Themostreliableoptionforvocalsisa
cardioidcondenser,withlargecapsule
designsusuallyhavingthefrequency
responserequiredforgoodresults.Setthe
micupabout20cmfromthesinger’s
mouth,pointingtheonaxissideatthem
(usuallyindicatedbya logoorpolar
patternlabel).If themichasa low-cut
filter,activateit toreducefloorrumble.Foracousticguitar,useeithera small
orlargecapsulecardioidcondenser.
Fora balancedsound,avoidthesound
holeandinsteadaimthemicdirectlyat
thepointwheretheneckjoinsthebody.
Startwiththemicabout30cmawayfrom
theguitar.1
1
Youshouldbeabletoseethecapsule
throughthegrille.Positionthemicso
thatthey’resingingintothecapsule
diaphragm,notthebody.Atabout20cm
youshouldgeta niceintimatesoundand
someextralowfrequenciesfromthe
proximityeffect.Puta popshield
equidistantbetweenmicandmouthto
reduceplosives.Next,listenanddecideonthetonal
androombalanceyou’reafter.To
adjusttheamountofsoundcaptured,
movethemicnearertoorfurtherfromthe
guitar.Atabouta metre,you’llreally
noticetheroom.Toadjusttonalbalance,
anglethemicuptowardsthelowstrings
ordowntowardsthehighstrings.2
2
A decentheadphonemixwillhavea
hugeimpactonyoursinger’s
performance.Inyourmonitormix,focus
onincludinga reliablepitchreference
suchaspiano,anda clearrhythmic
reference.Makesuretheycanhear
themselvesatanappropriatelevel– too
quietandthey’lloversing;tooloudand
they’llundersing.Themicpositiononanacoustic–
particularlycloseup– isverysensitive
tochanges,soencouragetheguitaristnot
tomovewhenplaying,andtrytocapture
allyourtakesinonego,asreseatingin
exactlythesamepositioncanbetricky.
Encouragethemnottomakenoises,too–
jewellery,breathingandsoon.3
3
> Stepbystep
6.Recordingvocals
Step by step
- Recording acoustic guitar
Recording technique is pretty universal: choose
a mic, position it, set the gain level and hit
record. The nuances come in the form of tried
and tested techniques for commonplace
instruments, and taking these onboard will save
you time. In the following walkthroughs we’ll
show you the basic techniques guaranteed to
achieve reliable results every time, but there are
also some general concepts to bear in mind.
First up, vocals. The human voice is incredibly
dynamic, and singers who have been trained to
project their voices can actually be quite a
challenge to record. It’s entirely possible for a
loud singer to overload the mic capsule –
particularly if it’s a condenser – so don’t be afraid
to use your mic’s level pad if available, and back
the mic away from the singer.
At the other end of the spectrum, intimate
close miked vocals can also cause problems,with plosives, proximity and sibilance all
becoming more dominant. To save hassle later,
use a foam wind protector and pop shield.
Acoustic guitars and amplified electric
guitars call for very different approaches. Pickedacoustic guitar can be very quiet, so not only
does it call for more mic gain and, ideally, a
condenser mic, but also a very quiet recording
space. In contrast, electric guitar amp
loudspeakers are pretty loud and the sound you
normally ‘hear’ is the amp and room combined.
Close miking a guitar amp speaker is great for a
bright, edgy sound, but tiny mic changes can
influence the sound greatly. For a more
balanced picture, gradually move the mic back
from the speakers until you’re happy with what
you hear.
With drums, try and get the kit sounding
good in the room first. Then start with either a
single (mono) mic or a stereo pair overhead.
Adjust both the distance from and position over
the kit to get a balance between kit and room,
and when you’re happy, add in close spot mics
to enhance the kick, snare, toms and so on.Let’s record!
If your vocalist is too
loud, use your mic’s
level pad to attenuate
the input level30 / COMPUTER MUSIC / July 2019
make music now / the fast guide to recording