The MD’s Ten Vocal Tips
1. Mics
Put away that karaoke mic from Argos and invest in some professional
kit. If you need your vocal performances to be as rich, warm and
clear as your favourite artists, then you’ll need to do your
research and choose a good quality mic. If you’re using a
studio’s mics to record your tracks, get in touch with them
beforehand to find out what they have. For live performances, you
can’t beat a Shure SM 58.
2. Get a pop shield
When recording your vocals, the plosive ‘P’ and ‘B’
sounds (the sounds your mouth makes when saying words like ‘pop’
or ‘public’) can make your vocal levels clip and even
distort the audio. To prevent this, buy a pop shield. Or even cheaper,
borrow your mum’s tights, stretch them over a coat hanger
and place between the microphone and your mouth.
3. Drink responsibly
We may be a nation of tea drinkers, but wait til the end of the
recording session to brew up. Caffeine can mess up your energy levels
and milk will make you more congested than the M25 at rush hour.
So stick to the water until you’ve nailed your vocal takes.
4. It’s in the can
When recording, if hearing yourself in your headphones knocks you
off key, try singing with one headphone on and one off. That way,
you’ll hear your natural voice and be more likely to stay
in tune. Plus, you’ll look like a pro!
5. De-ess
Sibilance is not your friend. You will hear sibilance in vocalists
whose ‘s’ sounds are prominent; it’s not a good
look. As well as dominating higher frequencies, you will also start
to sound like a ssssnake. Use a ‘de-esser’, which will
reduce the frequencies at the offending spots. For a cheaper alternative,
simply place a finger in front of your lips when singing an 's'
or 't' sound to divert the noise away from the microphone.
6. Mind the gaps
Clean up your vocal track once it’s recorded by chopping out
the gaps between phrases and lyrical sections. This removes any
extraneous sounds that may have inadvertently been recorded, such
as sniffing, coughing and other background noise.
7. Reverb
Every singer the world over has reverb added to their vocal recording.
Reverb is similar to a very short echo – depending on the
length and style of the reverb, you can sound like you’ve
recorded in a small room or a concert hall. The effect of this process
will put the vocal further back in the mix. But beware, too much
reverb and you can lose the impact of the vocal altogether.
8. Chorus
Don’t fret about a thin and weedy performance. Add some chorus
to your vocal to provide width and presence. The chorus effect takes
the vocal and multiplies it to sound like there are several voices
all singing the same thing.
9. Multiple lead vocals
If you want an alternative to chorus and you have more time on your
hands, then sing the track several times, panning the different
takes to the hard left, hard right and centre. Try adding a couple
more takes panned slightly left and right of centre and you will
have a massive vocal sound.
10. EQ
Everything needs its own place in the dynamic range. Careful use
of the EQ settings can tighten up a vocal and really make it stand
out in a track. Remember, it’s better to cut frequencies than
boost them. So roll off some bass and give your vocals some space.
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