Embarking on the journey from capturing a stellar performance to refining it through mixing and mastering, vocals play a pivotal role in the workflow of most producers. For those just starting, this significant aspect of music production might seem daunting at first. However, producing outstanding vocals is an attainable skill that comes with practice and dedication. This article offers an introduction to vocal production and guides you through the fundamental steps of the process, making it accessible and less intimidating for beginners.
What is Vocal Production?
Vocal production involves the artistic process of capturing, refining, and enriching the human voice to be presented in a musical recording. It encompasses the entire journey, starting from recording the singer in the studio to the final master.
In genres where singing or speaking plays a central role, vocal production holds a special significance as it creates a connection with the listeners.
As a result, there exists a wealth of production techniques that contribute to the polished outcome of an exceptional studio vocal.
Recording vocal
The initial phase of vocal production, recording vocals, marks the commencement of capturing the singer’s performance. During this critical stage, decisions regarding the microphone type and recording environment wield substantial influence.
Equally important is the vocalist’s performance, and skilled producers possess the ability to inspire the delivery of the singer’s best takes during the recording session.
In this section, I will delve into the key aspects concerning the recording stage of vocal production.
Choosing a microphone
Selecting an appropriate microphone holds paramount importance in achieving an excellent vocal sound. With numerous options available, not every mic will perfectly suit a particular singer. Predicting the ideal microphone to complement a voice is nearly impossible without auditioning them beforehand.
Nevertheless, experienced producers often suggest general microphone choices for various budgets.
Coaching a vocalist
Coaching a vocalist during a demanding session is an art form that requires finesse. Singing is a challenging discipline, even for seasoned performers, and it often involves emotions and self-confidence.
As a producer, your role is to assist them in achieving the best take. This might entail providing direction, motivation, or constructive feedback to refine the performance.
Employing studio techniques like punching in can offer the singer a better opportunity to master challenging sections.
Recording yourself
Recording yourself as a DIY musician handling all aspects of music production presents unique challenges, especially for singers.
Balancing performance and production requires different mindsets, but they can complement each other.
To achieve better results while self-recording vocals, consider this quick advice:
- Prioritize capturing the feel of the performance over immediate editing, especially if you’re in an emotional space aligned with the song.
- Invest ample time in setting up correctly to avoid issues like clipping or recording problems in the DAW, which could ruin an excellent take.
- Be cautious of perfectionism; focusing too much on small details can harm the overall feel. Confidence in your performance matters most.
Editing a vocal performance
Editing a vocal performance is crucial in modern studio production to achieve maximum impact and craft the final sound of vocals in the mix. As co-creators, producers support and enhance the vocalist’s basic performance.
In this section, I’ll cover the key editing tasks in vocal production.
Comping
After capturing multiple takes, selecting the best moments from each is essential to create a strong performance. This process, known as comping, is especially vital for vocals. Each pass gets saved as a separate lane, and you’ll listen through to find the best phrases or segments before promoting them to a new lane for a composite performance.
Vocal pitch correction
While comping is powerful, it may not solve all vocal performance issues. Vocal pitch correction comes into play when you need to fix small imperfections or don’t have satisfactory takes for certain sections. Contrary to the hard-tuned robot voice effect, pitch correction software like Auto-Tune is commonly used for subtle adjustments.
Audio restoration
Audio restoration techniques have become a staple in vocal production workflows. Despite ideal recording conditions, vocal tracks often have imperfections that can be improved with software. Tasks such as removing background noise, controlling breaths, and reducing mouth sounds are common in audio restoration. Advanced spectral techniques can enhance de-using and EQing of problem frequencies, elevating the overall vocal sound.