commented on this video, the quick tips you gave were pretty good, and the question i had is what mic would you recommend if i am on a low budget
Hi ***** thanks very much for the excellent question! In the $200-300 price range, personally I like the Lewitt LCT 240, but there is a lot to choose from in that price range. Let me know how you get on! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
Just bought the NT1. Been attempting home recording for years, on and off, and had little success, due to bad luck with OS choices and hardware. Back on board now with the Rode and decent interface and Mac, subscribed to your videos, and I'm back into it! Glad to hear I didn't go too tight-arse on the mic. :p
Hi Warren. I was wondering if you have any thoughts about doing a video on recording woodwind instruments like flute. It would be great to have some advice from you. And some general comments about recording classical music would be great. Keep up the great work!!!
Hi +Thanos Theodorou That would be absolutely fantastic!! Great idea for a video!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi, protective screen behind the microphone needs to sound from the singer did not continue raspostranen room. Thus the reverb of the room will be less because the screen will absorb sound from the source
Hi +funduky Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes agreed that makes a slight difference to the sound, but I will say baffling behind where the vocal mic is actually pointed will make a huge difference! I hope that helps! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Would be fab if you could share a video on the use of reverbs in a dense mix. You are going to be my go-to channel to learn great techniques explained by a pro.
Hi +Lucretious2006 Thanks for the great question! Please check out all of my How To Arrange Videos and also my vocal mixing video ua-cam.com/video/syudb_B1x_A/v-deo.html Have a marvelous time recording! Warren
Wow, Warren. You did such an excellent job expressing yourself creatively, utilizing that microphone to effectively get your points across, that I'm subscribing. I'm a determined, fourth-year songwriter unable to afford professional demos, so creating with Cubase 8 Pro with a MOX6 keyboard, acoustic guitar, and vocals for now. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your professional insight and caring. Larry Bryant-Lubbock, TX
As I was watching this video I thought of my experiences of working with the vocalists that have sung my songs and I try to do exactly what you say. They need to feel relaxed and comfortable.
Thanks for watching Jed Wunderli yes agreed once they are relaxed you can get amazing results! Have a marvelous time recording! Thanks for watching! Many thanks Warren
Dear Warren, this is Dragon from Hong Kong and thanks a lot for your great videos: full of passion, interesting, professional, knowledgable and your presentation is very easy to understand; I like your voice is very easy to hear! A question from me is you mentioned in the tutorial that if the room is big, we better to record sound at the corner, I want to know do you mean I face to the corner or my back is a corner? Now I am facing an issue is my office is about 400 feet and no room and as a studio so the voice is hard to control, not solid. Trying to lower the gain and make it just reach 6-8 inches capturing the sound as your tutorial mentioned. Thanks!
Thanks a lot Warren and got it! Merry Christmas!!!!
Hi +龍震天 You;re welcome! Happy New Year! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
I wonder about using the corner, padding the 2 walls behind with absorbent? Never tried that. In an ambient room an expensive sensitive large diaphragm might not work so well. Another type of mic might give a better result if the room resonance is part of the instrument in a sense. I've heard some very good stuff with Blue mic's and even the cheaper models with a good EQ curve sounds fine.
Hi +rawstarmusic Yes padding in the corner could work very well, it's just important to make sure that behind you is dead. Vocal booths in studios have the padding behind the singer to stop the mic hearing that because it's facing that way. Home made solutions can work very well indeed! Personally I've gravitated towards Lewitt mics to add to my arsenal since I made this video, they are very affordable and extremely transparent. However the Blue mics are great mics indeed. I hope that helps! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, thank you for making these videos. You speak very unassumingly and your advice is remarkably effective! I love your channel and have learnt so much already!!
Your room doesn't look like it has several acoustic panels, nor are there any baffles around you (atleast from what I can see in the video) - I'm not sure where in your room you are standing - so how does your vocal recording for this video have almost zero room tone/ambiance built in? It sounds perfect! This is something I'm struggling with right now. Could you please shed some light? Thank you very much!
2:05 "When the singers like... BLAH!" Loved that, bout busted out laughing in the break room!!
Hi +Robert McClellan Haha thanks! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Thank you Warren for the great tips! Will be using them here very soon! Never thought about the baffling being more important to be placed behind the vocalist but that makes perfect sense...like you said the mic is going to pick up whats coming from behind.
Warren im a big fan thank you for your advice and professionalism i wish you the best!
