Vocals!

[AdamWathan]

How crucial do you guys think it is to record vocals in a booth? I'm talking aggressive/screaming metal vocals like most of us record most often... I was watching the Sylosis studio vid where they did vocals and they were just tracked in the open in the drum room and turned out great on the record... Also, what plugins (if any) do you guys use to add a bit of saturation to your vocal tracks? Share your favourite vocal 'verbs as well!

 

[Razzee]

we're tracking in a blancket construction at the moment ^^

 

[smy1]

Blanket constructions are perfectly fine. You'll see them in studios everywhere, from Jay-Z to Metallica.

 

[jrt12]

excuse my cluelessness... whats blanket construction?

 

[-Noodles-]

I use a similar technique in using wide open spaces, which give a more natural sound. Using blankets and "drying" the singer out can be great if it will suit the vocals, however it can be difficult to try to inject life into a performance. (in my experience)

Horses for courses though!

 

[Torniojaws]

excuse my cluelessness... whats blanket construction?

Make a miniroom out of hung blankets

 

[Soundlurker]

As long as you don't need the sound insulation and the acoustics of the room aren't too bad, you don't need a booth. You can also make a portable "booth".

Personally, I prefer recording vocals in a dead room and adding reverb afterwards.

 

[jrt12]

Make a miniroom out of hung blankets

ah... thanks! good to know.

but i've another question. the sound of the room will obviously make a big difference with condensor mics, but do dynamics really pick up the room too? esp if you track with a compressor (even at lower settings 2 or 4:1), would the room be picked up with a sm57/58?

 

[csholtmeier]

would the room be picked up with a sm57/58?

Not very much with a dynamic, especially something like a Heil PR40 (that mic has a laser beam of a pattern).

A condenser will pick up more of the room, especially with an omni or figure 8 pattern. It will also pick up A/C noises, cars passing by the house, etc.

A compressor will only bring up these noises, not lower them.

 

[brandy]

In former days I usually recorded in a corner with lots of acustic-treatment... But I started to dislike that some time ago, sounds to muffled .. These days I use the middle of the room, but I place some gobos around the singer to create some kind of a cave/booth... Sounds more open than a real booth - but the room-sound stays out.. Mainly it gives the singer a secure feeling... I think that a secure and a "I am on my own in my own small room" feeling makes a singer perform better ...

 

[JoeJackson]

I tracked vocals in our rehearsal-room without further treatment and it turned out great.

On the last Unearth-record Trevor kneeled in front of a sofa and held his mic in his hands. On the album prior to the march he was tracked in a room with cranked monitors.
I think you can get away with a lot of non-ideal circumstances, as long as the performance is good.

 

[JonWormwood]

I tracked vocals in our rehearsal-room without further treatment and it turned out great.

On the last Unearth-record Trevor kneeled in front of a sofa and held his mic in his hands. On the album prior to the march he was tracked in a room with cranked monitors.
I think you can get away with a lot of non-ideal circumstances, as long as the performance is good.

Fuck yeah.

 

[ahjteam]

How crucial do you guys think it is to record vocals in a booth?

None. You can record in the open air as long as its not windy. Just make it sound good.

 

[Seizure.]

A bit of analog opto tube compression (la2a) like is awesome on most vocals.. the vocals for the softer kind of music i do had realy big benefit from that..
I could do an A/B!

 

[-J-]

On the last Unearth-record Trevor kneeled in front of a sofa and held his mic in his hands.

um....WHY?

 

[Skinny Viking]

um....WHY?

to kill the sound of his voice as it travels past the mic ... deaden and keep less room sound from hitting the mic

plus .. who knows, might have added an interesting quality to his voice

maybe its his favorite sofa (security blanket type thing)

song he was tracking could have been about an ex that he might have banged on the sofa a lot and he wanted extra inspiration to really get his performance going


sooooooo many reasons for these things

I used to stick my vocalist in a small closet to do his vocals ... it did nothing for the sound but it made me laugh because the door stuck and he could never get out

 

[Lionwing]

How crucial do you guys think it is to record vocals in a booth? I'm talking aggressive/screaming metal vocals like most of us record most often... I was watching the Sylosis studio vid where they did vocals and they were just tracked in the open in the drum room and turned out great on the record... Also, what plugins (if any) do you guys use to add a bit of saturation to your vocal tracks? Share your favourite vocal 'verbs as well!

Jamie's scream is fucking phenomenal, the low he reaches on oath of silence should be proof that 'cuppers' really do just have bad technique if he can pull it off using a condenser.

 

[Metaltastic]

RIGHT ON

 

[Deus.exe]

Behold, awesome singer, awesome performance on an awsome album singing at his DAW with the monitors cranked.

 

[Jind]

Behold, awesome singer, awesome performance on an awsome album singing at his DAW with the monitors cranked.

That's the exact video I was going to post in response to the question.