So you have a singer in the studio, you've set up the microphones, tested them out to find out which one you are going to use for the recording, now what? Now you will focus on getting the best performance out of that singer. Hopefully, you will have an amazing and talented vocalist and your job will be easy. Often times this is not the case, however, and a little bit of coaching is needed.
This isn't to say that the vocalist is bad per say, they just maybe aren't used to being in a studio under pressure to perform at their best while the rest of the band and an engineer they possibly have never met before that day are all watching them. It can get stressful for just about anyone.
I have been in the studio on both sides, as the engineer and as the vocalist, so I will hopefully shed some light on ways to make your vocalist comfortable in their environment and ways to tactfully coach their performance.
First of all, make the singer feel comfortable from the onset of the session. Right when they get there talk to them, joke around, and let them know that it is a relaxed environment. If you are straight to business and talk about nothing but the recording then you are likely to make the singer feel more nervous about landing that perfect take.
Let them warm up their vocals in the room they are recording in. You may know that room like the back of your hand, but this is likely the first time the singer has been to your studio. Even though you may not think it has an effect, an unfamiliar environment can cause a singer to be uncomfortable and timid with their vocal performance.
Ask the singer how they prefer the room to be, whether that be standing, sitting, lights on, or lights dimmed. All of these things affect the comfort level of the singer and can bring out the best take possible from them. Ask them if they are comfortable with the entire band sitting in and listening while they record or if they would rather everyone except the engineer leave the control room.
Making sure your singer is comfortable is key to getting a good vocal performance. Take the time to get this right and you are likely to have a vocalist that chooses to record with you time and time again because you know how to make them feel comfortable during the recording process better than the other guy.
Next week I will be getting more into coaching the performance once the actual recording has begun. This requires it's own talent and finesse to accomplish.
What are some ways that you help make your artist feel comfortable? Have you been on the vocalist's side before? What are some things that helped you ease the nerves? Let me know in the comments.
I've had some difficulty in the past recording vocalists who have never recorded before, who have only ever sung live and they treat their vocal takes like a live performance. They usually have terrible proximity to the mic, they move around it too much, cannot manage their volume well. I've had a vocalist even grab the mic and the mic stand while recording a vocal take. It was a nightmare, but they've never had any experience in a studio before, so coaching them on home to act in one was super difficult. It seems like some vocalists want to record vocals in the studio the same way they perform them on stage in order to "capture the essence" of a live show on an album. I guess their is a fine line between making an artist comfortable and letting them express themselves, and letting them get too comfortable to the point where they can't give you a solid vocal performance. Singers, man, I'm tellin ya.
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