Hi +PastorJonathan1980 Aw shucks! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, I hope you are having an absolutely marvelous day, and you are absolutely marvelous yourself by the way. You are smart, talented, and dedicated to our recording community and I love watching all your videos and live webcasts. I have a question for you, if possible can you render an opinion on the Toft ATB line of consoles? I am thinking about one because of the price point but I have seen a lot of negative about their build quality. Things just coming pre-broken or parts breaking down in short order. Can't have something that is unreliable in my studio. What do you think? Thanks!
Great vid. To add to it, a good, cheap, easy solution for baffling a vocal "booth" that everyone has access to is a clothes closet. Hanging clothes create a natural deadening, and it's easy to just pull off some sweaters and jackets to surround the vocalist. I've done this for years in my home studio, it also keeps my wailing to a minimum if anyone else is around, lol. There are times where some bounce is a really cool tone tho (think Sun Records), for a rockabilly or vintage live-feel, a bathroom with tile and glass is just the the thing.
EXCELLENT POINTS on how to better use those (not cheap), mounted buffers!
Hi +SLAMSTERDAMN Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Very good advice to baffle behind the artist. I started doing this and it made a big difference.
good point about the baffle placement
Wow, great information and, for me, very timely!
This entire series on recording and mixing vocals is wonderful. Watching you work w those familiar plug-ins (later in the series) is SO instructive.
Thanks ever so much taopagan! Glad to be able to help!! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Ha ..producing music, Spitfires and Yellow Submarines...all wonderful things.
Sort of a related question... I am getting a lot of latency when using Anteres Auto tune in Auto mode. ..using PT LE, low buffer setting and low latency activated on plug in. I'm assuming there's not much else to do about it? I mostly use the graphical side to touch up vocals, but it would be nice to be able to use the auto side with less latency. Thanks for all the videos!
Hi Allen Smith thanks for the kind words! Is there are delay compensation settings in the version of Pro Tools you have? Have a marvelous time recording! Many thanks Warren
I just got onto PT 12...Ill check it out thank you. !!
Hi Allen Smith great! Have a marvelous time recording! Many thanks Warren
Since the first seconds I understood this was a great tutorial. Thanks!
Love this! Some great ideas for drawing a vocalist out and great therapy for vocalists! :)
Thanks KatParsonsMusic You Rock!
Warrent, thank you so much for your tips, I'm learning a lot watching your videos. Regards from Chile!
Thanks Matías Vergara Lizama I really appreciate that! Thanks very much for watching. Have a marvelous time recording Warren.
This was very helpful. Thank you so much. You are a great teacher!
Thanks ever so much Lua!
Could you do a mic shootout with low budget to high budget mics? It would be so useful to hear!! Thanks so much for sharing such valuable tips!
Yeah! You are so right! Thanks for sharing your knowlege!
Good luck with the channel, i'm super stoked to learn more tips & tricks from you :)
Thanks 2FingersInYourMouth I really appreciate it!
Dear Warren! I own a Rode NT1-A condenser microphone as part of my tiny home recording studio. I'm quite satisfied but I have issues with sibilance - the sss sounds just seem to be very pronounced, especially when I lean forward to the mic in more quite parts of the song. Is there a tip on how to counteract this?
Thanks for the advice and the brilliant videos!
Hi Niels, great question! The BBC Trick is to put a pencil across the pop screen to break up the Air! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Which one is best for home recording?dynamic or condenser??and thank you so much for all these lessons... :)
Awesome! Thanks! Luke warm water is best for vocals. Hot drinks relax the vocal chords too much, cold drinks constrict, caffeine dries them out, and sugar coats them and increases mucous production. Having said that, to each his own and ask the singer what works for them.
This was a very helpful video! I actually have a nice Akg mic and I am fairly happy with my recordings but I see room for improvement. My recordings sound kind of quiet and like they're in a tunnel when I plug in my ear moniters. Trying to figure it out, I thought the reason other professional recordings sound so much louder and crisper was because of some effect like EQ or Compression. I have a basic knowledge of what all those terms mean but as for what amount to enter I'm kind of guessing. But one thing I definitely need to try is setting up a blanket or foam on the walls. At one point I thought of doing something I saw online about putting a mic in one of those fabric cube boxes sideways with foam, but I'm glad I watched this video first because it makes so much more sense that you put things behind you instead of only around the microphone. You told so much information in such a short time. Thank You! :)
Wow thanks Guitargirlmiranda! I really appreciate your kind words! I'm so glad I can be of help. I am starting a once a week lesson series and I will be touching on all aspects of recording, please check back when you can. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
Ok, thanks I will! I subscribed. :)
Thanks Guitargirlmiranda! Have a marvelous time recording! Thanks for watching! Many thanks Warren
Hey warren great video. I had a question, in the video you say that it is better to place baffles behind the singer instead of in front of them, what is you take on portable acoustic treatments such as the sE Electronics SPACE?
