Dim the lights, get in the mood, you are about to record a killer vocal track for your song. You’ve put a lot of effort into recording your song and even put some money into buying your own home recording studio gear for recording vocals. Now it’s your turn to get the most out of your vocals to complete your song’s production.
Singing Tips that Work!
Stand up! Most chances are you’ll get a better vocal performance standing rather than sitting. When you stand up, it’s easier to breath and sing with full strength.
Use the right headphones: Your condenser microphone is very sensitive. It will pick up almost any noise, even the noises that come out of your headphones. Make sure to use Closed Circumaural headphones (more…)
Can you record vocal tracks from home and make them sound like they were recorded in a top commercial recording studio? Are there any advantages for recording vocals at home other then, of course saving a lot of money?
The answer is: YES!
You’ll be surprised to know that some of the vocal tracks you hear on the radio were actually recorded at a home studio. When it comes to recording a source of sound with a single microphone like vocals, you can get the same sound quality as a commercial recording studio if you take the proper steps. (more…)
When I record a song, I have a tendency to layer many instruments on top of one another. Like, millions of instruments. OK, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but I do tend to get carried away. Sometimes I’ll program a drum part that I think sounds pretty cool, but to beef it up I’ll double it on another kit. And then another. And maybe even a fourth.
Then I’ll play a guitar part. And maybe I’ll add a lead guitar line. I might even want to add a third guitar to harmonize. And of course, guitars always sound better doubled, right? So I’ll double the parts, lay down a bass, and think “hey, this song would sound great with a keyboard!” So off I go, recording a Rhodes and then laying down an organ bed to fill out the holes.
Finally it’ll be ready for my vocals. Maybe I’ll double the lead vocal because my voice isn’t super powerful. Then I’ll add a harmony part or two, and some four-part background “oohs” to take it all up one more notch.
Before I know it, I have 21 tracks of audio adding up to one huge wall of sound.
It sort of sounds cool sometimes, but mostly it just sounds a little confusing. With all these sounds, which is the one I’m supposed to be listening to at any given time? With the whole frequency spectrum being filled up by instruments, how can any guitar tone, kick drum, or vocal melody stand out amongst the blurry mess of sound that is my mix? (more…)
We love working with artists from across the globe. Although many of our customers live in America, we are always recording music projects for people in Europe, Asia, South America—just about anywhere besides Antarctica, really. We also regularly work with musicians who don’t speak English as their first language. Take Andrea Iorio, for example. He speaks some English, but we recorded several of his songs in his native language of Italian. (If you check out the link to his feature above, you can hear our session vocalists Racquel and Michelle doing a great job singing in Italian!)
Still, there may be artists out there who are afraid that the language barrier could be a problem. How can you communicate what you want for your song if you don’t speak fluent English, or any English at all for that matter?
At Studio Pros, we believe that when it comes down to it, we’re all speaking the same language: music.
Which means that even if you don’t feel confident in conveying what you want for your project in words, we can still find a way to record the song you’ve always wanted.
The fact is, whether you live in Mumbai, Paris, or Mexico City and want to hear your songs on American radio or in Hollywood films, we can help you get there. We’ll do everything we can to work with you no matter what language you speak. Our team will use Google Translate to interpret your feedback and instructions. Even if the translation isn’t perfect, we’ll go the extra mile to understand your request and make sure your music is recorded just the way you like it. We’ll use reference tracks to hear examples of what you want out of your recording. (more…)
Recording is a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work, too. It’s so easy to put it off when you’ve got a ton of things that seem more important at the time. I find myself doing it constantly. I could record a vocal track, but I have to get my laundry done. I could lay down a few guitar parts, but I’ve gotta go to meet up with friends in an hour and I don’t want to lose track of time.
The excuses could be endless if you’re good at coming up with them. But then something inevitably happens after I put off a recording project for long enough: I start to feel bad.
I feel bad that a month has gone by and I’m no further along in my recording than I was before. Or worse, I feel bad because a few months have gone by and I haven’t even started recording a song. When I realize my song could have been finished already, it only adds to the frustration. If you’re a chronic procrastinator like me, or even if you’re not and you would just like a few tips on getting motivated, here are a couple things to remember when the recording studio beckons.
