Recording vocals in a fancy studio is every musician’s and singer’s dream. But when you have a tight budget, it can be difficult to go into a studio. However, it doesn’t mean your vocal recording has to wait. Today, recording vocals at home is easier than ever before. Provided you have expert guidance, the right tools and environment, you can achieve great home recordings. Whether you are a rapper, lyricist, singer or podcast creator, you can record vocals that will be unbelievably close to the quality that recording in a studio will deliver.
At D Man Productions LLC, we operate an online music production company that helps musicians, singers and songwriters produce heart-touching music without leaving the comfort of their home. Here are some tips you should follow to achieve studio quality home recordings using a Zoom recorder.
Set the Right Ambiance
The first step to recording great vocals at home is to set up an ideal environment. If you are not ready to go, the start will not be great. Get the place ready for vocal recording so that the vibe is on.
From selecting the perfect room to looking for random noises and identifying problems, you need to do the prep work right. Creating the right environment means you feel comfortable in the space. When you feel comfortable and the headphone levels are nice, you are on the right path to achieving great home recordings. So, make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. Find a place that has many good sound absorbers such as blankets, mattresses, pillows etc. Don’t record vocals in a large space or empty room to avoid echoing sounds.
Place the Mic and Pop Filter Right
The microphone is the most important device. This is the device that you will use to capture your vocal records. That is why you should make sure that the microphone as well as the pop filter are in place.
The microphone diaphragm should face the lips. Put on the headphones and notice how the vocal records vary. Based on your specific needs, you can either place the mic at close distance or at mid-distance. Using a pop filter is highly recommended in order to achieve great audio quality. If you do not have a pop filter available at hand, you can also make one yourself at home. As far as microphones are concerned, you should use one that is ideal for the type of vocals you will be recording. For example, a dynamic microphone is best for recording rap vocals.
For expert tips on what microphone to use, feel free to reach out to one of our session engineers at our virtual recording studio.
Set the Zoom Recorder
It is time to connect and set the Zoom recorder now. Since the digital audio device does not have an internal battery, you will either need to use AA batteries or plug the device into the wall for power connection.
Place the SD card into the slot provided on the RHS of the audio device. Then, connect the microphone to the recorder and turn it on. In any case, do not forget to format the SD card before you start vocal recording. Before recording begins, you should make sure the device is in the recording mode (Multi File) and placed in the right position and at the right distance. Just play around with the device a bit to set it in the right position. Choose the 44.1khz/16 option bit for recording. Next, select the input level in order to avoid distortion and put on the headphones (available with the Zoom recorder kit) to start recording. Adjust input volume and test the levels as well as monitor other levels to achieve great audio quality.
Press the red button twice on the recorder to begin recording. After you press the button twice, the red light will stop fluctuating. This means the device is ready to record your vocals. Give it your best shot.
Don’t Forget Warm Up Singing
You might have to do multiple takes before finally recording the full song. So, you should be ready to do some warmup.
It is never a good idea to go into the detailed spots until you are fully comfortable and relaxed. Great vocal recording can not be produced in a hurry or just one shot. In order to create some heart-capturing music, you should enjoy the entire journey of recording your song. You can never miss out on any of the key details. In fact, you are producing music and you should create something that captivates the audience. In addition to recording everything in a proper manner, you should also properly label all tracks so that you can easily get back to them later.
In case you are not happy with the vocal recording after several takes, you should call it a day. If you are under pressure or stressed, it will be impossible to create fantastic beats and sounds. So, the best idea is to take a break and get back to the vocal recording afresh the next day.
Edit the Vocals Carefully
You will find multiple software programs for vocal editing. However, you should not become too obsessed with them.
Even if you have a great deal of experience in the use of online vocal editing plugins and tools, you should not rely on them too much. If you use these tools excessively, you will likely ruin the naturalness of the vocal recording. Professional quality vocal editing requires several years of expertise. When editing the recorded vocals, you should always keep your focus on the performance. At D Man Productions LLC, we provide virtual recording studio services for singers worldwide. So, if you look for expert tips and guidance on how to do vocal editing just like professionals do, you should reach out to one of the highly experienced and skilled recording engineers and music producers at our online recording studio.
Know How to Process Your Vocal Sound
Achieving a powerful and compelling sound for vocals is not easy. It requires many years of experience and a host of music albums. Experienced audio engineers and music producers have mastered this art. While it can be hard to achieve exactly the same professional level in home vocal recordings, there are many tools that will enable you to get very close to that. There are several plugins that you can use to process your vocal sound. However, you need to do it with a high level of listening and patience. What is even more important is to know when you should actually process your vocal sound and when you should not.
In order to find the right sound, you should be open to experimenting with different kinds of effects. Some important plugins you can use include parametric EQ, compressors, de-essers, reverbs etc. To find out which ones online recording studios use, get in touch with one of our professionals.
Put a Lot of Energy into Your Performance
One of the most important things that makes it easy to achieve great home recordings is putting lots of energy into the performance.
Usually, the level of energy remains high when you record in a fancy recording studio. In a domestic space, you may find it a bit difficult to put up a highly energetic performance. However, you can definitely use some techniques to replicate the energy level of a fancy music studio in order to make your vocal recording sessions filled with lots of vigor, liveliness and spirit. Like it has been said already, first you need to set the vibe right and then practice and learn the entire song in advance. Once the lead vocals are done, you can also record some background vocals, particularly to make your vocal recordings at home sound full of energy.
Do You Have a Question?
If you plan to record vocals at home and make them sound great too, you should follow every bit of advice given above. Right from creating an ideal environment to set the mood and vibe and setting up the equipment to managing levels and doing vocal editing, you will need to pay attention to every step of the process. If you have any kind of doubts or a question you would like to ask, reach out to D Man Productions LLC for easy explanations and expert answers. Our highly experienced recording engineers, mix engineers, sound editors and voice coach will be glad to educate you and help you achieve great home recordings.
For your free consultation, feel free to give us a phone call or write us an email using the contact form on our website.
