LO4: Recording and Mixing Vocals

I took a few tips from Sound on Sound to help get my vocal takes. I recorded vocals from tracks 1, 2 and 3 using a Rode NT1-A cardioid pattern, condenser microphone. Its low self-noise level and wide dynamic range make it suitable for recording vocals. The cardioid pattern also made sure that the microphone would pick up vocals from in front of the microphone while barely picking up anything else in the surroundings. I recorded my vocals, and the guest vocals for Track 3, in the multitrack dead-room. I chose the dead-room over the live-room as I wanted to record as little reverb and room tone as possible which, as a result, would give me more control over reverb settings during the mixing stage.

I searched for various tips online to help me with the mixing and the most useful ones I found where from The Pro Audio Files. I found that a few of my current mixing practices could do with some improving. For example, I would usually spend hours mixing solo’d tracks, trying to create perfect tones for individual instruments and vocal parts. However, I’m now aware of the importance of mixing in context to other instruments. I need to use the ‘solo’ buttons less frequently when mixing tracks and start making tracks sound good together rather than individually. And so, on some tracks I have turned down certain frequency ranges to make space for the vocals and other instruments within each of my songs.

I’ve also learned how pre-delay can improve my usage of reverb. Although I want reverb to create space and dimension, I also want the vocals to stand at the front and centre of the mix. Pre-delay can put space in between the vocals and reverb and therefore allow me to have both space and centred vocals.

I processed the vocals in other ways too. For example, I used a de-essers to reduce the overemphasis on ‘S’ and ‘T’ sounds. I also used a mix of compression and automation to control the dynamics of the vocal parts. Although compression is very useful when it comes to stabilising dynamic range, it can also make less-wanted sounds, such as breathing, more noticeable. I used automation to reduce the volume, or sometimes remove, such sounds

References

Sound on Sound (2006) Vocal Recording and Production Masterclass. Available from: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/vocal-recording-production-masterclass

The Pro Audio Files (2017) 7 Simple Tips to Mix Vocals Like a Pro. Available from: https://theproaudiofiles.com/7-simple-tips-mix-vocals-like-pro/