It won’t ever get done if you don’t start it
The only way to guarantee your song doesn’t get finished is to never start it in the first place! Sometimes just getting started is the hardest part, and once you’re going you find that you are inspired to keep it up. Often there is just that initial hurdle of getting the first thing recorded that’s giving you a mental block, but hearing your song get started usually reminds you of how cool it’s gonna sound when it’s complete. (more…)
Unless you play instrumental music, the vocal track is the most important part of your demo. It’s the part of the music that most fans and listeners connect with the most, and that makes your vocal tracks the heart and soul of your recording. But recording vocals can be a tricky thing. How do you capture the spirit of a great vocal take without losing any of the raw energy of the performance? Here are a few recording tips for vocalists.
Finding a Place to Record
Where will your vocal recording take place? The opportunities are endless, really… Besides professional recording studios, vocals can be easily recorded at home with the proper setup. If you don’t have a home recording setup (or know someone who does), you might want to take a look at our guide to finding the right vocal recording studio to help you find the right location. If you do decide to head to a recording studio, you can skip the next section on recording software and hardware.
Recording Software & Hardware
When you take recording matters into your own hands, it is imperative that you choose the right recording gear for the job. The sheer number of options available may seem intimidating at first, but here are a few tips.
You’ll need a digital audio workstation (DAW) to start. Some of the most common DAWs include Protools, Cubase and Logic. If you don’t want to invest in expensive software, many companies offer scaled down, cheaper versions of their titles. There are also free options available as well, though if you’re planning on getting serious about recording you’ll probably want to spend a few dollars on decent recording software.
You’re also going to need an audio interface of some sort. This is the hardware that you will be plugging your microphone into (which then plugs into your computer, usually via USB or Firewire). Again, there are tons of options out there for interfaces, but there are plenty of basic affordable products such as the Mbox. Just be aware that the more expensive interfaces often boast better sound quality when recording. Music recording gear tends to be pretty straightforward with pricing; more expensive will get you better recordings and more options, while less expensive tends to deliver lower quality and fewer choices.
Choosing the Right Microphone
More than anything else, the microphone is probably the most crucial piece of recording gear you can buy when it comes to recording vocals. The best DAW in the world won’t make a difference if you’re singing into a $15 Radio Shack microphone. There are several different types of microphones, the most common being dynamic and condenser. Dynamic mics like the Shure SM-57 are typically more affordable, but tend to be better suited for live performance than for recording. Condenser mics can be pricier, but they’ll give you a much crisper, more nuanced vocal track. That’s why most engineers prefer to use higher end microphones for recording. (more…)
There can be a lot to think about when you start your first Studio Pros production. Here are some links that you should browse through before you begin to ensure you get the most out of your experience—and to be sure you make an awesome song with us!
We love giving musicians a lot of options for their songs, but not every option can be right for every song. You should always carefully consider the instrumentation you choose. Not only will the right instruments make your track sound appropriate for its genre, they will also allow you to showcase the parts that are most important to your song. Here are a few choices you may come across when picking the right instrumentation.
Real drum track vs. programmed drums
The first decision to make is whether you would like a live drummer playing a real drum set or would rather have a programmed drum part. Usually if your song is rock, country, and certain kinds of pop, you’ll want the sound of one of our Los Angeles session drummers to give your song that full band, live sound. But if you do R&B, hip hop, electronic or top 40 pop music, you’re most likely going to want the sound of programmed drums.
Real vs. synth bass
A great bass line is a key part of a great song. That bass line can be played by a studio bassist, or we can program a synth bass line. Once again, it all depends on what vibe you’re going for with your music.
Guitars
There are many types of guitars that make all kinds of sounds: solid body guitars, hollow bodies, acoustics, electrics, etc. There are tons of different guitar sounds even out of the same guitar, too: different pickups, distortion, clean, reverbs, delays, and various effects. Different guitar sounds fit with different styles: acoustic goes great with folk and singer/songwriter music, hollow body electric is perfect for jazz, etc.
Guitars also sound good when they’re layered, and rhythm guitar parts are often doubled in songs you hear on the radio. But don’t go overboard laying guitars; more than 3-5 and your song starts sounding muddy and undefined.
