© 2007 HS Recording
By HS Media
The vocal part is usually the most important component of the recording of any song, it has to be exactly right, but getting it exactly right is the most difficult part of the entire recording process.
Singers come in three basic types:
First there is the top class performer who always gets it right, and the only other possibility is that he or she might go for another take and sing even better. Among people who call themselves singers, this type is normally one in a thousand!
The second type is someone who obviously can sing, but under the studio spotlight many defects become significant.
The third category of singer is someone who has had no training in singing but enjoys the experience for either a personal reason or from a Karaoke stint or has joined or started a group or act wanting to make a name in the entertainment world.
It isn't widely appreciated, but even the top singers need help to allow them to
sing the way they do. We take it for granted that a champion tennis player needs
a coach. So a top singer needs a coach too. There are two types of people who work
with singers to improve their performance. One is a singing teacher who will help
with the production of the sound, and the other is a voice coach who will help with
the performance of a song. For most requirements, a basic singing teacher is probably
the best option. (Bear in mind that some people who advertise themselves as 'voice
coaches' work with speech rather than singing, so be careful not to get confused).
Most singing teachers specialise in musicals or classical singing rather than Pop,
Rock or Death Metal, but the principals of voice training are very similar. Anyone
with a weak, wobbly voice, lacking in range will benefit enormously from two or three
months of weekly lessons. Even if the teacher doesn't understand the style of music
in which the singer is working and thinks their singer wants to be the Phantom of
the Opera, it will still work. It's like going to the gym -
It isn't as commonly known as it should be that even a good singer needs a lengthy warm up session before he or she can sing at peak performance. It is normal for this warm up to take as long as an hour before the voice achieves real depth and fullness of sound – if we start recording too soon then we may have to use effects units to strengthen the voice artificially. Of course it is important not to over stretch the voice during the warm up and wear it out so care is needed to prevent straining. Experienced vocalists will have their own warm up routine, which they will probably want to carry out before recording starts. Many inexperienced singers don't understand the need for rehearsal and would probably just dive straight into recording. They do not always recognize the need for a warm up but really need to consider it. Singing other songs in your repertoire to loosen up is a good idea.
Vocal Recording Info cont....
