What do do with singers who can but don't do?

[Curse9]

Heres the situation. I have to record a singer who is very skilled in bands he sang and sing. I've listened to his former projekts which all where recorded in the studio, no live gigs to mention. In the rehearsal sessions he allways gets the feeling and is in tune.

When it comes to recording he has massive problems with intonation, tune and feeling. We've tried things like using a handheld microphon and a minor change took place in getting the song. BUT nothing I would mix yet. From his former projects and rehearsals I know he can do better.

As he his a non- drinker and non-smoker things are a bit more difficult than they might have to be

What do you pros suggest to make him sing in tune, make him sing with right feel and so on???

Thank you so much for answeres and solutions!

 

[exoslime]

i guess he is just nervous, he trying to give the best, and then he gets cramped and all that jazz.

what helps is to practice, practice and practice recording.. its similar like to play to a click, if u are not used it, you screw it up.

maybe you / the band can prepare him some backing tracks that he can practice with them at home.

 

[Curse9]

thats what we did allready we gave him tracks without and with vocals. He is in studio very often but has no chance on recording at home because he doesn't know anything about computers and is not going to learn to record himself .
We do have the possibility on recording without pay anyone so its free. He is in studios very often which are payed, so he must not be very nervous while we record. But thats possibly one of the points you mentioned.

 

[pikachu69]

Some singers cannot pitch well wearing inclosed headphones. Try adding some verb to the headphone mix or get the singer to take one earphone slightly off to allow some of their natural voice to be heard.
Also, try a monitor wedge rather than headphones.

 

[greyskull]

gotta make him comfy;
also try different headphones and hedphone volume

 

[Fbarre]

He might have problems with monitoring through headphones. You could try out this method of recording vocals:

 

[BLUElightCory]

1. Is the band there when he's recording? If so, get them the hell out. The last thing a singer needs when he's trying to get comfortable in the studio is an audience.

2. Like others have said, take a lot of time getting his headphone/monitor mix just right, and spend whatever time is needed just doing practice runs so he can get comfortable. Try using only one ear of the phones, or no phones at all, crank them, turn them down, etc. Compress his voice a bit so he's not afraid to sing out....Just try everything you can to make his experience comfortable and you'll get what you need.

 

[crillemannen]

You could try to record him with an sm7b without headphones. With him listening through your monitors. Have been done before, and its much easier if hes not that good of a "studio" singer

 

[Skaldir]

Try to let him have one ear free and one with headphones.
If that doesn't work try without as the others said. Maybe he needs that "feeling"

 

[AEL89]

Yeh, I've done monitors cranked loads of times. If you're having trouble with the monitors bleeding into the mic too much try this; sum L and R sides down to mono then reverse the phase of one of your monitors. Move the mic around until there is as much phase cancellation as you can get. Works pretty well :Smokedev:

 

[guitarguru777]

Track him with a hypercardiod and point it away from the monitors then just having him sing with no headphones.

You will have to more editing to do but you will get the performance you need.

 

[Mago]

You could try to record him with an sm7b without headphones. With him listening through your monitors. Have been done before, and its much easier if hes not that good of a "studio" singer

Yeah try this, as in the video.
Works wonders with some singers.
Recently I had to do that as well because I couldn't nail it with headphones I a usually can.

 

[Skinny Viking]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVD73pMi6c

Holy shit I didn't know Russel Allen did AE

 

[chrisrivalry]

Is anyone else amazed at the fact that Ronan is always recording some strange prog rock band and yet he gets to use stupidly awesome gear.

 

[Loki Laufeyiarson]

How about telling him to just practice the song a couple fo times before actually recording, but record those practiceruns without him knowing it?

 

[Skyweaver]

get him to lie on his back and sing with his eyes closed and focus solely on singing and dont tell him when your recording him, just do the song over and over - eventually he will relax and you'll get the sounds you need from him....sounds like his nerves are causing him to tense up