PREPARING TO RECORD LEAD VOCALS
Ok, so first things first....you have to be prepared. Let's talk a little about getting set-up for vocals.
You have chosen the best location to set up your vocal microphone. You have the song title up on your DAW and you have created a track or number of tracks to record the takes that you think you will need. You have chosen the microphone you want to use and powered it up well in advance, especially if it is a valve (tube) microphone! You have adjusted things so that a pop shield can be placed an inch or two in front of the microphone. You have a music stand for the lyrics which you printed out in advance at the correct size so easily legible at a glance.You have printed multiple copies. You have checked that any latency is as low as possible so there are no delays audible in the headphones. If you are having problems you should 'freeze' any audio or bounce down virtual instruments to use for the moment.
HEADPHONES
You must build a "Headphone Mix" for the singer that contains the information he or she will need to sing in tune and in time. Remove any distracting overdubs that are 'sugar' for the mix. You want a basic backing track to work to. I would suggest DRUMS, BASS, KEYS, GUITAR. Avoid backing vocals or harmony vocals in the headphone mix unless these have been agreed on and are being kept for the final mix. It's always better to record any backing vocals or harmony vocals after you have comped and settled on the final vocal. Give the singer a little reverb in the monitor mix if they feel it helps.
A small table with some water or wine or brandy / port if that is what they like.
Let's talk about the type of headphones to use for vocal tracking. Headphones you might mix on or use to check a mix are not always the best headphones for tracking vocals. Open backed headphones can cause problems with feedback and high frequency track spill that can add up if multi tracking! So, you should try and use closed back headphones. Headphones that cover the entire ear if possible.....not Dr. Dre's, Grado Labs, Bose or Ludacris etc., but hardy beasts that will take punishment and last. I like to use the following headphones for tracking:
BEYER DYNAMIC DT Models
AKG K240
SENNHEISER HD Pro Models
Sometimes a singer prefers to work with only one headphone on their head leaving the other ear free to hear their own voice naturally. If that is the case, try and pan the stereo mix to one side only and let tham use that for their monitor mix. This will avoid you picking up too much spill from the 'open' headphone.
RECORDING THE LEAD VOCAL
Everything is set up and ready to go and then the singer arrives. Don't rush he or she to get started. He may want a cup of tea, she may want to bitch about the traffic....whatever, let them adjust slowly to the surroundings. Make sure that there are no hangers-on about the studio. Singing in the studio is a little like hearing confession, the less people about the better. Singers tend to be nervous when recording. In the 'Live" scenario, the moment is over and even if they didn't nail it, they're onto the next song and the previous one is forgotten. As long as the crowd is on your side it's wayhay! In the studio, the performance will be scrutinised over and over and once released, will be with us forever. This makes singers nervous. "That awful note I hit in the middle eight, I'll be coughing at that point for the rest of my life". "That twiddley bit I tried to do in the outro....I'll be shaking the newspaper everytime it comes around", I've heard them admit ! So, it's our job to make them comfortable and at ease with the entire process. That they trust your opinion and your direction is extremely important.
Let he or she get used to the headphones, the mix, the way their voice sounds. Make sure they are happy with what they are hearing. If your levels are good and the compression is not too crazy and you like what you are hearing, start recording. Record everything. Every run through. Every little bit...the talking, the singing and anything else that happens. Capture it all. Remember, what you want is a great performance.
Some singers want to work over and over on a particularly difficult passage until they nail it, others prefer to sing the whole song through until they feel they have achieved a performance level thay are happy with. For me, I like to do 4 or 5 takes from top to bottom. Then, if there is a tricky bit that I feel is worth tackling separately, then I will suggest that. If the singer is having a 'bad' day, there's nothing to gain by labouring the point and it's often better to get them to come back another day when their voice and mood is in better shape. Try to be encouraging. Try not to criticise their pitch, their timing or their interpretation.
So if you have followed me so far and have all of the above in order....go ahead, push that 'record' button and enjoy. The fact that you are enjoying the process may well rub-off on the singer and help them to relax and enjoy it themselves. Best of luck !!
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