Achieving a Great Vocal Sound

Here are some tips and options to help towards achieving a professional vocal recording and some of my favourite choices for vocal chain plugins and hardware.

From recording professional singers in commercial recording studios, to reinforcing live performers on stage and recording myself at home, my approach to achieving a good quality vocal sound utilises the same principles.

Here are my five essential steps to help you towards achieving a clear vocal recording or mix process.

#1 - Microphone Technique

Whether via a genuine or replica vintage tube mic, or via a more affordable stage staple dynamic microphone such as the Shure SM58, a quality vocal recording can be achieved with minimal processing when a great singer, with good microphone technique delivers a convincing performance - but what does good microphone technique mean?

A comfortable starting distance from the singer to the microphone is around 6-8 inches from the microphone for most vocals and incorporating a pop shield (shown above) is a good way of setting this distance to ensure the singer doesn't get too close, whilst also eliminating 'plosive' sounds caused by consonant sounds such as 'P' and 'B'. At this position you can start to set the gain level on your preamp to achieve a clean signal, with plenty of headroom and enough level above the noise floor (explained in step 2).

Good microphone technique primarily relies on the performer, and refers to how a singer can manipulate their vocal delivery to provide a consistent and clear signal into the microphone. This means controlling the vocal level by altering the distance of the singer from the microphone which some singers do instinctively, moving their head further from the microphone as they increase in volume, providing a more consistent level.

Good technique may also mean keeping on-axis to the microphone, avoiding unnecessary mouth sounds and minimising any mic handling noises.

#2 - Preamps

Preamps range from the clean, characterless preamps built into affordable audio interfaces, to the rich, warm transistor or tube preamps found in vintage mixing consoles or as external hardware, which are full of character due to higher levels of Total Harmonic Distortion.

Whichever you have, you can still achieve a high quality recording by setting the gain level appropriately. Do this whilst the singer is singing into the mic, preferably at the loudest level they sing so that you can set headroom appropriately and aim to record set levels into the DAW so that the meter is reading between -12 to -18dBFS at the signal's peaks. This allows for some headroom if the signal gets louder, (as performers tend to during a performance!), minimising the chances of the signal clipping and distorting the recorded signal.

My favourite pre-amps for vocal recordings are the Neve 1073 which is warm and characterful, and the SSL 4000 E which has its own crisp, unique sound but I have far more often recorded vocals through live mixing consoles, affordable audio interfaces and have had these songs played on the radio and released by artists.

"Please keep in mind though that expensive doesn't always mean good. I recorded tons of vocals using cheaper preamps that worked great." – Andrew Scheps (https://gearspace.com/board/interviews/1362076-interview-andrew-scheps.html)

#3 - Compression

The compression and EQ section below are interchangeable in position of the process depending on the aim. However, using a compressor to reduce the dynamic range of a vocal performance is a very effective way to help your vocal remain heard in a mix. Dynamic range refers to the difference between the quietest and loudest moments of the signal. Reducing this (especially for a vocal with a very wide dynamic range) allows for a more consistent vocal level, making it easier to fit in a mix, without quieter moments being masked by other instruments, or louder moments being too loud or jarring. However, be careful not to over-compress the vocal, as this can suck the life out of the performance.

Compressors (much like preamps) come in a variety of forms, from software plug-ins to outboard compressors like tube or optical compressors. Each can impart their own character, but the idea is generally the same. Set a threshold - when the audio signal goes over this, the signal level will reduce according to a ratio. Using a fairly low ratio such as 2:1 is generally appropriate for vocals; this means that for every 2dB of signal above the threshold, only 1dB will pass. Attack and release times can be set to control how fast the compression applies once the signal crosses the threshold and release time refers to the time taken for the signal to return to its uncompressed level once the the signal is back below the threshold. Setting 'Make Up Gain' will compensate for signal loss.

I often use a combination of compressors to tame a vocal, with the classic duo of Teletronix LA-2A and Universal Audio 1176 being a solid favourite (plug-ins pictured below).

#4 - EQ

Equalisation is often the next step, post-compression or pre-compression or even both! The first use of EQ is almost always applied pre-compression and this involves applying a High Pass Filter (also known as Low Cut Filter), between around 100-140Hz. This is used to reduce unwanted noise such as mic handling noise, low frequency rumble from external noises or vibration transference up the mic stand etc, and this results in a cleaner sound with more headroom available. Microphones and Pre-amps often have a HPF switch to achieve the same result.

Another EQ approach may be attenuating any resonant frequencies from the room or microphone, which can be done by using a parametric EQ, sweeping through with a tight, boosted EQ band until you hear a particularly nasty-sounding frequency and then attenuating the band at that frequency. These can really clean up a vocal track!

You may want to boost frequencies, too. Boosting at high frequencies using a PEQ shelf band, can add more 'air' or boosting at low-mid frequencies can add some body to a 'thinner' sound vocal sound. When mixing live I often subtly boost between 1kHz-2.5kHz using a wide parametric EQ to achieve some definition to a vocal sound as this region is where a lot of the consonant sounds in words occur. Using a Real Time Analyzer (RTA) can help identify where to make some of these cuts or boosts but the most effective way is to use your ears when applying changes and have a desired outcome in mind.

I most often use a digital parametric EQ plug-in such as the Waves F6 Dynamic EQ to surgically treat vocals, but using an EQ with more character such as a Pultec MEQ-5 or that found on a Neve 1073 preamp can often be efficient as well as generally imparting more flavour.

#5 - Reverb & FX

Effects such as Reverb and Delay can really add something special to your vocal recording. Reverbs can be used to provide a different sense of space to a recording, which can be used to enhance it in a natural, subtle way or a completely exaggerated sense of space. There are many types of reverbs, but popular choices for vocals are digital reverbs, plate reverbs and chambers - each with their own character!

Delays can be used to provide more depth to a sound, too and popular ways of enhancing a vocal with delay are: tap-delay (I like a tap delay of around 120ms), 1/4 note stereo delay but there are lots of creative ways to use delays, too.

I almost always apply reverb to a vocal and delay is a close second, but there are a whole host of other effects such as chorus, distortion, vocoders and many more that can give your vocal something unique or special.

Want to learn more?

These points are the first steps to achieving a clear, professional vocal sound and sometimes these are all you need but the key is to keep learning and experimenting with new techniques and gear. My experience mixing countless live shows, recording in studios and mixing in my home studio helps me achieve the vocal sound I want in a mix, I'd love to help you achieve yours!

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