Recording a musical composition in the studio is a painstaking work that requires complete dedication and a professional approach. Some aspiring singers are trying to record tracks at home, resulting in poor-quality music material. Obviously, to get a really good result, it’s best to record the song in a studio with a full range of specialized equipment.
How to Successfully Prepare for Recording in the Studio?
Before you start creating a high-quality studio recording, you need to decide which song you will record and plan a clear schedule of rehearsals. Many professional recording studios only accept hourly rates, so carefully rehearsed material can save you a lot of time and money.
Before going to the studio, you need to call the manager and clarify what you need to have for recording. Work in the studio begins with tuning the instruments; it is painstaking work that requires professionalism and professional skills. Then the recording process itself starts, consisting of several stages. In this case, all the components of a music track, as a rule, are recorded separately and in a certain sequence.
Selecting the Recording Method
Please note that before recording a song, you need to decide on the recording method:
- Mono;
- Stereo.
For stereo sound in XY technology, a complex of microphones is used, which are placed in line one above the other at an angle of 90 degrees to each other. However, modern stereo microphones can achieve the same effect using only one device.
The peculiarity of recording in MS technology is that it allows capturing the atmosphere of space, which was actively used by the Jez brands of the 50-60s. Such a recording does not require a spacious space with its own sound.
The most common today is recording mono vocals. This is due to the fact that the result is a directional sound that can be conveniently superimposed on a melody for a beautiful song.
Singing Tips to Help Record a Good Song in the Studio
Below are 5 valuable tips to help you successfully record your song in the studio. Study them carefully for further practical application.
Voice Warm-Up
Studio time can be expensive, so it’s best to warm up before entering the studio. In addition to your vocal preparation, make sure you are prepared for how you are going to approach the recording of the song. Some experts recommend knowing exactly how you will sing each section, but this can sound overly rehearsed and unnatural. To avoid this, approach your piece of music differently each time and try experimenting with different sounds, textures, volumes.
Recording
Try to record everything. If you vocalize something interesting, but no one presses the Record button, it can frustrate you as a singer trying to recreate a unique sound. Therefore, try to keep everything recorded and nothing left out.
Keeping Calm
If you feel that you are upset that the take is not going well, you are not hitting the right notes, or you sound pretty flat, take a break for a while. Take the time to clear your head and start over. And when the next time the record button is pressed, you will surely get the desired result. The main thing is to stay calm.
Emotionality
Evoking emotion in the studio can be more difficult than on stage. This is most often due to the lack of a special atmosphere created by the audience. To keep the song from sounding meaningless, try to focus on the text and decipher it.
To get the necessary emotions, personalize the material. You can ask yourself these questions:
- What is the meaning behind these words?
- How do these words make me feel?
- How can I relate these words to my own life experience?
Like the actor and his script, detecting and analyzing the intent of words can have a big impact on performance.
Microphone Control
Experienced singers know how to properly handle a microphone. It is important to move the head correctly to create different volumes and sounds. For example, moving closer to the microphone, the sound becomes quieter, and moving further to the microphone, on the contrary, it becomes louder. Knowing this, the singer can change the volume of vocals, reducing the amount of compression required for later editing. Singing into a microphone while recording may be different from singing into a microphone on stage. This is also important to consider when recording a song in the studio.
So, use our practical tips and get great recordings easily and simply!