Keyboards and synths
Keyboards are similar to guitars: lots of options, but add too many and the listener won’t know what they’re supposed to be listening to. With keyboard tracks, you can have piano, organ, electric keyboards (like a Rhodes or Wurlitzer), and synth instruments (including string sections). If the rest of your song sounds very acoustic or live, you probably want to stick with one of the basics like piano or organ. If you’re producing a dance track, you’ll probably want to have a lot of cool synths and sounds that aren’t quite as “natural” as your standard keyboards.
Vocalists
Vocals are instruments, too. Even if you don’t use one of our vocalists for your lead part, they can add a new dimension to your music with harmonies or other background vocals. You’d be amazed what a few tracks of “oohs” can do for your song!
Horns
Studio Pros also offers horn sections. Horn sections are essential for certain styles like swing and Latin music, but you might be surprised how many songs in other styles use horns, too. A horn section can add a very unique element to your song, and they often bring the energy level up considerably when added to a recording.
Don’t forget that you can always mix it up—there’s no rule saying rock music has to have a live bass track or that rap can’t have a real drum set. We love to hear artists experiment and push the boundaries of their style. Just remember to always pick and choose your instruments wisely… You want to make sure your listener gets the experience that you’re hoping for.
The first step of Studio Pros’ full music production package is laying down a guitar/keyboard track with a melody line synced to a click. We call it: A Sketch.
The sketch will help the rhythm section (the drummer and bass player) to understand the structure, the chord progression and the melody of the song. This is the foundation of the production and will later be replaced by the final guitars/keys. The sketch will NOT serve as part of the production’s final tracks.
How Can You Tell If The Sketch is Good To Go?
Sing your song along with the sketch and make sure that the structure, tempo and chords are right.
What’s Studio Pros Chords Progression/Composition Service?
If you only have lyrics, a vocal recording or a very rough demo of your song you can hire Studio Pros’ composer to write a unique chord progression for your song. This service is an additional $170 to the initial production cost. At the end, you’ll be the sole owner of the composition and will have the right to use it as you’d like.
If you have further question about our recording service, contact us.
So, you’ve decided to start your first project with Studio Pros. Great! You’ll notice that the first step after placing your order is the upload page. This is where you get to upload a scratch version of your song for our musicians to work from, plus any other files you might want to include. Here are some important things to keep in mind to help you prepare to make your Studio Pros project go smoothly.
Record to a Click Track
One of the most helpful things to provide our studio musicians is a song recorded to a click track. The click track is like a metronome; it keeps the beat steady and even. Recording to a click allows our players to know exactly where they are in the song while recording their parts. If you’ve never recorded to a click before, you might try using an online metronome to determine your song’s tempo. Then, download a free audio recording program such as Audacity and set up a click track. Record to the click, then upload your rough recording to our website.
Take note of the tempo (measured in “beats per minute,” or BPM) so you can tell the Studio Pros musicians what they’re recording over. This will help to ensure that our session players are laying down the right parts for your song.
Upload a Text File With Instructions
Although you get a chance to write some instructions during the ordering process, you may want to get into more detail for your song (or you may have forgotten something when you first ordered). Write instructions for your song in a text file, and be as detailed as you’d like. The more direction you can give the musicians, the better. Save your directions to a convenient file format—TXT, RTF, and DOC are usually good choices—and upload them at the same time as you upload your scratch recording to make sure our players don’t start recording before you tell them everything they need to know!
Use Reference Tracks
Reference tracks help our players understand the musical context of your song. Because music can be described in vague and subjective language, having solid examples of what you’re looking for can help immensely. See our post on reference tracks for more information on this.
Include Chords and Song Structure If You Can
Whenever possible, it’s good to provide the musicians with the chord progression and the structure of your song. For example, you could write:
INTRO (4 bars)
[Em ] [Am ] [Em ] [G Am]
VERSE (8 bars)
[Em ] [Em ] [Am ] [Am ] (x2)
This, along with the click track and instructions, will help make sure our musicians know the correct structure for your song.
When you’re recording a project with Studio Pros, the more you information you can provide our musicians with before you start, the easier it will be to get the song you’ve envisioned to become a reality!
Recording Software & Hardware