If you want to record professional sounding vocals for your band or just as a solo songwriter then there are some very simple but essential tips that you can use to get the best possible recording.
The chances are that you are plugging your microphone directly into your computer soundcard which is fine and you’ll certainly get a reasonable recording however you will never get a truly professional sound doing this.
The problem is that your vocal will have peaks and troughs in volume due to the way in which you sing so this will certainly come across when playing back your recording. Although you may think that this is what you are looking to achieve, unfortunately it isn’t.
The key to a great sounding vocal is to smooth out the variation in volume when singing, so that even if you are belting out a chorus the actual volume of vocal should change however it is crucial to retain the quality of the voice. Simply moving away from the microphone, whilst maybe working in a live performance, doesn’t work when recording vocal because it stands out in the recording. It makes the whole tone and feel of the song change.
So the best tip for recording professional sounding vocal is to use something called ‘compression.’ What compression does is level out the volume when sing, so whether you are singing LOUDLY or quietly the compression alters the volume automatically. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
There are a couple of ways to add compression to vocal when recording.
One way is to use an external compression unit to add the compression before it reaches your soundcard by running your microphone through it.
Another way is to use recording software such as Mixcraft 5 to add compression after you have made your vocal recording. Both ways will dramatically improve your sound.