Thanks for the question Roman Rios! I have used the sE Electronics SPACE on some Ribbon Mics, I put it behind the Ribbon to focus it forward so there wasn't any bleed from behind it as Ribbon Mics are always in Figure of 8. Thanks for watching! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren.
warren please share your thoughts about compressing the vocal going in. My interface has the option to print the compression going on to the track or just using it to monitor. What do you prefer, and pros and cons to the approaches.
New to the channel, and can't get enough... Great tips as always.
Thanks ever so much Mark!!
i know it is dependant on the room,source and gear; about what unity gain do you find yourself around during gain staging? like as a starting point. i assume with most miss in a certain price range the gain is about the same?
Hi Jezz Johnson interesting question, I've always just used my ears, try to print a good fat undistorted tone. I started on tape so I might print hotter than guys coming up on digital do now though. Let me know how you get on! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
thank you so much! I was wondering why my reflection shield for my mic wasn't quite doing the trick
Thanks
thank you so much for all these videos I cant wait to start using them
Thanks Searching4Sanityband I really appreciate your comment! Have a marvelous time recording, many thanks Warren
I use a Beta 52a for vocals, that's all I have, and I find myself cranking the gain really hard to get the character of a take. I'm thinking that it has to do more with the preamps of the Tascam US-1800 interface than with the mic itself but any feedback on this would be appreciated. Is it normal for a microphone to not pickup certain frequencies at certain gains?
what is your signal going through? what mic pre? what interface? other devices?
Great video. Lots of good tips. I upload new videos each week and am beginning to integrate cover and orginal songs in to that more often, so this is really helpful, as I am one of the musicians who plays. If you could give tips aimed towards the musicians themselves (how to loosen up, mic tricks and so on) that would be really helpful for someone like me.
Great Live Collection I really appreciate the feedback! I will definitely do that. Many thanks Warren
talk about resonances in voice please, how do you tackle a resonant voice?
Warren! Excellent video as usual! Quick question - how would you set up compression ratio, attack etc on the way in for vocals? I'm looking for a rock/pop sound that is not obviously overly compressed so still has some dynamics, but is 'squashed' enough to keep the gain good for softer and louder parts to automate or compress later. Thanks, and fantastic channel, I've learned more about production in the last month than I have in 5 years of recording in a band! Cheers
Never considered setting the gobos behind the singer. But makes sense. Definitely trying that.
Brilliant video and wonderful studio! Will share this with people! Quick question: if your singer keeps the same "safe" distance to the mic, even during soft verses, is it a bad thing to normalise the signal later in the mix for optimal level?
Hi +Lucretious2006 Great question! There are many tools we have now in digital, I would suggest ring the gain when singing if you can, it's an interesting thing to do and requires a good understanding of where the singer is going to sing soft or belt out, but if you can do it it will sound amazing!! Have a marvelous time recording! Warren
Who are poor folks disliking this video? It's great! Thanks Warren.
Thanks ever so much Dale!!
Hi Warren..great video..i wonder if you could give me some advice..i want to record an album of covers just using backing tracks off the internet..and I very much like to sing at home when the mood takes me..incidently you are so right about making the singer feel comfortable..could I possibly do this on my own on a small budget..it doesn't have to be to a very high standard...im good at buying second hand stuff as well.
Hey Warren, you mention a concept that's new to me here: setting your gain to control the amount of ambience in the room. I've always been under the impression that by turning up the gain, you bring up the level of everything, in equal proportion. (Therefore, the only way to control ambience is to treat it in the room)
Could you explain why turning up the gain affects certain elements differently?
Hi +Nelson Gast Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! I'm not sure what you mean? I set the gain for the signal, but of course you will pick up ambience as a result if the room is extremely live sounding. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
+Produce Like A Pro -- To clarify, at 2:10 you say, "Don't have the signal to noise ratio so low that you pick up all the ambient noise around." Wouldn't recording at a lower level just have the entire signal be quieter, rather than the signal's sound change because it's picking up more ambience? What you seem to be suggesting is that when the mic is set to a higher gain, it picks up sound differently, and things that are closer will become more present and there will be less ambient sound.
