Vocal Recording - Preperation

Quick read (3-4 min.) about the human element of working with vocalists and what it takes to be a true professional during a recording session.

I know this is not directly related to mixing, but a great vocal performance and recording is the best foundation for a quality vocal in the mix – so if you’re in charge of vocal production, here are some ideas for you. Getting this right can save you a lot of work in the mix! 

1. GET THE SINGER TO DO A VOCAL WARM-UP 

There are some great vocal warm-up programs out there. Just do a search on YouTube for “vocal warm up” and you’ll find lots of options. The warm up should take at least 30 minutes, a full hour is even better. A good warm up has a slow build, and consists of a big variety of notes, expressions and phrases. Trust me, it’s worth it and will save you hours in vocal recording. It’s basically like sports – no professional athlete would ever skip preparation and warm up! My favorite vocal warm up is by Stevie Lange – on her website you can find female and male versions. 

2. GET THE SINGER TO DRINK LOTS OF STILL WATER 

In addition to the warm up, the singer should drink lots of still water before and also during the session. 

3. PRINT OUT THE LYRICS 

This will be helpful for both the producer and the singer. Type down the lyrics of the song and print 2 copies, one for you, one for the singer. Make sure the font is large enough so it’s easy to read. Print it on two pages if it doesn’t fit on one. Have a music stand and a working pen ready for the singer and also yourself, so you can both make notes. Place the music stand and note sheet in a way that it doesn’t reflect back into the microphone – the right angle helps wonders! 

4. RECORD A COUPLE OF RUNS THROUGH THE ENTIRE SONG 

I know – recording vocals in sections is very popular, but it’s still a good idea to record the entire song from start to finish at the beginning of the session. Mainly because it gives you a better idea of the macro dynamics of the song. When recording a song in sections, you can easily overpower the first verse, then realize the singer can’t top the power in the chorus. So make sure to define the tone and power of each section during these run-throughs. 

5. RECORD THE SONG IN SECTIONS 

If the complete runs went very well, this is just a backup, but the reality is that most vocals are recorded in sections. Loop a song part (e.g. verse or chorus), make sure to have 2 – 4 bars pre-roll of just music between every take and just keep recording. You will probably see the performance improve with every new take until at one point the quality drops which is when you should stop and go to the next section. Once you went through all the sections, you should start at the first section again because there was likely a development in quality, and this second session is usually a huge improvement over the first one. 

6. HOW MANY TAKES? 

The number of takes you want to capture varies – there is no rule to that. I’ve worked with professional session singers in New York that were so well prepared that 3 takes was all I’ve ever needed. In the 2000s, I’ve worked with a lot of young and inexperienced casting TV show artists (Idol, X-Factor, The Voice), where I would record a minimum of 10 – 20 takes of each section. You have to decide it from case to case, but keep in mind that sometimes, this one vocal session is your only chance to get it right, and better be safe than sorry!