In preparation for the upcoming studio techniques class I'll be teaching I was scouring the internet for any new and relevant information about the craft. What I found was, to be honest, pretty shocking. The internet is a wonderful tool for learning but there is the ever present danger of coming across poorly presented and just flat out wrong information.
We happen to be in the kind of business where people can easily call themselves professionals without having had any formal training to call upon. These individuals feel that their real world experience is enough to deem them a professional. In certain cases this is very dangerous.
Now, before you rush to make a comment let me make it clear that I do believe that real world experience is invaluable and that certain people in our business have had immense success without formal training. However, I've had decades of experience driving a car but am not, as yet, ready for the Indy 500. See where I'm coming from?
I've just finished reading several web pages that came up first on a google search for studio vocal techniques and the majority of the people writing these pages make some pretty startling errors. Here are a few:
1. They don't mention getting a vocal coach
2. They site singing your songs in the shower as the ideal way to imagine hearing yourself in the studio
3. They all claim to be industry professionals but neglect to include a resume containing anything other than vague references to performances.
4. They don't make any mention of vocal health practices.
5. They don't detail the difference between dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones and their respective audio capture fields.
6. THEY DON'T MENTION GETTING A VOCAL COACH
First and foremost, be careful where you get your information and always consider the source. It's imperative to break these things down step by step. If you want to sing in a recording studio the most basic thing to have down is your singing. This means training with your coach and developing consistent vocal health and warm up regimens. Pitch accuracy and solid breath technique are also necessities in the studio.
Once you feel your voice is an instrument that you can depend on it's time to learn a little about the technical side of recording your voice. There are two basic kinds of microphones. These are known as dynamic mics and condenser mics. Dynamic microphones are generally the kind you would see on a stage in a live performance. Condenser microphones are generally what are used in studio recordings. It is not however uncommon to use a dynamic microphone in a recording situation and in fact, many famous musicians do so. Practicing on several microphones will help you learn how each kind responds to your voice. This will allow you to learn how to augment your sound to achieve your optimal performance no matter what kind of microphone you find yourself using.
Once you know your gear it's time to get some practical studio time logged. This is where you must use your judgement to find the right studio, engineer and producer. Try to set up extra time to practice different positions in front of the microphone and within the room. Your voice will be picked up differently with even a minute adjustment to your positioning. Recording is as much an art form as anything else so taking the time to discover your best techniques is key.
In my opinion there's no better way to learn this material than in the studio with other singers. Take a moment to check out our upcoming studio singing class info here and in the meantime share your comments and stories about your own studio experiences.
-Michael
