Being a recording artists is an art unto itself and it is different from
performing on a stage. Here are a few tips that should help make your next session in the studio more productive and flow smoothly. Remember, recording in a studio is an art form and you should approached it with that in mind.
1. Practice, practice, practice but don't obsess: None of us can afford to waste studio time because time is still money last time I checked. Practice to the instrumental, learn the lyrics and establish the over-all feel of the song. Remember there is a such thing as too rehearsed. When you finally get into the studio you want to leave a little room for creative things to happen that feel genuine and honest. A good recording will connect with the listener and the best way to do that is to not sound too rehearsed.
2. Message and emotion: Your message is important to setting up the emotion or energy of the song, so place your focus there. Message and Emotion will effect how you phrase you lyrics and should sound believable and honest within the feel and style of the song. Mean what you say and it will help your song to connect better with the listener or future fan.
3. Envision an Audience: Proper emotion is critical when recording. Remember you have to touch people that you cant see and recording by yourself in a small vocal booth doesn't make that job easy. Perform in the booth with the same energy and believability of a live performance. Imagining someone or an audience usually helps.
4. Headphones: Your headset can makes a big difference in how you perform in the recording booth. If you feel your not giving enough energy try turning your headphones up, but If you feel too hype for the song turn your headphones down. Pay attention to your headphone volume and adjust it to a comfortable level. When your stacking vocals or harmonizing it often helps when you take one headset ear off. This allows you to hear the your voice while your listening to the recording, allowing you to better blend the two recordings.
5. Mic placement: When recording adjust your microphone to a comfortable height and maintain your position throughout the recording. If you leave the booth or step away from the mic during the recording, return to your spot which should be about 4 inches from the pop filter. This will ensure a consistent vocal sound through out the recording and during punch-ins. When punching vocals remember to sing along with the recording a few bars before the section you are looking to replace and continue after to match your energy and tone.
However, If you want to create a texture change in the vocal tracks (i.e. background stacks, chorus harmonies etc..) try changing your position slightly. Add an additional 2 to 6 inches of distance from the pop filter and that may be all you need. Your mix engineer should be able to handle it from there. If you don't have a mix engineer then get in touch with one at music@LegendaryMix.com