This week we recorded the vocals and learnt some basic techniques of how to record decent vocals.
The basics of this week!
- We recorded the vocals into our track.
- We learnt the basics of proximity and axis when postioning the microphone.
- Experimented with basic compresstion on the vocals.
- Like last week we checked to make sure everyone understood what was happing on the desk and in Pro-Tools while recording the vocals (including the vocalist-in this case me).
Basic set up!
Before recording into the session we had to do our set up. We set up a control room mix, then set up the talk back for the deadroom. This week we used the AKG C141 (which we also had to set up in the deadroom) because its the most popular condenser mic used for vocal recordings due to its recording quilty and polar pattern choices. Finally we had to be sure that the gain was set right and route it into a channel (more specificaly channel 13) and into Pro-Tools.
Vocal Recording placement!
As I mentioned above we looked at the importance of proximity and axis. First of all I will be explaing the basics of why we use Axis positioning. If you were to place the sing on axis (so directly facing the microphone) it can create problems like poping sounds and may increase the emount of low frequancy within the recording. Where as if you put the singer off axis (slightly to the side) then it reduces popping and low frequancys. Moving onto the Proximity effect, this technique is more about the distance from the microphone the vocalist should stand. If the vocalist were to stand to close to the microphone it increases the emount of bass that the condenser picks up while recording but if you were to bring the vocalist bak away from the microphone it decreases the proximity affect and reduces the emount of bass being picked up. Both of these tecniques could be used as alternatives to using a pop-sheild. Using this information the group was to test these techniques by standing the singer (me) in the different postions.
Using vocal compresstion!
After I had recorded the vocals I joined the rest of the group in the studio were we had a look at the importants of compresstion. By using the compresstion we are able to reduce the dynamic range, so the difference of the weakestr and strongest parts of the vocal. Its also useful to apply when recording vocals that have a large dynamic range, but either way its recomened to but atleast a little bit of compresstion on the vocals. Its adviceable that you should not over do the compresstion otherwise it will be difficult to add more when working on the final mix.
Next week I shall be talking about all the extra features that we added to our track.