I guess to provide an example: If one was recording in a large, live cathedral, and the direct sound was coming it at -4db, and the natural, ambient reverb around -16db, (a difference of 12db) would turning the gain down cause something like the direct sound at -24db and the reverb at -30db (Now a difference of 6db) or would it react the way I've understood it, the lower level being a difference of 12db as well (direct=-24db, reverb=-36db)?
Hi +Nelson Gast Analog equipment has an inherent noise floor, if I record a single very low then have to gain it up heavily that inherent noise created in the equipment will come up as well! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Wazza. Just wondering if it's a good Idea to apply a bit of compression on the way in?. If so what kind of compression settings would be best. Cheers dude
about the baffle I think if you put it behind the mic maybe you cant stop the reflections to go to the wall in front so it cant reflects to the wall behind you.So I think there is sense to baffle behind the mic.Of course its better to make a vocal Cabin anyway so nothing can reflects anywhere.
Hi +alecek Thanks for the comment! Always best to baffle behind first as that's where the microphone is pointed and where it hears 90%, if you would afterwards like to try and baffle in front of course please do! But I would suggest solving the main issue first! I just had to have a band recut all their vocals because the mic was picking up comb filtering in the room and when I asked they told me they had just used one of those devices on the stand, however the mic was hearing tons of standing waves behind. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
+Produce Like A Pro Thanx for reply man.Any way your tutorials are one of the best In youtube so far .
Hi +alecek Aw shucks!! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hey! I know this is an older video, but could you point me in the direction of information on the screens behind you? I think in a previous video you mentioned it is a system for communicating remotely during sessions? I'm looking to link two of my studios in different states; isn't there a proper system designed for this? Any help is much appreciated. Thank you for all you do!
Hi Warren
Do you have a Trick or some Tips for Recording a Singer Songwriter with Guitar and Vocal at the same time?
He dont feel confortable in only singing or only Playing guitar
Thanks. Can you give us a review about one mic in particular: Blue Yeti "PRO" (versus Rode NT-USB)?
Right on about baffling *behind* the singer! Quick mobile, low budget baffle: Extend a mic stand as high as possible. Set the extension horizontal so the mic stand forms a "T" about 6 feet tall (prop it up on a speaker if you need more height). Drape two thick moving blanks over the T and position 1-3 ft *behind* the singer. Usable results in almost any room. (Make sure mic is set to cardioid!)
Hi +Terry Thorsen haha thanks for highlighting that! Great tip! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren,
Just out of curiosity, what piece of equipment were you (unexpectedly) surprised how good it was, and which were you expecting to be great, but for some reason it didn't quite 'get there'?
I guess I'm curious about the role of the equipment, rather than a manufacturer's name though.
Couch cushions! Why didn't I think of that :) What has your experience been using reflection filters? Or even de-verbing after recording with Izotope's RX? I'm working from home, so options are limited. Love your stuff, Warren, thanks!
Hello Warren, when I record my vocals what effect do i use ? I listen to Marc Anthony's song called " I need to Know"(J-Lo's x-husband) and I don't hear a delay but rather a smooth reverb type Sir? How do I choose an effect that fills the voice but... doesnt bounce or delay all over the place Sir??? I sing/write alot of Latin tropical Salsa and soft Rock vocals and its time I clean them up before sending to publishing. Can you assist me Sir??? Ps: Nice vocal Tut on open air recording. I always record in an open-non-booth room and taking away the ambient sounds so to make the vocal thicker hasnt affected me much...yet!
Hi +Unique Touch Yes it's a combination of the voice and the song! Whatever works best for the singer and the song! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thank you for your help and suggestions Sir!
Sincerely
Unique Touch
Hi +Unique Touch You're welcome!! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, that microphone sounds great, what microphone is it and what microphone preamplifier did you use this time? I have a Rode NT2 and a neumann TLM103 which inexpensive preamplifier would you recommend me ?? thanks
Should you double track vocals, or just copy and paste to get a wide, centered track?
double track. copying and panning L and R won't do anything except make the vocal louder but still sound centered. you could offset one duplicate by about 20-50ms, which will simulate some width, but it may sound a bit phasey or comb filtered, especially in mono. I usually like tracking one vocal take, and edit, tune, and otherwise make that pass as close to perfect as you see fit. then have the singer do another pass, and leave the inconsistencies in pitch and timing and blend in (usually about 6-10db quieter) with your "perfect" track. this will usually give some thickness, and give the best of both worlds, a track that sounds really great, but not unnatural or robotic.
