Getting read to record my first vocal ever

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Stevethesearcher
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2008/09/19 07:20:01 (permalink)

Getting read to record my first vocal ever

Hi Guys,

I am preparing to record my first vocal ever using Sonar or any other DAW for that matter. The extent of my knowledge is to plug my microphone into my soundcard arm an audio track and hit record.

Somehow I think thats a bit lacking in technical knowledge to say the least!

My set up is simple. Laptop, external soundcard Microphone,stand,pop shield and my Software Sonar 7 and Reason 4.

I have a song finished except the vocals which I have to do this weekend.

Any advice how to proceed with my technical knowledge and the equipment listed above.

I will be wanting reverb on the vocals. What would be the best approach.

Any advice gratefully received.

Steve
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    bitflipper
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 11:45:22 (permalink)
    Do not record with reverb. Record it dry and add reverb later.

    Try to record your vocal in a dead space if possible. Poor room ambiance is the #1 giveaway that a vocal was recorded by an amateur in his bedroom. Some build elaborate vocal booths, some get those little absorbers that mount to the mic stand, some resort to huddling in the closet surrounded by overcoats. The point is to reduce ambiance to next-to-nothing.

    Other than that, just make sure you don't clip on the way in. Audition your recording and make sure it's not distorted - cheap soundcards are easy to overdrive. If you have at least 6-10db of headroom you're OK, 10-14db of headroom and you're right in the zone.



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    #2
    Philip
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 11:48:34 (permalink)
    1) You need a good mic (condensor equivalent!!!!) in the long haul. ($80 to $5000): SM-57 ($80) is cheap but excellent if your pre-amp can boost it.
    2) You need a good pre-amp (with Phantom power for the condensor) ... which might be found on your professional sound card (Echo Mia MIDI, etc. $100)
    3) Hence, you need a good sound interface/card (RME is a bit high, but excellent, Presonus is excellent, so is Linxy. You can skip #2 if it includes a good pre-amp.

    Voxengo Voxformer ... has what you need! with pre-sets ($60) that blow away other compressors

    Reverb: Perfect space (a bit tricky to learn), Sonitus, or CW reverb ... also Ozone-3 modest reverb (O3 is an all in one majestic plug-in for $200)


    Philip  
    (Isa 5:12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD)

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    #3
    skullsession
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 13:29:38 (permalink)
    Sing your balls off.

    Feel the lyric.....and damn the rest of it all to hell!!

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    #4
    bitflipper
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 14:04:06 (permalink)
    Sing your balls off.

    Feel the lyric.....and damn the rest of it all to hell!!


    Abso-frickin'-lutely!

    Just don't clip your mic pre in the process and you'll be OK. Ball-less, perhaps, but otherwise OK.



    All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. 

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    #5
    KenJr
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 14:11:10 (permalink)
    Do not record with reverb. Record it dry and add reverb later.


    I don't agree with that. Record with whatever makes the singer most comfortable.

    Adding a bit of reverb generally tends to HELP vocalists, not hurt them. If you saturate the vocal with a massive hall verb...then yes, nothing good is going to come of that. You want them to be able to hear their vocal and providing the right amount of verb (generally speaking a bit less than you'd actually use on the final mix) provides some warm and fuzzies.

    It's like saying I want to play a heavy power chord high-gain distorted guitar part...but just record it dry and add the effect in later. A good guitar player wants to HEAR his sound as it relates to the rest of the mix...not just play a part and then have the engineer add the effect later.

    A touch of verb for space really helps make a vocalist comfortable. Some folks don't like it - but if a vocalist wants it...give it to them...just do it tastefully.

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    #6
    ohhey
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 14:49:37 (permalink)
    Try the mic you have so you will be able to hear the difference when you get a good mic. Save the tracks you do with this one (archived). It will be fun to go back and compare them in the future when you have a good mic and preamp.

