How to Record Vocals - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro

How to record vocals on a budget with Warren Huart. Featuring tips on making the artist feel comfortable, gain staging, and microphone distance.

Produce Like A Pro is a website which features great tips to help the beginning recordist make incredible sounding home recordings on a budget.

[Producelikeapro]

Hi Everyone! I made this video nearly 7 years ago now! One of my first ever videos! Since then many amazing mics have come out for less than $300! We live in an amazing time where music making is becoming more and more affordable!

[Holly-]

I recorded vocals in a studio, and he had colored lights in the vocal booth. He turned off all lights in the other rooms...It made me feel comfortable because I felt the stage atmosphere, and couldn't see past the glass of the booth to be inhibited ...it was a great experience !!!

[PherotoneStudios]

Even after 15 years in a studio and having studied it in college you'd think a video like this would be pointless for someone like me. It's far from that. It's important to see how other people demonstrate and explain methods for recording, and seeing someone that is a top end producer and engineer put a free video out that gives their take on it is invaluable

[jbandshahayeah]

This advice is GOLDEN. as a singer, the distraction element is key, I've found that I perform better if I sing while doing something else at the same time. If I try to focus and sing on pitch and try to make everything perfect, it usually comes out forced. Throw on some light auto tune, light a few candles, sip a bit of warm tea and you're ready to go.

[Producelikeapro]

Hi +Sean Donahue Starter Condensers that sound good are $300 they can go up to 15k plus. Personally I think the Lewitt LCT 550 is amazing and is around $600 I believe. I hope that helps! Happy New Year!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[sun_catchers_music]

I like you putting efforts on trying to ease the singer first before jumping on technical details

[PaRtYir]

i can honestly say whenever i feel a lack of inspiration any one of you're videos compltelty changes that for me. Thank you Mr. Warren Huart

[Homestudiosimplifed]

2:05 "When the singers like... BLAH!" Loved that, bout busted out laughing in the break room!!

[GuitarJamzOfficial]

great video Warren!! good stuff my man

[drill.]

After spending a lot of time as a vocalist the mic that sounded the very best on my voice, even more so than the really expensive Mics, was a $350 ish mic made by Shure, the tried and true sm7b, love it. I’ve also heard great things about the Slate mic modeling system and I’m going to check that out as well.

[Shawneverette]

Thanks for what you do for home studio recording engineers. Your interviews and information is so valuable.

[KwyatMan]

HOT TEA! I'm so glad you said this as I was JUST thinking if using hot tea when I record is helpful for my vocals and you've just confirmed it. Thank you!

[parasiteunit]

The best drink is hot lemon, ginger and a splash of honey... Soothing, warming and helps reduce any straining as it's antibacterial and ginger has antiinflammatory properties... It's not everyone's favourite beverage, but it's a useful thing to use.

Also, one of the best make shift booths I've used is a built in wardrobe. Hang a few heavy clothing items around strategically and yeah - pretty dry.

[Greenleaf]

Brilliant video. I liked the part about having the singer stand in the corner and baffle the area behind them. I'll have to give it a go. i have also heard that if you are in a room where there is very little acoustic treatment then you may try to place the mic in the middle of that room so that it is away from the reflective surfaces and hence is less exposed to the reflections. But at the end of the day a great performance is the thing that counts most. Have a wonderful day Warren.

[kingdizzydotcom]

another majorly crucial thing in vocal recordings is technique & emotion. a good vocalist can save the mixing engineer many hours of work by impeccably controlling the dynamics of their performance. as a vocalist im even controlling my EQ as i sing. learning your mic and how it reacts to quiet and loud sounds helps one to mainuplate your voice in the best way for that mic. because i mix aswell im always looking to deliver a perfect vocal for listening and an easy one to mix ! im on both sides of the looking glass !

[FlashbackinJapan]

Awesome! Thanks! Luke warm water is best for vocals. Hot drinks relax the vocal chords too much, cold drinks constrict, caffeine dries them out, and sugar coats them and increases mucous production. Having said that, to each his own and ask the singer what works for them.

[KwyatMan]

This was PERFECT! Thank you. You've touched on many points others have not and I appreciate that.

[dalecampbell]

Who are poor folks disliking this video? It's great! Thanks Warren.

[Mdjagg]

I just got an SE Space filter for dampening behind the mic, works wonderfully. If you have a great open room for a singer and you are going for the wide open sound then you wouldn't want this, but for tight, dry, controlled vocals with little room to no room sound, its a must have. It's not cheap, but compared to real deal sound proofing for an awesome booth its dirt cheap. One guy at sweetwater recommended setting this up with the singers back to an open closet full of clothes, pretty much taking care of the dampening behind the singer like you are suggesting.

[terrythorsen]

Right on about baffling *behind* the singer! Quick mobile, low budget baffle: Extend a mic stand as high as possible. Set the extension horizontal so the mic stand forms a "T" about 6 feet tall (prop it up on a speaker if you need more height). Drape two thick moving blanks over the T and position 1-3 ft *behind* the singer. Usable results in almost any room. (Make sure mic is set to cardioid!)