Vocal recordings can be very subjective, so having a checklist of things to watch for can help keep your quality high. The emotion of the vocal track is arguably the most important aspect of a song, but the musical aspects of the vocals can’t be ignored either. Maintain a big-picture perspective of your vocals to avoid re-recording unnecessarily, or worse, getting your vocalist into an un-creative state of mind.
You can read more tips here: http://www.puremix.net/blog/vocal-recording-checklist.html
Recording Tips and Techniques
Mobile Mics
The days of mobile recordings being limited to grainy video and maybe-understandable audio are over. High quality cameras in cell phones have become a huge marketing point for cell phones, but unfortunately we haven’t seen nearly as much improvement in the on-board microphones in these devices. Whether you’re using an Android phone, an iPhone, or even a tablet, using an external microphone can drastically improve the quality of your recordings. You may not want to try and record vocals for a studio album through your iPad, but recording the audio of an interview for later publication is much more within reach. Take a look at what external mics there are and what it will take to get them working with your device. The benefit they offer far exceeds their cost.
You can read more about USB and other mobile mics here: http://audioundone.com/microphones-and-mobile-devices
Mixing With Professionals Tour
If you happen to be in the Alexandria, VA area on February 6, the Mixing With Professionals tour by Soundcraft is now taking registration for the free event. The session will focus on Soundcraft Vi Series consoles. If you already have one of these consoles, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how to use it. Or if you’re in the market for a new console, you could get hands-on experience to see if you like the line from Soundcraft. Virginia isn’t known for being a sunny oasis, but hopefully the weather cooperates enough for the event to be a success.
You can read more details about registration here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/soundcraft_mixing_with_professionals_tour_coming_to_alexandria_va/
How To Effectively Use EQ On Drums
Getting the EQ right for different parts of your mix takes a fair amount of trial and error, but knowing where to start can help shorten the process. Each part a drum set contributes its own important sound to your mix. Adjust the sound of the drums individually before verifying that the overall mix sounds great.
For some specific tips for using EQ on your drum track, read here: http://www.audio-issues.com/music-mixing/drum-eq-guide/
Learning From The Vocals Of Pop Stars
To say not everyone likes every piece of music would be an understatement. As a producer or audio engineer, there may be plenty to learn from the likes of Katy Perry or Lady Gaga despite how dissimilar their music may be from your preferred genre. While some parts of modern pop music might be lacking, the complex, layered vocal effects have multitudes of other uses. Listen through some of these artists’ songs a few times and you’re likely to hear something new each time.
You can read more here: http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/what-you-can-learn-from-the-vocal-production-of-katy-gaga-keha/#disqus_thread