I have been using the Miktek C7 great all around vocal mic also great on guitars for about 899.00
Hey Warren....Rooster here, Do you like to lightly compress on the way in when tracking vocals or not? Maybe an LA3A or 1176 just a tiny bit, or do you recommend not compressing when tracking?
Hi +Shane Ritter Great question! Yes I do! I like to print the vocal close to where to the way I want to hear it! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Even though I'm recording in the box, I like to record with an analog workflow. Makes mixing more efficient I find. Thanks again Warren!
Hey Warren, your videos are awesome. You make complex things easy and appealing to humble artists/producers like many of us. Do you know and have an opinion on the STC-2X by Sontronics? Do you give it your thumbs up?
Hi +Amado peiro espi Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! I own a couple of Sontronics Ribbon mics! They are very good! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, I’m a beginner mixer who has developed a love for not only the art of mixing, but a love for the creativity of recording as well.
The bigger struggle I am running Into at the moment is mixing my own personal voice. I just can’t figure out how to get it to sound warm and welcoming without being muddy. Do you have any tips on this? I have tried several different mics, all ranging in prices as you said in this video.
Thanks!
-Ryan
I really like your 'How To' tutorials...and I hope you'd make some reviews between any recording software....I'm going to start some home recording but still kinda confused about which one is good and suitable with my...you know...low budget... lol
anyway, keep it up sir, I'd like to learn more
The best drink is hot lemon, ginger and a splash of honey... Soothing, warming and helps reduce any straining as it's antibacterial and ginger has antiinflammatory properties... It's not everyone's favourite beverage, but it's a useful thing to use.
Also, one of the best make shift booths I've used is a built in wardrobe. Hang a few heavy clothing items around strategically and yeah - pretty dry.
your record is great and i like it. thanks for suggesting the mic. I have never tried it but from what i heard in this is a good microphone for sure :)
Hi +Charlies Politanont You're welcome! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
let me follow you
I'm always watching your video toturial !
I noticed you said that you like the Rode NT1. I find it a little harsh on the high end. Do you do anything to tame it down? Any suggestions?
Hi Phoenix Lights, thanks for the question. I think the Rode NT1 is a great low budget beginning mic, but I'm not a huge fan of it sonically. I agree it's not very warm and can be a little harsh at times. I suggest either 1. Using a de esser on the Rode during mix set where it's at it's harshens frequency, probably 3-5k. Don't be afraid to run two de essers 2. Getting a higher quality mic, look at $400-600 mics, Lewitt LCT 540 is a favorite of mine. Good luck with everything! Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
Lol I see, I have one laying around I bought many moons ago and I thought that you may have had a secret for it haha
Thanks Warren
Haha Phoenix Lights, they are pretty good mics, especially for the price! But for me around $500 and above gets you a really great condenser that you wouldn't have sell. Have a marvelous time recording. Many thanks Warren
Hello Warren. Thank you for posting such great videos. Do you ever record vocals in the control room with the loudspeakers on? I'm currently recording a singer that can't record with headphones on, so the only way to get a good performance out of her is with speakers blasting. Any recomendations on mic choices for this application to help with isolation?
Thanks for the great question Edgar Rodriguez! Yes I have had to do that a couple of times. I would suggest using a dynamic mic, an SM57 would be great, face away from the speakers (singing facing them). After you get your gain set record a version without her singing and you can flip the polarity and put that against the vocal track and it will pull out a little bleed. Or just deal with the bleed, it might not be that much depending on what is reflecting back from behind her. Also try any Hypercardoid dynamic mic, that will have better rejection still than an SM57. Personally I like the sound of a 57 on vocals! Have a marvelous time recording! Many thanks Warren
Warren Huart Recording Thank you so much for taking the time to reply so quickly Warren! Tomorrow we're taking another crack at recording vocals for the song, so I'll definitely try recording that second track and flip the polarity. I think I'll try my SM7 on a take to see what that sounds like.
Edgar Rodriguez Perfect the SM7 should work perfectly, let me know how it goes. Many thanks Warren