How to record a vocal?

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Recording a vocal well is a bit of a challenge, but it is not that complicated with the necessary knowledge and appropriate equipment. At home, we can organize a home studio where we can make such recordings.

Home recording studio

What we will need to make the recording is definitely a computer that will record all our activities. In order for the computer to perform such functions, it will have to be equipped with appropriate sound recording and processing software. Such a program for a DAW and it contains all the necessary tools for recording and processing our soundtrack. We can modulate the sound of the recorded signal there, add various effects, reverbs, etc. Of course, to record a vocal, we will need a microphone. We divide microphones into two basic groups: dynamic microphones and condenser microphones. Each of these groups of microphones has its own specific characteristics, so it is worth considering which one will suit us best. However, in order for this microphone to be connected to our computer, we will need an audio interface, which is a device with analog-to-digital converters that not only input the signal to the computer, but also output it outside, e.g. to the speakers. These are the basic tools without which no home studio can exist.

Such other elements of our home studio are, among others studio monitors that will be used for listening to the recorded material. It is worth looking at these types of monitors and not listen to the recorded material on hi-fi speakers, which to some extent enrich and color the sound. When making a recording, we should process it on the purest possible form of the source material. We can also perform such listening and editing on headphones, but here it is also worthwhile to use typical studio headphones, not audiophile ones, which, like in the case of loudspeakers for listening to music, have the signal enriched with, for example, bass boost, etc.

Adaptation of the studio premises

Once we have gathered the necessary devices for our home studio to work, we should prepare the room in which we will make the recording. The ideal solution is when we have the possibility to organize a control room in a separate room separated by a glass from the room where the singer will work with the microphone, but we can rarely afford such a luxury at home. Therefore, we must at least properly soundproof our room, so that the sound waves do not bounce off the walls unnecessarily. If we record vocals under the background, the singer must necessarily listen to them on closed headphones, so that the microphone does not take the music off. The room itself can be dampened with foams, sponges, soundproofing mats, pyramids, which are used to soundproof rooms, available on the market. People with more financial resources can buy a special soundproof cabin, but this is a greater cost, besides, it is also not an ideal solution because the sound is dampened in some way and the sound waves do not have a natural outlet.

Correct positioning of the microphone

This is a very important element when recording vocals. The microphone must not be too high or too low, not too far or too close. The singer must keep a proper distance from the stand on which the microphone is placed. If the singer is too close to the microphone, then apart from what we want to record, unwanted noises such as breathing or clicking sounds will be recorded. On the other hand, when the microphone is too far away, the signal of the recorded material will be weak. The microphone itself should also have its optimal place in our home studio. We avoid placing a tripod with a microphone next to the wall or in the corner of a given premises and we try to find the place that will be the best soundproofed. Here we have to experiment with the positioning of our tripod, where this microphone works best and where the recorded sound is in its purest and natural form.

summarizing

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be able to make recordings at a decent level. The knowledge about individual elements of our studio, such as choosing the right microphone, is much more important here. Then the place should be properly adapted by soundproofing it, and finally we have to experiment where it is best to place the microphone.