Stress-Free Singing
Ideas for turning vocal sessions into a sea of tranquility
Because many singers can easily lose their nerve when it comes to laying down lead or even backing vocals, it’s helpful to start with a relaxing environment that includes adjustable lighting and seating, as well as easily maneuverable miking. But there are other things you can do to promote tracking tranquility, such as ensuring that the key and tempo of the song are right for the singer before you get started; providing remote monitoring capability so the vocalist can adjust track volume to suit their taste; creating a monitor mix that’s pleasing to the singer; as well as using comfortable, noise-free headphones (or headphone alternatives if need be).
Start in the “right” key. Conjuring a colorful melody that easily lends itself to harmony is an accomplishment for most writers. But first thing’s first—is the work singable? A “rangy” lead vocal can be difficult to perform, as some parts may be too high (or low) to easily hit. Accordingly, make sure the key you’ve picked is right for the song. If using an electronic keyboard, you can easily adjust the pitch up or down without necessarily having to alter the chords; for that matter you could also increase/decrease the pitch on the recorder itself while tracking a vocal overdub. But don’t be afraid to just rework the chord progression organically if that’s what it takes.
Make it comfy. As we’ve often suggested, successful recording involves more than just nice microphones or fancy gadgetry; creating a calm and comfortable environment should be at least half of the objective. This is especially important for achieving vocal takes that sound natural and relaxed—save the stark lighting for the office and instead use soft white LED lamps that can be dimmed if need be (and attaching a small booklight to a music stand will ensure that lyric sheets remain visible even with the lumens reduced). Because vocal cords are sensitive to air quality, keeping tabs on your studio climate is also important—to wit, use a humidifier/dehumidifier, air purifier, air conditioner or other devices to maintain a singer-friendly environment.
Easy on the ears. Providing a monitor mix that properly balances vocal mic with backing track is typically the trickiest part, since the ratio of vocal to track not only varies depending on the type of song you’re doing, but also the taste of the performer. Decibel-sensitive singers often want very little backing in their cans, while others might prefer a louder track that they can sing over in order to achieve the right energy level. While the “cue mix” blend is generally handled by the recording engineer, having a basic remote headphone amplifier in the vicinity of the vocal mic will at least allow the singer to set the overall headset level to their liking.
Hearing gear. A good monitor mix will be wasted if the gear you use for overdubbing vocals isn’t up to snuff. When choosing headphones, then, aim for comfort but don’t forget technical accuracy—as we’ve mentioned, so-called “closed-cup” models are designed without any rear ports to keep the playback from leaking into a hot vocal mic, thereby mitigating phasing issues and the like. Because some singers may not like the feel or sound of certain headphones, if possible, keep a few different pairs on hand to mollify these fussy types. For those who are truly anti-headset, you could try feeding the track through a small monitor speaker situated close enough for the singer to hear, but without having too much level spilling back into the condenser vocal mic. When doing so, first ensure the mic is in cardioid mode, then place the speaker a few feet in front of the singer so that it’s facing the microphone’s non-active side—this will ensure maximum rejection of the monitor signal.
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