Archive for tag: vocals
Vocals: Finding the Golden Signal Path
March 1, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the process of getting the vocal chain right for the given performer. The signal chain for vocals is probably one of the most important production choices in pop music. Of course, it helps to have a healthy selection of devices to choose from. Every voice has unique qualities, some of which [...]
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The Art of Comping: Creating Master Performances
February 23, 2008 Comping, PostThis post focuses on the technique of comping, or creating a composite performance from various elements of multiple performances. It used to be that in order to get a recording of a performance the performers had to run straight through the material. But ever since the invention of overdubbing people have been changing the way [...]
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Predelay: Improve Clarity of ‘Verb
February 17, 2008 Effects, ReverbThis post focuses on the use of predelay to allow reverb to be added to a sound without muddying it up too much. A lot of producers are really reverb shy these days. It’s true that reverb can really date material… it was used so much in the 80s and 90s that a lot of [...]
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Recording Guitar and Vox Simultaneously
February 2, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on a technique for the tricky task of recording guitar and vocals at the same time. One of the classic tricky engineering situations is recording guitar and vocals at the same time. Generally they bleed into each other and effects that make the guitar sound good make the vocals sound horrible and [...]
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Stereo Image Placement = Much Better Mixing
January 20, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the placement of sounds in the stereo image during the mix process. Proper use of stereo imaging in a mix is probably almost as important (or even more important in sparse mixes) as equalization, yet it is largely overlooked as an area for improvement in engineers and producers of beginner and [...]
Read More »Ribbon Mics: The Secret Weapon of the Mic Locker
December 14, 2007 UncategorizedThis post is going to highlight the ribbon microphone: the neglected and underutilized black-sheep citizen of the mic locker. If I do a session without using a ribbon mic, I get cranky. What’s a ribbon mic? Why should I care? Ribbon mics are the stepchildren of dynamic microphones. Dynamic mics such as the Shure SM57, [...]
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