    If you don't have a mic and preamp yet... you may want to start looking now. That little mic jack on the sound card has the worst preamp in the world on the other side of it. And any mic that would work in that plug is going to be poor quality for this application.
    #7
    mlockett
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 14:54:43 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: KenJr

    Do not record with reverb. Record it dry and add reverb later.


    I don't agree with that. Record with whatever makes the singer most comfortable.

    Adding a bit of reverb generally tends to HELP vocalists, not hurt them.

    Depending on one's setup, you may be able to monitor the reverb without recording it. That's going to be the more versatile option.
    #8
    skullsession
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 15:08:32 (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: bitflipper

    Sing your balls off.

    Feel the lyric.....and damn the rest of it all to hell!!


    Abso-frickin'-lutely!

    Just don't clip your mic pre in the process and you'll be OK. Ball-less, perhaps, but otherwise OK.





    Agreed.

    In the end, no matter the cost of my mics or my preamps....to capture a magical performance is the goal.

    Endlessly, I find myself going back to old recordings done with lesser gear and finding that the performance is always more important than the gear.

    If you're spittin' gold, you'll capture gold.

    Always.

    HOOK:  Skullsessions.com  / Darwins God Album

    "Without a doubt I would have far greater listening and aural skills than most of the forum members here. Not all but many I am sure....I have done more listening than most people." - Jeff Evans on how awesome Jeff Evans is.
    #9
    Stevethesearcher
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 16:11:44 (permalink)
    Thanks Guys for the responses.

    Most grateful for your feedback.

    I am fairly happy with my soundcard but I have been recommended one audio interface that has good reverb monitoring abilities

    http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/TC-Electronic-Desktop-Konnekt-6-Firewire-Audio-Interface?sku=180229

    Any opinions on this soundcard as regards monitoring abilities.

    My Microphone is an AKG model but its a decent condenser microphone so I am not worried about that part.
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    Randy P
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 16:23:33 (permalink)
    Regarding the use of reverb and recording. Yes, it's okay to have some in your headphone mix, but not okay to record you're vocal track with reverb "destructively". If your not familiar with that term, it means to record it "permanently" on the vocal. The reason for not doing it, is that, what if you dont want it after you start mixing? Or maybe you want less, or more, or different, its too late. You will have to re-record the vocal.

    Just tryin to hep!

    Randy
    post edited by rsp@odyssey.net - 2008/09/19 16:25:59

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    #11
    ohhey
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 16:59:30 (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: Stevethesearcher

    Thanks Guys for the responses.

    Most grateful for your feedback.

    I am fairly happy with my soundcard but I have been recommended one audio interface that has good reverb monitoring abilities

    http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/TC-Electronic-Desktop-Konnekt-6-Firewire-Audio-Interface?sku=180229

    Any opinions on this soundcard as regards monitoring abilities.

    My Microphone is an AKG model but its a decent condenser microphone so I am not worried about that part.


    The M-Audio Fast Track Ultra will do that also. Keep in mind when monitoring the reverb is just for you to hear to build your confidence and let you know what it would sound like in the final mix. You should still be recording only the vocal dry. After you get the track done, then you can put a software reverb in the effects bin for that track and get it adjusted just perfect for the song.

    The cool thing about these new sound cards with effects is that you can get zero latency AND effects at the same time.
    #12
    Stevethesearcher
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    RE: Getting read to record my first vocal ever 2008/09/19 17:14:02 (permalink)
    Thanks Frank and Randy,

    I appreciate your responses.

    When I was buying my soundcard back in February/March reverb monitoring was not an issue that was pointed out to me when I was doing my research.

    There seems to be a new crop of affordable soundcards out in the summer that can do this.

    I will look into M-Audio Fast Track Ultra as well as the TC electronic Konnekt 6. The inbuilt reverb seems very handy to have when recording vocals.It definitely appeals to me. As you say Frank it can give you confidence when you are singing.

    I see the sense in recording dry and adding the reverb later which Randy has said.

    The picture is becoming clearer to me. Glad I started this thread.
    #13
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