How To Record Vocals From Home
Times are changing. There used to be a time when recording vocals could cost someone an arm and a leg. Now, technology has made it easier for people to record vocals at home. Consumers can find consumer-level equipment that is good enough for recording quality vocals at home. This equipment is affordable and of high-end quality. This article explains the basics of recording vocals at home.
Choose the Right Microphone
A Microphone is the first piece of equipment you need to record vocals successfully. A $200 mic can be what you need instead of $3,000 microphone. So which microphone do you need to record vocals from home? There are a variety of microphones out there, from dynamics, ribbons, condensers and USB mics all which are relatively cheaper. Choosing a mic doesn’t depend on the price. A $200 mic can be what you need instead of $3,000 microphone. A solid cheap mic I would recommend for starters is AT 4040.
Create a Solid Acoustical Recording Environment
An acoustically treated, vocal booth or soundproofing at home. As long as the room you are using for recording doesn’t have a reflection like giant windows or mirrors and ceramic tiled floor, the room will work well. Make sure you switched off all other distraction and machines in the house like the washing machine.
Use Backing Vocals and Stacks
Tracking parts of your vocal in a way of thickening and widening them. Double, triple or even quadruple vocal tracking helps your vocals to stand out in your mix. Also, you need to consider where to track your vocals.
Position the Microphone
There are various ways you can position your mic to work properly. Placing your mic 6 to 10 inches away is a good way to start before advancing to other positions in another place. Depending on the size of the room and the liveliness, you get to decide the best distance to position your microphone.
Front-end Processing and Microphone Gain
Now that everything is digital, avoid recording your vocals with high levels unless you want them to come through with some kind of noise. If you are not singing a soft and delicate verse and then advance to a loud shouty chorus, then you don’t need to change the level for different sections.
If you are considering recording vocals at home, you need to know that it is not going to give you a finished product. You still need an engineer to help with the mixing and mastering. The engineer will help when it comes to the processing chain and making you sound identical to what it is you hear on the radio now a days. The vocal recording doesn’t have rights and wrongs, all you need are general guidelines. For help with mixing and mastering, Vinny D is a top mixing engineer with an array of clients such as French Montana, Pitbull, Florida, Future, Steve Aoki, J Balvin, Maluma and other leading musicians. Vinny D guarantees you the highest quality sound for your music. Contact us for more information and quotes.